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The 5 Questions to Ask A workbook How to choose the right digital retailing platform
The 5 Questions to Ask
A workbook
How to choose the right digital retailing platform
01 Introduction 1
02 What do I need? 2
03 Is the software tailored for my dealership? 3
04 Does the software evolve with the industry? 4
05 Are integration and success fully supported? 5
06 Is it customer-friendly? 6
07 Is it omni-channel? 8
08 Conclusion 9
Are you struggling to choose a digital retailing partner? It’s a common obstacle for the modern car dealership, and it gets more complex with every new option that hits the market.
Some dealers simply respond by procrastinating — putting o� the choice and hoping it gets easier to decide at some indeterminate point in the future. That’s not a great option, though, because while you’re waiting for an easier choice (that probably isn’t coming anyway), the rest of the industry is getting ahead of you.
Don’t worry. We’ve broken the choice down into a simple workbook, so you can figure out what kind of solution makes the most sense for your dealership now and in the future. Let’s get started!
Introduction
1
01
Before you start evaluating the options, stop and assess your own needs. You need a digital retailing platform, but what are your goals? What areas do you want to improve, and what benefits are you looking for?
A good digital retailing platform should make sense for your dealership, so take a hard look at your current and anticipated needs.
For instance, do you want to generate better quality leads? Are you trying to improve your customer experience? Do you need a more streamlined sales process? Do you prefer a platform that is online-only, or one that has in-store benefits as well?
Ultimately, the digital retailing platform you choose should not only address any specific needs you have right now, but it should also o�er the flexibility to support emerging or unidentified needs in the future. It’s important to find a solution that o�ers room to grow.
What do I want to address and improve with digital retailing?
What do I need?
02
2
Now that you’ve identified your needs and expectations, assess the fit of any software you’re considering.
Your dealership deserves something that truly adapts to your unique needs, identity, and OEM requirements. Look for a solution that is highly customizable, and doesn’t present any potential roadblocks for either your selling style or your OEM regulations.
For instance, the MotoCommerce platform o�ers granular control over user
information collection. This lets dealers fine-tune the balance between fewer input fields for ease of use or more fields for increased data capture.
Is the software tailored for my dealership?
03
3
What unique needs does my dealership have?
What changes have they made in the last six months?
MotoCommerce: Reinvented account creation, improved CTA targeting, updated website collateral, improved backend pricing features, complete VDP/SRP integration, and much more.
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The digital retailing industry is moving fast – and not just in the automotive space. Even in broader consumer goods categories, customer needs and expectations are shifting every day, and digital retailing is evolving along with them.
That’s why it’s critical that your digital retailing provider is committed to updating and adjusting their platform continuously. Even if a digital retailing process looks great today, it can start to show its age very quickly if it doesn’t receive regular updates and changes as the industry evolves.
Ask what changes have been made recently to improve the performance and flexibility of the platform. If we look at MotoCommerce, we see the introduction of
tokenization-based accounts to increase account creation and customer
re-engagement by a huge margin.
Does the software evolve with the industry?
04
4
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Integration and support are the two factors that determine the success of any platform, no matter how good the software is. A fully configurable platform isn’t much use if no one takes the time to help you set it up properly, and a great omni-channel retailing experience can’t accomplish much if your team doesn’t know how to use it.
This is why it’s so important that your digital retailing provider o�ers full integration and success support. When evaluating digital retailing options, always ask about the process for implementation, both on a technical level and for sta� adoption.
MotoCommerce dedicates a customer success specialist to each dealership in order
to provide initial setup and ongoing support. This gives dealerships the most tailored experience possible, with guidance on team training, process mapping, and even marketing integration. Your digital retailing partner should be as concerned with your success as you are.
Are integration and success fully supported?
05
What areas does each provider support?
MotoCommerce: Marketing strategy, website optimization, training strategy, digital implementation, process mapping, CTA analysis, branding, and ad hoc support.
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Don’t laugh; this is something a lot of digital retailing platforms overlook. As a rule of thumb, the easier it is to implement a platform, the less flexible it will be, and the less engaging the customer experience will be as a result.
Since each customer has their own unique needs and preferences, the best digital retailing needs to be flexible and adaptive. Always walk through the customer-facing side of a platform you’re considering, and explore how it leverages your existing website to drive lead generation and customer engagement.
The most e�ective customer experiences are streamlined from the moment a customer lands on your website; MotoCommerce uses targeted CTAs and branding
combined with an intuitive customer journey to drive more customers through to
the point of purchase.
Is it customer-friendly?
06
How many clicks does it take to start your purchase from the VDP?
Was anything confusing or counterintuitive?
MotoCommerce: An intuitive process leads customers into the purchase in just 1 click!
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This might be the most important software feature you can have. Customers aren’t buying online; they’re also not buying in-store. Most often, customers are combining the two into a single process. A good digital retailing platform reflects that need by allowing customers to jump back and forth between digital and physical as often as they want, at any time in the purchase, and in any direction.
This requires a fantastic set of flexible utilities. The best platforms give customers the choice to complete the purchase steps in any order they want. Everything needs to be easy.
Omni-channel is the core of the MotoCommerce platform. Everything about MotoCommerce is designed to enhance the user journey: no matter what order a customer chooses to complete the shopping process, their progress follows them from website to dealership and back again. The powerful flexibility of MotoCommerce is what brings more leads in-store to sign on the dotted line.
Is it omni-channel?
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07 Continued
MotoCommerce: Yes! There are no limits.
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Can customers go from online to in-store at any time, as many times as they want?
MotoCommerce: Yes! The process is flexible.
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Can customers complete the purchase process in any order they want?
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Digital retailing is a complicated choice, but it gets a lot simpler when you know what you need, and what to look for. The right digital retailing features allow you to improve your performance today, tomorrow, and every day after.
When you have the tools to evaluate digital retailing platforms intelligently, you can stop putting o� this major decision and start moving your dealership forward. A great solution like MotoCommerce lets us all redefine digital
retailing, together.
Conclusion
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