Cars.com (www.cars.com)
announced today the availability of a secure credit application that
dealers can use to more effectively work with internet car buyers and
position themselves to win the sale. This application allows shoppers to
safely provide their financial and contact information to the dealer,
both signaling their interest in a particular vehicle, their interest in
financing, and underscoring their intent to buy.
"Customers who submit a secure credit application on Cars.com
essentially give the dealer an invitation to sell them a car," said
Dennis Galbraith, Cars.com vice president of dealer products and
training. "Dealers know everything necessary about the shopper to
make the sale, from who the prospect is to how to make contact and what
kind of car the buyer wants and can afford. By eliminating the usual
preliminaries, they're able to quickly get down to business. They also
have the flexibility to move ahead with the deal at hand or direct
shoppers to a better fit based on their requirements and credit history."
Links to the secure credit application appear in several locations on
Cars.com, helping dealers who use the product to stand out from their
competitors. They are displayed, for example, within the dealer's
listing on dealer locator search results, "more details" pages for
individual vehicles and on the payment calculator.
The secure credit application also integrates with DealerSites, Cars.com’s
industry-leading custom website product, seamlessly extending dealers'
online financing capabilities. Shoppers can submit the form in
connection with a specific vehicle that interests them. Alternatively,
they can submit the form to their preferred dealer, allowing the dealer
to suggest cars based on their income and credit history.
Unlike similar offerings on other websites, the Cars.com secure credit
application allows car buyers to complete the form in stages and submit
their data as they go. Dealers can capture key information even if the
consumer does not complete the entire process. This feature also allows
dealers to receive a notification at each stage as the prospect's
information is submitted, allowing them to immediately begin the sale
process and reach out to shoppers while they're still online filling out
the form.
"This advanced notice often gives dealers the competitive edge they need
to win the sale," Galbraith said. "The sooner they can obtain the
shopper's credit report and compile information about the shopper's
needs, the sooner they can connect with the prospective buyer and start
working the deal."
About Cars.com
Cars.com is the leading destination
for online car shoppers, offering credible, easy-to-understand
information from consumers and experts to help buyers formulate opinions
on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay for a car. With
comprehensive pricing information, side-by-side comparison tools, photo
galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and a large selection of
new- and used-car inventory, Cars.com puts millions of site visitors in
control of their shopping process with the information they need to make
confident buying decisions.
Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a
division of Classified
Ventures, LLC, which is owned by leading media companies, including
Belo (NYSE: BLC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company
(NYSE: MNI), Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).
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