What Can You Do To Improve Your Car Dealer Website

Web Application

Posted on 19 Nov 2020 5 min read Share On:

Nearly 95% of vehicle buyers use digital as a source of information. As a matter of fact, twice as much research online compared to a dealer. However, more than 95% of purchases happen at the dealership. There is no doubt that car dealers could greatly benefit from an online presence if they improve the car dealer website with suggested features.

Just having a website is not enough. It is important to have a website that helps to sell cars. If you are looking to build an efficient online presence, it is important to partner with a web application development company.

Manufacturer vs Dealer Expectations

The way customers are buying cars has witnessed phenomenal changes. Both car dealers and manufacturers are implementing innovation and investing in digital transformation to accelerate customer experience. Right from guides for products to VR applications for elevated customer experience, digital innovation is the need of the hour.

While manufacturers are aiming to transform the way customers interact with brands, dealers are typically seeking solutions to streamline operations, increase car sales, and increase transparency.

In this blog, we will provide valuable insights into the features top features to improve your car dealer website and overall customer experience.

The Essential Features to Improve Your Car Dealer Website

Easy Finance Calculator

Well, there are no prizes for guessing. Without this feature, car dealer websites will be incomplete. A finance calculator will allow prospective customers to know about repayment on a vehicle instantly. This feature attracts customer’s inquiries, as well as improves traffic to the site.

Home Page & Local Search Visibility

Home page providing specific details for customers to get in touch with a dealership, as well as follow up:

Contact number
Opening Hours
Location and address on google maps
Email address or Contact form
Classifieds and directories for visibility e.g. Google Business

Advanced Search

Option to search by keyword for quick comparison between cars. Given below are a select few parameters.
Easy search with filters, name or category

Price
Vehicle Make and Model
Vehicle type
Year/age: Year of manufacture or min/max-age
Mileage
Optional Features
Size
Engine: transmission type, number of cylinders
Fuel Type: gasoline, diesel, electric, hybrid

Photos & Videos

High-resolution photos of the vehicle showcasing the interior and exterior of vehicles
Videos of the vehicles can also have an impact on sales

Car History Report

For a used car, a report detailing the current state of the vehicle and its history
Option to review a car’s history by VIN code for details about owners, accident history, and more

Car Price Approximation Calculator

This feature allows sellers to enter relevant vehicle information/data required to calculate the approximate selling price at the given point in time.

Support and Resource

Support chat or FAQ section
Assistance for profile customization

Credit application

The option of a credit application to the customer by submitting details.

Inventory imports and exports

A real-time inventory helps the customer in knowing which vehicles are available and updates the owner in knowing different ways

Vehicles Compare

Giving customers the option to compare multiple vehicles side-by-side will allow them to make informed decisions
Listing of key features of different cars
Quick comparison providing high-quality information

CTAs on all Pages

Call us
More info
Print/Download Brochure
Finance calculator
Get Directions

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Allowing dealers to keep track of Leads
Customer Relations Manager (CRM) to help independent used car dealers manage leads.
Option to set/schedule callbacks and insert information in the form of notes
Send a quote on the vehicle through email

Emerging Technologies: A New Way Ahead

Users are often frustrated and feel alienated when they spend valuable time researching vehicle and payment options provide relevant information about vehicle or payment options to find that the vehicle is not available at the dealer’s showroom and the payment options are not suitable.

It is pivotal to bridge the gap to make the customer’s move from online research to actually reaching the dealer’s store seamless.

Simplifying the sales process easier by making sure information and preferences people provide online are easily accessible by dealership showroom.

Ensuring consistency for critical information, such as vehicle pricing on the Website and the dealer’s showroom.

However, remember customers are everywhere. It is important not to limit the experience of just a website. There is a need to build an omnichannel experience offering the flexibility to engage with customers on different devices, anytime anywhere. Whether it is a dealership showroom, home, or video chat, or AR/VR, there is a need to make technology an intrinsic part of auto retailing moving ahead.

How Much Does it Cost to Build a Car Dealer Website?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions. The answer is simple. Everything depends on the design, number of features, and complexity of the website. Complexity will determine the pricing of web applications. In order to build a car marketplace, it is important to hire developers and a team of specialists such as UI/UX designers and QA specialists.

However, if you thought it is just about launching a website, you are sadly mistaken. The car marketplace/ car dealer website requires a lot of technical maintenance to ensure robust performance that is devoid of glitches. Ecommerce websites need to offer high performance, even a fraction of a second can snatch the deal away from your hands.

Conclusion

The car marketplace in the US is very competitive. It is likely to get more fierce in the future. It is important to embrace emerging technologies and digital transformation to improve the overall car buying experience right from online presence to using the latest innovations that add value for the customer.