5 Car shopping moments that matter and what it means for your car dealership

Google’s latest Automotive Shopper Study is extremely insightful especially when it comes to understanding the modern in market car shopper, their buying behaviour and what it could mean for your car dealership. Since then, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what Google terms “moments that matter”.

What are the moments that matter to your car dealership in South Africa

  1. “Which car is best?” moment.

    • It’s early days and your potential customers are still unsure about which brand to purchase.
    • Yes, capturing these website visits won’t lead to a sale right now, but,
    • you’ve got the option to put your dealership in front of them with useful, relevant content very early on in the journey.
    • Aka branding your dealership

Quick Tip:

Walk alongside them all the way online, and you are likely to be in the 1.2 dealerships they visit on average before making the final decision.

 

  1. “Is this the right car for me?” moment.

    • Customers have identified a few cars that they’re interested in,
    • they now need to get into the fine details.
    • Do these cars have the right features for them?
    • In other words, is the car going to match their lifestyle?

Quick Tip:

Informative and accurate reviews and best-in-class car descriptions on your listings will help set you apart from your competitors. Tell a story in your descriptions that speak to a psychographic, not only a demographic.

 

  1. “Can I afford it?” moment.

    • Cue the money-related searches, such as Polo Vivo quote,
    • Polo Vivo deals below R180 000,
    • Best Polo Vivo deals,
    • which finance option is best for me,
    • and so on.

Quick Tip:

As in market car shoppers indicate that they are close to make a purchasing decision, appearing for these types of internet searches is fundamental to help you get more business.

 

  1. “Where should I buy it?” moment.

    • Customers have finally made a decision.
    • They want that car,
    • within that price bracket.
    • But which dealership to choose?

Quick Tip:

Unless they’ve got their eyes on a very specific used car, it’s usually a matter of distance. Customers search for things like “VW dealership near me” or “best VW dealership in Cape Town”. Check that your details are always updated in ‘Google my Business’, so customers know exactly where to find you.

 

  1. “Am I getting a deal?” moment.

    • No one likes to commit to such a big purchase only to find out that they could have gotten a much better deal elsewhere.
    • This is where in market car shoppers spend time double-checking they’re really getting the best possible value for their money.

 

Quick Tip:

Make the best use of your adverts on AutoTrader by writing a killer vehicle description, showcasing the best features and highlighting the most important selling points that make your car stand out from the competition.

Don’t delay to employ these best practices in your car dealership, today!