Boost your pre-owned online car sales

For many people, online car sales are the future. But it’s not as simple as building an e-commerce site, using a traditional sales approach, then waiting for the customers to come flooding in.

The move to online has been accelerating over the years, with retailers using digital platforms to complement showroom activity. The pandemic added extra impetus to plans and helped get through what could have been a disastrous period for franchise and independent car retailers, but challenges remain.

We may all work in the automotive sector, but we don’t all have the benefit of a company vehicle, which means we’re also consumers in the car-buying process. My own experiences

Used Cars For Sale

have been mixed, from first class to hugely disappointing. And that needs to change.

The buying process

There’s no doubt that the majority of customers do their research at home, then decide which make and model suits their purposes. That’s in stark contrast to 10 years ago when a trip to the dealership was the way to get the wheels turning on a new or second-hand car purchase.

Having decided on a potential purchase, the process is different depending on whether the shopping list includes a new car or a pre-owned. For a new car there will be a car configurator on the OEM website and details of any accompanying finance offers. From there, the consumer would either order online or be sent to their nearest franchise partner for further negotiations, including part-exchange value. But while lots of shiny websites make it relatively easy to buy new, what happens in the preowned market? This is where the pitfalls of an end-to-end online process may show up, often leading to a disappointed customer. Investing in systems and processes that fulfil the needs of an online customer will ensure that car retailers, large or small, can not only survive but thrive in this digital world. We have seen the disruptors lead the charge, but then been unable to make their financial offering work. Cazoo’s significant share price fall on the New York Stock Exchange illustrates the difficulties, and has led to their withdrawal from Europe and a cutting back of their physical sites in the UK.

In contrast, the UK car retailers with established dealerships and available stock have been able to offset the logistical difficulties the disruptors have felt – a point that Constellation Automotive Group, the owners of cinch has realised, leading to the purchase of Marshall Motor Group, one of the UK’s largest car retailers.

Car retailers also have the benefit of seeing those customers who started their buying journey online but want to touch and feel their chosen car before going ahead, with the option to have a test drive. However, customer satisfaction can be adversely

Are you ready for the electric vehicle revolution?

The IMI offer a huge range of electric vehicle (EV) training courses to ensure that you are qualified to work on electric vehicles.

Courses range from eLearning all the way to a Level 4 nationally recognised Qualification. It is not only passenger vehicles we offer training for, the training can be adapted for any EV, i.e. coach, bus, off road and range vehicles. Courses cover a range of topics, depending on your training needs.

Call 01992 519 025 or email hello@theimi.org.uk to enquire about courses now

Courses cover a range of topics, depending on your training needs:

• Introduction to electric vehicles

• Vehicle components and maintenance

• Diagnostics

• Control systems

• Hybrid vehicle courses

• So much more!

What are the benefits of completing an EV qualification with the IMI?

• Discounts for members

• Earn your IMI TechSafe recognition and gain your spot on the IMI’s Professional Register

• Stay one step ahead of your competitors

• Remain health and safety compliant

• Keep your training and CPD up to date with the EV revolution and avoid the skills shortage crisis affected at the point where digital meets physical. The customer rightly expects that the dealership they have chosen online is totally up to date and aware of their digital journey and requirements. For example, is that car actually in stock at the dealership in question as opposed to somewhere else in the group? And is it fully prepared and available for a test drive?

There’s nothing worse for a customer who’s driven an hour or more to a dealership to be told that the car isn’t there, so the Distributor Management System (DMS) has to be constantly updated along with the website. Stock management is key, alongside a proactive sales team process that constantly monitors and actions online enquires.

A fully joined-up process

One of the downsides of the online process, especially if the customer elects to do everything remotely and have the car