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Dealix and TheCarConnection.com (TCC) recently formed an exclusive partnership guaranteeing that all the great leads generated at TCC's new website will go to Dealix dealers. Dealix Dealer Newsletter was fortunate to have the chance to speak with Hesky Kutscher, CEO of the Car Advisory Network, the company behind TheCarConnection.com. He had a lot to tell us about the website's long history, its new positioning, and how it creates value for dealers and consumers.

Dealix Dealer Newsletter (DDN): Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. The Car Advisory Network acquired TheCarConnection.com just last year. What were the strengths you recognized in the website, and what opportunities did you see there?

Hesky Kutscher (HK): TheCarConnection.com was founded way back in 1997 by Paul Eisenstein, who is perhaps the most accomplished and acclaimed automotive journalist ever. It was one of the first websites for car enthusiasts, and thanks to Paul and his editorial team, it was widely considered the best. From our perspective at the Car Advisory Network, one of the best things about the website was the way that its reach extended beyond the enthusiasts. As we considered acquiring it, we found that the vast majority of new user registrations came from regular, in-market consumers. This transformation began without any concerted effort on the part of TCC - simply because the rise of Internet search made it easy for consumers to find the site. And it continued because of the strength of the site's content. Even though it kept its enthusiast focus, consumers began visiting in larger and larger numbers because the information available there was so useful to them.

DDN: The acquisition was followed by a major re-launch of the website, which happened very recently. What are all the changes aimed at?

HK: Our main goal has been to make TCC easier for consumers to use so that it plays a larger role in their research and shopping. We're incorporating content from many outside web sources so that car buyers can find more of the information they're looking for. Some websites resist this because they fear losing users, but the reality is that consumers use multiple third-party websites already. Making this fact a part of our strategy will help us build on the high level of trust we've attained. We're also enlisting greater involvement from the website's original users, the automotive enthusiasts. They have been such a huge part of TCC's success, and that's going to continue.

One thing I want to emphasize is that the website is currently in beta. After 60 days, we're going to make enhancements based on what we've learned from user behavior and traffic patterns, and also from consumer and dealer suggestions. I'd like to invite dealers to take a look at the website and contact me with any ideas they have about improving it. They can email me directly at hesky@caradvisorynetwork.com.

DDN: What have you done to make the website more effective at producing strong leads?

HK: The biggest driver of quality leads from TCC is the fact that we're offering something much more important than just the usual specs, photos, pricing information, and so on. We're also offering a consolidated set of reviews, presenting professional opinion from around the web. This is a very important piece of TCC's overall environment, and it's going to be very effective at making customers feel that they're right to want the car they want. It strips away doubt in a way that the bare facts can't.
Speaking of reviews, we're also going to be using consumer-generated dealer reviews to demonstrate to users that TheCarConnection.com is a place where they can count on being connected with a top-quality dealer. That's another area in which we want to ease the consumer's doubts.

DDN: And what about dealers? Will you be working with them to help them take best possible advantage of the lead quality?

HK: Absolutely. This is one of the best things about our exclusive relationship with Dealix. Working together, we're going to develop seamless ways that well-reviewed dealers can leverage their online reputation to win new customers. And we'll be encouraging dealers to use TCC content in their communications with customers. For example, a sales rep should feel free to email a customer a link to a TCC review, video, or news story, and in fact we're going to work with Dealix to put this information at dealers' fingertips, where it will help in closing deals.

HK: It sounds like you're getting off to a great start. We're excited to be in business with you, and we thank you for the chance to hear more about what TheCarConnection.com is doing.