How Car Dealers Can Convert Valuable Website Leads

As car buyers have been proven to favour searching online for their next vehicle, it’s expected that in the current climate even more potential buyers will turn to the internet as their first step toward researching and enquiring about used vehicles, rather than a walk-in visit to the showroom.

With the digital trend showing no signs of slowing down, it’s now more essential than ever to convert your online leads into sales. Here are a few tips to help you produce more customers from your website:

Finance Options

Potential customers can quickly lose interest if it’s unclear whether or not they can afford the cars on your website. Consider displaying the monthly finance cost at the earliest opportunity on the stock page to give them another reason to click on a vehicle. Making key finance information more prominent on your website will also appear less daunting than the advertised retail price, tempting visitors into a more realistic and manageable method of purchase.

Vehicle Reservation

Offering website visitors the opportunity to reserve their desired vehicle by leaving a deposit is a convenient way to speed up the sales process, while also allowing your customers to relax in the knowledge their vehicle won’t be sold to another buyer. No interaction for the sale is necessary if the customer has already made their buying decision based on the information presented on your website, which is why dealers should be taking advantage of ‘buy it now’ buttons and ensuring all the necessary vehicle details are on display.

Out of Hours Enquiries

Remaining open to customers when the dealership is closed might seem like an impossible task, but offering Live Chat and WhatsApp messaging on your website allows customers to instantly receive an answer to their enquiries outside of office hours. Messaging features on your website can also be ideal for visitors who prefer not to provide their personal information to dealerships in the early stages of the car buying process, so they will feel more in control and at ease when communicating with your business.

Customer Testimonials

Highlighting the satisfaction of previous customers on your website is one of the easiest ways to sell your dealership’s services. The reassurance from others can help to influence those who are hesitant about contacting your business, so don’t be afraid to approach happy customers and ask them to leave a review either on Google or Trustpilot. Websites built by Dragon2000 are integrated with Trustpilot, allowing car dealers to always have verified and up-to-date reviews on display to attract new business.

Vehicle Photos

Consider how your stock photos appear from a customer’s point of view. Poor lighting and distracting backgrounds are common signs of a rushed process to get the vehicles on your website, which can be the difference between making a sale and losing a potential car buyer. Use consistent scenery and bright lighting, ideally with your logo in the background, and don’t be afraid to mix up the camera angles to introduce some character to your vehicles.

The Spin360 mobile app allows you to upload 360° interactive photos of your vehicles, capturing the full interior and exterior to literally put your website visitors in the driving seat. The APPraise app can also help bring your stock to life with personalised sales videos, providing car buyers with a walkaround of the vehicle sent directly to their mobile phone. Offering a clearer understanding of your stock creates a sense of trust between customers and your dealership at a stage where attracting their interest is crucial, improving the likelihood of a sale and potential repeat business.

Personal Touch

Standing out from your competitors online is essential to convincing car buyers that your dealership is the one worth doing business with. Identify what you do better than the others and make this clear on the home page. Buying a car online can be a dull experience, so whether it’s highlighting a special promotion or simply the unique look of your dealership, it’s important to make an impression that no other business can.

Dragon2000 car dealer and garage websites are all individually designed and come with a free SSL certificate as standard. Our experienced website team will work with you to create the perfect “shop window” for your business in the form of a unique and feature-rich website, all at an affordable monthly cost. All websites created by Dragon2000 are fully integrated with the DragonDMS dealer management system, meaning sales enquiries and service booking requests are fed straight into the DMS, and there is no re-keying of vehicles or re-uploading photos, as any stock changes appear live on your website automatically, saving you valuable time.

Dragon2000 have been helping dealers and garages drive their businesses forward since 1995. Talk to our team today on 01327 222 333 or email sales@dragon2000.co.uk to find out how our dealer management system, car dealer websites and mobile apps can help your business increase profits and reduce costs.