Fueling e-commerce for large dealer networks
Large dealer groups have similar difficulties as the automotive industry as a whole: insufficient inventory forces buyers to broaden their search for new cars. When dealership visits are significantly shortened, customers are far less reluctant to travel ninety minutes in search of the ideal vehicle at the best price.
Naturally, a dealer has limited control over a global chip scarcity primarily caused by a pandemic, but there are things dealers may do to improve the digital retail experiences of their clients. The correct digital commerce platform can increase the transactional nature of your website, regardless of whether you’re a local group trying to climb the WardsAuto Megadealer 100 or a group that’s just getting started. In this context, that means making the most of your local presence while allowing customers to complete every stage of the purchasing process in-store, at home, or while on the go.
Large dealer groupings must consequently interpret “digital retailing” as “retailing.” Otherwise, avoid treating DR as a specialized experience that belongs in the internet department. Rather, your dealer group ought to view it as a tactic that simplifies your whole sales procedure. According to a recent study, almost 40% of consumers believe that their pandemic purchasing experience will discourage them from making in-store purchases in the future, proving that digital retail procedures are here to stay.
For your group, what does this signify? It indicates that you probably already have a physical store, a well-known brand, skilled employees, and capital expenditures in inventory; the back-end solutions that greatly enhance the consumer experience when purchasing a car are what’s missing. Even though the forms on your website seem professional, if all they say is that “someone from the dealership will be in contact,” you are falling short of what buyers want from a transactional experience, and they will go elsewhere.
Even though your website may look and feel great, your clients will realize that you are wasting their time if they have to fill out forms that don’t directly relate to financing.
Needs vary throughout various groups. Some want a single marketplace with transactable products across their hundreds of rooftops because they run a sizable regional operation. Some people use Tier 3 websites that include distance-based at-home delivery costs and online deposits for each dealership in their portfolio.
We are aware of this since the SimpSocial platform, which enhances the shopping experience by fostering joy and trust, powers four out of the six biggest public dealer groups in the nation.
If you’re searching for a platform that facilitates an efficient online selling process, works at scale for big organizations, and has the adaptability to accommodate a customized online approach that includes deposits, applications, and distance-based delivery fees, then look no further. Shouldn’t SimpSocial power you as well?
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