The Magnificent Merchant of Oz: Don’t Hide Behind the Information Curtain
Purchasing a car from a dealership is comparable to Dorothy’s journey through the Land of Oz.
When left to their own devices, customers travel a path to purchase that is paved with advice, suggestions, and barriers. At the end of the journey, they discover that the dealership is unable to assist them in the manner they had anticipated due to inaccurate information about the products, clients, or services.
Although data inaccuracy is a problem that affects many organizations, dealerships are lagging behind as other industries evolve to meet consumer expectations.
Here are several companies that have used data to enhance the customer experience, along with some advice on how to catch up.
Take the customer’s lead
Without having to speak to a salesman, clients can easily shop from home and discover whatever they need thanks to online commerce. Customers actually speak with other consumers to gain a frank opinion about things, thanks to reviews and social media.
Amazon responded to this trend by providing all the information a customer may need on a single page, including user reviews, prices and promotions, product specifications and photographs, and more. Customers don’t have to leave the website to learn about the product because all of this information is available upfront.
Customers’ expectations for pertinent marketing have also been set by Amazon. Based on a customer’s search history and “cart,” they proactively propose what other products they think they might want.
Today’s consumers demand these experiences from every company they interact with.
How it pertains to you: Ensure that the customer and vehicle information in your dealership’s DMS and CRM is updated on a regular basis. Your ads must accurately depict the vehicles that buyers will see on the lot when they search for vehicle details and availability.
Allowing users to register for an account or establish profiles on your website will also help them have a more personalized experience. They can trust your brand more if you suggest preferred cars or services and present deals that mirror the messaging they have already heard from you through email or other advertising.
Fear Not the Data Forest
Customers spend a lot of time online, which enables firms to record transactional information and behavioral patterns. The manner in which businesses engage with their clients becomes more pertinent when they correctly utilize all of this data.
Target provided a startling example of how businesses exploit data. The analytics team at Target was tasked with making prenatal predictions before the birth would be recorded in national registries. Soon after, before the girl could inform her parents, Target successfully anticipated a teen’s pregnancy based on her shopping patterns and sent her relevant marketing.
In order to identify customers based on typical purchasing behaviors, Target learned to recognize consumer trends connected to life decisions and changes. More factors than any individual could take into account when developing a marketing plan are taken into account by predictive analytics to analyze customer and market trends.
Advertising that is placed at the proper moment guides consumers in the right direction when businesses can foresee what customers will do before they begin looking.
How it applies to you: Predictive marketing, when done correctly, enables you to better understand the needs of your clients, whether they’re getting ready to buy a new automobile or need service. You may interrupt buying cycles and bring customers back into the market before they might otherwise contemplate making a purchase by knowing what other clients just like them have done in the past.
Adjust your marketing plan as you gain knowledge of your industry and the areas where your competitors are succeeding in order to keep the sales and service customers in your database while attracting new consumers who are likely to make purchases.
They’re heading to the dealer now.
Online engagement is declining for the average business, and conversion rates are much lower—around 3%. How, then, do businesses like Walmart have online conversion rates of over 40%?
We won’t deny the obvious: Walmart is a retail behemoth that provides almost every good at a competitive price. Less overtly, they were early adopters of the value of mobile-first websites as a tool to enhance the user experience.
The actual Walmart store is excellent at facilitating the shift of customers from online to in-store. Customers can select and save their primary store on their website so they can search for the most recent inventory across all departments. Customers can find precise directions to a store’s in-store locations on the product pages if they choose to visit one.
This user experience from online to in-store demonstrates that Walmart conducted market research on consumer trends.
On their phones, customers search differently than they do on a desktop. It’s critical to keep in mind that Google looks for mobile-friendly websites when displaying search and ad results. Modern customer uses their phone while shopping to seek stock, discounts, and rival offers.
How it affects you: With online vehicle sales being made possible by businesses like Carvana and Vroom, traditional dealerships must work harder to keep clients interested and persuade them to fill out a contact form or schedule a test drive. More online shoppers can be found and converted with the use of pre-populated lead forms for recurring customers, on-site lead incentives, and content developed to satisfy both consumer and search engine needs.
Customers typically visit 1-2 dealerships; therefore, your ability to attract them to your business over that of your rivals depends on the products and services you offer, how you market them, and how well you satisfy their online demands.
Open the Blinds at Your Dealership
Make sure your dealership is on the clients’ yellow brick road when they begin looking for a new car. Here are some pointers:
With a specific audience in mind, create digital advertising campaigns and website content. Ask yourself, “What customer needs does my dealership, franchise, or inventory solve?” and then develop your personalized content to meet those needs.
The content of targeted communications must be appropriate for each recipient. Revenue increases by 760% on average as a result of segmented advertising. You need to do more than just send out general email campaigns, regardless of whether your target is by last service date, expected vehicle mileage, predicted purchase need, or another criterion.
Keep up with the evolving needs of your target market. Keep track of customers’ car ownership, present and future demands, and interactions with your dealership’s marketing, regardless of when they last visited.
Keep your advertising efforts consistent with your brand and your present offers, regardless of the marketing services you employ to communicate with your customers. When you demonstrate to customers that you can fulfill their needs throughout the purchasing process, they leave saying, “There’s no place like your dealership.”
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