How To Expand Your Car & Automotive E-Commerce In 2023
E-commerce in general is getting more and more developed, expanded, and with that more complicated. But at the same time, it’s becoming a leading force in digital marketing and in some ways even an irreplaceable method for doing business regarding speed, efficiency, and ROI. 44% of retailers chose social media as their advertising method in 2022, and this number is only to be seen on the rise for this year and the foreseeable future.
Add to this complexity the sheer volume of the automotive industry and the products it offers and you’ll get an idea of the whirlpool they’re in. The car industry is at its peak right now regarding sophistication, modernization, and sales. In 2023, people are doing most of their research and purchasing online. This includes issues such as
- Which car is the best investment?
- Which features should I look for in a vehicle?
- What are the reviews for a certain model?
- Which car parts can be ordered online?
Automotive e-commerce deals not only with these but many more. However, the problems it faces come from two sources
- Too much, unstandardized data is being provided by everyone but not equally. General guidelines do exist but not all companies follow them correctly. And until solid, e-commerce-friendly data becomes mandatory for everyone on the market, only the companies that can invest in data processing will remain at a great advantage.
- Interfaces and platforms that are not user-friendly and do not meet the needs of the modern, technologically-educated user in 2023. Buying a car online is not the same as buying shoes. People who sit down and invest their time online to look for vehicles and everything that comes with the automotive industry expects an intuitive website or platform that will ease their way into making better-informed decisions.
So having this in mind, here we offer some easily-applicable solutions for expanding your car and automotive e-commerce for the year 2023.
4 Ways to Expand Your Automotive E-commerce
If you’re looking to improve and develop your car e-commerce, you’re probably not alone. The competition is expanding by the minute and technology is evolving at an even faster pace. So keeping up with everything in this field can be quite overwhelming and challenging. That’s why we’re here to help and we’ve compiled a list of the most important aspects that need to be addressed if you’re looking for better automotive e-commerce.
1. Use quality e-commerce solutions
Using solid ERP and e-commerce integration for the automotive industry is probably the most important thing you’ll do to provide a stable foundation for your business. Providing a pleasant and meaningful user experience is essential in this business. Buying and returning car parts is quite expensive and complicated.
The customers already have this in mind and feel stressed when doing it. That’s why they need to be guided to the right part of the application to complete the order as smoothly as possible. By offering them a quality platform that is easy to use, you instill confidence throughout their customer’s experience.
Some important aspects to look for in an e-commerce platform include:
- Direct integration into your SAP or ERP
- Cloud-based solutions
- Customization and customer personalization features
- Real-time inventory up-to-date information
- Reliability and fast performance
This list is not final and must be tailored to your business specifically for the best results.
2. Develop your virtual showroom to perfection
If you’re serious about doing e-commerce in the automotive industry the virtual showroom must be one of your greatest assets. If you want customers even to consider buying a vehicle online or at least luring them into the physical store, the showroom on your e-commerce platform must offer them a certain type of experience.
Let’s not forget it’s 2023 and people are living with VR, AI, and all sorts of gadgets in their regular day-to-day life. So impressing them with technology is not that easy anymore. Therefore, if you can’t offer a showroom that will impress, at least try not to disappoint. Some features that should be included or at least taken into consideration are:
- High-quality, 3D visuals
It’s needless to say 3D, quality visuals will engage the customer and make them more entertained and interested. Some platforms can help you work on this part to gain your customers’ trust and make them invest their money without physically seeing the product.
- Clear and user-friendly layout
Once you have your customer’s attention and he/she is in the showroom it must be easy to navigate without putting too much effort and concentration. The layout should be intuitive and make the customer feel at ease.
- True to the original
You’re digitally showing something very difficult to sell even in person. So do yourself a favor and stay true to the original features, colors, sizes, and everything automotive commerce entails. This will save you a lot of time and effort once the deal is closed and the customer gets the car in person.
- Fast-loading page
Even if you have invested in the best visuals and layout for your showroom, if it takes ages to load people will give up easily and it won’t be worth it. Modern e-commerce customers are less and less patient, so a fast-loading page is a must. This applies not only to your showroom but to the whole webpage as well.
- Easy-to-find payment gateway
Although it’s the showroom, it must have a CTA somewhere where an interested customer would easily notice. A customer wanting to go through to the payment gateway must be able to do this smoothly.
3. Embrace omnichannel marketing
We have to embrace the fact that the way people buy cars has changed, maybe even more so in the last couple of years since the pandemic. And if you are to do automotive e-commerce then you have to come to terms with the fact that most of the time it’s omnichannel marketing that will lead to the final stage.
Here is how the shopping experience unravels in most cases.
1. People will most often start their search online, to get some general knowledge about what they’re looking for.
2. The next step is most likely to go and physically look at the cars in the shop. At this stage, the dealer takes over the process for a while.
3. But it’s not long before they come back to their digital devices for more reviews and, more recommendations.
4. They might need a test drive after this, or they might use the virtual showroom before the actual payment and closing the deal.
Omnichanneling automotive commerce offers both customers and companies bridging the experience between the digital and the physical and merging both into the same process without one excluding the other.
It means using multiple channels and marketing tools for the same purpose. They allow the customer to go back and forth between their online devices and the dealer to help them make a better-informed decision.
Although we are talking about electronic commerce, we must embrace the fact that most customers would still want to see and experience the car in the real world. Especially with the growing market prices. Even if the final payment and decision is made online we must allow for this bridge to be placed as smoothly as possible and work for the benefit of both parties involved.
4. Punchout Catalog
Using a punchout catalog boosts your car and automotive e-commerce by simplifying procurement, enhancing customization, and optimizing efficiency. It integrates seamlessly with buyers’ procurement systems, streamlining their purchasing process. It offers a tailored catalog experience, real-time updates on inventory and pricing and fosters a strong supplier-buyer relationship.
Buyers can easily search for products, ensuring order accuracy and compliance with their procurement policies. It widens your customer base, potentially increasing sales and efficiency and leading to cost savings. Overall, it enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty, propelling business growth.
Final thoughts
We hope that this list of suggestions on how to improve your automotive e-commerce business will help you in this complex and still developing field. Of course, there are many more things that can be done and the list is not final but it sure is a great starting point to start researching and tailor these suggestions to your specific business.
It’s very clear now when the pandemic is over that the car and automotive business has permanently changed and it won’t go back. So with that said, the only thing that can be done is to go with the flow and follow customers’ preferences to shop the way they want.
Your job now is to give them the best and most enjoyable experience through all available platforms and software. Bear in mind these change on an everyday basis and your research must be updated constantly if you want to keep up the good work.
Doing automotive e-commerce is not easy nor should be taken lightly but it’s doable and manageable. And with the right tools, it’s even very worthwhile and enjoyable.
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