How Consumer Purchasing Patterns Have Changed in the Automotive Sector
Over the past few years, the automotive sector has undergone a continuing, dramatic revolution. This significant change is the result of evolving consumer buying behaviors, connected technologies, and consumer mobility, all of which have an impact on how consumers research and ultimately purchase vehicles.
New technological advancements and the rising popularity of social media marketing have created a new type of consumer that is both informed and empowered. This indicates that there are countless opportunities to market your auto shop.
How has the process of buying an automobile changed?
People used to drive from showroom to dealership looking for the perfect car “back in the day.” These days, the salesperson is in charge. He or she set the price of the car, decided how much information would be released about it, and maintained control over the situation throughout discussions. Today, it is not at all the case.
Those same auto buyers are now formulating ideas and making judgments through their own independent web research before even setting foot in the dealership, driven by digital trends and fueled by mobile device use.
Where do automobile buyers look for information?
Customers are more aware than ever before, which means there are more elements influencing their purchasing decisions than ever before. If you want to attract a customer’s attention before they look elsewhere, all of this information must be publicly available and simple to obtain. The number of 3rd party websites that consumers use to research vehicles and make purchases is gradually rising. Examples of these sources include Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Cars.com, Edmunds, and CarGurus.
The majority of auto buyers today use their mobile devices to do research while they are actually at the dealership; in fact, the most popular thing people do with their phones at the dealership is checking to see if they are getting a decent deal on the vehicle. When visiting the dealership, searches for CarGurus and rival dealers happen more frequently. Dealerships must have all the information that customers are looking for readily available and accessible, especially on mobile.
What impact has video had on the car-buying process?
Video is no longer just an “up-and-coming” fad; it is here to stay. More than TV, newspapers, or magazines, YouTube had an influence on 69% of those who used it to research cars. Video marketing not only has a great return on investment but is also quite popular with customers. Specifications and features films, test drives, and interior and exterior walkthroughs of vehicles are among the types of videos that automobile purchasers watch.
Who makes new automobile purchases?
The response? Who are they? Millennials. (Those that fall inside the millennial age bracket are those who were born between 1982 and 2004.) Millennials will make up 40% of the market for new cars by 2023, and 88% of them research automobile purchases online. For auto dealerships to interact with this generation of vehicle purchasers, it is more critical than ever to establish a strong, reliable internet presence.
What features are essential in a new car today?
The urge for connectivity among this generation is supported in part by cars. According to a poll by Autotrader.com, a car is crucial to the social lives of younger millennials (72% of whom said as much). Today’s cars must have a certain amount of technology, style, and features. Today’s car purchasers demand a car with basic safety features, Bluetooth, a rearview camera, parking and reverse sensors and a navigation system.
According to social media, the “ideal car” has all of the technological elements mentioned above in addition to offering a comfortable ride and comfortable seats, a roomy cabin, a strong engine, and heated seats, and a steering wheel. The appearance and aesthetics of a vehicle are becoming more significant to buyers as social media usage increases. 80% of the interest in searches for “pictures of [automotive brand]” on mobile devices has increased year over year by 37%.
How do you react to the shifting market for automobiles?
In this mobile-driven retail environment, businesses that excel seize the chance to be present and helpful to automobile buyers at those “micro-moments,” or the intent-rich moments when individuals use their mobile devices to go, do, or buy. Whether they occur at 3 p.m. or 3 a.m., you must devise fresh strategies for presenting yourself with pertinent information whenever those micro-moments occur. A customer’s physical presence at the store is much less important than the store’s availability wherever and whenever a customer may require it.
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