How Dealers Can Deliver A Virtual Showroom Experience To Car Buyers

There are a great number of car buyers who normally do their research online when looking for their next vehicle purchase, and this is only expected to rise during this enforced temporary period of homeworking and social distancing, whilst consumers are unable to visit showrooms in person.

In fact, we are hearing of used car dealers who are taking deposits from customers who have found their perfect car and don’t want to miss out – who are happy to wait until the lockdown restrictions are lifted for the handover of their vehicle.

So what can you do to keep your potential buyers interested? Dealers should be looking to take advantage of the technology available to them and bring the showroom experience to their customers’ homes. If you are willing to adapt some of the traditional sales processes to online methods, you’ll find more people are willing to engage in this way.

Even though your showroom may be temporarily closed to the public, make sure your prospective and existing customers know you are still there. While you may be a bit less busy, devote some time to working with your website providers to make sure your website is up to date and engaging. For example, add a notice about how customers can contact you if temporarily working from home, or if the garage part of your operation is still open for keyworkers’ vehicle repairs. Also, keep posting social media updates and sharing your adverts to maintain an online presence.

If a customer identifies a vehicle of interest on your website, video footage is a great way to make it as easy as possible for them to inspect the vehicle without leaving the house. Now more than ever, many customers will expect a walk-around video to see the condition of the vehicle for themselves.

Dragon2000’s APPraise mobile app allows dealers to send personalised sales videos directly to their customers’ mobile phones. Customers will be able to view the cars on the forecourt from any location and also benefit from in-depth video footage which explores vehicles much further than standard stock photos. Dealers can provide their own commentary alongside the video, injecting some personality into the recording and highlighting any features which make the vehicle desirable.

After the sales video has been recorded, customers can immediately be sent a link via text or email, which leads them straight to the dealership’s personalised landing page. A notification will then alert dealers to when the video has been viewed, making it a perfect time to follow up with a call or email. The recorded video will also be attached to the prospect and vehicle record within the DragonDMS, allowing the enquiry to be tracked and managed throughout the sales process.

The APPraise mobile app is free until the end of June for DragonDMS users, as Dragon2000 are encouraging car dealerships to digitalise the customer journey whilst there is limited face-to-face contact.

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.