Buy centers are shifting focus from conversion rates to appraisal volume. Rob Dell, Vice President of @BobRuthFordInc, breaks down why capturing more appraisals and owning the data matters more than squeezing each deal. "If we converted 8% of all of our appraisals, my question isn't, how do I get it to 10%? My question is, if I have 2000 appraisals, how do I get 4,000 appraisals? That's all it comes down to. That's why I say we collect VIN numbers. And then, what are you gonna do once you capture that data? Are you just gonna throw it in your appraisal tool and throw it away? Or are you gonna retain it so you can market to that customer till the end of time?" Daily Dealer live hosted by @samdarc and @udemartino — listen to the full episode here: dealershipguy.com/wright-on-… - Thank you to our partner @overfuel_com! Check them out by visiting overfuel.com/

95.5% of dealership websites failed Google’s Core Web Vitals on mobile and desktop: That means almost every top-50 group is running digital storefronts at risk of losing search visibility across Google’s ecosystem. However, the sites that meet Google’s benchmarks typically see a lift in organic traffic by up to 20%. The signal: Many dealers are still spending heavily to drive traffic into subpar experiences. (Methodology: Chrome UX API and PageSpeed Insights data, collected August 28–30) (Data source: Overfuel Report—North America’s Largest Auto Groups Still Failing Google Core Web Vitals 2025)

50% of used car shoppers want to keep their next purchase < $15K: But they'll have to make some compromises... Back in 2019 — $15K got you a 5-year-old car. Today — the same used vehicle age is averaging $25K. The problem? Used car supply is still constrained, keeping prices elevated… And to stay within budget, buyers are now looking at 9-year-old cars — which are going for an avg. of $14,805. Bottom line: Used car prices are slowly course-correcting (down 22% from the 2022 peak), but we're still far from pre-pandemic levels. (Data source: Edmunds / Kiplinger)

Auto insurance rates in the US are up 52% since 2022. That's the biggest 3-year spike since 1975-78. (via @charliebilello)

Luxury Vehicle Expert: Slinging $725M in Luxury Cars Per Year • Top finance products for luxury vehicles • How he grew profits and customer ratings • Highest margin brands and more! My convo w/ Dennis Gingrich, Sales/Finance Dir., The Niello Company

Visionary dealer: Winning in a saturated market • Secret weapon in the used car business • Where he's reinvesting profits • Is Cadillac poised for a massive rebound? My conversation with Patrick Coleman, President of Jim Coleman Automotive: xitter.cf/CDG_Podcast/stat…

Another big cyber incident in Automotive this morning: This time it's CDK, the automotive software company. As a precaution to its customers, the company announced it's temporarily shutting down all its systems. And let's not forget... Last week, Findlay Auto Group, a large dealer group with over 33 rooftops, was the target of a massive cyberattack. Cybersecurity, a term I didn't think I'd ever post about, might just be the new "buzzword" that replaces AI and Digital Retailing in 2024.