We have worked with thousands of dealerships all over the world at Proactive dealer solutions. More and more dealerships tell us that the market has changed and that customers are more informed than ever. We agree customers have more access to information then they ever have.
The problem is that having access to information about cars does not mean customers know how to buy cars. Customers have information, but all that means is that they need a more informed salesperson or dealership to help them buy a car.
It also means that this information has slowed down the process as well. Years ago dealerships were the source of most of the information, so customers visited dealerships more often. In addition customers bought vehicles on their first visit to the dealership. Today dealerships need to be prepared for more informed customers and need to have a system to bring the 75% to 85% of the customers who visit their store back to buy.