How Shoppers Use Dealership Websites

According to the latest CDK Friction Points Study, most car shoppers (between 62% and 79%, depending on the age group) are still going to the dealership to complete all the steps of purchasing a vehicle. However, one-third of the 1,300 surveyed car buyers said they started their purchase journey online before heading to a store, and a few even completed the entire transaction without setting foot in a dealership.

Consumers Often Use the Dealer Site to Find Their Next Vehicle

It’s become second nature for car shoppers to research vehicles online. When it comes to zeroing in on the one they want, 15% of those in our survey said they selected their vehicle online, while another 31% indicated they made the decision after seeing the model on the site and in person.

Photos were instrumental in this. In fact, of those who started their purchase journey online, 88% said that seeing pictures of the vehicle on the dealer website enticed them to take the next step. The importance of photos differs a bit by age group, but even for baby boomers and members of the Silent Generation, the site’s images enticed well over half (69%) of respondents.

The takeaway? Dealers who post photos of their inventory on their digital retailing platform are setting themselves up for success, as it encourages internet leads. If a listing doesn’t have pictures, it’s not a bad idea to provide an explanation as well as an estimate for when shoppers can expect to see them.  

Shoppers Are Exploring Their Finance Options Online

Before visiting a dealership, many shoppers want to know how purchasing a new vehicle will affect their bottom line, and they’re seeking this information on the store’s website. Per the survey, just over half (51%) of prospective shoppers said they checked the pricing and incentives for a vehicle via the dealer’s site, and 56% said they calculated their payment online.

What’s more, while the majority of people (62%) applied for credit at the dealership, that still leaves a significant 48% of shoppers who did so either entirely online (18%) or both online and in person (20%). It’s a similar story for shoppers selecting additional services, such as insurance: 63% did so at the store, while 19% priced this out on the dealer site and 18% took a hybrid approach.

Dealer Sites Help Customers Plan Their Visit

Shoppers do different things on a dealer site to ensure their visit to the dealership will go smoothly. More than 70% of people checked the dealership’s inventory to see if a vehicle was on the lot, and 65% of respondents took extra steps to confirm a car’s availability. In previous shopper studies, CDK found that the number one reason shoppers choose a specific dealership is because the exact car they want is physically on the lot.

A little under half of respondents said they verified the store’s location and hours via the site, and the same number chatted with dealership personnel. Additionally, 52% of shoppers scheduled a test drive appointment online. The test drive remains a pivotal part of the purchase process and while they can be scheduled online, the drive itself can’t be replaced digitally. Over three-quarters (78%) of car shoppers say it was the test drive alone that sold them on the vehicle.

The data is clear, while elements like the test drive need a physical experience, moving other elements of the purchase process online improves the overall journey.