Metroland Uses CarTHINK to Grow Site

TORONTO--When Metroland Media Group redesigned and relaunched its Wheels.ca automotive site last year, it had 46 Ontario auto dealers as customers. Now, thanks to software by CarTHINK LLC, Wheels.ca publishes used- and new-car inventory from 750 dealers in the province.

“We’re offering a new and unique business model”

With that track record of success, CarTHINK now is offering its automotive marketing and data management software to newspaper and media companies worldwide.

Using CarTHINK software, publishers offer auto dealers much more than just a portal where car shoppers can browse their inventory.

“We’re offering a new and unique business model,�?? said Kevin Rose, CarTHINK CEO. “Our system includes a comprehensive tool set that’s far superior to services offered by any other vendor.�??

CarTHINK offers inventory management and marketing tools including the ability to print window stickers, upload vehicle data and photos, and post inventory on sites like EBay Motors, Craigslist and AutoTrader.com. The system can include an e-mail lead manager for dealers and can even set up a Web site that supplements a dealer’s primary site or stands alone as a dealer’s main site. Plus, the system offers a reverse publishing workflow for ads. When bundled this way, auto dealers get much more than just advertising from Wheels.ca.

CarTHINK software gives newspapers a way to compete against national online-only automotive sites, according to Cameron Milne, Director of Digital Automotive Advertising at Metroland.

Page-views on Wheels.ca, the Metroland automotive site, have nearly doubled since the relaunch with CarTHINK last July, to nearly 2.7 million page-views per month, Milne said. In addition, the percentage of direct visits to the site has increased from 6 percent to 30 percent, which indicates the site has become more of a destination for car shoppers, he said.

For dealers, the technology solves a problem many have, using multiple systems to share data. The key, said Rose, is being able to enter data just once while using the information in many different ways.

CarTHINK’s user-friendly searches make it easy for car shoppers looking for the perfect vehicle. Buyers can instantly scan tens of thousands of listings and refine their search using customizable proximity search criteria to find a car close to home or work. Searches can be as broad or precise as desired. Search is easy whether by vehicle category - family car, sports car, SUV, crossover, etc., or by multiple makes, models or years. A simple click customizes price range and selects retail vehicles and/or privately sold vehicles. And once a user is down to a short list, he or she can simultaneously review each vehicle, complemented by a lightning-fast photo tool offering up to 14 high quality photos.

The new and improved version of Wheels.ca was ready to launch three months after the CarTHINK contract was signed, Milne said.

Private sellers can post vehicles for free on Wheels.ca, uploading up to eight images. When the seller adds the vehicle's VIN number CarTHINK automatically decodes and populates the online listing with the vehicle’s features.

Metroland publishes 97 community newspapers and is a subsidiary of Torstar, parent company of the Toronto Star. Torstar is the largest media company in Ontario and reaches 80 percent of the homes in the province.

About CarTHINK, LLC

CarTHINK, LLC, a privately held company founded in 2004 and based in Boca Raton, Fla., provides full-service Internet marketing, software and services to thousands of franchise and independent auto dealers across North America. CarTHINK's state-of-the-art technology creates a single portal where inventory data, photos, videos and marketing content are managed across many diverse platforms. CarTHINK’s enterprise portal product delivers automotive content to newspaper portals using industry leading best practices for lead conversion, search engine optimization, and user experience. CarTHINK is an eBay Motors/eBay Local certified solutions provider and has data distribution agreements with hundreds of online classified destinations. For more information on CarTHINK, visit http://www.CarTHINK.com or contact Kevin Rose, CEO, 561-276-4211 ext. 202. Cellular, 561-676-9740.

About Metroland Media Group: With more than 100 trusted community and daily newspapers and innovative Web sites including Wheels.ca, Gottarent.com, lifenews.ca and flyerland.ca, Metroland Media Group is dedicated to delivering relevant ways to help people connect with what matters most in their lives. www.metroland.com. For more information contact: Cameron Milne, Director of Digital Automotive, 905-850-5380.