Re: [uk-netmarketing] Re: Piece of string question

[Neil.McIntosh]

Sam wrote:

>Doesn't it depend on the value (to Autobytel) of each transaction? If

>they're making a couple of thousand dollars on each sale, then it's probably

>a reasonable conversion factor. I'd be surprised if it was much higher if

>the main trade is very high ticket items like cars....or am I missing

>something?


Fair point - it's not like they're selling 1,700 ten pence widgets in six

months. We can only guess at their percentages, but you'd have to assume they're

taking at least several hundred on each completed sale (although that figure was

not completed sales, as far as I could see, it was purchase requests - the final

contract is completed face to face at the dealership, so the actual figure of

cars sold could be lower).


But you might also expect that the number of browsers would be self-selecting -

yes, you'll get a certain number of dreamers looking at cars they're not going

to buy (although there are better places to ogle at motors online), but I'd

expect most would be there with the intention, however vague, of buying a car.

And I'm sure Autobytel doesn't want dreamers costing it money: it wants rich,

time poor, haggle-averse types.


But now we're probably getting into the realms of speculation, which as you know

we hacks don't get involved with. Whoops! :-)


Neil Mc


===================

Neil McIntosh

Deputy editor, Online

The Guardian, London

t: 020 7239 9925

f: 020 7713 4154

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