How FOW Car Supermarket provides a great online experience for car buyers

FOW Car Supermarket is the winner of the Online Consumer Experience (Independent) category of the 2024 AM Awards, sponsored by Central Car Auctions.

Through expansive digital development, FOW Car Supermarket has increased website engagement and lead volume alongside a steady uptick in online sales and appointment booking.

It is the third consecutive year this trophy has gone to our winner, which states in its entry: “Embracing digital and powering online experiences is key to accessing untapped potential.”

Conversion analytics have helped FOW to identify buying signals and adopt a new internal lead management process that has cut response times and harmonised the digital and in-store experiences.

Website leads have rocketed, and sales volumes have risen significantly. The company adopted a digital-first approach, aligning objectives with development projects and investing in talent and technology.

Development efforts, supported by data and automation, focused on enhancing digital transactions, CRM tools and delivery logistics to improve lead conversion and operational efficiency.

Content creation, including videos, was optimised to drive website traffic. The digital team actively participates in automotive events online, leveraging insights to enhance SEO optimisation and content creation. They pride themselves on delivering a user-friendly car-buying experience, incorporating features like free reservations and bespoke videos.

A new vehicle process was introduced to ensure accurate vehicle listings with comprehensive media.

Innovative technologies like Vehicles in Video and Leadoo were implemented to enhance customer engagement and lead generation.

Website usage analysis led to the integration of WhatsApp and Leadoo for improved mobile experiences.

The company’s dynamic website, developed from a mobile-centric approach, is continuously refined and the business uses tools like Figma for product updates and HotJar for visitor feedback. Strategic placement of calls-to-action and integration of tools like Auto Convert also drive engagement and conversions.

Ben Mills, digital marketing specialist at FOW Car Supermarket, collected the award from Jason Miller, managing director of sponsor Central Car Auctions.

Highly commended: Vanaways.

Finalists:

• FOW Car Supermarket
• Frosts Cars
• MB Motors
• Ponko
• Vanaways

Sponsor's comment

"Congratulations to all of this year's winners!  Everyone nominated at this year’s AM Awards has made an incredible contribution to the automotive industry over the past year and they should all be very proud of their efforts.

I must give a special mention to the nominees in our sponsored category, ‘Online Consumer Experience – Independent Dealers’, who have all shown an exceptional dedication to providing a customer-focused digital experience, making it as easy and enjoyable as possible for customers to find their next used car.

A special congratulations must also be given to the winner of the category, FOW Car Supermarket, who have taken great strides in improving their online customer journey throughout the past year.

At Central Car Auctions, we aim to provide our customers with the best possible experience at every step of their car-buying journey – and adapting to new technologies and the digital space is a huge part of this. Seeing the accomplishments of those shortlisted has been inspiring and it’s great to see those who are innovating and excelling in their field being recognised for their efforts."

Jason Miller, managing director, Central Car Auctions