CASE STUDY
What makes car shoppers click? We analyzed 1 billion impressions to find out
In a first-of-its-kind analysis, we examined over 1 billion dealership website impressions to uncover which call-to-action phrases drive the highest shopper engagement.
Featuring
THE APPROACH Only Dealer Inspire could run this study
As the leading website provider in so many OEM programs, Dealer Inspire has unmatched insight into what drives shopper engagement. To find out which CTA phrases perform best, we conducted a network-wide analysis of real shopper behavior — testing hundreds of variations to see what actually moves people to act.
The scope:
- Over 1 billion impressions analyzed
- 10-20 million CTA clicks tracked
- 3,800+ Dealer Inspire websites included
- 6-month period of real shopper behavior (in 2025)
- 5 major categories tested: Price, Payment, Purchase, Test Drive, and Trade-In
THE FINDINGS Action-first language wins across all categories
Across all five CTA categories, clear, action-first verbs consistently outperformed passive or multi-step phrasing, resulting in a 20-100% increase in click-through rate (+0.2-0.5pp).
| Category | Top Performer | Secondary options | Avoid | Key insight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💰 Price | Get Today’s Price | Reveal Price | Price Details | Urgency and immediacy drive clicks |
| 💳 Payment | Calculate Payments / Payment Calculator | See / Show Payment Options | Estimate, Customize | Shoppers prefer quick clarity |
| 🛒 Purchase | Buy Now | Start Buying Process | Start My Purchase | Decisive verbs build trust |
| 🚗 Test drive | Book / Schedule a Test Drive | Reserve Test Drive | Request Test Drive | Action-oriented wording converts |
| 🔁 Trade-In | Text My Trade Value (SMS) / Value Your Trade (Web) | Get Trade Value | Estimate Trade Value | Clear, conversational phrasing signals speed |
We’re sharing these results exclusively with verified dealers.
Enter your info to see which CTAs came out on top
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THE OPPORTUNITY Simple CTA changes can
have a meaningful impact
As margins continue to tighten, it’s critical to get the most from the traffic you already have. Testing and optimizing CTA phrasing is a fast, no-cost way to increase engagement — turning more shoppers into leads without increasing your ad spend.
YOUR TURN Put proven CTA language to work on your site
Every dealer, market, and website is different, but starting with data-backed CTA phrasing gives you a real advantage. Our team can help you apply what we learned and turn more of your existing traffic into leads.
Already on Dealer Inspire?
Connect with your Performance Manager to review your CTAs and build a plan tailored to your inventory, shoppers, and goals
“You’re gonna get a very accurate appraisal — the same number, every single time no matter who does it.”
George Isaac
Service To Sales Manager
Toyota of Ann Arbor
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