Desktop to Mobile—The New Way Consumers Shop

Who needs to get their bulky laptops out to research something when their tablet or phone does it all? That’s why a fully functional mobile website that’s organized, thorough and easy to navigate is imperative for growing your business and connecting with today’s shoppers.

Remember the days when a mobile site was only two or three pages with limited inventory? When it couldn’t do everything your traditional website could do? Those days better be long behind your dealership. According to the 2014 Mobile Path to Purchase report by xAd and Telemetrics, up to an astounding 60 percent of consumers use their mobile device and nothing else to make purchase decisions…including 35 percent who use it to decide what their next automobile is going to be!

Some of that research includes “showrooming,” where customers at a dealership look at another dealership’s information via mobile device. Almost 1 in 10 people in any given showroom are showrooming!* If your mobile site is up to snuff, though, this gives you one more opportunity to convince them to come to your dealership instead.

Preparing Your Site for Those Mobile Shoppers

Two of the most important features to highlight on mobile sites are your online reviews and methods of contact. People want to see how you treat other customers and how to get in contact with you, and they want to find that information quickly. After all, mobile sessions on a single website are typically shorter than a session on a desktop.* Whether asking questions or scheduling service, customers want immediate access to you at their Zero Moment of Truth.

That brings up an important point. While email and lead submission forms have their place, how quickly can you respond to mobile shoppers that way? Probably not as quickly as they showroom. That’s why click-to-call, click-to-text and click-to-chat options can be smart choices (we use Contact At Once! auto dealer chat on both our desktop and mobile sites).

Seems simple enough. But be honest: How often do you check the integrity of your mobile website? You’re probably on your desktop website all day, checking inventory, specials, prices, etc. When was the last time you did that for your mobile website? When you’re done reading this, grab your phone and tablet and check out your website. Take the time to look at how it appears on both devices, because your consumers are already there and looking for information.

It’s all about convenience—if someone is watching TV and wants to look up something quickly, their phone is less than six inches away from them. The numbers show that they won’t get up and move to their desktop. We’ve got to be ready for them.

What is the moral of the story?

Get your mobile website in tip-top, game-ready shape. Make sure it’s clear and every section is well-labeled so customers can find the information they want. Dissect it, delve into it, make sure it’s consumer friendly and easy to use. Your showroom traffic will thank you for it.

*xAd – Telemetrics. 2014 Mobile Path to Purchase Study. June 2014. http://www.mobilepathtopurchase.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/2014MPTP_The-New-Shopper-Mindset_FINAL_2.pdf

Megan S. Barto is the Marketing Director at Ciocca Honda in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Ciocca Hyundai of Lebanon in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. She has been with the Ciocca Dealerships since early 2007. In her spare time, she’s a mother, an athlete, and plays guitar in a Harrisburg, PA rock band. Megan is highly active on twitter where she’s affectionately known as @skeetle.