Website quality and functionality can significantly impact a dealership’s success, particularly in today’s tech-heavy landscape, where customers conduct most car research online. 

However, not all dealers know what fundamental improvements to make or what most visitors want to see upon arrival on the site. Understanding evolving customer demands for remote, online vehicle research options is critical to competing with dealerships that have already adopted extensive digitization. 

This article lists five website essentials every dealer should consider using to supply visitors with an enhanced online experience. 

5 Dealership Website Essentials 

1. A Dealership Blog 

Blogging is a proven and affordable strategy to increase a website’s search engine optimization (SEO) and visitor traffic. The website will rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) if dealers consistently post new blogs. Adding unique content to the website regularly alerts Google and other search engines that the dealership’s website is an active and knowledgeable resource for automotive thought leadership. 

A built-in dealership blog helps dealers stand out from competitors by providing potential customers with valuable material, which will compel them to continue revisiting the website. 

2. Eye-catching and Responsive Features 

Like other eCommerce consumers, most vehicle buyers visit dealership websites via mobile devices, and dealers must provide customers with a fantastic mobile experience to keep pace with competitors.  

Prospects want to learn more about the dealership from the website – not when they visit the showroom – and dealers need straightforward, eye-catching page designs to attract an audience. 

Website essential features should include the following: 

• Well-designed homepage. A segmented home page is more straightforward for visitors to read and supplies a better user experience. Customers expect a visually pleasing theme on top of well-prepared visual content. 

• Skimmable content. Potential buyers will probably not research the website in detail, so dealers should ensure that landing pages are skimmable. Providing customers with the option to browse the website quickly for information increases traffic.  

• Easily accessible CTA (call to action). Visitors should quickly find the CTA buttons, especially if the website design is for a used car business, which produces more leads and conversions. 

A dealership cannot lose customers due to a suboptimal website or an overload of information. It is imperative to implement these website essentials to enhance customer retention, website traffic, and—most crucially—conversions. 

3. High-quality Images and Photos 

A car’s appearance often determines if a dealer can sell it. The typical consumer will pick the vehicle they think looks better if offered two cars with remarkably similar feature sets.  

As such, high-quality photographs are essential to selling more vehicles from online researchers, and dealers should always prioritize posting several high-quality pictures of each car. Better photos will allow prospective customers to confidently view vehicles of interest from their homes.  

On the other hand, if the website images are hazy and do not accurately depict the car, the consumer will lose that confidence in the vehicle. This uncertainty will cause them to leave the website in favor of a competitor’s. 

4. A User-Friendly Loan Calculator 

Dealers can boost sales by providing potential customers with an auto loan calculator on the car dealership website that helps determine affordability. 

Users will benefit from the calculator’s ability to compare loan offers, figure out monthly payments, and pinpoint the best option. This feature also keeps visitors on the website longer and facilitates lead generation. 

The client will determine the monthly payment by inputting the following variables: 

• Vehicle price 
• Down payment amount 
• Loan interest rate 
• Loan duration 
• Lending bank 

The customer can submit this estimate to the dealership for feedback, opening a communication channel. 

5. Vehicle Comparison Options 

Telling two or more cars apart can be challenging for website visitors, especially if they must view each car on a separate page. However, by allowing customers to compare multiple vehicles side by side, you can better serve your clients.  

This feature lets visitors list each car’s essential aspects side-by-side, enabling them to make many more informed choices. Supplying the best possible information for comparison purposes is one of a website’s main goals, and this feature is essential for car dealer websites to deliver concise and correct information.  

This service will significantly simplify the customer’s research process and prevent them from experiencing buyer’s remorse in the future, both of which are positives for the brand’s reputation. 

Leveraging an Improved Website Requires the Best Digital Solutions 

Prospective car buyers are less likely to visit the showroom if your dealership does not bolster its online presence by renovating potentially stale and dull landing pages. Creating more online traffic to boost business requires implementing website essentials that make practical, easily navigated, and informative pages. 

However, building the best website that generates leads and augments the digital customer journey is only as powerful as the technology you use to track and interact with website visitors. 

Contact us today and learn how Affinitiv’s proprietary technologies can help your dealership attract more visitors to the website and convert those visitors into high-quality leads.