{"id":232,"date":"2019-08-07T21:34:32","date_gmt":"2019-08-07T21:34:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tt-blogs.dealerfire.com\/dealerfirecom\/?p=232"},"modified":"2023-12-06T15:22:28","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T15:22:28","slug":"where-are-car-buyers-researching-vehicles-in-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dealerfire.com\/blog\/where-are-car-buyers-researching-vehicles-in-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Your Website a Research Hub That Leads Customers Through Their Car Buying Process"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Where Are Car Buyers Researching Vehicles in 2019?<\/span> <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Consumers spend the bulk\u00a0of\u00a0the buying process online, where resources for vehicle information and incentives are plentiful. The question is, what is your dealership doing to take\u00a0control of the buying\u00a0process?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Learn about our websites<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Learn about digital marketing<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re trying to solve this problem by getting more people through the doors earlier in that process, you\u2019re doing it wrong. The typical consumer is only going to visit 1 or 2 dealerships in person, while they\u2019ll visit nearly 5 dealership websites on average during their research process. As friendly, inviting,<\/span> and unique as the experience may be at your dealership, it will never compete with a consumer\u2019s ability to look at vehicles from their phone with Netflix on in the background and a bag of chips at their side.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where Car Buyers WANT to Do Their Research<\/span> <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After all, according to Google, 95% of new vehicle buyers have done some level of research online. This digital research is taking place on several types of websites, with OEM websites being the top resource and dealership websites coming in at a very close second. So, it\u2019s clear that consumers WANT to research their car options on your website, but CAN they? If you aren\u2019t putting effort into creating those web pages that can act as a resource for car buyers, then consumers may go elsewhere for the information they\u2019re looking for. This could mean OEM websites, review sites, automotive blogs, YouTube, or another dealership\u2019s website. Either way, when a customer leaves your website to find a better resource, you have a diminished chance of seeing that customer return. In fact, you\u2019ve likely just lost a sale and quite possibly the service and brand loyalty that comes along with it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You need to meet your customers online at every stage of the buying process, not just when it\u2019s time to make a sale. Yet, there remains a significant difference between a buyer\u2019s consumption of digital resources and the percentage of the budget a dealership is spending on digital. For example, despite print resources making up a minuscule percentage of many people\u2019s media consumption, dealers still spend a significant portion of their budget on print materials. In most cases, the starting point for car shopping happens online. According to Google, the first action a user takes in the buying process happens online 56% of the time, while offline resources like TV or print make up just 7% of those initial actions. Has your budget been adjusted for this digital landscape?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having your inventory listed online is a good start, but it\u2019s not good enough. Inventory is excellent for buyers who know the exact model they want, but not all customers will stumble across your website that far down the buying funnel. Your website also needs an arsenal of other resources to educate customers at each stage of the process. Let\u2019s walk through the exact types of research materials you may want your website to have for each one of those stages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dealership Sales Funnel<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n
Brand Awareness<\/h5>\n

This is the point at which customers first learn about your business. Often times, this step works hand-in-hand with the Interest stage below, but there are other ways to raise awareness of your dealership before people are even looking for a new vehicle.<\/p>\n