Digital retailing should be on every dealer’s mind. And with it, a multitude of questions. How do I achieve my goals? How do I provide a better customer experience? How can I hold more gross? All of these are common queries that you have probably asked yourself recently. And while there is no perfect method for achieving digital retail goals, there are tips and tricks to help you along the way. Here are the top five.
- Personalization
A personalized customer journey makes a massive difference for consumers. Oftentimes, shopping might feel impersonal. But the more data you capture on your customer, the more you can cater to their experience. Bring your dealership to the next level by tailoring to each individual customer by speaking directly to them at where they are in their personal purchasing journey. - Omnichannel Sales and Marketing
Your customers are shopping at your dealership in a variety of different ways. It’s important that you recognize which touchpoints are being utilized and bridge the gap between them. Especially for digital and physical sales, there needs to be an understanding of how you approach your customer’s needs. As it stands, many consumers tend to want to complete at least several steps of the sales process online, while a large portion leans toward wanting to sign papers in-person. These stats represent the diverse touchpoints that exist for car dealerships and illustrate why an omnichannel approach is necessary. You never know what method is going to work best for your customers, so be prepared to meet them where they are. - Brand Exposure
Some car dealers have taken the concept of branding to the next level. But for digital retailing, it is critical that you realize the different paths to take in order to penetrate an already saturated market. Social properties are good for getting your name out there. But that concept has been taken a step further by platforms such as Facebook who launched their marketplace for dealerships. Between Google, Facebook, and other social media services, you can increase your brand exposure to get more eyes on your listings. Find your voice and speak empathetically with your customers to target shoppers on a variety of platforms. - Loyalty and Incentives
One of your goals should be to build trust and loyalty with your customers. You want them to speak highly of your dealership and to return for their next car. In this manner, you are setting yourself up for lifelong patrons. You build loyalty through transparency and confidence. Empower your customer by having a sales team of experts. Arm yourself with as much data as possible about each vehicle on your lot. Then, leverage this information so every member of your staff can speak enthusiastically and assuredly about each car. Build unique incentives and creative perks into the buying process and you’ll put a smile on your customer’s face. - Improved Customer Experience
It’s all about the experience. As it stands, car buying can be a stressful time. You need to be a trusted advisor in the process. And to do that, you need to deploy next-level tools and services to meet the needs of your customers. No matter if they are shopping online or at your store, you need to provide a clean and streamlined environment. Make sure your website is easy to navigate and has all the right information needed. Consider a chatbot or SMS text services to provide quick answers to customer questions. The more media and content you can provide will enhance the overall customer experience.
There is no exact recipe to nail digital retailing, but there is a roadmap. As technology continues to change and evolve, you must be prepared to adapt by integrating new tools and solutions for your success. Digital retailing for car dealerships isn’t new, but it will continue to trend as a method for purchasing cars. MAX Digital has a slew of tools available to help you step into the future of digital retailing. Schedule a free demo today to learn more.