The Value of Pricing Comparisons and Correctness

As a customer looking for a new car, there are few things more frustrating than seeing one thing online and another thing entirely when they’re on your lot. This isn’t just about photos that don’t accurately represent the vehicle in question (though that does happen quite a bit), but also pricing and even availability of the cars themselves.

In other words, what a customer sees online needs to match up with what they’ll see at the dealership – that allows them to better comparison shop and increases the likelihood of the lead and the sale coming your way.

It goes without saying that customers appreciate the ability to compare vehicles and pricing online for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it saves them time and effort compared to visiting multiple dealerships in person (which is crucial because your competitors are often right across the street or very close by – meaning customers are already being presented with other options before they even park). With the popularity of online shopping skyrocketing during the pandemic, shoppers are also more used to having options to compare online than ever before, so the importance of making sure the online experience is the same as the one they’ll get when they eventually visit can’t be understated. 

In a perfect scenario, customers should be able to compare prices, features, and specs of different vehicles from the comfort of their own home, without the pressure of a salesperson looking over their shoulder. This also allows them to research and educate themselves about the vehicles they’re interested in, making them more confident in their purchasing decision. That’s why it’s critical that info is matched online and in-person.

In all circumstances dealerships should be doing their best to provide customers with the same level of information and ease of comparison on their dealership lot as they do on their website. Obviously this is easier said than done, but having a reliable inventory management tool in place that integrates properly and seamlessly with your site and third parties makes this a much easier process. Put simply, if a car is present on your lot and ready for sale, it should be properly photographed and put on your site (as quickly as possible to maximize your revenue) – and the pricing should be the same for both as well. 

Of course, having quality photos and videos of each car that syndicate to every site you list inventory on is important as well, since a customer who spends time viewing a vehicle is expecting their real-world experience to align with this. The old saying “frustration comes from unmet expectations” really applies here, because a customer who arrives expecting a car in a certain condition and with certain features will be much less likely to buy if the actual car is nothing like what they saw online.

Also, any additional fees and costs and any existing vehicle damage should be clearly displayed on all your sites as well, so you can begin building trust from the beginning. Whether you photograph cars in-house or use a vendor, having a strong and accurate visual representation of the actual vehicle is of the utmost importance for shoppers.

Having an effective inventory management system in place also helps in the overall sales process, which is ideal for any customer since one of the main frustrations often shared about the dealership purchase process is the amount of time it takes to get from interest to an eventual purchase. 

In many cases, dealerships struggle to know what vehicles a customer was looking at prior to their visit, where they would be located, and what condition they’re currently in. With a properly integrated and properly used inventory platform that coordinates with your photography efforts, you can get your photos online both accurately and quickly which vastly improves the user experience for someone who starts online before a visit. There are many options out there, but keep in mind that they’re not all created equal.