Beginning at the dial-up tone, Internet has dramatically changed the way how we buy things. First, the effects of the Internet were felt in the hotel and travel industry and book stores. Then, the electronic stores started. Without question, Amazon has changed many things for countless brick-and-mortar stores, from the local mom-and-pop shops to the giant chains of Walmart. On the other hand, the sales of vehicles, which include e-mobility such as e-vehicles, were among the few things that appeared immune to the era of the Internet until recently. This article discusses the change in vehicle sales going digital.
The Transition of Vehicle Sales from Brick-and-Mortar Showrooms to the Internet
The research of Car Buyer Journey by Cox Automotive Inc. discovered that the car buyers spent about 61% of their time on the Internet for researching, and they were not only looking at the dealer websites but also using the third party websites to research vehicle, including e-mobility like e-vehicles. Those third-party websites influence the buyers’ decision to buy vehicles.
By the research, buyers usually took an average of about 47 days to explore their options on the Internet. Then, they spent about 30 days narrowing down these options and doing further detailed research for the vehicles on their shortlist. In general, after two to three months of Internet research, the buyers would finally reach out to the dealerships for a firsthand look at the vehicles they have selected.
The Car Buyer Journey 2019 shows that digital retailing is among the biggest trends, and customers are so comfortable with car sales on the Internet that they would buy vehicles, including e-mobility such as e-vehicles, without seeing them in person. Since 2016, it has been a trend on the rising that people would buy a vehicle on the Internet and they would buy it without a test driving.
Some Tips for the Success of Vehicle Sales on the Internet
It goes without saying that if you want to win more Vehicle sales and make more money, you should adjust the selling strategy to vehicle sales on the Internet. The vehicle sales process on the Internet is significantly different from traditional vehicle selling. As a whole, you have to adapt your selling strategy to the process of vehicle sales on the Internet that the buyers would do as follows:
- The buyers would research on the Internet and get a shortlist of the vehicles they desire.
- The buyers would then look for who has these vehicles for sale and contact the dealers by phone, text, email, or chat online to see if the vehicles are available.
- If yes, the buyers would schedule a test drive.
- If they are satisfied, the terms will be negotiated online or by phone.
- Then, financing and paperwork would be handled online.
- Finally, the buyers would come to sign the contract and drive away from the vehicles they have purchased.
Keep in mind that vehicle sales going digital is a trend. More and more vehicle buyers are willing to handle the whole process of the deal remotely.
