Gone are the days when the first step of buying a vehicle would be a visit to a dealership. Nowadays, customers conduct research and begin a large part of their car buying journey online before actually heading to the dealership. That’s why it is imperative to connect online and offline automotive sales experiences to deliver a smooth and seamless overall shopping experience for car buyers.
Provide advanced features on the dealership website
When it comes to dealerships, there tend to be many aspects that leave the shoppers experiencing frustration, such as going through mountains of paperwork, pushy salespeople, long wait times, etc. It is vital to evaluate your website to ensure it offers the following tools – vehicle trade-in, appointment scheduler, pricing and financing options, contact forms, and so on. Thus, when shoppers land on the site, they are ready to get going! Modera e-commerce offers an excellent experience when it comes to combining the best of online and offline modes.
Updating inventory regularly
Since most shoppers spend a lot of time on online research, they arrive way more familiar with your online dealership tools than they are with your physical lot. The vehicles listed on your site should match up with the cars you have on the lot. Expired inventory still getting website views is not only wasting everyone’s time, but undermining your reputation. Take this opportunity to help shoppers quickly find what they want by bringing your website to the lot. Equip your floor staff with tablets or large smartphones to use as a helpful assistant during the sales process. Have a page always pulled up with your website. Automotive e-commerce is undergoing a drastic shift, and digitization is integral to keeping up pace.
Ramp up social media presence
Social media is the perfect place to blend offline and online automotive customer experiences. Improve interaction, build a strong presence, and strengthen your dealership brand by bringing your social media to your dealership. Post photos and videos of your facility, vehicles, happy customers etc. on social media pages. It will encourage others to get in touch and visit your dealership. Modera Showroom ensures you can offer customers with remotely managed digital solutions that can be modified in real-time as per requirements.
Allow customers to book test drives online
Nowadays, customers don’t want to wait to go for a test drive. Implement a feature that allows customers to fill in test drive schedule forms to schedule a time as per their convenience. In that way, they don’t have to visit the dealership, fill out a form in person, and then wait.
Reviews matter
Be it Google reviews, Facebook ratings, Yelp reviews, or even video reviews, they are an important part of the modern car shopping process, both when selecting a vehicle and ultimately, a dealership. Incorporating the review process into the sales experience isn’t the most common strategy, but it can be incredibly effective, particularly for generating reviews. These can be of great use to other automotive shoppers going through their own buyer journeys.
Send automotive sales follow up and relationship development emails
The automotive customer experience doesn’t end when the deal is officially closed. You have to maintain a good rapport with the customer for future sales and positive word-of-mouth. This also means interacting online with your customers, linking them to your website, soliciting reviews, and promoting on social media as mentioned above. Send emails talking about offers, new deals, and gently ask them to refer any family and friends to your dealership (without being overly pushy).
When it comes to automotive sales, combining both online and offline channels, is the key to stay ahead in these competitive times. Digital automotive retail is necessary, along with offering seamless experiences at the dealership.
