Best PracticesDealership Marketing

The Three Truths About Vehicle Merchandising

Even after years of presenting at different auto conferences and show, I love speaking with dealers and partner clients about the state of the industry and the impact of vehicle merchandising. I learn just as much as I teach.

During a recent presentation, I revealed the three truths that remain constant in the realm of merchandising, while sharing some of the success JD Byrider has by prioritizing and revolutionizing their approach to vehicle merchandising.

Technology is changing

Technology is evolving into a smarter, faster and more convenient resource. Progressive dealerships like JD Byrider are taking advantage of tools that can automate and streamline their merchandising process.

Creating a meaningful connection with car shoppers begins by producing an immersive listing for them to engage with. Techniques like photo backgrounding and 360-degree displays make the vehicle as the focal point of the listing. In fact, 73% of shoppers who browsed or bought/leased thought 360 displays were very important and 80% thought it reflected well on the dealership.

“By integrating with 360 technology, our store operators are able to provide an elevated online experience that will separate them from competitors and enable customers to easily shop our inventory from anywhere on any device,” Marie Lafkiotes, Chief Marketing and Digital Officer of JD Byrider, shared during the presentation. “This is a key component of our digital transformation.”

They also focus on text and their vehicle descriptions. Traditionally they have been a time-consuming part of any merchandising process, but software to automate this detail of a listing is becoming more palatable across the industry. Vehicles with descriptions receive 27% more Vehicle Details Page (VDP) views than those without and are prioritized higher on the Search Results Page (SRP) of listings websites like Autotrader due to relevancy.

Consumer behavior is evolving

Car buyers are changing the way they shop as a direct result of changing technology. Thanks to applications like Uber and Netflix, consumers expect highly personalized experiences that give them exactly what they are looking for with less effort.

Car shoppers continue to spend less time in market, down to 96 days according to the newest Cox Automotive research. They’re shopping in new places, like social media platforms. Successful dealers are seeing tremendous growth in engagement on places like Facebook Marketplace, largely because they are promoting their inventory where shoppers are already spending their time.

Not only that, but shoppers are visiting only one dealership on average. Meaning, if you can provide the content shoppers are seeking and get them to your physical lot, your chances of turning a vehicle increase.

To win, you need to measure

I talk a lot about the importance of proper tracking and measurements to determine success. Track how long it takes to get a vehicle from reconditioning to fully merchandised an online. Can you find ways to reduce this time?

Keep an eye on which images are getting the most views on a listing page and consider focusing on those. If you can’t get a full set of images on a listing right away, try again at a different time in the merchandising process because vehicles with just a single custom photo receive 193% more VDP views than one with a stock image.

Conclusion

Remember, competition is getting fiercer and dealers are getting incrementally better. Adopting simple changes in each of these areas, much like JD Byrider has done, will improve your brand differentiation while supplying the personalized experience shoppers are demanding, setting you up for long-term success.

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Russ Daniels is the senior manager of product marketing for HomeNet Automotive and vAuto. Russ has a strong background with inventory software product...
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Informative blog shared. Automotive world Technology is evolving into a smarter, faster and more convenient resource . I talk a lot about the importance of proper tracking and measurements to determine success.
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Great article!

"Shoppers are visiting only one dealership on average."

That's a pretty motivating statistic. All the more reason for dealers to create engaging content to capture shoppers interest online. They may not get a chance to win them over in person!
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