Unfortunately Your Leads Are Not Just Your Leads
The increase in time that consumers spend shopping online has been brought about by the increase in popularity of sites like Vroom and Carvana combined with the general inventory shortage that has required customers to shop longer online to find inventory that matches their needs,
As a result, customers are now visiting fewer dealerships in person before buying, and, with only about a third of customers actually ending their shopping process on the dealer’s website, ⅔ of shoppers are starting and ending their customer journey on a 3rd party website, and visiting an average of 2.5 dealers in person before purchasing.
This means that for the most part, your leads are not just your leads. Shoppers are comparing your inventory, pricing, and customer experience right alongside your competition at least 65% of the time.
Customer satisfaction and lifetime value are very important, but the lead has to be converted in to a customer first, and your dealership is competing with several others in real time for the privilege. Vin specific leads are more targeted and are more likely to convert, but outside of improving the quality of the lead itself, the most effective tactic in competing for the mindshare of customers shopping several dealerships is quite simply to get there first.
BDCU’s lightning fast response time and superlative appointment setting tactics help your dealership get out in front of the competition and ensure that more shoppers begin and end their customer journey in your store.
Among those buyers visiting multiple websites, 65% visited a third-party site first, and 58% went to a third-party site last. Dealer sites also play an important role, especially at the end of the shopping process, where 32% of car buyers finish their online research.