A recent blog from Women-Drivers.com notes that women use dealership websites as a primary source for their research when looking to purchase a vehicle—and yet, the convenience factors offered by the dealership are not always listed on the page.
“With so many guests coming to your site, share the actions you have put in place to make the process convenient, trusting, and welcoming. Share that you have evolved and adapted,” writes Anne Fleming, Founder and CEO of Women Auto Consumers. “S-P-E-L-L it out for your guests and customers; they have no idea what services you offer.”
By this she means dealers should not hide their services under the “About Us” section, since few consumers actually browse that section. And she suggests using sliders above the fold to showcase services. Furthermore, dealers may need to consider having “Convenient Services” listed in every BDC email response, and showing ID callout or icons on the homepage.
It is also worth noting that women purchase for the experience, so dealerships that want to cater to that will need to shine a light on the things that make the experience better. This includes home delivery services (test drives, sales and service), return policy, and concierge overnight vehicle services.
“Two-thirds of your fixed ops customers are women and 70 per cent of them want an overnight vehicle when theirs is getting repaired,” writes Fleming in the blog. As a tip, she says “If your dealership provides overnight vehicles, make this a part of your sales pitch. It’s a huge competitive advantage. Don’t keep this information for buyers to know after the sale.”
Other areas of convenience to highlight include reputation and peer reviews, since Fleming says women want “relatable, trusting reviews” quickly, and from other women. Online financial approval, five-star service, and on-site auto insurance should also be highlighted on the dealership website.
“Only nine out of 100 car buyers report that their dealership offered an auto insurance policy according to a 2019 Dealer Policy Survey,” writes Fleming. “An estimated 80 per cent of car owners pay too much to insure their vehicles.”
Fleming says dealers can be seen as a solutions provider by offering vehicle insurance, while also boosting revenue.
