The automotive industry has gone through various changes over the years, and with those changes, new ways of doing things have come into play. One of the changes is that consumers now expect more out of their online experience once they’ve decided to make a purchase.
Gone are the days where people made impulse buys based on aesthetics alone. Consumers will do their research for months before deciding upon a final purchase decision. As such, dealerships must provide them with detailed information about products and services in order to convince them to buy.
With this in mind, automation and customer service software providers have begun offering more tools than ever before that keep inventory and other business data visible at all times. For dealerships, enterprise software platforms and a car configurator are a must.
1) Automatic Inventory Management
One of the essential features of an effective dealership platform is automatic inventory management. It ensures that your dealership’s inventory is always up-to-date and accurately reflects what vehicles are available for purchase.
It can make the car buying process more efficient for consumers, but it also helps track which vehicles are selling and which ones aren’t. Having accurate data at your fingertips makes strategic business decisions much easier to make.
2) Car Configurators
Another essential tool offered by many dealership platforms is the configurator. It allows customers to design their dream car by choosing different options and accessories. The best part about using a car configurator is that it will enable dealerships to show consumers all the possible features their preferred model offers. It increases transparency and builds trust between the customer and the dealership.
3) Increased Visibility of Inventory
An essential component for dealerships is making sure their inventory is visible to as many people as possible. An effective platform will help you by automatically syndicating your inventory across different online channels such as Google, Facebook, and AutoTrader. It saves time and ensures that potential customers have a variety of ways to find the car they’re looking for.
4) Vehicle History Reports
Another valuable feature offered by dealership platforms is vehicle history reports. These reports provide valuable data for insurance companies, lenders, and vehicle buyers.
This information can include accident history, maintenance records, and recall notices. Vehicle history reports are a vital tool that not only saves you time but improves compliance with state and federal laws.
5) Enriched Customer Data
Used effectively, automotive dealership platforms offer a range of customer service software tools that will collect valuable data about your customers. Once this data is compiled into a comprehensive profile, it can create custom offers and targeted promotions to increase sales conversion rates.
Tracking customer behavior over the lifespan of their relationship with the dealership means potential business opportunities won’t ever go unnoticed.
6) Increase Sales Opportunities
Many dealerships are now offering their customers the ability to choose different financing options customized just for them. This type of software is known as CRM or customer relationship management software, and it can track everything from vehicle service history to finance rates. This software is great because it allows you to create custom offers based on each customer’s unique buying preferences.
7) Improve Customer Service
A significant benefit of using a platform with a car configurator is that it helps improve customer service. The configurator saves time by allowing customers to design their own vehicles and makes the process more efficient. Not only does this increase transparency between dealerships and their customers, but it also saves time.
8) Complex Inventory Management
Automotive dealership platforms offer an opportunity to create digital marketing campaigns that will automatically update based on your inventory supply. These campaigns can be created by splitting your inventory into different segments by vehicle make, model, and year. It allows you to manage more extensive inventory across multiple locations more effectively because each area can have its own car configurator or CRM dashboard.
9) Improved Advertising Capabilities
Any effective platform used for advertising should also include unique features like heat mapping, which shows where potential customers are clicking on ads. It helps give businesses the data they need to determine what types of advertisements are working best for them.
10) Increased Efficiency
One of the most important benefits of using an automotive dealership platform is that it can help improve overall efficiency. This is done by consolidating different software tools into one easy-to-use interface. It eliminates the need for dealerships to use multiple applications and makes training employees much simpler.
When it comes to choosing a car dealership platform, it’s important to consider the features that will be the most valuable to your business. By understanding the benefits offered by these platforms, you can make an informed decision about which one is right for you.
Featured image: Pixabay (Gutdesign_de).
