Consumer behavior has changed rapidly since the pandemic, with the automotive sector being heavily affected. Nowadays, the car buying journey mostly starts online, so dealerships have to focus on having a strong online presence, in order to deliver the information and experience customers are looking for. One of the most crucial aspects to focus on is shortening the car buying process, while making it more convenient. This is where a system such as Modera E-Commerce plays an integral role.
Why is automotive e-commerce important?
- You can reach out to a wider audience, while disregarding geographical boundaries, so the chances of more sales are higher.
- Cost of logistics and maintaining cars in traditional offline stores is drastically reduced.
- It allows you to collate and process data in real-time to offer customized deals to customers, thus boosting transparency in the buying process.
- It sets the dealership up for future branding, which means more conversions, improved sales, and excellent rapport with customers.
The benefits of Modera’s Automotive E-Commerce
Guided vehicle searches
The inventory of the dealership should be updated on a regular basis, so it can meet consumer needs and preferences. They should be able to look up vehicle makes and models, features, pricing, etc., and then compare two cars side by side to make an informed decision. Make sure to use high quality photos and videos of vehicles to pique the interest of buyers and give them a feel of what it would be like to own and drive the car. Thus, they can move a step closer to finalizing the deal without actually visiting the dealership.
Book a test drive online
After deciding on their preferred vehicle, customers are eager to take it for a spin, but don’t want to wait until they finally come down to the dealership. Modera E-commerce can help schedule test drives so they can fill in all the relevant details online, visit the showroom, and then take the car out for the test drive. No more dealing with irate customers.
Offer financing options
Once the customer is satisfied, they can be directed to financing options online. By entering the necessary information, they can check if they would be eligible for a loan or not. A loan calculator can be integrated into the automotive e-commerce platform so they know exactly how much financing is required.
Option for trade-in
There is an option for customers to trade in their present vehicle and then move on to options for financing and insurance for the new car. Modera has a premium Trade-In tool built specifically to provide buyers with market-based value estimations as soon as possible.
Pickup/delivery
Once customers are finished with the paperwork, the deal is officially closed. They have the option to visit the dealership and pick up the vehicle, or opt for the hassle-free choice of doorstep delivery.
To sum up…
Nowadays, buyers don’t like haggling with sales personnel while purchasing a car, so they prefer to receive quotes and competitive pricing online by themselves Dealerships need to have the right functionality for customers to check their credit, see insurance rates, compare prices, and avoid uncomfortable conversations with salespeople. You should have the right back-end systems and automations in place so that they can meet customers for the first time and already be prepared with the pertinent information at hand. To put it in a nutshell, the transition from online to offline has to be seamless!
Automotive e-commerce makes the process of purchasing cars all the more easy, while saving time and effort for both customers and the dealership. If you’re ready to upgrade your systems, check out Modera E-commerce.
