In the Mind of a Car Buying Consumer

I decided to take a step back from my everyday life of working in the automotive industry and speak from a consumer’s standpoint. I purchased a new vehicle within the last six months and I wanted to share a little insight with you as to what I was looking for in a dealer site. There are definitely things that stand out to you from one site to another, and if there isn’t that ‘something’ that does…chances are, I have forgotten your site address and won’t be visiting again any time soon. These ‘somethings’ are web features, such as specialized vehicle videos, safety ratings, current specials and incentives, vehicle reviews, added vehicle options, coupons…I think you catch my drift.

However, I would suggest that you find a happy medium between having too much information and not having enough. Viewers want to be able to find what we are looking for quickly, easily and without being hassled with links that lead nowhere, lots of pop-ups or being overwhelmed by too much clutter. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to have buttons, specials, calculators, vehicle notes, pricing information, vehicle options, vehicle photos, Carfax reports and videos, but is it necessary to throw it all in my face at the same time on the same page?

Throughout my entire purchasing process, I did all – I mean ALL – of my research on dealer websites. For an entire month, I was committed to checking updated inventory, specials, gas mileage, vehicle options, photos, safety ratings, estimating my payment, reading vehicle reviews, watching videos – daily. The site which impressed me most had all of these features on their site in a clean, organized manner. It was very easy to navigate and had a phone number listed where I was able to speak to someone at the dealership (a real human, NOT a recording). Once I had narrowed down which vehicle I wanted to purchase, it was time to visit the dealership where I met one of the nicest, most honest Salesmen I’ve ever encountered. He was very willing to help, answer questions, work with my expected budget and payments and still get me what I wanted. He was the kind of man who built relationships with his customers…one who was keeping my best interest in mind.

So, purchasing my new vehicle was basically a two part process:

1. The virtual showroom is technically where the dealership ‘made the sale’ on the vehicle by presenting all of the vehicle information and extra resources, such as calculators, videos, specials, etc.
2. And the Salesman closed the deal in the physical showroom by earning my respect and trust and, of course…signing the papers.