80% of the buying process is online
Who still remembers a time when you’d come home with your shiny new car after a string of gruelling negotiations with the salesman? If this seems like a distant memory, it’s because the Internet, with its abundance of online information, has completely changed the way we shop for and buy our vehicles. BBR Commuter takes a look at the issue.
According to Norman John Hébert, Vice-President of Business Development at Groupe Park Avenue, auto industry players must now find ingenious ways to reinvent their relationship and how they communicate with customers. Not so long ago, buyers made on average four visits to dealerships compared to 1.4 today. This means that once a buyer sets foot in a dealership, their buying process is well underway — nearly 80%, according to experts. Industry reviews, independent reviews, widget comparisons, dealer websites, social media — sources of information abound, and finding the right vehicle can take several months. Even if it’s done online, often from home, this step in the search process involves countless points of contact that all afford opportunities for car dealers to influence the customer.
Dealers and automotive marketing specialists — BBR Commuter topping the list — know they need to work with this relatively new reality. With most of the process now taking place online, the Internet has become an essential playing field for gaining a better understanding of consumer behaviours and, eventually, better targeting their expectations.
A study by Crowdtap showed that 68% of buyers found their vehicle on social media and that nearly 87% said they conducted some of their research via social media, too. These figures speak volumes about the need to review and rethink the customer experience. By maintaining a strong presence on the various online channels and learning to master this environment, dealers and advertisers will be able to influence buyers at key moments in their buying process.
That doesn’t mean, however, that offline sources of information — word of mouth, dealer visits, etc. — should be neglected. According to a recent study done by Facebook, families represent 50% of influence on the decision to buy a car while significant others and friends represent 65%. Yes, much of the buying process is happening online, but the traditional dealer visit and the relationship developed with loyal customers are still vital steps for many buyers. And that doesn’t include local promotions that still draw potential customers to points of sale.
For Norman John Hébert, even though dealers may play a smaller role during the information-gathering stage, they still have an important role to play when it comes to making the final decision. In short, people are coming less often, but yes, they’re still coming. And they’ll come again tomorrow, which is why it’s so important to steer them in the right direction.
Stay tuned for our next article, where Norman John Hébert explores the concept of phygital movement, a cross between the physical and digital worlds.
