When it comes to auto sales, things sure have changed a lot in the last few years. Today’s consumers are sophisticated and savvy. They know what they want and they’ve done their homework. They’re looking for value for their money and bang for their buck. Issues like corporate sustainability and environmental awareness have replaced previous generations’ lifelong brand loyalty as a reason to purchase a particular vehicle .

Going down to the local dealership to do research and check out the latest models as the default is also a thing of the past. The internet has empowered a new generation of consumers. They do market research to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the models they’re considering. They visit online forums to discuss the relative benefits of different models and look to the internet to compare prices across different dealerships. 

According to research from Google, a whopping ninety five percent of vehicle buyers do their research online. What’s more, twice as many start their research online than in the car dealership.  

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Nowadays, the most successful auto dealerships are those that have fully optimized their online presence to make the most out of the new reality. Today’s consumers are online, and if you’re not out there in the digital world, playing your best game with the best possible equipment in your sales arsenal, you’ll most likely be left behind.

Sell More Cars, With One-Click

Setting your car dealership up with a well-designed website is the first step. Your website should display all of your wares in a way that makes it easy for potential customers to find the vehicles that are right for them. 

But that’s just the beginning.

Websites are your digital calling card, your face on the internet. They are the channel through which you build trust at the beginning of your relationships with new customers. Transparency regarding pricing, product offering and value proposition are critical in an age where consumers can verify information with seconds. Customer testimonials that highlight positive buying experiences with you and give details about your professionalism are extremely important. 

Everything about your website should be built in a manner that replicates the offline, brick and mortar experience as much as possible. The best websites are those that empower a personalized approach to handling customers. Buying a car is no small expense, and there are many questions that need to be answered and fears to be allayed. 

Just like you have salespeople in your auto dealership waiting to meet and greet and answer questions, your website should also deliver a personalized, intimate interaction with everyone who visits it. Connecting with customers is crucial in any attempt to build trust and establish a long-term relationship that continues beyond the first purchase. 

So, how can you go about building relationships that are based on trust over the internet? Creating a strong brand presence on your website is only half the battle. The next step is all about adding tools to your website that enable direct, personalized communication for your potential customers at a moment's notice.

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Live Video Chat, Web Based

Since the onset of Covid-19, video chat has become perhaps the most important communication tool that organizations have at their disposal. With stay at home orders, quarantines, social distancing and fears of virus part of our daily lives, video chat empowers  organizations to continue going about their day-to-day business without exposing themselves to dangers. In many cases, video chat has driven organizations to achieve even higher levels of productivity than they did while everyone was working at the same location. In fact, recent research shows that video chat not only increases productivity, but also enhances the feeling of connectivity between people. 

When it comes to selling cars online, web-based video chat is a must-have tool. Optimally, a website with integrated video chat enables salespeople to engage with website visitors at the perfect time -- when they’re in a buying mood. They’ve come to the website to do research regarding the right car for their budget. Using live chat or video chat, salespeople can easily communicate with potential buyers to learn more about their needs. Your salespeople can immediately answer any question that comes up while showing their expertise and building the critical rapport that leads to a trust-filled relationship. 

Some of the more advanced video chat platforms include innovative tools like file sharing, and screen sharing. These tools help drive remote auto sales by easing the buying process along. You can use them to send contracts, pics of cars and even show buyers cars during live sessions.  These sort of tools are essential, especially during the pandemic when keeping face to face meetings down to a minimum can be a matter of life and death.  

Consolto’s Video Chat Solution for AutoDealers

Consolto’s video chat platform was built from the ground up to provide auto dealers with a full suite of features that help them sell cars online. The platform goes beyond video chat communication. Consolto’s wide array of capabilities turns any website into a virtual office, enabling end to end communication and operational functionality to handle every aspect of the sale.

• 1-click video web conferencing. Consolto is easily implemented as a widget on your website, with just one simple line of code. The widget is fully customizable to represent your brand’s look and feel, and offers a wide range of communication channels to your website visitors. As soon as they’re ready to start talking, your visitors can instantly initiate communication with just one click. 
• Scheduling. Advanced scheduling means that your visitors can set up an appointment to speak 24/7, even if there’s no one manning the website. As there’s no telling at what time your visitors will visit your website, the option to easily set up a meeting with your salespeople is a great way to ensure that you never miss an opportunity to sell.
• File transfer capabilities. Simple drag & drop file sharing functionality brings the remote selling experience that much closer to reality. Send your potential buyer pictures of cars they might be interested in buying. Easily send and receive paperwork and contracts to move the sales process forward.
• Live chat. Consolto’s video chat platform offers a wide range of communication channels besides video. Sometimes potential customers prefer to kick off interaction with live chat before moving to face-to-face video. 
• Multi-agents. Consolto’s platform offers support for multiple agents on your website. Add multiple agents to a single widget to empower shift based work for 24/7 availability, or to handle multiple inquiries simultaneously. Choose to have different salespeople manning each page of your website. That way, you can have your SUV expert on the SUV page and your sedan specialist manning the sedan page. This ensures that every inquiry you receive will be handled promptly and professionally.   

Changing trends in the way your customers handle their market research and initiate car sales processes are making websites for auto dealers a must-have. Auto dealer websites should help guide the potential customer with relevant information and pricing delivered in a user-friendly way. 

But having a website isn’t enough. To transform your website from a digital calling card into a sales generator you need advanced video chat capabilities that empower personalized communication. Consolto’s solution takes video chat to the next level by delivering a full set of features aimed at simplifying, enhancing and organizing your online sales operation.