How Ecommerce is Empowering the Automotive Dealer Network?

Automotive ecommerce solution ( with a market valuation of  $14.6 billion in 2020) has been seeing rapid growth, especially post-pandemic, with more and more users willing to buy or at least consider the option to buy vehicles and accessories online.

Traditionally, automotive dealers and distributors have focused on local markets, relying on conventional marketing channels such TVCs, billboards, and newspapers to promote their services. Ecommerce for automotive is changing this for dealers and distributors by enabling them to go global from local and expand their reach through a user-friendly ecommerce platform.

An ecommerce platform for automotive dealers and distributors could be used to sell various products and services, such as vehicles, vehicle parts, and vehicle maintenance and repair services.

How Ecommerce Empowers Automotive Dealerships

A unified ecommerce for the automotive platform could also be used to offer value-add services such as customized catalogues, price and feature comparison, online auditing, and online financing and insurance options.

Furthermore, ecommerce for automotive is enabling the dealers and distributor community to redefine the buying experience for the customers – offering a hyper-personalised, stress-free, transparent and smoother shopping experience. And customers can leverage all these at their own convenient time and location as digital commerce helps overcome the barrier of time zones and geographical boundaries.

The prospect of a robust ecommerce for an automotive solution can prove beneficial for auto dealers and distributors in multiple ways. Let’s explore some of them here :

Online sales: Dealerships can use ecommerce platforms to sell vehicles and related products online, reaching a wider audience than they could with a physical store alone. This can increase sales and revenue for the dealership.

Lead generation: Ecommerce can help dealerships generate leads by providing an easy way for customers to research and compare vehicles, request test drives, and get quotes. This can help dealerships build a pipeline of potential buyers and improve their sales process.

Inventory management: Ecommerce can also help dealerships manage their inventory more efficiently by providing real-time data on sales and demand. This can help dealerships make more informed decisions about what vehicles to stock and how to price them.

Customer engagement: Dealerships can use ecommerce to engage with customers throughout the sales process, from initial research to final purchase. For example, they can use email marketing, social media, and other online channels to nurture leads and provide personalized recommendations.

To get started with ecommerce for automotive dealers and distributors, you will need to set up an online store and start listing your products. You will also need to consider how you will fulfil the orders, such as by shipping products to customers or allowing them to pick up their orders at your dealership or distribution centre. You will need to promote your online store to attract customers.

To effectively sell products and services online, the platform should have a user-friendly interface, a fast and secure checkout process, and robust inventory management and order fulfilment capabilities.

Additionally, it may be beneficial for the platform to integrate with other systems, such as customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, to streamline business processes and improve efficiency.

If you are seeking to kickstart your ecommerce journey for the automotive business and aren’t sure where to start, our automotive ecommerce experts can help you out. In the past 15+ years, Embitel has been helping customers chart a successful digital transformation journey with innovative tech solutions in the realms of automotive, IoT, digital commerce and digital experience. Drop us an email at sales@embitel.com for a quick consultation.