What changes have Autotrader made?
With 92% of Autotrader visitors believing it’s important to read reviews written within the past 12 months, Autotrader has revamped the way they calculate dealership ratings. Read the full Autotrader article here.
Your current rating is calculated on an average of all the reviews you’ve ever collected, meaning it can be really hard to influence your rating.
However, from December 2023, your dealership rating will now become a rolling metric, updated daily to ONLY include reviews within the last 365 days.
Reviews older than 365 days will remain visible to customers on your profile, however, they will no longer count towards your star rating.
Here at Localise, we believe this is a very positive change in the rating system as it means it will be much easier for dealerships to influence their ratings for the better – if they keep on top of review requests, that is.
With Autotrader reporting that 72% of customers are looking for reviews from the past few months let alone the past 12 months, we believe this will be a very welcome update for the customer. Just imagine your customer searching for a vehicle online and seeing that your dealership’s most recent reviews were from 6 months ago or more. They’re going to be questioning what happened. Did the business close? Did the business change hands? Did they start providing mediocre service which doesn’t inspire customers to leave a review?
72% of customers are looking for reviews from the past few months
Why is having a top Autotrader rating so important?
According to Google, 92% of automotive customers use reviews to inform their purchase decisions. However, it’s not just the reviews themselves which influence your customers. Autotrader report that 57% of customers would not purchase from a dealership with an average rating of less than four stars. So, top-tier ratings are just as important as the reviews themselves. Did you know that your dealership rating on Autotrader is visible to customers in more than just one place? It’s prominent on your ‘dealership showroom’ page and it’s even on every one of your car adverts to remind customers of your service levels as they shop. Many dealerships forget that their rating is often shown high in local searches on Google too. Google pull your Autotrader rating and insert it under your ’reviews from the web’ section on your business listing.
Another bonus to having a top Autotrader rating is the potential to be awarded with an Autotrader retailer award for ‘customer experience’ or ‘customer choice’. Autotrader runs its retailer awards yearly and has three key criteria for winning which are to have an overall rating of four stars and above, hit a certain threshold number of reviews relevant to the size of your forecourt and respond to most of your reviews (both positive and negative) promptly.
Achieving one of these awards for your dealership can boost your credibility even further.
57% of Autotrader customers would not purchase from a dealership with an average rating of less than four stars
What does the rating change mean for my dealership?
With dealer reviews being the most visited and engaged pages throughout all of Autotrader, it has never been more important for your dealership to both gain and retain a top rating.
To do this, you must keep a steady stream of fresh reviews rolling in. If you don’t pay Autotrader reviews the time and attention they deserve, you could quickly witness your dealership possessing a low rating.
To avoid this, we strongly recommend making review requesting a high-priority task in your weekly or monthly routine. Set yourself a recurring reminder and take control of your reviews!
How can I rapidly build my reviews?
Here at Localise, we understand that when running a successful car dealership, time is of the essence. So, after reading about the Autotrader rating update, you might be feeling overwhelmed with yet another recurring task. However, it doesn’t need to be that way.
Introducing Localise Reputation Management Services
If your dealership is lacking Autotrader reviews, Localise can help to Ignite a stream of reviews with our class-leading reputation management platform.
Send automated review requests
Our easy-to-use dashboard allows you to send automated review requests to individuals or in bulk. The requests can be personalised and sent via email, SMS or both. Customer records can easily be extracted from your existing CRM system and imported into our reputation platform. By doing this, you can even cherry-pick customers who you know have received great service from your dealership to further your chances of gaining a positive review.
As a Localise Reputation customer, you will also receive a custom QR code showroom stand so that customers can scan the code and leave you a review before they have even left your showroom.
Choose your review destination
Our platform allows you to selectively gain reviews across different review sites. Whether you prefer to focus on Autotrader reviews initially and later shift to Google, Facebook, or Motability etc, you have the flexibility. If you notice a slight drop in your Autotrader rating, easily switch back with a simple adjustment.
Respond in the dashboard
Enhance your dealership’s credibility and increase your chances of winning an Autotrader Customer Choice Award by consistently responding to reviews—both positive and negative. Our platform notifies you of new reviews from over 80 different sites, enabling you to provide prompt responses directly within the dashboard.
Share your reviews
Our selection of customised widgets allows you to display your reviews on your own website with ease. Automatically share your reviews across Facebook, Google Profile or Twitter (X) pages.
Gain insights
Evaluate your dealership against competitors instantly. Use our user-friendly reporting feature to analyze data and identify areas for improvement or success.
LIMITED TIME OFFER: 30-DAY FREE TRIAL
*Offer must be claimed by 1st Jan 2024 – no card details required.
You will receive a full demo of our reputation platform to help you get the most out of your free trial and help gain your dealership some fresh reviews! Our team of specialists will also be on hand to answer any queries you may have.
With no card details required, you have nothing to lose. If you decide to continue your subscription once your free trial ends, you’ll be pleased to know that we offer a simple 3 month rolling contract with prices from £35+VAT per month, per location.
Claim your FREE trial today!
