Dive Brief:
- Automakers and dealers are having a hard time combining the online and offline car-buying experience, according to a recent survey by Accenture.
- The survey included consumers in the U.S., China and Germany, and found that consumers are becoming more accustomed to shopping online, but when they head to the dealership are not having expectations met because of a poor web-to-showroom integration.
- Respondents to the survey rated that integration on a 1-4 scale with average experience coming in at 2.32.
Dive Insight:
Like many considered purchases – including the complex B2B sale – car buyers are doing most of their research online, with the trip to the dealership more about completing the sale rather than beginning fact finding about an upcoming purchase. This alone makes the disconnect between car shoppers' online and offline experiences a problem for dealerships. The solution is to ensure the online experience seamlessly translates to the offline experience and facilitates the research consumers have already conducted. This larger picture applies to any marketer with both an online and offline presence.
Digital transformation can open the doors to disruptors, as it has done in other industries, and quickly disintermediate traditional marketers. If automaker and dealerships want to avoid this, then they need to work more closely together.
"As digitization increases, automakers and dealers can no longer afford to ignore full integration of their operations," Axel Schmidt, managing director in Accenture’s automotive practice, said in the release. "They must work together more closely than ever to create a truly seamless, multichannel experience to satisfy customers.”
As online research grows, the car showroom is becoming a destination to finalize a car purchase rather than the starting point. Nearly all car-buying decisions are now made online, but there is still room for improvement, with 43% saying they would consider make a purchase online if prices were lower than in the dealership. U.S. drivers are the most likely to buy a car from an online store. Customers would also like to see advanced product configurators, online chat consultation and augmented reality experiences.
