When a UK consumer decides it is time to change their car, it takes them seven weeks on average to complete the process. Typically, it is towards the end of this period that a consumer will visit dealerships, but fewer than two on average. When they get through the doors, they’re ready to buy.

This means the pressure is on a manufacturer brand and its dealers to be visible and engaging early on in the customer’s journey in order to stand a chance of selling them a car.

The internet allows the customer to research the brands and cars, learn their strengths and weaknesses from reviews and videos, validate their final choice with friends on social media and track down the offers that appeal most. It lets them get a guide value of their trade-in and explore options for funding the purchase, before finally contacting the dealers they may visit.

Can you afford to stand by while all this happens? Use the information in the articles below to get online and engage them. This free AM supplement is also available as a downloadable ezine by clicking here.

 

♦ Digital consumer trends - don’t let car customers leave you behind online

♦ How car dealers can hook customers online

   Case study: How Essex Auto Group increased web traffic by 25%

♦ Car dealers cannot afford to let a bad showroom experience derail their digital strategy

♦ 10 ways car dealers can improve their customer relationship marketing

   CRM case study: 'An up-to-date database is the lifeblood of Ridgeway's business'