Gaining consumer trust online is more of a necessity than a choice these days. The first step is focusing on the user experience.
So, what does this mean? What are the building blocks of the right online experience for your consumers?
We had a look at our own customer experience and put together three essential tips for you.
1. Get found on Google
Almost a third of car buyers start their hunt on a search engine, and this is where you can start influencing a potential buyer. Did you know, 90 %* of people research vehicles online before setting foot into a dealership? Effective search marketing can make sure that it’s your dealership they set foot in.
Ensure that your consumers can easily find you online.
An important factor for dealerships is understanding their customers and finding the key demographic as well as attracting their attention on Google. Search is the opportunity to set the sales process in motion by correctly identifying the buyers’ needs. This can be achieved organically, via effective SEO, but also through paid adverts.
Modix AdBox Search is a specialist tool that can support you in connecting with car buyers at the right time. You can target car buyers in your area with ads based on your current vehicle stock delivering high volume, quality traffic.
After defining your budget, the running time and the radius of your campaign, AdBox Search starts generating dynamic Google ads that are perfectly matched to every search and every user. Get found on Google with AdBox Search and connect car buyers with your online presence.
2. Simulate the physical showroom in your virtual car dealership
Once visitors are on your website, you can simulate the physical showroom experience in your virtual dealership. Allow visitors to browse all your cars in the comfort of their homes, but with the feeling that they are standing in your dealership. Create a comfortable and relaxed environment by offering some immersive imagery for prospective buyers to interact with.
63 % of consumers say that the images used to showcase a product are more important than the description. Use this chance and add some high-quality vehicle imagery, coupled with good descriptions to your website for comfortable browsing and to build more consumer trust.
Professional imagery doesn’t need to be hard to achieve. The Modix 360° app allows a retailer to create a 360° vehicle spin in just minutes. You can also give your customers a personalized experience by sharing branded videos with them. Utilise hotspots to upsell and promote products – you can even use hotspots to share small dents or scratches and thus convey transparency.
Once uploaded, the consumer can spin the car, zoom in on any section and interact with hotspots to highlight specific interior or exterior features. This provides a degree of high-quality immersion that a standard image slideshow does not even get close to.
When integrated into a dealer’s website, it’s proven to increase the time spent on vehicle web pages by up to 56 %, the intent to buy by up to 42 %, and reduce the number of days the vehicles remain in stock. For dealers who want to build a sophisticated online showroom, interactive imagery like this is one of the most effective ways to attract buyers.
3. Offer a more advanced online experience
The vehicle buying journey is complex and requires much more steps than a simple online shopping experience. As a result of the pandemic, online sales of cars have gone up around the world. In 2020 Europe consumers purchased 53 % of new cars using online sales channels.
However, not every consumer would like to buy a vehicle completely online. Some of them are still more inclined to interact with sellers at a physical dealership. Flexibility is the key. Why not give them the opportunity to choose between your online and offline channels?
Some technologies are already well-established and relatively good at simply generating online reservations and leads. Retailers can reap the rewards of digitization and integrate a complete series of sophisticated and effective solutions that allow prospective buyers to easily maneuver through a dealer website towards purchasing a vehicle online. From appraising and value solutions up to financing and buying tools – everything is possible.
While more and more consumers are getting comfortable buying online, car retailers can make sure to meet their needs digitally to deliver the best online experience. Using the right technology enables dealerships to provide a connected retailing experience and allows the deal to be wrapped up seamlessly and efficiently.
We hope you can make use of our top tips for meeting customers’ needs online and delivering the best online experience.
Wish to know more, about how you can start digitization in your dealership? Call us, we are always here to support you.
Did you know…
what discourages car buyers the most online? The lack of confidence. Do you want to know how to master this uncertainty and increase consumer confidence? Then have a look here.
