CHICAGO – Cars.com will host a free, hour-long Webinar entitled "From Online to the Store: Internet Advertising Drives Walk-in Traffic" at noon ET this Friday, Nov. 14. The content is based on a groundbreaking study the online retailer conducted to determine how third-party sites influence walk-in traffic and identify the advertising tactics that get shoppers into the dealership.

"A significant percentage of in-market car buyers prefer to take the next step toward a purchase on the most direct path, an in-store visit," said Dennis Galbraith, Cars.com's vice president of advertising products. "These shoppers may not call or e-mail first, so the information they find online determines the dealers they select. Dealers who fully merchandise their complete inventory with multiple pictures, descriptive sell copy and competitive pricing position themselves to win more than their fair share of the business."

Galbraith, who has more than 15 years of automotive industry marketing experience, will lead the session. Topics will include key advertising objectives and features; ingredients of Internet ads that drive store traffic; and a full accounting of Internet-generated store traffic.

Dealers interested in attending or learning more about this month's DealerADvantage Live Webinar may visit Cars.com’s DealerCenter to register and view archived recordings of past events. Dealers do not have to be Cars.com customers to attend the Webinar, but they must download free software from WebEx.com to participate.