client2AutoTrader.com states that new and used car buyers spend 75% of their search time on the internet, which millennials spend 82% of their research time online. The study found that average buyers visited 8.8 websites per purchase, while millennials buyers visited 10.1 websites. Online car buying trends have definitely accelerated in the recent years.

Approximately 70% of buyers didn’t know what kind of vehicle to buy when they started their research, but by the time they reached the showroom 70% of millennials and 66% of all buyers knew exactly which car they wanted to buy. It is obvious that the internet is playing a huge roll in car shoppers’ buying decisions. Computer usage for research has slightly decreased while the use of both tablets and smartphones have increased. There is no doubt that some usage of smart phone research was done while traveling to the dealership.

So, what do all of these changes mean for your dealership? It is important that your dealership keeps up with the trends that car buyers are developing. Make sure your website design is sophisticated, easy-to-use and responsive to mobile devices. Adding an online chat application to your website will help you better and more quickly answer shoppers questions while establishing a relationship with them. Search Engine Optimization will help your dealership be more easily found online when shoppers begin their research.

At Client ConneXion, we offer several dealership solutions that will help you attract more millennial buyers. Give us a call to determine which dealership solutions are best for you.