Merchandising thoughts from a customer

[Ryan Everson]

Definitely comes across as more upstream than a typical BHPH website.

Why are you telling people to go to dealer inspire in your html?

Thanks! And the current live site is through Dealer Inspire, the new site as depicted in my earlier screenshots is custom developed and launching soon.

 

[joe.pistell]

Which way is the tide turning?
Price? Or My Friend Bob who knows my kids and family?

Dude, you are sooo far away from the dealer floor, this comment lack logic. You are super smart, find a progressive dealer near you and offer a trade. You walk the floor and learn, they get tech brain power. There'd be a zillion GM's that would sign up for that.

 

[Ryan Everson]

Dude, you are sooo far away from the dealer floor, this comment lack logic. You are super smart, find a progressive dealer near you and offer a trade. You walk the floor and learn, they get tech brain power. There'd be a zillion GM's that would sign up for that.

Every vendor should do a short tour of duty at a dealership for at least a month or two.

 

[joe.pistell]

Every vendor should do a short tour of duty at a dealership for at least a month or two.

My 1st day. I was SHOCKED that cars would vanish and the GSM said "don't worry, it'll come back". The time lost shagging lost keys will make your head spin.

• Spend a few days getting VINs recorded and posted on line.
• Sit with the BDC and the receptionist,
• Shadow sales reps, go on test drives.
• Attend meetings.
• Dress in your street clothes and listen to shoppers talk strategy when the rep is gone.
• Listen to 1000's of phone calls, chats and emails.
• Shadow angry customers.
• Watch everything get nuts in the last few days of the month.
  

SELLING CARS IS A TEAM SPORT

 

[Jon Singo]

@Ryan Everson

Love the new site design. I got a chuckle out of this:


Great way to connect personally with a consumer who may feel like no one can help them in their situation.

One thing of note, there are no RighWay stores in my area so when I go to search for inventory your website won't allow me to view any vehicles via zip code locator. Not sure if this was intentional but could be a struggle for out-of-area consumers who end up on your site via 3rd party.

 

[Carsten]

This thread is from a customer's perspective and I am participating in that spirit giving feed back as a customer.

As a techie, I am more than willing to share back my experiences as to why lots of the vendors you deal with do what they do. Putting software together is a HUGE TEAM SPORT too. I can draw parallels as to why.

I agree having floor experience is important, I have never said that it wasn't a good idea. But do you subscribe/purchase vendor solutions based on how many hours each of their team members have done that?

I sincerely believe that dealer TEAM needs to know how the geography is changing for the customer before they even get to meet the team activity at the physical location. Much like how the valley is already talking about how waymo is going to put the hurt on Uber/Lyft.

Techies have to deal with the stakeholders and end user. The Product Owners put our requisites together based on what stakeholders (dealers) request.

So, yes, this is a team sport but it's not just two separate teams doing something, these two teams have to cooperate better so that the vendor can profit and so can the dealer.

 

[joe.pistell]

The more you help shoppers with becoming a smarter shopper, the more likely they are to return to your site (& not your competitors).

Customers typically purchase a car only every few years, yet they shop online almost everyday.

Given this, shouldn't we consider applying proven e-commerce product detail page CRO best practices to our VDPs to optimize conversion rates?

Here's a sneak preview of a new project I'm working on launching that uses this e-commerce framework I call ATIDFRAA.

Ryan, I GPT4o'd the JTBD* and your ATIDFRAA

JTBD Design Theme with ATIDFRAA Framework Integration​

1. Identifying Needs and Preferences:
   • Attention:
     • Strong value proposition: Highlight how the vehicle meets specific needs (e.g., comes with advanced safety features, excellent fuel efficiency).
     • Imagery: Use a carousel and vertical photo grid to showcase the vehicle's features and options, helping shoppers visualize how it fits their lifestyle.
2. Research and Information Gathering:
   • Trust and Credibility: Display reviews and ratings prominently to build trust.
   • Social Proof: Showcase the number of customers approved this month to enhance credibility and trustworthiness.
   • Accordion with Product Details: Provide an accordion-style layout with detailed product specifications and the most searched-for features highlighted for easy access.
3. Budgeting and Financing:
   • Transformation:
     • Demonstrate Ease of Purchase: Highlight how easy it is to finance and buy the car, possibly through step-by-step guides or visual aids.
   • Interest: Clearly display the features and benefits of financing options and how they contribute to an easy purchase process.
4. Finding a Trustworthy Seller:
   • Trust and Credibility: Emphasize dealership reviews and ratings.
   • Reassurance: Compare the vehicle to competitors and highlight why the chosen dealership is the best option, making shoppers feel confident about their choice.
5. Experiencing the Vehicle:
   • Imagery: Use high-quality images and videos in a carousel and photo grid to give shoppers a comprehensive view of the vehicle.
   • Transformation: Demonstrate the ease of scheduling a test drive or virtual tour.
6. Disposing of Current Vehicle:
   • Provide transparency, reassurance and solutions for handling the disposal efficiently (trade-buy). Assue most shoppers are unaware of the trade-in sales tax benefits.
     • Get shopper to 'valuation range' easily. If YMM,Miles meets dealer priority list, dynamically introduce systems to create action (e.g. incentives, remote audit for final valuation, etc)
7. Making the Purchase Decision:
   • Desire: Utilize social proof such as reviews and user-generated content to build excitement and desire for the car.
   • FAQ: Address common objections and questions that could hinder conversion, providing clear and reassuring answers.
8. Post-Purchase Support:
   • Reassurance: Highlight the dealership’s after-sales support, warranties, and maintenance services.
   • FAQ: Include a section addressing post-purchase support and services.
9. Alternatives:
   • Alternatives: Offer alternative vehicles (VINs) to ensure shoppers have options if the initial vehicle does not meet all their needs.
10. Action:
    • Always Visible CTA: Ensure there are easy-to-find and always visible call-to-action buttons (e.g., a bottom sticky bar) to convert browsing into action, such as scheduling a test drive, applying for financing, or contacting the dealership.

That was fun.

*JTBD = Dr Clayton Christensen's 'Job to be Done' (JTBD) methodology