We know how difficult it is to source inventory right now. Dealers are faced with challenges ranging from chip issues at the factories to fierce competition at the auctions. While digital retailing is not the silver bullet, there are many Roadster products and features that can help you meet customer demand while cars are in short supply.
1. Promote Your “Sell Your Car” Page
When you purchase Express Trade1, Roadster’s proprietary trade-valuation solution, you will get a complimentary standalone “Sell Your Car.” This is the perfect place to direct customers who are strictly interested in selling a vehicle. Promoting this page (or any other trade-in tool you may use) in your marketing campaigns is a great way to acquire more quality inventory directly from your customers. To see an example of the “Sell Your Car” page visit our demo site. Learn More
2. Display Your In-Transit Vehicles
With Express Storefront as your digital-retailing solution, you have the ability to display both the inventory you have on site AND your in-transit vehicles2. This is an important feature, given today’s landscape, and allows you to capture customer demand before the car even hits your lot. Learn More
3. Market Build-Your-Own Vehicle Capabilities
Let customers know that if they don’t find the exact vehicle they’re looking for on your lot, they can “build their own” on your Express Store. This customer-engagement tool enables them to configure a car that you can order or trade with another dealer. Learn More
4. Encourage Customers to Choose Another Option
One of the unique benefits of partnering with Roadster is all of the advanced showroom tools that we offer. One of those is our Vehicle Recommender, which allows you to compare vehicle options based on the customer’s desired features. This is not only a great needs-assessment tool but, with inventory shortages in full swing, you can also use it to highlight the similarities between what you have in stock and what the customer is looking for. Learn More
5. Help Website Customers in Real Time
Customers are going to your website now more than ever to make sure that the exact vehicle they want is indeed available at your store. Don’t lose the customer who has questions along the way. Deploy a managed chat solution that is staffed by real automotive experts who can guide customers from inventory selection all the way to checkout, if they’d like. Check out Roadster’s new conversational commerce solution, Express Store Live.1 Learn More
6. Request an Online Deposit or Down Payment
The reservations, deposits and down payment features of our Express Storefront platform are all great ways to allow customers to lock in their desired vehicle before it’s gone. Customers who select one of these options will be prompted to enter their contact and credit card information. Their credit card will be charged for the deposit or down payment amount, and the vehicle will be marked as reserved within your Express Store. Learn More
7. Know Your Top-Visited VINS
With Roadster’s Top Visited VIN Report, you can see which new or used VINs (or stock numbers) have the most page views and VDP engagement (aka “buy signals”). These insights can be used to inform your inventory-acquisition strategy or your marketing campaigns. For example, see which colors get the most engagement and use that data to optimize your next marketing campaign. Or, quickly identify trims and price points that aren’t getting the engagement you’d expect. There are several ways to slice the data. Learn More
Want to learn more about how our products and features can help you weather the inventory shortage? Contact your Regional Sales Director or request a demo today!
- Express Trade and Express Store Live are add-on products to Express Storefront. Additional fees apply.
- In-transit vehicles are only available for specific manufacturers. Contact us for more information.