FEATURE
New Study Highlights why a Dealership’s Online Presence is so Important By Carina Ockedahl, Canadian Auto Dealer Digital Air Strike released its 9th Annual Automotive Customer Experience Trends study at the 2022 NADA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, offering dealers, lenders, OEMs and providers information that they can use to improve the vehicle ownership experience. The company said its report offers “compelling insights” on the impact of the vehicle inventory shortage, online interactions that help move the customer journey forward, and the importance of the online and digital communication experience for consumers, along with the platforms that they prefer to use. “The vehicle researching, buying, and ownership processes have changed exponentially since the onset of the COVID pandemic,” said Alexi Venneri, Co-founder and CEO of Digital Air Strike, adding that “the data has consistently proven to be helpful for our dealers and the industry as a whole.” The report shows that a third of consumers felt significantly impacted by the inventory shortage. Of those that were affected, 21% went to a different dealership, 8% asked the dealer to order a new build from the factory, and 21% had to wait for the vehicle they really wanted. Of this particular group, 71% waited up to three months, while 27% waited up to a year, and 50% paid a $500 (or more) deposit. Also worth noting is that 20% of consumers said the dealer did not keep them informed about the status of their vehicle.
And again, among consumers affected by the vehicle inventory issue, 32% did not get their first-choice vehicle, and 17% bought a used vehicle instead of a new one. The study advises dealers to present alternative options to consumers, including new and used vehicle options. Some dealers also offered important information in their communication to consumers about the vehicle delivery time, delivery process, and the car’s features.
Consumers expect to access accurate information on the first page of their search results—not outdated information... “Dealers need to ensure their pre-order process includes a plan for ongoing communication to keep their customers updated and to retail vehicle deposits,” said Digital Air Strike in its report.
Profile with one place to browse reviews, receive their frequently asked questions, see the store’s photos, and find special offers and announcements. There should also be an easy way to contact the dealer on that page.
As for the online environment, some of the main reasons consumers did not contact a dealership when researching their vehicle include a lack of special offers (40%), high prices (35%), a lack of dealership photos (26%), there was no easy way to contact the dealership (11%), bad reviews (8%), and a lack of COVID-19 protocols (3%).
“Online sources continue to be the most dominant resource in reaching consumers when making a purchase decision, while ads on streaming networks are close behind traditional media sources,” reads the report. “Without a solid online presence, consumers are more likely to select another dealership for their purchase or service.”
Consumers expect to access accurate information on the first page of their search results—not outdated information, the report notes, adding that dealerships should have an updated Google Business
The study shows that consumers select dealerships based mainly on online searches and reviews—at record levels. It notes that 93% of consumers that purchase a vehicle (up from 88% in the previous
10 | MIDATLANTIC DEALER NEWS | MIDATLANTICAUTODEALERSUNITED.ORG • MAY 2022
