Most of us are used to the convenience of online buying. From groceries to gifts; clothing to cards, we are now very adept at choosing, ordering and inputting our card details to pay. However, when it comes to larger purchases, such as a car, some people can be more reluctant to let go of the ‘human touch.’ We tend to feel more reassured dealing with a real person, rather than conducting the entire transaction online. Then, there is the matter of inspecting and testing the car for ourselves – much harder to do if we are not physically in the same place as the vehicle we are interested in buying.
Best of both worlds?
Online car dealers are cottoning on to this dilemma more and more. Many are investing more in making car buying online more personalised, accessible and interactive. Thus giving customers the best of both worlds – the ease and other benefits of online car shopping and the reassurance of a personalised, informed experience. Then, there is the advance of technology such as virtual showrooms, AI ‘tours’ of vehicles for sale and virtual test drives. Working with an online second-hand car dealership that has a user-friendly, responsive website with real people to answer questions will make digital car purchases more enjoyable.
A hybrid approach
Dealerships can also send or share videos exploring vehicles for sale in detail – and provide a full online question and answer service. Then, if people want further human interaction, they can still visit the dealership in person to take a real test drive and see the vehicle on site before deciding whether or not to buy it. This type of hybrid approach enables dealers to offer a far wider range of buying and browsing options. It opens up more possibilities for attracting customers, as well as additional ways for people to view cars online and in person. You could even conduct your used car search on a wider scale, checking out locally based dealerships in person and going online to look at other remote car purchases further afield.
Time-savings and other efficiencies
Contactless car buying can also help save time – as there is no travel required – as well as other efficiencies. You can simply scroll through vehicles available to purchase online and use the latest technology to view them and ask questions. Online car buying is also open 24/7. If you can’t sleep, or are operating in a different time zone to the dealership, you can still turn on the computer and have a look at what’s on offer. Many online car buying sites will even deliver the car to you once the purchase has been completed, saving you fuel, time and effort. Selling online can help save the used car dealerships time, money and effort too. It frees them up to focus more on excellent after-sales service.
No pressure, no worries!
Quite often, when people are asked what puts them off visiting car dealerships in person, the answer is a dislike of pushy sales techniques. Hovering sales reps, time-limited deals and pressure to sign on the dotted line can make potential customers anxious. It can be far harder to say no to a sales person when they are standing in front of you. This can lead to hasty decisions that might not turn out for the best. Online car buying removes this pressure. By moving the whole process online, customers can take longer to check out all the vehicles they are interested in and compare them at their own pace.
Wider choice means greater buying power
Looking for your next car online means that you are no longer restricted to what one or two locally-based car dealerships might have in stock. You can see what there is available on several websites at once. You can type in multiple search terms to encompass several different vehicle makes, models, age ranges and specifications. You can even look for reviews and feedback from other customers about virtual car dealerships to help you make up your mind. All of this helps you get a far better idea of price ranges and which vehicles are the best value for money. If you are keen to negotiate on the price, there is always the phone or the dealership’s online chat bot facility to try your hand at getting a better deal.
admin
Latest posts by admin (see all)
- The future of car buying is online. Here’s why - November 13, 2025
- Top Automotive Digital Marketing Agencies in London - October 31, 2025
- Taxis in London: Are Uber & Bolt Cheaper Than a Minicab? - August 5, 2025
