Bridging the Cross-Device Gap

For consumers, the car shopping journey has morphed into an online, cross-device journey. Now that you’re able to appeal to consumers who are taking the cross-device journey to purchase their vehicles, it’s important to continue that momentum by bridging the gap and pulling more consumers into your dealership. As discussed in Part I, it’s important to make your dealership’s online presence available to consumers by:

• Being accessible on all devices, mobile or otherwise.
• Reaching consumers before they reach you.
• Knowing who’s still car shopping.
• Keeping content flowing consistently.
• Interacting.
• Being available online.

So, What's the Next Step?

After you've made yourself available and now that your dealership has gained the attention of those on their online, cross-device car-shopping journeys, how do you bring them onto your auto lot? Four sure-fire ways to ensure cross-device car shoppers will end up on your lot on the last leg of their car-buying journeys are:

1. Take advantage of customer personas. Once you’ve made your dealership accessible, efficient, and noticeable online, it’s important you begin the process of targeting your specific customer persona via the part of the car-buying journey he or she is currently in. If you’re able to target and market to your potential customer correctly, you should easily be able to get him or her into your dealership and close the deal.
2. Respond and research. If your potential customer has taken a bite and responded or noticed your dealership, it’s vital you’re responding as quickly as possible with clear, correct, and influential results and information. This includes doing some research and finding/responding to concerns and reviews of other customers, as to not negatively influence or scare away potential customers.
3. Greet your customers in a way that gives them a reason to trust you. Often, consumers would rather do mundane tasks like go to the dentist or give up sex than interact with a dealership salesperson. They’d rather research on their phones than ask a salesperson a question. For these reasons, it’s very important to crush the dealership stereotype and make your presence useful, honest, and inviting. Ask yourself what customers are looking for elsewhere and offer it to them at your location.
4. Embrace the changes so many other dealerships resist. In the modern car-shopping world, people are going to participate in showrooming—they’re going to whip out their devices and do research—so instead of fighting them, join them. Have sales professionals with tablets ready to compare and sync with car shoppers, offer honest feedback and advice, and give customers a reason to notice you and see why your offer is better than everyone else’s.

Although times may be a'changin', there are still clear, simple steps your business can take to stay ahead of the game and ensure yours is the dealership shoppers walk into to end their cross-device car-shopping journeys.