As consumers continue to social distance and shelter in place, Autotrader is helping dealers stay connected to shoppers with the rollout of Dealer Home Services. This suite of solutions assists with “no contact” interactions by offering consumers virtual vehicle tours, test drives at home and local vehicle delivery at no additional cost to dealers.
Today’s car shopper spends 61% of their time online, according to the2019 Cox Automotive Car Buyer Journey Study, and recent Cox Automotive consumer research shows that 37% of six-month intenders are less likely to visit a dealership in person due to COVID-19 concerns. Extraordinary times demand extraordinary service where online merchandising and digital retailing are more important than ever before. Autotrader is helping provide dealers with tools to reach customers in a way that is both safe and convenient by delivering an easy, informational and virtual shopping and buying experience.
“Just like other small businesses in cities and towns across the United States, automobile dealerships are rapidly mobilizing and adapting to a changing consumer landscape. Autotrader’s new Dealer Home Services tools aren’t a radical departure for most dealerships but rather an expediting of products, services and ways of doing business that were already on the way,” said Jessica Stafford, senior vice president and general manager, Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book. “This new form of communication can help consumers get needed, reliable transportation without leaving home and risking excessive in-person contact while promoting business as usual for dealers amid this unique situation.”
Dealer Home Solutions include the following:
- Virtual Walk-Around: Starting the virtual sale with a personalized video chat allowing consumers to ask questions and get a feel for the vehicle.
- Test Drives From Home: Bringing the car to the customer with a no-obligation test drive at their location.
- Local Vehicle Delivery: Providing the option to start a local shopper’s purchase online and have the car delivered directly to their location to complete their purchase.
If consumers are looking for a vehicle at this time, many dealers can accommodate their buying needs through at-home services. Whether researching from the couch or scheduling a car to be delivered to their front door, Autotrader is giving local dealers the tools to promote these services to in-market shoppers. Additionally, as online media consumption increases, shoppers can start the car-buying process in the comfort of their own home using digital tools from Autotrader like Accelerate.
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