With the variety of software that keeps a car dealership ticking like a Swiss watch, there would have to be a compelling reason to add website live chat software to the mix – and there is! What if you could make a phone call to your website visitors the moment they land on your website; wouldn’t that start the sales process quicker and increase your odds of making a sale? That is essentially what live chat software offers.
Nowadays, most dealers have a comprehensive web marketing strategy that includes Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and an overt effort to promote your website in all your ads. An effective live website chat software option ensures you are taking every measure to turn website visits into leads, and ultimately into sales.
Live website chat software offers flexibility
An effective dealership website live chat software implementation is not a one-size-fits-all or all-or-nothing option. For some dealers, hosting their own software and responding to chat inquiries with in-house staff is the best fit, while other auto dealer groups and dealerships see more value with a hosted option that features round-the-clock operators responding with carefully refined chat scripts.
Still other automotive general managers and sales managers like the idea of a hybrid or backup option that combines both in-house staffing and vendor operators when the BDC or sales team is offline. That way they retain control over most of the process and still have backup when the dealership is closed. A proven live dealership website chat option should be able to turn more than 60 percent of chat inquiries to leads.
Not only does this result in more leads, but they tend to be higher quality and more complete than just the 5-line website form that has been the mainstay contact method for many dealerships and dealer groups.
Live chat leads to higher quality car sales leads
Beyond the obvious benefits of more sales leads and higher quality leads, a quality live website chat software option also aids the sales process by seamlessly integrating with CRM, as well as provide an invaluable benefit with regard to CSI and incremental sales for the parts and service departments.
The greatest thing a customer wants when they have a problem or if something has gone wrong with their vehicle is someone to listen. A live chat operator likely won’t be able to resolve a concern during the chat session, but they can hear the concern and be the first line of care. The same goes for the service and parts departments. At least service or parts inquiries get an immediate response to their request for a part or service appointment, rather than an autoreply when they submit their form.
As the auto industry gets progressively more competitive, automotive dealerships and dealer groups have to find smarter and more creative ways to grow market share and sell more cars, and a website live chat software option is one of the best ways to achieve this.