The key advantage of a transactional website in the automotive sector

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the majority of dealerships have implemented a Click & Collect/Click & Deliver solution, with the industry fast accelerating towards the full online transactional model. The implementation of Click & Collect models has also been seen amongst many OEMs, which has the potential to instil some uneasiness across the dealer network.

This uneasiness is comparable to the time that the early Click & Collect model was launched throughout the retail sector - I am sure we all remember the buzz words at the time - “Clicks and Bricks”, and the emergence of Multi/Omni- channel marketing strategies. The same fear that spread across regional retail managers and operational directors was soon dispelled when the sales that were transacted through Click & Collect were allocated against the physical store, which helped win the hearts and minds of those ‘on the ground’ and gained support for the multi-data-channel retail strategy that we know today.

Allowing the consumer to choose the dealership from where they wish to collect their vehicle, and allocating the sale against the dealer - including the aftersales support to the guest, will help speed up the integration of online sales across the industry whilst providing the support and peace of mind to the consumer that their local dealership will be providing the care and support throughout the duration of the ownership. However, the sales of additional products/add-ons will need to be addressed.

The key advantage that transactional websites offer will be the visibility of the consumer’s engagement, from the start until the end of their journey – whether that be a purchase or cart abandonment. Dealers will be able to analyse this data in order to identify how far the consumer is in the buying decision, and use in-market retargeting strategies - that are so successful through ecommerce sites - to help drive up conversions and sales, which in-turn will effectively make marketing budgets more efficient and reduce the cost per sale.                

Ian Godbold

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