Maximise Online Vehicle Sales: 5 Strategies for Enhanced Customer Experience

As automotive buyers increasingly embrace the digital landscape, retailers must adapt to the changing preferences of their customers. According to a YouGov survey with over 19,000 respondents, in 2022 17% of consumers purchased their vehicle online, in 2023 57% of consumers said they would consider purchasing their next vehicle online.

Here are five effective ways businesses selling new and used cars can enhance their customers’ online experience and sell more vehicles:

1- Partner with an accurate and real-time data provider: Accurate and up-to-date data is the foundation for successful online vehicle sales. Getting data from a specialist provider that offers reliable and consistent vehicle information, updated daily, can offer businesses a huge advantage. It ensures that your inventory is precisely represented, reducing the risk of misinformation, and building trust with potential buyers. You can read more about why a trusted vehicle data supplier is so important here.

2- Enable Vehicle Configuration with Market-Leading Option Build Rules: The best websites provide customers with a personalised buying experience.  Allowing them to customise their vehicles and select options, trims, colors, and accessories they desire based on the available inventory on your website can boost their interest. By incorporating accurate and comprehensive options, you can ensure that customers are presented with realistic and feasible configurations, enhancing their buying experience and increasing the likelihood of a sale.

  Example of options data provided through JATO’s Carspecs API

3- Offer comprehensive vehicle information across key markets: To capture the attention and trust of potential buyers, it is essential to provide information relevant to the market they are in. To get the best results, you should share local specifications, pricing and vehicle history reports, in every region you work in.

A data partner with global coverage enables you to expand your reach and tap into international markets. Additionally, local support teams provide valuable insights into regional market dynamics and assist with localised translations, helping you tailor your online sales approach for specific markets. In the  2023 Global Automotive Consumer Study from Deloitte, 50% of consumers in Japan said vehicle features is the most important factor when making a purchase decision. In the US however, vehicle features were less important with 38%, and perception of product quality was most important with 61%. Such regional differences are key for global automotive retailers to consider.

4- Implement efficient vehicle listing tools: Efficiency is paramount in the competitive online marketplace. User-friendly listing tools enable easy uploading, editing, and management of your inventory across multiple platforms. With the right tools at your disposal, you can ensure that your listings are accurate, up to date, and readily available to potential buyers, increasing your visibility and chances of generating leads.

5- Create a smooth customer journey using APIs: API integration allows you to seamlessly integrate the chosen solution into your existing systems and workflows, reducing development time and ensuring information is up to date. It can pull data in a matter of seconds to facilitate accurate configuration, improve the user experience and minimise the risk of errors.

Embracing these strategies empowers automotive retailers to excel in the online marketplace, deliver a frictionless customer experience and, as a result, increase sales.

How can JATO help?

JATO Dynamics has developed data solutions specifically for automotive retailers within the digital marketplace to provide market-leading specification, pricing, incentive, and photo information for all vehicle makes and models in more than 50 markets. Seamlessly integrated into your digital platform via API, our solutions offer accurate vehicle information quickly, effortlessly, and efficiently – providing all the information your customers need to make an informed car buying decision.

Get more information here: https://info.jato.com/carspecs-api

References:

• https://business.yougov.com/content/44399-global-evolution-car-buying
• https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/Industries/automotive/perspectives/global-automotive-consumer-study.html