What do dealership websites make customers do that we’d never tolerate in the showroom?

[KennySmithAutoUnite]

Been thinking about this from the store side.

If a customer walked into the showroom and every few minutes a different person interrupted them, asked for their name and phone number before answering a basic question, made them repeat information they already gave us, and then made them start over when they moved to another part of the store, we’d call that a bad customer experience.

Online, we’ve somehow gotten used to a lot of it.

Popups. Chat boxes. Lead forms. Trade tools. Payment tools. Credit tools. Different vendors asking for the same information.

Some of those tools absolutely have a purpose. I’m not saying all of it is bad.

What I’m wondering is where we crossed the line between helping the customer and making the customer work around our systems.

What does your dealership website or digital process make a customer do today that you would never tolerate if the same thing happened in your showroom?

And if you could remove one piece of friction tomorrow, what would you remove?

I’m interested in both sides of it. Dealers living with it every day and vendors who think we’re looking at it wrong.

 

[Vochi]

Been thinking about this from the store side.

If a customer walked into the showroom and every few minutes a different person interrupted them, asked for their name and phone number before answering a basic question, made them repeat information they already gave us, and then made them start over when they moved to another part of the store, we’d call that a bad customer experience.

Online, we’ve somehow gotten used to a lot of it.

Popups. Chat boxes. Lead forms. Trade tools. Payment tools. Credit tools. Different vendors asking for the same information.

Some of those tools absolutely have a purpose. I’m not saying all of it is bad.

What I’m wondering is where we crossed the line between helping the customer and making the customer work around our systems.

What does your dealership website or digital process make a customer do today that you would never tolerate if the same thing happened in your showroom?

And if you could remove one piece of friction tomorrow, what would you remove?

I’m interested in both sides of it. Dealers living with it every day and vendors who think we’re looking at it wrong.

I don't think a customer walks into the showroom and says, “I'd like to use your inventory system now, then your payment system, then your trade-in system, and finally I'd like to talk to someone about credit.”

In my humble opinion, I believe most of them have a goal that want to accomplish.

“I need a reliable car for my daughter to get to work.”

“I've got three kids and need more room.”

“I tow a camper a few times a year, but I don't want to drive a truck every day.”

“I need to stay around $500 a month.”

And a good salesperson starts with that and works backward toward the right vehicle.

Online, we've largely reversed that.

We put the inventory in front of them and make the customer figure out which vehicle solves their problem. Then we bolt on a trade tool, payment calculator, credit application, chat, lead form, etc., with each one asking for another piece of information.

The customer isn't really shopping the dealership because they're busy navigating the tech stack.

I don't think the customer should start with the inventory, I believe they should start with what they're trying to accomplish, identify the best make & model fit, then search the inventory.

And the tools can be there but they should be connected to the inventory.

 

[Alex Snyder]

I think most dealership website shoppers know EXACTLY what they're after on a dealership website. They're much further down the funnel than website companies give them credit for. This is why leads from dealership websites are "the best" and leads from OEMs are "the worst."

I also believe AI is going to move my opinion closer to fact.

Get out of cars for a minute. Amazon is a weird example as it serves as an Autotrader and a dealer website. But if you think of something like B&H or Best Buy you're usually going there for a specific product and may be tempted into something else by reviews. You already decided you wanted an Apple laptop or a new Android phone. Now, you're just checking inventory to see how soon you can get it.

Dealership customers only have two questions: How much is it? And how soon can I get it? (Service = how soon can I get my car in?)

 

[Vochi]

I think most dealership website shoppers know EXACTLY what they're after on a dealership website. They're much further down the funnel than website companies give them credit for. This is why leads from dealership websites are "the best" and leads from OEMs are "the worst."

I also believe AI is going to move my opinion closer to fact.

Get out of cars for a minute. Amazon is a weird example as it serves as an Autotrader and a dealer website. But if you think of something like B&H or Best Buy you're usually going there for a specific product and may be tempted into something else by reviews. You already decided you wanted an Apple laptop or a new Android phone. Now, you're just checking inventory to see how soon you can get it.

Dealership customers only have two questions: How much is it? And how soon can I get it? (Service = how soon can I get my car in?)

Unless I am reading this wrong the current industry data actually argues against what your saying, not saying how it is at your store, maybe your customers are more educated however, Cox Automotive's June 2026 research, developed with NIADA, found that 83% of independent-dealer buyers begin shopping without knowing which vehicle they want. They visited more than five websites and spent an average of 16.5 hours researching online.

Cox's 2025 Car Buyer Journey Study found essentially the same thing across the broader market: only 29% of buyers knew what vehicle they wanted when they started shopping, meaning 71% did not.

New Cox Automotive Research Reveals Independent Dealership Buyers Are Driven by Necessity—Not Aspiration - Cox Automotive Inc.

Cox Automotive Car Buyer Journey Study Finds Efficiency, Digital Tools and AI Drive Record Satisfaction - Cox Automotive Inc.

I agree that dealership websites are generally later in the funnel. In fact, Cox has shown dealer websites are particularly important toward the end of the online journey.

However “I'm ready to buy” and “I know exactly which vehicle I should buy.”

Seems to be more of what's happening??

A customer can be very close to buying while still trying to answer:

“I have three kids, what's the best fit for us?”

“I need something reliable for my daughter.”

“I tow a camper twice a year, but don't want to drive a truck every day.”

“I need to stay around $500 a month.”

That's exactly what a good salesperson does in the showroom: they start with the customer's objective and work backward toward the vehicle.

Cox's 2025 Drivers of Car Shopping Satisfaction research identified four major drivers of satisfaction:

1. knowledgeable/supportive staff
2. transparency
3. feeling well-informed
4. and being in control

Their top stress points included determining what the buyer could afford, trade-in, financing, F&I, and finalizing deal terms.

While I'm not saying your dealership isn't different however the data doesn't show customers only want price and availability, at least not at the average dealership.

It shows something closer to they want to make the right decision with as little friction and as possible.

Of course price and availability are critical once they've narrowed the vehicle down.

However I believe there is a huge opportunity: That the dealerships have skipped.