How Virtual Showroom Helps Auto Dealers
The availability of Internet and information technology has changed the way people shop for different products, including cars. According to NADA, people visit 12 dealership websites on an average before purchasing a car and pay personal visits to only one or two dealers among them. Therefore, it is essential to create a positive impact on the buyers when they visit your website.
Virtual showroom is an effective way of creating such first impression on your buyers. By integrating the entire showroom into your website, you can help the buyer get all the required information at the click of the mouse. The following are the features of virtual showrooms that motivate the buyer to purchase or visit your dealership.
People are looking to Internet to purchase cars
Car purchasing used to be a very time consuming process few years ago when visiting the traditional showrooms was the only option. However, with the advent of Internet, the car purchasing process became easy. According to a report by Capegemini, 41% of costumers globally prefer to buy a car online and 50% are interested to buy spare parts and accessories online.
Brings the feel of a real showroom
You can demonstrate all your cars in your virtual showroom. This may not be possible with your traditional showroom. Space can become an issue. You can also give links to each car providing clear details about it. The buyer can see photographs of the car, navigate through and understand the specs well. By using a virtual showroom, you are providing him all the information required to make a purchase decision.
Can accommodate several customers at a time
A traditional showroom can accommodate limited number of customers at a time and the customers have to wait till a salesperson attends them. Few customers lose their patience and may even leave the showroom.
This problem can be addressed effectively with the help of a virtual showroom. Since it is online, the website can handle any number of customers. They can visit the website first and get all the required information. If it makes sense, they will visit your showroom or purchase then and there. This will save the time both for the buyer and the dealer.
Provides useful information to the customer
Salesmen at your showroom may exaggerate the information about the car in desperation to close the sale. A sales person who does not provide full information to the customer is also a problem. This may throw your dealership into trouble. Using virtual showrooms, the dealer can present all the valid information about the car, without any exaggeration. Apart from it, you can also announce and share details about new technologies and brands to the consumer by updating it regularly.
Enables customer to choose, book and make payment from home
Virtual showrooms are not just confined to provide information about cars. They enable the customers to buy a car online. The dealer can even integrate financial tools like loan policies, finance products, payment calculators, etc. that help buyers to close the transaction more quickly and effectively.
Always open showroom
Majority of the customers may not find time during working hours of showroom as they will be busy with their own work. Virtual showrooms serve the visitors 24/7 all through the year. A person can visit a showroom even at midnight from his home, unlike brick and mortar showrooms, which will be available only for 10 to 12 hours a day.
Less maintenance costs
The maintenance costs of a virtual showroom will be significantly less compared to regular showroom. Maintenance costs of a regular showroom can run into thousands of dollars, which may include electricity bills, salesmen’s wages, property rent, etc. You can easily change the appearance of your virtual showroom. Renovating a traditional showroom on the other hand is tiresome and expensive.
Virtual showrooms win you a competitive advantage over your competitors. Using a virtual showroom, you can make a significant difference in converting your website visits to sales.
Search Optics, Inc. is a leader in digital marketing solutions for the automotive industry. Search Optics interactive marketing services include custom websites, search engine optimization, paid search and mobile solutions that generate leads which result in sales opportunities. Search Optics specializes in automotive internet marketing, automotive marketing services.