Struggling used car dealers look to the Internet

Posted on December 1st, 2008 by In51der in Car Dealers, News

Car dealers must “make better use of data, technology and processes to underpin interaction with their customers and prospects if they are to succeed in the face of the current economic slowdown.” Autowired

That was the theme shared by the presentations and interactive workshop sessions at last week’s EurotaxGlass’s conference, entitled

‘Driving Business – opportunities for profit and growth in an uncertain market’.

All this information points towards more used cars being sold via the net, but perhaps more importantly – as in newspaper ads of old – the ante is being upped. With new technology and ideas coming to the market daily, as we have pointed out recently, more customers than ever are now leaving deposits on cars they have not yet seen on the strength of an internet image and description.
This continuing trend depends on the quality of data and selling techniques by the dealers, having identified the power of internet selling they must ensure that the selling experience is not compromised by misinformation and cars arriving badly described or customers will quickly revert to more traditional methods of purchase.

Where a dealer has a strong approved campaign backed by the manufacturer this form of selling can only be beneficial if carried out correctly as the dealer will not only sell more cars as a result of improved technology but will also not have the burden of having to physically stock and fund a used car which he can sell to his customer.

In some cases the dealer can have his customer pay for the car before he is debited by the manufacturer to assist in his cash flow. So whereas a few years ago the trade would say ‘internet selling will never happen with used cars as people will always want to touch and feel before they buy’ they may now change their tune but, as with a lot of things, it depends on how well they manage this change.

Bookmark and Share


Buying A New Car? The Motor Trade Insider Guide To Buying New Cars >>>Click Here<<<



Blogging and Social Media Services for the Automotive Industry


  • If car dealers haven’t got the internet message yet it might be too late
    The speed at which the internet is evolving the marketing of used cars is increasing rapidly. It is something we [...]...
  • Staying ahead of the game advertising stock on the internet
    Dealers are bracing themselves again this week for another visit from Trading Standards, this time to look at internet advertising. [...]...
  • Do dealers need to rethink the way they value trade-ins?
    People often ask me in my professional capacity what my opinion is on the value of a car, which by [...]...
  • Realistic dealers have to cut their losses
    In recent weeks people have still been out buying cars despite the dramatic headlines about the economy, especially used cars [...]...
  • Internet usage is increasing for car buyers
    Read an interesting article on TalkingMotors regarding the rising use of the Internet for car buyers. “Car buyers across the globe [...]...
  • Internet enhancing used car sales
    The process of finding a used car is now becoming much more sophisticated. In many franchised dealer showrooms today a [...]...
  • Leave a Reply

    Motor Industry News

    About MTI

    Motor Trade Insider
    Our aims:
    Build a bridge between consumers and the trade.

    Create Interesting and informative content.

    Break down barriers and create better understanding.

    Expose bad practices and rip-offs.

    Promote outstanding products and services.

    Motor Trade Insider is written by people working actively in the motor trade for people on the inside and people on the outside.

    Motor Trade Insider – Your Friend in the Trade. New Car Buying, Used Car Buying, Used Car Prices, Used Car Values UK. Car buying guide whether you’re buying a new car or interested in used cars or just general info and advice on the motor trade.

    Valid CSS!

    Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional

    [Valid RSS]

    Bargain of the Week

    Bargain of the Week – Buying a Supercar – part one

    Bargain of the Week – Buying a Supercar – part one

    Nine are still in yet calling the shots on who has it when is still to be decided, and there's still one (me) who has ...

    Bargain of the Week – Mini Cooper

    Insurance wise, better to choose the Mini One, but stretch your budget ever so slightly and pick the 1.6 Cooper. Not because of the famous ...

    Bargain of the Week – Porsche Cayenne S

    Considering you can buy an equivalent 4x4 with barely any badge status, having a Cayenne on your driveway will certainly perk the interest of your ...

    Scrappage

    Scrappage scheme ends, hard work begins

    Scrappage scheme ends, hard work begins

    I think that scrappage was exactly the shot in the arm the business needed and should be acknowledged as that, it’s now back to hard ...

    Car Makers Premier League – February 2010

    With the scheme’s official end date being the 31st March we are now in the scrappage end game so it will be very interesting to ...

    Scrappage scheme enters final stage

    The final phase of the Government's scrappage scheme began yesterday (Wednesday 24th February). Car manufacturers have been allocated shares of about 50,000 potential further orders based ...