Cheers

Ha?

Firstly… what relevance is that? News Ltd have a range of businesses they operate and a number they hold investments in. REA is just one of the latter.

REA is run independently as a public company and the fact that it’s major shareholder also owns a company has no bearing on the article whatsoever. Yahoo also invested in Google but they were run independently of each other. In fact they even sue each other.

The REA model and the auto models are not the same which was the crux of the article. I suggested REA should look at the Motor Industry if it wanted to keep increasing revenue. Covering a niche with two brands owned by the same or associated group is hardly earth shattering. Go and check the toothpaste next time you are at the shops. Despite all those brands and different options available just a few companies own the majority of the sales in the sector.

Secondly.. blogs are not strictly journalistic work. Whilst they can report the news it is more about personal opinion. In this case I did actually realise the connection you raised (there logo is on the realestate.com.au websites is the first clue) but I thought it added nothing to the core of the discussion. The difference was in the models and the motor industry is IMHO being shafted and get agents to question if we have really a lot to bitch about when they increase our fees.

The fact that it is being shafted by business who is owned by a very large public company that has also invested as a shareholder in another public company that runs numerous real estate portals around the world one of which is also the major real estate portal in Australia,,,,,, does not change the discussion at hand. I really dont have an issue providing similar sort of info to provide a background to the article… I do it all the time.. just when I think its relevant.

Thirdly…. Plenty have people add further information to the articles, comments and opinions.. thats what the whole blogging experience is about.. I dont take offence at it at all.. Everyone has an opinion and something to add.. but in this case I specifically asked for others peoples input int he last paragraph.. If you think it was relevant then certainly add it into the mix but I wouldn’t naturally assume that I and every other person who has commented on this article missed that fact. Instead you had a bad day and want to take swipes that I and “others” have not done research before putting fingers to keyboards (or even “pen” to paper).

If you want to explain what relevance you think there is to that connection in the context of the discussion I would love to hear it. Whilst I respect your right to have an opinion, I dont have to agree with it, nor you mine.

ha!

Aryan,
The dealer I used that told me they pay $30+ per enquiry was part of the AHG group which is anything but a small dealership with 105 separate dealerships in their stable.

Max,
That other industry “you know” has many participants that average down their enquiry costs by supplementing portals costs with SEM and other online marketing. My point in the article was that from my experience car dealers do not seem to be doing this at all. I would not expect any company in either industry to forgo portals to run a PPC campaign in total replacement of running a portal subscription.

Thanks again