Dealerships around the nation are looking for the perfect digital-retailing solution to meet the demands of car buyers — especially the growing demographic of consumers who want a hassle-free, self-checkout experience. If you are not going after that “Amazon demographic,” you may lose market share to the dealers that do.
That’s why there are dozens of DRS products all fighting for your attention. When you are reviewing your list of possible DRS applications, searching for one that will meet all your needs, make sure you do your homework.
Before you buy and install, you’ll want to identify the solution that provides these essential features:
- Most important, customers should be able to buy the vehicle they want in an all-online process, just as they do on Amazon. They aren’t required to visit a dealership, talk to sales representatives or arrange financing outside of the digital-retailing solution you have selected. More and more consumers want to buy products — even cars — on their digital devices and never set foot in a store.
- To allow buyers to complete the deal all online, they need to have access to credit that can be arranged through quality lenders and receive approval in real time. Buyers want to see multiple offers to choose from. And they want you to give them a fair and firm trade-in offer online. They want to see accurately itemized tax and fee calculations and applicable rebates and incentives. You want to see a customizable tool that delivers the functionality to meet customer needs and understands the appraisal and finance process.
- The DRS is integrated into your dealership’s website and helps you sell your inventory from your site. This is your digital sales rep and it works with your showroom team to meet customer needs and boost profitability. Your sales team can even use the app in your showroom whenever it helps move customers toward completing a digital-shopping experience.
- The look and feel of the DRS solution is designed primarily from dealer input, from experts who know what customers want in an online car-buying experience. They have intimate knowledge of the industry and the paths that consumers expect to follow. And they demand a solution that is not merely a lead generator but one that engages with this rapidly growing demographic.
Look for a digital-retailing solution that delivers all of the above. One that leaves pricing, selection and appraising decisions with the dealer and utilizes UX and UI strategies that are intuitive and easily understood.
Whatever DRS platform you integrate into your dealership, be prepared to train your sales team on this new tool. They will grow to trust the system as it delivers new sales and higher income potential.