OfferUp is a mobile-first marketplace for local buyers and sellers in the U.S. — with more than 80 million app downloads. The company makes it easy to buy and sell anything directly from your phone.
Sellers can simply upload a photo and a description to post something for sale. Buyers can browse or search local inventory and communicate instantly with sellers through secure chat messages in the app. People use OfferUp to sell things big and small, including furniture, clothes, collectibles and cars.
OfferUp's Verified Dealer Program reduces the friction in the car buying and selling process by making it easier for car shoppers to browse local inventory, and for dealers to promote their vehicles As a result, more than 4,200 dealers nationwide are now using OfferUp to reach more customers in their markets.
By signing up with the OfferUp Verified Dealer Program, dealers get access to a suite of tools to procure quality leads from OfferUp’s marketplace, which facilitates millions of car sales every year.
Every dealer in the program gets a verified dealer profile and tools enabling them to:
List their vehicle inventory feed automatically from their DMS provider
Increase their visibility through advanced advertising solutions
Streamline communication with prospects including Click-to-Call, the Ready-to-Buy Indicator, and other dealer-exclusive features
Communicate with interested buyers quickly and easily using chat
These tools make it easier for you to post your inventory on the OfferUp marketplace. And the data the company gathers from its marketplace makes it easier for you to find active buyers in your neighborhood.
Here are two examples of how OfferUp Autos makes the local car selling experience easier for you.
Dealers today have several sources to generate leads, but often do not have data telling them if a potential buyer is a casual browser or a more engaged and serious buyer. The Ready-to-Buy Indicator identifies engaged buyers based on their shopping behavior.
It alerts dealers if an interested customer has been searching for cars in the price range and specifications of what they have on their lot. If a shopper searches for compact cars in the $10K price range, and their shopping behavior closely matches those of actual buyers, OfferUp’s algorithm will inform dealers whether their car and the buyer are a good fit. Dealers in the program can check out the feature by looking for the “active buyer” tag on messages in their sales inbox on the OfferUp app and website.
Chat makes it easier than ever to answer incoming inquiries quickly. More consumers are moving toward using chat as their preferred way of communicating with businesses. According to a recent national survey, more than half of all Americans prefer to message rather than call a business, and six out of 10 reported an increase in their business messaging.
Data gathered from the OfferUp dealer network demonstrates how you can use chat technology to help you keep more leads. Data shows that many dealers are underestimating the value of being responsive in chat. Dealers who respond to leads within one minute enjoy high lead retention, however dealers who take over an hour to respond lose 25% of their leads and the remaining leads’ response time drops drastically. Dealers that wait longer than 24 hours to respond will on average lose 77% of their leads.
What can you do about this? There are several key things dealers should implement to take advantage of their chat features:
Assign a dedicated chat leads manager to make sure inbound chats to your team are answered and assigned in a timely manner
Make good first impressions by being helpful and courteous when responding to inquiries.
Be upfront and set expectations if you don’t immediately have an answer to a question. Let the customer know that you will get back to them shortly.
Track your response rates and make improvements as necessary.
Visit https://go.offerup.com/autos to learn how to become a Verified Dealer on OfferUp.