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Online Shopping to Online Buying

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#201
Jeff Kershner said:
It's called evolution and our industry isn't as immune to it as some like to believe. Evolution is wide spread and eventually effects every channel, every industry, every market - including the automotive industry.

@Tallcool1 you said

I'm not saying dealers and business shouldn't protect their own terf but if every business/company/dealership ran their operations with only the interest of what's best for them and not what's best,
(or perceived to be best) for their consumers and employees, the life expectancy of that company is typically a short one.

Being first to the punch or the early adaptor doesn't always pay off but if you're always waiting around "to see what happens" and you're never looking to move forward, you have a greater chance being left behind and eventually closing shop.

As it relates to "online vehicle purchasing" or "buy it online", or "buy it now" – whatever you want to call it. If you could provide your consumers the opportunity to have this experience when your dealership website, why would you not? *price permitting
Click to expand...

Immunity to evolution...I would say our industry is about as far from immune as possible. Our industry is sighted in the cross-hairs and has been forever. While there are some basic similarities, this is not the same business it was 20 years ago. Not even close.

As pricing (therefore margins) decline, the vision that existed when we started our business just 6 short years ago dwindles as well. We wanted to take care of our customers, win or lose, no matter what. AS-IS meant nothing to us. Check engine light comes on, we take care of it. A/C quits, we take care of it. Transmission...doesn't matter. We take care of our customer. Now we have to price them in the basement to get any looks. Customers don't pay for that level of service. We have "evolved" our way out of a service business and into being a transaction business

I fear the end result will go like this, You bought my car because it was the #1 priced in the market. Remember that Mr. Customer? At that price, I can't fix your problem. You cashed in your Policy Work up front, when you bought the car. Well, I'm never buying another car here. Well Mr. Customer, due to the evolution of our industry, odds are that you weren't going to anyway.

I agree with what you're saying Jeff. If it is cost effective, I agree that a Buy It Now option would be good for the customer that wants it. I agree that progress is a necessary part of life and business. I don't KNOW that the end result will be truly in the best interest of our customer. Time will tell. I don't resist change. I will change.

Note that I am not a New Car or Truck Dealer.
 
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#202
Why eCommerce has failed to make a dent in our market... yet*.

My Summary 1st:
#1: We are a ROBO marketplace (Research Online, Buy Offline)
#2: Today's car shopper visualises car shopping as a ROBO experience.
Result: Successful Disruption must break #1 & #2 (above).​

High-level observations:
Observation #1: Shoppers Don't Know Cars**.
Observation #2: Shoppers conduct product discovery in tandem with price
Observation #3: The Internet hasn't figured out how to solve Observation #1
Observation #4: Shoppers stuck at 'Observation #1' finally give up on the internet and go to the dealer


Why has "Build it and they will come" failed?
From the very moment a person thinks "I need a new car" they visualize ROBO (Research Online, Buy Offline). But, I believe that all car shoppers start internet shopping prepared for a totally new experience that'll break them from ROBO workflow. Car shoppers get 10-20-30 sites into their journey, they LEARN that -like the last 3-5 cars they bought- they must let go of the internet and head into the store to move the decision making process forward.

This is important for dealers and vendors...
Today's car shoppers are ready for change, but they CONCLUDE that nothing significant has changed for them. As the shopper approaches the final mile in the journey, they use the Internet to help them find the best dealer that'll give them a productive car shopping experience (i.e. pick up where the internet shopping left off).


Actionable thoughts for Dealers:
Shoppers are judging you!
Pictures tell a 1,000 words (make this Job #1)
--Great inventory pictures will create more ups and sales than anything you'll ever do.
--BIG VDP pictures is what your shopper wants to see.
--Look at your competitor's VDPs & make your photos better (MORE photos is NOT better, I'm talking more quality!)
Get your why-buy message on your site ASAP.
Shoppers LOVE choices, if you have multiple similar units, work hard on finding ways to include them into everything you do.

