The automotive industry looks vastly different today than it did a decade ago. The process of buying new and used cars have changed drastically. As automotive industry software solutions, along with other technology have made the purchasing journey more transparent and streamlined. Today’s customers expect an exceptional car-buying experience. And these software solutions can help your staff deliver on this promise – no matter the size of your operation.
What are the types of automotive industry software solutions?
1) Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software
It is a software solution designed to manage your dealership’s relationships with customers and potential customers. It is important to select a CRM built specifically for the automotive industry, such as Modera Salesfront. With an automotive CRM, dealerships can automate and organize their sales, marketing, and customer service processes. And ultimately sell more cars, which is the main objective.
Automotive CRM software offers numerous benefits. Such as lead management that prevents you from dropping the ball on leads generated online, over the phone, via a third party or through walk-ins. Communication with customers improves drastically as interactions can be tracked through phone, text, or email. Other features available include lead nurturing and generation. Such as the ability to respond immediately to new leads through automatic replies. Every deal of the sales process can be followed thoroughly, without lead leakage, from the beginning to the end.
2) Dealer Management System (DMS) Software
Using a collection of products from multiple software vendors can turn into a nightmare scenario. Using a DMS means a single solution that eliminates these headaches.
To put it in a nutshell, DMS allows a dealership to perform all daily functions in areas of sales, financial transactions, service operations and more, flawlessly from a centralized hub. The integration built into the software allows simplified information exchange between all the operational divisions of your dealership and even with the manufacturer if the automotive agency model is in use. It is a solution where everything is interconnected. Be it the work of the sales department or the preferences of customers. Daily controls become smoother, especially when repetitive tasks are automated.
Benefits of applying a high-quality dealer management system not only helps manage all functional areas of business with one solution, starting from sales to service and everything in between.
But it also helps:
- you improve customer service
- collect and analyze all the data
- improve marketing strategies
- and give you more flexibility, mobility and security.
3) Inventory Management Software
It works best with DMS systems, and is included with most of them. But you can purchase it as a standalone solution too. Inventory management software can help you syndicate inventory to your website and third-party lead providers. It can be used for trade-in programs as well.
4) Website Building Software and Digital Retail
A website that is specifically tailored to your dealership model is a must these days. A generic site built and maintained through WordPress or another universal platform will lack many of the features that make a dealership’s website a user-friendly destination that stands out in the crowd. Digital retail solutions enable an e-commerce like experience on your website where customers can do a lot of the work of purchasing a car online. A comprehensive and easy-to-navigate website will let customers take a peek at inventory, compare prices, explore financing options, making an offer on a vehicle and much more.
Giving customers the best user-experience possible is every company’s first priority. And using automotive focused website building tools for your dealership website is a must to make it happen.
So what should you look for while selecting automotive industry software solutions?
Today’s automotive software offers a unified, fully customizable platform that brings every area of your business under one digital hood. Sales, marketing, service and OEM integrations are all dealt with so transparently that the software itself never gets in the way.
The software should be tailored to fit your business model
No two dealerships operate in the same manner, which is why off-the-shelf dealer software rarely fits the bill. To match the workflows of your team on a regular basis, so the operation is flawless, the platform has to be fully customizable for every department, vehicle make and model, customer type, source of business and market segment.
It should engage the staff
Nowadays, sales processes are tough to manage as they are so varied. The customer is ultimately who matters, when it comes to the journey they take to reach your front door. The right automotive software solution ensures stress-free and workflow-based navigation through the sales journey for both sales personnel and customers. It even includes auto-generated sales report documentation and mobile-ready collaboration for the sales team.
Customer satisfaction is of the utmost importance
How to appeal to the new generation of car buyers? By ensuring you can reach them digitally! When you pick the right software, you will enjoy a tangible boost in customer satisfaction. Thanks to the ability to automatically send timely communication via email and SMS, and the presence of personalized micro-sites through which customers can view the deal on the table and extend their relationship with the dealership well beyond the sale, into after-sales service and maintenance.
A 360 degree buyer view is must
Buying journeys are more complex that ever and hence must be monitored closely. Automotive software solutions provide real-time data on the customer. By keeping an eye on their journey and interactions with your dealership, it offers a perfect opportunity to incorporate a personal touch. Right at the moment they are most likely to engage with you. This level of sales funnel management has never been available. At least not on such scale and within budget for so many dealerships – until now.
Which Automotive Industry Software Solutions to pick?
To sum up, dealerships should look for automotive industry software solutions that can integrate all the required platforms seamlessly, or an all-in-one software. The latter is the preferred option as it is not only cheaper in the long run. But integrating multiple platforms under a single unit could prove to be problematic.
For instance, some features of those platforms might need to be upgraded. Or a few could stop functioning properly due to some particular feature being updated. It is a hassle to fix those glitches and then get the software working again.
Dealerships that use all-in-one solutions report enhanced customer satisfaction. Including customers feeling more valued and in control of the purchasing process. Happy customers mean more sales, positive word-of-mouth, and repeat customers. Assess the needs of your dealership, and choose carefully.
