Keeping your BMW showroom open 24/7
Welcome to your digital forecourt for brand-new cars on Auto Trader, the UK’s largest new car marketplace.
Why Auto Trader?
70%
of the BMW network are advertising new vehicles with AutoTrader
1.5m
unique car buyers browsing new car adverts every single month
3x
more minutes spent on AutoTrader than all our competitors combined
A retailer success story
Alex Houghton
Group Sales Manager (BMW & Mini), Lookers plc
We really set out some clear expectations with the team on making sure all of our new car stock is published on Auto Trader and on the Lookers website. We did that in December 2020. We have seen a huge spike in activity - and a huge spike in enquiries - off the back of that.
In March, we took 350 new car enquiries, which is more than double what we've ever taken before. The proof’s in the pudding really that it does work.
I think the biggest take from my side of things is […] just making sure that every new car that you have published has attention grabbers; a personalised description specific to that car; and get images, you know, proper images of the car.
I've seen centres taking images of the actual vehicle and I've seen centres using the placeholder images. The difference in the activity and the enquiries that [the centre with the actual images] gets is huge.
Alex Houghton
Group Sales Manager (BMW & Mini), Lookers plc
We really set out some clear expectations with the team on making sure all of our new car stock is published on Auto Trader and on the Lookers website. We did that in December 2020. We have seen a huge spike in activity - and a huge spike in enquiries - off the back of that.
In March, we took 350 new car enquiries, which is more than double what we've ever taken before. The proof’s in the pudding really that it does work.
I think the biggest take from my side of things is […] just making sure that every new car that you have published has attention grabbers; a personalised description specific to that car; and get images, you know, proper images of the car.
I've seen centres taking images of the actual vehicle and I've seen centres using the placeholder images. The difference in the activity and the enquiries that [the centre with the actual images] gets is huge.
3 steps to improving your performance in today’s market
Attract buyers
Stand out amongst the competition and win your share of buyers
Upload all your stock
With over 1.5 million unique buyers viewing new cars on Auto Trader every month, you don’t want to miss out on any opportunities. Ensuring you have adverts for each stock model line and budget range will maximise your audience.
Add your own images
Uploading 35 or more of your own photos typically generates 4.5x more advert views than using 2-5 images, making it the most significant driver of response. Over 42% of new cars on Auto Trader have at least 10 real photos applied, so there’s real potential to beat the competition.
Offer a small saving
Showing a saving of 1-5% on the Recommended Retail Price can double your advert views. Applying a saving, even as small as £250, will get your advert displayed on extra search slots on Auto Trader at no extra cost - as long as you’ve added images.
How it's done
Here’s a real-life example of advertising best practice
Optimise adverts
Keep buyers engaged and locked-in to your adverts
Describe your vehicles effectively
Attention grabbers are the only customisable text a buyer can see before viewing your advert. Call out unique spec items and make your vehicle look as unique as possible to maximise your response.
A good description of the model and options is a great way of bringing an advert to life – you could even make description templates to reuse and save time!
Read the blog: The good, the bad and the ugly of vehicle descriptions
Activate live chat and text
Provide more ways for consumers to connect with you by activating your live chat and text features on your Auto Trader adverts today.
The BMW network generates X% of it’s leads through live chat and text, so make sure you’re not missing out on valuable opportunities!
Bring your cars to life with video walkarounds
Adverts with a video added generate double the leads. The opportunity is huge, as less than 2% of new cars on Auto Trader have a video today.
If you want to reach maximum performance, combine video with plenty of real photos and a bespoke attention grabber for each vehicle.
Take it to the next level
How to convert customers without them visiting your forecourt
Take our Retailer Performance Masterclass
Our free online learning hub has been designed to fit around your busy schedule. Offering bitesize tutorial videos lasting approximately five minutes in length, RPM will guide you through techniques to excel on Auto Trader. All modules are available on demand, so you can complete in your own time. Check out our new car module through the link below.
Track your performance easily in Portal
Quickly identify which vehicles are generating the most response - and the ones that need a little attention. Portal offers an easy, in-depth analysis of your Auto Trader performance.
Alongside response tracking and lead information, Market Insight data shows BMW supply and demand across the network on Auto Trader at the click of a mouse. Book a free session with a Performance Manager for a demonstration with your stock today.
Consider one of our paid prominence products
Looking for a tactical boost to get more eyes on particular advert? Our pay-per-click (PPC) Boost and Campaign solutions provide no-risk exposure boosts. No clicks, no cost! Set weekly budgets and select adverts you want to promote through prominent slots in search. Prices start from just 25p per click, speak to your Account Manager to get started.
Our new vehicle package
Locally optimised
Buyers searches are pre-filtered to a 50-mile radius, so you can own your area of influence
All-you-can advertise
One affordable monthly payment, unlimited new vehicle adverts
Sell before you buy trial
First time advertising brand-new with us? You won’t pay a penny until you make your first sale*
New to new cars on Auto Trader?
If you haven’t advertised brand new vehicles with us before, you can take advantage of our Sell Before You Buy offer. This enables you to advertise your new cars free for up to 3 months as long as you:
Load at least 5 cars within the first week of going live.
Apply 10+ real photos of each car within the first week of going live.
Supply sales data for each full month you are advertising new cars.
Once we identify one or more sales as being influenced by Auto Trader, then you’ll move to the paid version of the product. For example, if a buyer viewed your BMW 1 Series on our site, and then bought a 1 Series from you two weeks later, we will count as an influenced sale.
If no sales are matched then you can continue advertising for free for a maximum of 3 months. Fill out the form at the bottom of this page and we will contact you to discuss the offer further.
With you every step of the way
Your account manager and the Performance Management team will be at your disposal throughout your new vehicle advertising journey. We offer each of the below steps to all customer to help get you up and running.
Scheduled check-ins
Over your first month of joining, we’ll schedule in plenty of time to help you start advertising to your full potential.
Regular support emails
As you work through the initial steps of getting your new car advertising set up, we’ll send you useful updates to help you maximise your response.
Help on hand
Your account manager and the Performance Management team will be at your disposal throughout your new vehicle advertising journey.
Talk to us about brand new
Through this form, you can easily:
Register your interest in starting your free trial
Schedule a new vehicle performance analysis with one of our experts to help maximise your response
Receive more information on our new car package and how it works
If you’d prefer, you can give one of our experts a call on 0330 303 9011
Monday to Friday
09.00 - 17.30
1Cost per sale based on 34,130 new car sales matches provided by 690 retailers.
2Subject to meeting basic quality criteria. Offer terms and conditions apply. Our team are on hand to support you and ensure your stock performs as well as possible.