SHOPSMART AUTOS – CUSTOMER INFORMATION – AUGUST 14, 2021 (pt-2)
What Is Digital Retailing & Why does it Matter? (PT.2)
Customizable Workflows
Every deal is different, and every car buyer has unique needs. Having a rigid digital retailing tool with one chronological order isn’t really how shoppers buy cars. Every journey is different. It’s important to remove confusion and create a seamless experience for consumers by presenting specific purchase workflows based on each individual.
User-Friendly Interface
The automotive digital retailing process is often presented in overwhelming ways. Below I’ve outlined some common customer experience issues in digital retailing that you may want to consider:
Decision-making criteria are unclear.
The kitchen sink approach gives online users too many choices, resulting in option paralysis and stress for your customer. Including too many options turns away leads and potential sales. Your dealership’s job is to make online car buying as easy and enjoyable for your customers as possible. Customers’ purchase options should be clear, concise, and streamlined.
Your website has too many distractions.
Every minute of our waking lives, we are bombarded by numerous stimuli. Good design and marketing ensure that your customers experience the best your brand has to offer without distraction or interruption. The solution here is to minimize or eliminate friction so leads turn into genuine interest. This way, your customers will stay focused and achieve their goals and objectives.
Your digital experience ignores user intent.
Good user experience is all about the details. To exceed your customer’s expectations, make sure your digital retailing tools anticipate their intent during every interaction and make your online car buying experience functional and relevant based on this understanding. When reviewing your digital retailing solutions, ask yourself the following question: Have you created a mobile experience that keeps car buyers’ attention and meets their expectations? Or are you frustrating them and giving them negative impressions of your dealership?
Do my customers have to complete the entire process online?
No. In an ideal world, you should be able to choose what’s best for your dealership’s business model. If lockdown in 2020 taught us anything, it’s to be adaptable to change. Find digital retailing solutions that are flexible enough that when you adjust for what’s next, so does the service. We understand that consumers want to do more of the buying process online. 70% of automotive shoppers expect the ability to configure accurate payments from dealership websites. Shoppers still benefit from partial completion of the process when the next steps can be resumed in-store.
But, maybe you want to allow the consumer to do more — value their trade, get a soft or hard credit pull, etc. As consumers continue to use automotive digital retailing, they’ll want to do more of these next steps online or through a mobile app. Revolve, for example, allows your dealership to create custom workflows so your online buyers can do as much or as little of the buying process as you allow! Consumer behavior is evolving before our very eyes, and soon enough, buying a car online won’t be a challenge; it’ll be the norm. Technology is constantly evolving, and with services like Amazon, online shopping isn’t going anywhere. It’s important to find solutions that work for you now and in the future.
How will digital retailing affect my finance & insurance profits?
This is one of the most asked digital retailing questions we’ve gotten this year. When it comes to online finance and insurance, we have often heard dealerships concerned about securing F&I managers’ jobs and profitability. So they’d rather keep F&I in stores and as far from technology and the Internet as possible.
I will save my entire “F&I needs to be integrated into DR” spiel for another post entirely. Still, I will say this: when you make it hard for consumers to gain insight about F&I products before they come in store, you always risk losing that revenue to the aftermarket competition. First, look at your in-store sales process in the finance and insurance department right now. Could you make the experience easier and more convenient for consumers by utilizing technology and allowing them to complete the finance and insurance steps online? What about allowing them to complete the other steps online, so they only need to do the final steps in person? Get a digital retailing product that fits your F&I department goals. If you find yourself needing to overhaul your department to match your DR tool, you may be biting off more than you can chew. When ActivEngage first launched Revolve, we knew from the getgo that we wanted a retailing service that worked in tandem with the F&I department. That’s why, unlike other products, F&I profits are never sacrificed with Revolve. With signature-ready deals, shoppers can upsell themselves with service contracts, gap insurance, etc. Or your F&I Manager can use Revolve in-store (with your banks) to complete the final buying steps in person.
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