Actionable thoughts for Vendors:
Roll up your sleeves, we've got a long road ahead of us ;-)

HTH
Uncle Joe


*made from listening to customers inside stores for about 20,000 hrs...
** examples: Shoppers know what they know. They know what price is, they know vehicle class (e.g. SUV, Sedan), they know Makes (e.g. Ford, Nissan), they know colors, etc... They don't know Trim or packages.
 
#203
JoePistell said:
Why eCommerce has failed to make a dent in our market... yet*.

My Summary 1st:
#1: We are a ROBO marketplace (Research Online, Buy Offline)
#2: Today's car shopper visualises car shopping as a ROBO experience.
Result: Successful Disruption must break #1 & #2 (above).​

High-level observations:
Observation #1: Shoppers Don't Know Cars**.
Observation #2: Shoppers conduct product discovery in tandem with price
Observation #3: The Internet hasn't figured out how to solve Observation #1
Observation #4: Shoppers stuck at 'Observation #1' finally give up on the internet and go to the dealer


Why has "Build it and they will come" failed?
From the very moment a person thinks "I need a new car" they visualize ROBO (Research Online, Buy Offline). But, I believe that all car shoppers start internet shopping prepared for a totally new experience that'll break them from ROBO workflow. Car shoppers get 10-20-30 sites into their journey, they LEARN that -like the last 3-5 cars they bought- they must let go of the internet and head into the store to move the decision making process forward.

This is important for dealers and vendors...
Today's car shoppers are ready for change, but they CONCLUDE that nothing significant has changed for them. As the shopper approaches the final mile in the journey, they use the Internet to help them find the best dealer that'll give them a productive car shopping experience (i.e. pick up where the internet shopping left off).


Actionable thoughts for Dealers:
Shoppers are judging you!
Pictures tell a 1,000 words (make this Job #1)
--Great inventory pictures will create more ups and sales than anything you'll ever do.
--BIG VDP pictures is what your shopper wants to see.
--Look at your competitor's VDPs & make your photos better (MORE photos is NOT better, I'm talking more quality!)
Get your why-buy message on your site ASAP.
Shoppers LOVE choices, if you have multiple similar units, work hard on finding ways to include them into everything you do.

Actionable thoughts for Vendors:
Roll up your sleeves, we've got a long road ahead of us ;-)

HTH
Uncle Joe


*made from listening to customers inside stores for about 20,000 hrs...
** examples: Shoppers know what they know. They know what price is, they know vehicle class (e.g. SUV, Sedan), they know Makes (e.g. Ford, Nissan), they know colors, etc... They don't know Trim or packages.
Click to expand...


So wouldn't an innovative idea be, one site, where they could do all the research on make, model, trim and actually compare brands side by side, as well as experience a complete transparent transaction..hmmmm.
 
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#204
Chris Vester said:
So wouldn't an innovative idea be, one site, where they could do all the research on make, model, trim and actually compare brands side by side, as well as experience a complete transparent transaction..hmmmm.
Click to expand...

How do you do that, and will a customer "trust" the data since it is coming from a source that will gain a benefit? Will this brand comparison be completely unbiased and purely the "Specifications" or will it break down to a feature benefit and real world translation that can show the site owner's product in its best light?
 
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#205
So wouldn't an innovative idea be, one site, where they could do all the research on make, model, trim and actually compare brands side by side, as well as experience a complete transparent transaction..hmmmm.
Click to expand...

It's not a very innovative idea - other verticals have been doing this for quite some time. I think the dealer model works very well in this industry. Same with Powersports, Boats, RV's, etc.
 
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#206
Chris Vester said:
So wouldn't an innovative idea be, one site, where they could do all the research on make, model, trim and actually compare brands side by side, as well as experience a complete transparent transaction..hmmmm.
Click to expand...

Chris Cachor said:
It's not a very innovative idea - other verticals have been doing this for quite some time. I think the dealer model works very well in this industry. Same with Powersports, Boats, RV's, etc.
Click to expand...

CC, from my POV, it doesn't exist. What site(s) does it all*?


*"Does is all" from a shopper's POV
 
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