Advertisement feature from iVendi

Darren Sinclair, Chief Commercial Officer, iVendi

In motor retail, there is perhaps a general perception that the digital capabilities of the major new market entrants to the used car sector require a level of investment and access to expertise and infrastructure that is beyond the average dealer.

However, that’s simply untrue - products are easily available to all that create a service offering to match even the largest, best-funded, highest-profile newcomers. In fact, all dealers can easily become digital disruptors themselves.

Creating a comprehensive online journey including elements such as integrated motor finance, part exchange and delivery is something that is easily achievable and cost-effective for all car, van and motorcycle dealers. The technology needed to do this is something not only accessible to businesses with funding stretching into hundreds of millions of pounds but the smallest retailer operating on a local level.

In fact, the question facing dealers should instead perhaps be, “Can you afford not to be a disruptor?” because of the increased competition they will face over the next few years.

Established dealers have an on-the-ground presence that gives them an advantage over digital disruptors in several ways, but there is little question that the latter will change customer expectations about the online experience. To compete successfully, mainstream dealers will need to be able to offer something comparable, providing a seamless and effortless, high-quality customer experience that occurs within and between contact channels.

Obviously, developing a bespoke platform that provides this from scratch is not feasible for many retailers but there are off-the-shelf options – such as iVendi’s Connected Retail range – that enable a consumer journey to be offered that can match anything on the market.

As the digital disruptors change the shape of the used car sector and help to accelerate the move to online retail, emulating their approach may not be a choice but a very real necessity.

The iVendi Connected Retail range

ENGAGE is designed to help consumers find the right vehicle by rewriting the rules for online car, van and motorcycle search using the natural language adopted by the majority of vehicle buyers.

CONVERT facilitates the process of transforming initial online consumer interest in a vehicle into a sale through a range of essential features.

TRANSACT develops online consumer interest in a specific vehicle through to a final transaction while managing the complexities of the sales process and includes iVendi’s innovative Digital Deal.

About iVendi

Founded in 2009, iVendi is the market leader in connected motor retail technology, creating digital products that help customers to buy vehicles more easily and dealers to sell them more efficiently, both online and in the showroom. The company’s technology interacts with around five million consumers every month and thousands of motor retailers, manufacturers and finance providers.

Visit www.ivendi.com, e-mail enquiries@ivendi.com or call 0345 226 0503.