How Important Are Online Reviews For Car Dealers And Garages?

When a prospective customer first discovers your business, they’re going to start seeking validation online that you’re a dealership or garage that they can trust. Today’s buyers are well versed in researching who they are buying from, and need some reassurance when making buying decisions, which is why car dealers and garages should be regularly encouraging their customers to leave online reviews.

Research showed that 95% of visitors to Auto Trader believe it is important to read a review of a dealership that was written within the last 12 months – which makes perfect sense as your prospective customers are interested to find out what genuine recent customers are saying about interactions with your business, whereas older reviews will have less impact.

Building up a collection of reassuring customer testimonials over time allows the prospective buyer to get a good picture of your business and what your customers think.

Having a decent number of 5-star reviews can make all the difference to customers who are debating whether to visit your premises or a competitor. While there are no guaranteed ways to earn 5-star reviews, car dealers and garages can simply approach customers after they’ve just had a positive experience with your company, as they’re much more likely to leave good feedback while it’s still fresh in their mind. Sending these customers a link to your review profiles by email or text after they’ve visited also increases the chances of receiving feedback, as you’ll be requiring them to do less work to complete the review now that it’s just a click away.

Reviews in the automotive industry are usually left on either Google, Auto Trader or Trustpilot, which all boast star ratings for an immediate glimpse into your levels of feedback, so it’s important to make sure to send customers to one of these platforms, allowing you to steadily build a reputation on an established website that the public trusts to show that you are a professional company to purchase from.

The best reviews you receive should also be broadcast on your website, so that customers don’t have to visit each of your review platforms individually to read your 5-star feedback. These reviews can also make great marketing material, featuring in your advertisements, mailers and even around the showroom, helping to promote your services and attract new business.

Unfortunately, it’s possible that you will eventually receive a negative review which may appear to harm the online reputation you’ve taken so much time to establish. However, it is how you handle negative reviews that is important to your prospective buyer – responding and addressing it in a professional way can actually have a more positive impact.

This provides you with a great chance to show how you handle any customer issues at your dealership or garage, which can actually increase trust with your business. Remaining calm and offering an apology before guiding the unhappy customer on steps to resolve the issue, such as by contacting you personally, will put you firmly in control of the situation and highlight how professionally you deal with your customers, encouraging the prospective buyer to purchase from your company.

If you have a car dealer website with Dragon2000 we can link to your review profiles on Google, Auto Trader and TrustPilot, so that you can offer visitors a reliable source for your testimonials as soon as they visit your website.

Dragon2000 have been helping dealers and garages drive their businesses forward since 1995. Contact our sales team today by calling 01327 222 333 or emailing sales@dragon2000.co.uk to find out how our dealer management system and car dealer websites can help your business increase profits and reduce costs. Our mobile apps for sales teams and workshops can also help save valuable time and maximise efficiencies.