Buying Signals: What customers taught us
We believe the best products aren't built in isolation, they're created by working with the people who use them every day. Our work with retailers across the UK has been crucial in developing new tools that understand the realities of selling cars in today's market.
When we set out to create new features, we don't start with assumptions. Our customers are on the front line of the buying journey, and their insights have been invaluable in shaping products that solve real problems.
One of the most powerful outcomes of this collaboration has been the development of Buying Signals, a new subset of data designed to give retailers clarity on a buyer’s intent and preferences in the moments where it matters most.
Understanding Buyer Intent
The challenge retailers face isn't necessarily a lack of interest in their vehicles. It's understanding which customers are genuinely ready to buy. When a potential buyer sends a message or email, is that casual browsing or serious consideration?
Through our work with customers, we collaborated to identify three key signals that demonstrate a customer is more likely to buy. These include when the customer has the advert saved to their garage, when they have demonstrated strong purchasing behaviours on an advert, and when they are local to the dealership.
Real impact on real decisions
These insights aren't just nice to know, they directly influence business decisions.
"Before we make any pricing changes, we would always go in and have a look to see how many customers have shortlisted this particular car. How many times has it had the save button clicked on the Autotrader app."
The power comes from context. A customer may have browsed twenty or thirty vehicles over a week or two, but when yours is the one they've saved, that tells you something critical.
As one dealer puts it: "Actually ours is in the shortlist. They've saved it and now it's up to us and our sales team to continue that fantastic experience right the way through the buying journey to purchase."
Building the complete picture
Buying Signals appears directly in Portal or in your third-party systems*, where enquiries are displayed and managed. When a member of the sales team clicks into an individual deal, they see buyer intent badges in Sales hub as well as a view of their preferences to reveal what the customer has been looking at on Autotrader. This complete picture enables them to tailor their approach with precision and confidence.
"It really is about empowering our team to be able to do their jobs effectively," one customer shared. And that's exactly what collaboration should achieve - products that don't just work, but work the way people need them to.
The value of partnership
The launch of Buying Signals demonstrates what happens when product development becomes a true partnership. We brought the data and platform; retailers brought the context and real-world understanding. Together, we created something that we believe will genuinely make a difference.
This is engrained into how we build products at Autotrader, not by guessing what our customers need, but by working alongside them to create tools that are truly fit for purpose.
Because the most powerful products aren't built for people. They're built with them.
*Buying Signals available with an integration of Autotrader Connect, additional work may be required. Please speak to your Technology Partner for more information.
