Picture this. You open your CRM on a Monday morning and see hundreds of new leads waiting. For a second, it feels great. Then reality hits.
Half the emails bounce. The rest go silent after one call.
Your team spends hours chasing ghosts, and your close rate doesn’t move. It’s not that your marketing isn’t working — it’s that not every lead is worth the same effort.
In today’s market, the difference between busy and profitable often comes down to one question: are you focused on lead quality or lead quantity?
The long-standing debate
Across sales and marketing, there’s a big question that never really goes away — what matters more, the number of leads you get or the quality of those leads?
Some people believe success comes from getting the most leads. But anyone who’s worked in a dealership knows that’s not always true.
It all comes down to how your website collects information from shoppers. This is where the “to gate or not to gate” conversation starts.
Gating means putting up a form that asks for personal contact details — like a name, email, or phone number — before someone can access the information or tool they want. It’s a way to capture leads while people are on your site.
Where you place that gate can change everything.
Here are two examples:
ABC Cars Edmonton has a website where visitors see a payment calculator, trade-in form, or credit pre-qualification tool. But before they can use any of those tools, a form pops up asking for their name, email, and phone number. This is called gating early.
ABC Cars Edmonton collects a lot of leads this way, but many people fill out fake or incomplete information just to unlock the tool and get the info they’re looking for. These leads are often low quality because the shoppers weren’t ready to talk — they only wanted quick answers. That means the dealership spends more time and money chasing leads that never convert, raising their true cost per sale.
123 Autos Saskatoon runs things differently. Their website visitors can use the payment calculator, check their trade value, or browse vehicles freely. Only after they’ve explored the tool and found something that fits their budget or needs do they see a form asking for contact details. This is called gating later.
123 Autos Saskatoon gets fewer leads overall, but the ones that come through are higher quality — because those shoppers have already shown real interest in moving forward. And since these leads close at a much higher rate, the dealership spends less on each sale, lowering their cost per acquisition even with fewer total leads.
That’s the tradeoff. Gate early, and you’ll get more leads but less accuracy. Gate later, and you’ll get fewer leads but better intent.
What kind of dealer are you?
Some dealers want every possible lead and have the team capacity to work them. Others prefer to focus on buyers who are ready to take the next step. AutoVerify supports both.
Dealers looking for the highest quantity of leads can adjust how AV E-Commerce is set up on their site so the gate (or lead form) shows up earlier in the process, capturing contact info while shoppers are still exploring.
If your main concern is lead quality, you can skip the gate in AV E-Commerce, give your web visitors the information they came for, and let AV E-Commerce guide them towards AV Credit+, AV Trade-in, or a finance application.
Each of these products collect details later in the flow, after value has been shown. That means fewer forms, more intent, and cleaner opportunities for your sales team.
Here’s a quick look at how each approach works.
Approach: Gate early (collect info at the start)
How it works:
Shoppers must share their contact details before viewing tools or results
Pros:
- Generates higher lead volume
- Fills CRM faster
- Simple for marketing teams to track
Cons:
- Many leads are low intent – fake data
- Sales spends time chasing non-buyers
- Higher cost per sale due to low conversion rates
Approach: Gate later (collect info after showing value)
How it works:
Shoppers can use tools first, then choose to share their info at the end
Pros:
- Fewer but stronger leads
- Higher intent; better sales efficiency
- Builds trust
- Lower cost per sale due to higher close rates
Cons:
- Lower total volume – Marketing metrics may look smaller
- Requires patience and good follow-up
Both strategies can deliver results — it depends on your goals, your sales process, and how your team measures success.
AutoVerify gives you the flexibility to do either.
How a credit-first approach boosts intent
When a shopper sees what they can afford before they ever talk to you, they come in ready to buy. AutoVerify’s credit-first solutions help you identify those high-intent shoppers early.
Here’s how they work:
- AV Credit+ gives you real, credit-authenticated leads powered by Equifax or TransUnion — not just names and emails.
- AV Pre-qualify lets shoppers explore payments confidently, showing what they’re pre-qualified for before completing a full finance application.
- AV Inventory Matching connects that credit insight to vehicles from your inventory they can actually afford, helping your team focus on the right deals faster.
Together, these solutions help you turn casual browsers into qualified buyers, improving close rates and sales efficiency.
Why your website provider’s setup matters
It’s worth asking: what is your web provider doing behind the scenes? The way your website tools collect and gate leads directly impacts the kind of data you see.
When tools are gated too early, you may see inflated numbers that look impressive but don’t convert. When they’re gated too late — or not at all — you might miss chances to connect. The key is balance. Knowing where and how to gate makes all the difference.
AutoVerify gives you that flexibility. You can choose early gates to boost quantity or end gates to lift quality — and see what drives the best results.
Why giving value first wins trust
Think about your own online habits. When you visit a site and get hit with a form before seeing anything useful, what do you do? Most people back out.
Your shoppers feel the same way.
When you give them value first — like seeing real trade values, credit scores, or a list of vehicles they can afford to buy — they’re more willing to share their info. And when they do, it’s because they’re ready for the next step.
That’s how you convert website traffic into paying customers.
Finding your balance
Whether you want to fill your funnel or refine it, AutoVerify helps you build a strategy that fits your goals.
Need more leads? Gate early in your AV E-Commerce flow.
Want better leads? Let shoppers explore first, then collect info when intent is clear.
Either way, we’ll help you design a hybrid setup that balances volume with quality and maximizes your marketing ROI.
FAQ
What is lead gating and why does it matter for auto leads?
Lead gating means placing a form on your website that asks visitors for their contact details before they can see certain information or use specific tools. It’s a way to collect web leads from shoppers already browsing your site. The timing of that gate — early or late — directly affects how many auto leads you get and how qualified they are.
Why does gating early create more web leads but lower quality?
When your form appears too soon, before shoppers see any value, they often type in fake or incomplete info just to move forward. You’ll get a higher number of web leads in your CRM, but many won’t be real buyers. Your team ends up spending more time chasing unqualified auto leads instead of working with shoppers who are ready to buy.
How does gating later improve the quality of auto leads?
With late lead gating, shoppers can use your website tools — like payment calculators, trade-in forms, or credit pre-qualification — before being asked for their contact details. By the time they reach the form, they’ve already seen real value and are more likely to share accurate information. That means fewer web leads, but they’re stronger and easier to close.
What’s the best lead gating strategy for my dealership?
That depends on your goals. If you want to fill your pipeline with as many auto leads as possible, early gating might make sense. If your team prefers to focus on fewer, high-intent shoppers, late gating could be better. Many dealers use a mix of both to balance web lead volume and lead quality.
Can AutoVerify help me get better-quality auto leads?
Yes. AutoVerify’s credit-first tools — including AV Credit+, AV Pre-qualify, and AV Inventory Matching — help you identify high-intent shoppers by connecting their credit insights to your inventory. This lets you focus on auto leads who are ready to buy, not just browsing.
How can I find out which lead gating setup is right for me?
The best way is to test both and see what fits your sales process. Our team can help you compare options and customize your setup to meet your goals. Book a demo to see how you can capture better web leads and improve your results.
Ready to see what fits your dealership?
Let’s find out whether quality or quantity — or both — works best for your team. Book a demo to explore your lead flow options today.
