Tax season is here and people are itching for an excuse to leave their house as the weather warms up. If you’re like many dealers in America, you’re hoping to see the current circumstances result in a spike in sales, particularly after a slow start to the year and looming economic concerns. In February, used inventory was up 8.7% YoY and prices reached their lowest point since 2021. Could this mean we’re finally witnessing a return of tax season demand? According to Mark Steber, chief tax information officer at Jackson Hewitt, people could see bigger refunds this year, with the average tax refund already up 2.1% compared to this period last year.

But that doesn’t mean you need to sit back and wait for shoppers to roll onto your lot. Here are 3 ways CarGurus can help you bring in more sales this season:

1. Prioritize and nurture sales-ready leads

As online traffic levels increase during tax season, focus on the low-funnel shoppers who are already completing purchase steps online or visiting your VDPs multiple times.

With CarGurus Digital Deal you can stand out amongst competitors with exclusive call-outs that draw shoppers to start their purchase on your vehicles. We’ve also added a new tab to the Lead Report page in your Dashboard called ‘Digital Deal Leads’ to highlight total leads and leads by high-value action (including hard-pull and appointment requests) to help you better measure the ROI that these low funnel, sales-ready leads deliver.

With LeadAI, you can identify your “hottest leads” - those shoppers who have engaged the most with your VDPs - and reach out to them first. You can also see other vehicles those shoppers have viewed to better understand their preferences and price ranges and make your first outreach to them more personalized and effective.

Learn more about Digital Deal and LeadAI

2. Leverage the power of CarGurus’ data

Used vehicle affordability is still a hurdle for many, as high interest rates continue to offset any recent pricing gains. Moving a car from ‘fair’ to ‘good’ can make a big difference in turning units faster, particularly during these dynamic market conditions.

Use the CarGurus Pricing Tool to ensure your inventory feed details are complete and boost your deal ratings. You can also sign up to receive our new automated 'Next Best Deal Rating' reports to see which of your vehicles are close to achieving the next best deal rating and help you get the most leads out of the inventory you're holding.

Explore data tools and reports in your Dashboard

3. Maximize profits with the right cars on your lot

We’ve heard from many of you that acquiring inventory is still a major challenge. As the industry's first dealer-to-dealer trade network for used cars, CarOffer’s Buying Matrix helps you identify the right inventory for your market and allows you to make automated offers to dealers across the country.

Leverage CarOffer’s technology to acquire inventory more efficiently by pre-ordering the exact cars you want at the prices you want to pay.

Learn more about CarOffer