It goes without saying that not all customers are the same. As a car company, you come into contact with a wide variety of customers on a daily basis. Still, it can’t hurt to consciously consider different customers and their specific needs.
The crucial role of touchpoints in the buying process
Even before the customer is looking for a new car until after the actual purchase, there are several contact moments with your customer. Contact moments that offer the car company numerous opportunities. We call these opportunities the (digital) touchpoints. If you do it right, these touchpoints are very valuable.
What information you get as a customer, and at what time, is crucial in the buying process. But the most important thing to remember: every customer is unique, so every customer journey is too. A potential customer aged 19 from Amsterdam is looking for a new car very differently than someone aged 50 from a village in Friesland. But then, when every customer is so different, how can you use your touchpoints to engage the customer with your car dealership?
Even before awareness
Two questions are important: what does your customer want? And what experience does the customer want to experience? Despite every customer uses a different search, there are also similarities. Namely, the occasion portals they visit and the car company website they view. And depending on the type of cars you sell and how you market it, these different channels are very important. The (potential) customer is very influential during the (still unconscious) search. As a car company, you will have to radiate where or for which brand(s) you stand and what makes your car company special compared to the other car company. This requires a combination of a flexible customer journey and a personal approach. With an end experience that surprises the customer.
Trust, trust, trust
The moment the (potential) customer is really aware of the search, we would like to look inside the head. After all, why is the customer looking for a (different) car? Perhaps the current car has broken down or she is starting a new job. In any case, there is a clear buying signal. The search for information starts here, with reviews playing an important role. A car is an expensive purchase, where you want to remove as many doubts from the customer as possible. About 60% have a certain level of uncertainty when they start their search for a new or used car. So it’s all about the feeling of confidence you can already give the customer online. This is where the usefulness of photography and video comes in. With photography and video, you can bring out your identity well, creating a sense of trust with your digital showroom. If you don’t do this, the also customer will be gone in no time.
From online orientation to purchase
If you manage to convince the customer that your car dealership is a good choice, the contact form is filled out or an appointment is made for a test drive. All the information has been gathered beforehand and the budget has been determined. Today, an average of 1.5 showroom visits take place per purchase. So you can assume that the showroom visitor is genuinely interested in a car you have on display. At such a moment, the sale can be closed within a day, provided you also give the customer the feeling of trust. This is the one moment when you already have the customer at your fingertips. It is therefore important that the potential customer feels welcome and comfortable in the showroom, but especially that the feeling matches the feeling the customer already got from the car dealership online.
Focus on after-sales: a surprising final customer experience
Even after the sale, the customer journey does not end. After all, what’s more important than bringing in a customer? Right, engaging your customer. Based on similar specifications, your car company is sought out. The best service is decisive here. Not only before the sale, but also after it. Put your focus on after-sales; stay in contact with the customer, because by doing so you ensure that they come back. By sending the customer the right message at the right times, you can bind the customer to your company sooner. During the contact moments, keep it personal and congratulate the customer when it is his birthday. Help remind the customer of his MOT inspection or workshop appointment. This will make the customer feel appreciated. And a valued customer will eventually recommend your dealership when looking for a new car from others!
Are you ready to target potential customers?
Edwin Haan
Operational Manager
7554 NG Hengelo
We build your automotive website and automate your customer contact.
7554 NG Hengelo +31 88 90 90 888 info@autosociaal.nl Amsterdam Antwerpen Brussel
