CarSales spends $2.5m on domains FY2012

[DavidL]

As we see every day Carsales just continue to snap up any automotive domain.

Their annual report came out a couple of days ago:

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9MTQ5NzY3fENoaWxkSUQ9LTF8VHlwZT0z&t=1 (page 46)

Profit up 20% too with shares at record highs:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/busines...-annual-earnings/story-e6frf7ko-1226450298098

 

[Oz.]

When did they buy Cars.com.au?

 

[DavidL]

When did they buy Cars.com.au?

Last financial year

 

[James]

Do a who is on most top car related domains, they own most..

 

[findtim]

look at https://www.car.com.au/

tim

 

[Cooper Mills DomainLawyer]

Greg Roebuck has been smart with his acquisitions, a lot of CEO's dont have his insight into domains. I heard him speak at a US Chamber of Commerce function a while back, he makes no secret of their strategy of acquiring suitable names.

 

[findtim]

if i had created something like they have i'd be doing the same, what i like is that they ACTUALLY do something with their domains instead of them sitting doing nothing or parked. YES most are redirected but i would hope thats just stage 1 of a greater plan.

he doesn't make a secret of it as its plainly obvious to anyone who cares.

suv.com.au

as an example

we sold our last car via carsales and it was quick and easy BUTTTTTT the success of this website is NOT the domain name, its the vision and the programing to make it easy for the 3 sides involved, buyer, seller, admin

i think this website could be called " kangaroofood dot net dot ep " and still be successful

its the vision, the content and the tactics that have made it what it is.

realestate dot com au i think sits in the same basket.

tim

 

[FirstPageResults]

Thanks for sharing David. Deep pockets and they certainly are active on the drops..

 

[Cooper Mills DomainLawyer]

Tim you make a good point, Carsales have made some strategy purchases as well. For example they bought Red Book, not for the business but for the database of vehicles and vehicle data. That was the key value for them, so they incorporated it into carsales.com.au to enhance it.

 

[findtim]

i have been renewing my car insurance this week and pushing for a better deal and "red book" keeps coming up in every phone call.

redbook is a GREAT purchase for them

tim

 

[findtim]

PS: we also THEN bought our next car via carsales and can you believe it the car i wanted was just 2 blocks away !!!!!!!

-------

now for the story so don't read if you don't want to.....

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i rang the guy and said i'd come over to look and WALKED to his house 2 minutes later, he couldn't believe it.

he was a russian, NEW to oz and the car didn't suit him as his parents were coming to live and he had a few kids. I told him i wanted to take it for a test drive and asked him if he wanted to come? he said no thats ok, i said i am taking it for a TESTTTTTTT drive ok, and he said cool.

So i did, my version of a test drive is @ 2 hours, up hills down hills and SLAMMING on the brakes with my hands off the steering wheeel then reversing up the hill at @ 60klms and then SLAMMING on the brakes again

( i was taught by a used car salesman )

soooooo, i did about 100klms ++ and my phone rang, it was the owner asking when/ IF i was coming back LOL, i said i'll be back in 5 minutes, he was VERY happy to see me and said " you know .... in russia.... if a test drive takes that long ..... you never see the car again...."

so, i bought the car, got a good deal and its a GREAT car.

tim

 

[smee]

look at https://www.car.com.au/

tim

Yes, but how does car compare to cars for broads and exact?

 

[johno69]

Yes, but how does car compare to cars for broads and exact?

Car gets about double. (but i'm sure you checked that).

What I don't understand is how much benefit there is juice wise to put a redirect on.

I have a few domains I redirect myself, but the benefit for me is protection really.

From what I understand we really don't get much type in traffic in AU.

So having cars.com.au redirect to motoring.com.au a Google search for cars would only bring motoring.com.au to the top due to other factors, and not because cars.com.au ships you off there.

With cars.com.au not being a site in itself it wont rank either.

So maybe the experts can shoot me down but apart from brand protection and trying to corner the market, can you please explain the benefits of what that are doing with cars.com.au by redirecting.

Wouldn't it be better throwing up a minisite of some sort and linking back?

This has shown benefits for some of my clients in the past.

 

[DavidL]

Car gets about double. (but i'm sure you checked that).

What I don't understand is how much benefit there is juice wise to put a redirect on.

I have a few domains I redirect myself, but the benefit for me is protection really.

From what I understand we really don't get much type in traffic in AU.

So having cars.com.au redirect to motoring.com.au a Google search for cars would only bring motoring.com.au to the top due to other factors, and not because cars.com.au ships you off there.

With cars.com.au not being a site in itself it wont rank either.

So maybe the experts can shoot me down but apart from brand protection and trying to corner the market, can you please explain the benefits of what that are doing with cars.com.au by redirecting.

Wouldn't it be better throwing up a minisite of some sort and linking back?

This has shown benefits for some of my clients in the past.

Yeah I agree - the domain isn't being well utilised at the moment. I do think much of their registrations are defensive. They know that by snapping up all the great brandable motoring related terms it makes it harder for new competitors to steal into their market share.

Plus it's an appreciating asset and for future ventures/ideas they will have a nice range of domains to kick things off on. So, if you've got the cash (which they do), it's a no-brainer to keep acquiring.

 

[smee]

Car gets about double. (but i'm sure you checked that).

I wonder how much they paid for cars and if they offered to buy car, what that offer was.

 

[findtim]

i think there is very little if any "juice" in a redirect.

i think they just don't care ! they are just pumping seo money into their main site and its working for them.

tim

 

[smee]

Car gets about double. (but i'm sure you checked that).

Can I put it to members as to why car would get double that of cars? Logic tells me that people searching for 'used cars' would use that term and not 'used car', then again maybe more people are looking for a 'new car' than 'used cars'!

Other thoughts, 'car parts', 'car service'. Guess maybe I've answered my own question.

 

[findtim]

yes smee, you answered your own question.

i find australians like to add an "s" to alot of words, thus they will search how they speak which is how they type.
eg: if they are looking for a dentist thats what they will type but if they add a town to the search they are looking for choice so they would add the S , sydney dentists.

S or no S i mix between depending on what subject it is.

as for car, it should be as valuable just because its a 3 letter word used everyday and hard to come by.

tim

 

[johno69]

Can I put it to members as to why car would get double that of cars?

Because people don't often buy more than one car at a time?

So they are looking for a car not cars.

 

[James]

I was talking to a senior person at car sales a few months ago apparently the CEO loves domains and has a love for buying new ones...Apparently he has a huge portfolio of domains...