AutoTrader.com, one of the Internet's automotive classifieds marketplace, announced October 23rd that it had achieved record levels of site traffic and revenue in the third quarter 2001.
It averaged a record high 5.6 million unique monthly visitors during Q3 2001, an increase of more than 500,000 visitors since last quarter and more than 44% over the same period last year. In August alone, the company surpassed 6 million unique visitors for the first time, and was ranked by Nielsen NetRatings as the #1 automotive site on the Internet, according to AutoTrader.com. Monthly page views and vehicle searches grew even faster than unique visitors and were up 55% and 74%, respectively. The site averaged 27 million searches per month in the third quarter.
The most popular nameplate on AutoTrader.com this quarter was Chevrolet, with 3.2 million monthly searches. The top vehicles on the site were the Ford Mustang and Honda Civic, with 660,000 and 619,000 monthly searches, respectively. "Very few media companies are able to hold their revenues steady in the current environment," said Chip Perry, president and CEO of AutoTrader.com. "The fact that AutoTrader.com is growing so quickly when others are declining is a reflection of the unusually strong results and ROI we are providing our customers compared to their traditional advertising outlets. Dealers are adopting our services in increasing numbers in these tough economic times because they are aggressively looking for ways to increase the efficiency of their advertising budgets while growing their overall market share. And that's what AutoTrader.com helps them do."
According to the company, AutoTrader.com's consumer popularity is being fueled by their increased brand awareness--which is driven by a multi-faceted national online and offline marketing campaign--and the huge inventory and unparalleled vehicle selection available. More than 1.5 million vehicles are listed daily on AutoTrader.com, representing more than 50% of al used cars and trucks for sale in the U.S. At the local level, the site typically contains 5 to 10 times the number of listings presented in the local newspaper classified section. Furthermore, due to the high volume of daily updates of dealer inventories that AutoTrader.com is able to perform through its electronic connections with thousands of dealerships, more than 3.4 million individual vehicles are now passing through AutoTrader.com's database each month. The used vehicle industry in the U.S. records about 3.5 million actual sales per month.
About AutoTrader.com
AutoTrader.com is an Internet classifieds marketplace and a comprehensive main source for consumers interested in buying or selling a new or used vehicle, or seeking information on price comparisons, safety tips, financing, insurance or warranty information. Through its alliances with Manheim Auctions, Trader Publishing Company, ADP, Inc., America Online and eBay, AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location a comprehensive database of 1.5 million vehicle listings from 40,000 dealers and 250,000 private owners, which provide consumers the largest selection of used vehicles in their local market. For more information, visit www.autotrader.com or call 404-269-7359.
