Personalizing Every Stage of the Path to Purchase
Today's consumers spend a significant amount of time online, and they have more options than ever before. With the rise of e-commerce and online marketplaces, shoppers can pick the purchase experience they want, including their choice of units, parts and services. So how can your dealership differentiate in this new retail environment?
In order to stand out from the competition (and in the minds of potential customers), you have to provide a personalized experience that meets the unique needs and preferences of every shopper.
Personalization means so much more than merely addressing shoppers by name as they shop at your store. It means being wherever shoppers shop online and delivering the information they're looking for at each stage of the purchase journey.
In this article, we will share insights and resources to help you personalize the consumer path to purchase by integrating your marketing channels into a streamlined strategy.
- Personalizing the Path to Purchase
- The Benefits of Personalization
- How to Be Present for Your Shoppers at Each Buying Stage
- Resources to Personalize Your Marketing
Personalizing the Path to Purchase
Your shoppers don’t just want personalization, they expect it every step of the way. In fact, 66% of shoppers expect businesses to understand their unique preferences and needs. Even if they’re ultimately paving their own path to purchase, your shoppers still want you to be present and a part of their purchase experience. They want personalized touches from the time they first become aware of what they want to the eventual purchase and post-purchase experience. For your dealership, that means being present wherever they shop online.
This kind of personalization involves understanding where your target audience is spending their time and making sure that your brand has a presence there. For example, if you know that your target audience spends a lot of time on social media platforms, it's important to have a strong presence and engagement on those platforms.
This level of personalization and multi-channel presence allows you to reach potential customers at the right place and at the right time. And, with the right digital marketing tools working together, you can deliver the kind of personalized, cohesive buying experience every shopper wants.
The Benefits of Personalization
Personalization builds trust and loyalty with your shoppers. By tailoring the information and support you offer to each shopper's specific needs and interests, you can create a sense of trust and loyalty. When shoppers feel like their needs are being understood and met, they are more likely to return for future purchases and recommend the dealership to others.
Personalization also improves the overall consumer experience. When shoppers feel like they are being treated as individuals rather than just another number, it can greatly enhance their overall experience with your dealership. From providing personalized recommendations to offering tailored financing options, personalization shows that you value and understand your customers.
Personalization doesn’t just benefit the shopper. When you focus on giving your audience the experience they want, you win too. Personalization leads to increased sales and revenue for your dealership. In other words, personalizing the consumer path to purchase has a direct impact on your bottom line. By providing the right information and support at each stage, you can guide shoppers toward a purchase and potentially upsell or cross-sell additional products and services.
How to Be Present for Your Shoppers at Each Buying Stage
Different stages of the path to purchase require different information and different levels of personalization. As shoppers move through the path to purchase, their priorities and concerns may shift. They may want different information and involvement from you, depending on where they are and how ready they are to make a purchase.
For example, at the initial research stage, shoppers may be more focused on comparing different models and features. But as they get closer to making a purchase, they may have questions about financing or aftermarket options. By being present at each step, you can address these changing needs and ensure that shoppers have all the necessary information to make an informed decision.
Through integrated marketing—the strategy of delivering a unified marketing message to your shoppers through multiple marketing channels—you can personalize the consumer journey. With so many shoppers and so many different channels available, personalizing and engaging with every potential customer might seem like an impossible job. But with integrated marketing, you can strategically target your audience and deliver tailored messages that resonate with them at every stage—without having to do all the work yourself.
Stage 1: Awareness
At the awareness stage, shoppers are just beginning to understand what they want. They’re researching options, making new discoveries and finding dealerships that can deliver what they’re interested in buying. During this all-important first stage in the buying journey, it’s a race for dealerships to deliver the kind of personalized purchase experience each shopper wants.
With integrated marketing, you can increase your brand visibility through a variety of channels such as social media, paid ads and search engine optimization. By utilizing these different touchpoints, you can both reach a wider audience and capture the attention of individual shoppers searching for the products and inventory you offer.
Stage 2: Consideration
In the consideration stage, shoppers will begin to get a better idea of what they want to buy and start to research different dealerships. This is your opportunity to make your case for why your dealership will deliver the better buying experience. You can do this by making the buying journey simple for your shoppers, no matter which marketing channels they choose.
Integrated marketing nurtures leads by providing them with helpful information and resources to assist in their decision-making process. This could include detailed and easy-to-navigate websites, educational content, personalized emails and even targeted ads based on shopper's individual interests and behaviors.
Stage 3: Evaluation
As shoppers narrow down their list of options, integrated marketing can help you to stay top of mind. When potential customers think about what they want to buy, they might think to visit your digital storefront first and continue to browse your inventory. That doesn’t mean you’ve beat out your competition just yet—getting them to your website is not the end goal. You will need to follow up and bring them back to your site again and again as they get closer to being ready to purchase.
In addition to a detailed and helpful digital storefront, you can deliver personalized emails and targeted ads to help potential customers consider your brand and reputation. During this stage, it’s important to pay attention to word-of-mouth, especially online reviews. Are you following up with customer reviews? If you don't receive many reviews, leverage your current customer base to encourage feedback after visits.
Stage 4: Purchase & Post-Purchase
As shoppers move into the purchase stage, integrated marketing can help make the process as smooth as possible. For example, you can use data from previous interactions to create personalized offers or promotions that align with the shopper's needs and preferences.
But integrated marketing doesn't stop once a purchase is made. It can also be utilized in the post-purchase stage to foster customer loyalty and retention. By staying in touch with customers through various channels and providing exceptional customer service, you can build long-lasting relationships with their customers.
Set the tone for the relationship by asking for email and/or phone number at the end of every transaction, so you can notify your customers about future sales, service reminders, special events and more. Invite them to follow your dealership on social media and give a positive customer review.
Resources to Personalize Your Marketing
As the modern shopper journey continues to evolve and consumers spend more time online, personalization takes on new meaning too. It’s no longer just about a friendly greeting at the door, a hearty handshake and trying to remember every shopper’s name. With integrated marketing, you can be everywhere modern consumers shop, at every stage of the buying journey, to deliver the exact experience every shopper expects.
Check out Dealer Spike’s free eBook, “Be Where Your Customers Shop: Your Guide to Integrating Marketing Channels to Achieve Your Dealership’s True Potential” to learn more about how you can be present at every stage of the purchase journey to personalize and prioritize each shopper’s experience.