Digital retailing and predictive analytics and tools can help improve your digital strategy.
The automotive industry is one that has gradually adopted digital innovations as part of our retail environment. However, if our experiences with the pandemic have underlined anything, it’s the importance of in-depth digital practices.
When the concept first started to emerge, there were suggestions that this would be the beginning of the end of the traditional salesperson.
In fact, our current environment has demonstrated that digital innovations can complement our sales staff and allow us to serve customers in a better way, that continues to include the personal touch of a salesperson that is so valuable during the car-buying experience.
Dealers can transform their customers’ satisfaction by embracing digital transformation and maintain the customer journey across in-store and online touchpoints. Consumers are increasingly shopping online, and the pandemic only increased that desire.
By identifying the right tools and partners, you can positively impact the customer journey—all while making yourself more available from a customer service standpoint.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to digital transformation for dealerships. The process and approach of every OEM will be different.
When creating a digital retail strategy, analyze what makes your dealership’s in-person car shopping successful. It’s important to review both positive and negative customer feedback—and adapt in a way that works well for the customer, while still being realistic for the dealer.
Dealers can transform their customers’ satisfaction by embracing digital transformation and maintain the customer journey across in-store and online touchpoints.
It’s also important to ensure you are investing in modern tools and processes. Moving to a more digital model doesn’t simply mean running more digital ads and adding a chat feature to your website.
Dealers need to invest in the future of their dealership, which means a more digital future—and this can be done by employing digital retailing best practices that empower staff to better assist every customer and their growing needs.
As an example, dealerships should use predictive analytics and tools, so that answering emails and inquiries can go from a passive activity to a full blown marketing strategy.
It’s also important to focus on more proactive, impactful consumer interactions. At present, in-person buying may be reduced and digital connections increasing—particularly in locations where strict lockdowns are still in effect. So, it’s important to find ways in which you can be constantly building a connection with consumers, at a time when they are less likely to come directly to your dealership.
It’s also important to be aware of best practices and guidelines when developing your own approach to digital communication that reflect your brand and your personality. It should be user-friendly by ensuring it allows users to search on their own and at their own pace.
People increasingly rely on internet research, so try to have a presence where your customer base and target customers may shop and use paid ads to generate immediate interest. Of course, it’s also important to get systematic feedback from customers and be fully optimized for mobile users.
For some in the automotive sector, digital retailing may be a fairly new concept, but it is certainly not going anywhere. Dealerships can certainly reap the benefits of a good digital retailing strategy, and it will help you to connect with your customers in an authentic manner that is tried and true.
