Digital Dealer - December 2017 - 37

to them. Carvana's website
is simple and intuitive.
And because the whole
process is online, there
is no friction between the
customer experience online and in the showroom:
no providing the same
information over the phone
and in person, no long
wait times, no disparity in
access to information. All
of these factors appeal to
the modern shopper's expectation of convenience.
Dealerships need to
identify ways in which
they can provide the same
type of experience that
shoppers receive across
the web, and particularly
on websites like Carvana
and Amazon. This means,
first of all, providing ease
and convenience online.
It also means streamlining
that experience with the
in-store interactions that
shoppers still want. If a
dealership website is as
helpful and convenient as
e-commerce can be, and
as personalized as your
showroom service already
is, customers can get the
ease and convenience
they are searching for, all
from a classic dealership.

REAL SOLUTIONS
FOR THE REAL
DEALERSHIP

What are some real
steps a dealership can
take to provide its customers with the ease and
convenience they are
searching for on sites like
Carvana? How can it improve both the online and
in-store experience of its
shoppers?
A PERSONALIZED

WEBSITE THAT
ANTICIPATES
SHOPPERS' NEEDS

This may sound obvious, but your website
needs to provide your
customers with everything
they want, and it can't
be too difficult for them
to find. Your goal should
be to bring as much of
the process onto your
website, with information
accessible and clear. As
a test, try shopping your
own website. Is it simple
to find what you are looking for? Are you offered
relevant content and
offers, or several pop-ups
that are irrelevant to you?
Your online tools should
not overwhelm users to
the point of confusion-
they should work together
to anticipate the needs of
each individual shopper
and help them advance
through the buying process. For example, CTAs
and offers should communicate with each other
to respond to customer
behavior, offering shoppers follow-up interactions
based on previous engagements. If a customer
requests more information
about a specific vehicle,
they can then be prompted to book a test drive.
Utilizing your tools in this
way will personalize even
the online stages of a
shopper's journey.
EASY TRADE-IN
TOOLS

Part of providing a great
customer experience is
recognizing what stage
your shoppers are at in
the buying process, and

providing them with services that apply to them.
By making it easy for customers to receive a quote
for their trade-in while they
are shopping for a new
car, you provide them with
the convenience they expect, while simultaneously
guiding them further down
the funnel. The more you
allow a shopper to do
online, the more likely
they are to stick with your
dealership.
THE BEST SALES
TEAM POSSIBLE-
AND A WEBSITE THAT
ACTS LIKE ONE

Carvana speaks to
customers' appreciation
for an easy shopping
experience. Your dealership's advantage is
that you can provide this
experience both on and
offline, and eliminate any
friction between the two.
In your showroom, your
staff knows how to provide
a pleasant shopping experience for every customer.
Online, use tools that
"act" like your sales team
by providing helpful and
customized offers and
content. Gather as much
information about an online shopper as possible,
and ensure that it is easily
accessible to your staff. In
this way, your website will
become another member
of your staff, enabling you
to extend the excellent
customer experience
from your website into
the showroom, and vice
versa.
OPTIMIZED SERVICE
DEPARTMENT

Your service depart-

ment is one area that is
unique to the physical
dealership: whereas
an online platform has
little access to customers between purchases,
a dealership's service
department provides an
amazing opportunity to
foster customer loyalty. A
superior service department that offers perks like
shuttle service and online
appointment-setting can
create an ongoing relationship with a customer,
even when they are not
actively shopping for a
car.
Although the idea of
a car vending machine
may sound intimidating
and "disruptive," what
Carvana is really doing is
trying to make the process
of buying a car easier
and more convenient.
Every dealership has the
ability to give its shoppers
this better experience,
and more. With the right
combination of tools, staff,
and software, dealerships
can learn from Carvana's
success while ensuring
their own. There is nothing
to fear.
PENINA ROTHNER is a
content marketing writer
at AutoLeadStar, a leadengagement platform for
auto dealerships, powered
by artificial intelligence. A
writer and editor by trade,
she closely follows the
latest trends in marketing,
technology, and customer
experience. Penina is always
open to industry interviews
and reports, so please reach
out to collaborate. EMAIL:
penina@autoleadstar.com.

D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M

DECEMBER 2017

37
http://www.DIGITALDEALER.COM
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Dealer - December 2017
