An omnichannel customer experience is often seen as a way of putting the customer first, mainly through integrating, unifying and ensuring consistency across all channels of communication. And to amplify its success, you can go even further and become customer-defined, putting the customer in control and allowing them to personalise their experience as they see fit. 

We want to help you transform every customer moment, with automotive solutions that enable efficient, seamless and engaging omnichannel experiences. Read on to discover how we can help make things easier for retailers like you by maximising the potential of omnichannel and exceeding your customers’ expectations.

Focusing on the first touchpoint 

More and more buyers are beginning their purchasing journeys by doing their preliminary research online. For 62% of them, dealership websites are their first port of call, which means this touchpoint is the perfect opportunity for dealers to start integrating omnichannel experiences.

To encourage buyer interest and grab their attention, high-quality visual assets are vital. If distributed to the right audiences through the right channels, they can make listings stand out from the crowd and gain the interest of prospective buyers.

This is where Auto Imaging, part of the CitNOW Group, can be really beneficial. By providing a range of visual functions including HDR image capture, 100% automated video, and digital backdrops – all managed through a vehicle asset management dashboard. Auto Imaging’s intuitive app not only helps you develop the highest quality and widest variety of digital assets, it also allows you to create them and get them online fast. At a time when customers expect a wide array of digital assets in vehicle listings, this versatility can be a real differentiator.

Bridging the engagement gap

When trying to connect online and offline experiences within the buying journey, video stands out as potentially the most efficient touchpoint for bridging the gap. There are numerous opportunities to use video to facilitate a seamless transition from one stage of their journey to the next including:

• Initial enquiry response: when a customer first gets in touch, as well as giving them a taste of the vehicle they are interested in, you can also request additional information from the customer about what they are looking for
• Highlighting features: if a customer has asked about specific features on the car, such as in-car entertainment or interior trim, a personalised and engaging video can really showcase these areas and present the vehicle in the most positive light
• Post-sale: a thank-you video after a sale has been completed can ensure a customer feels valued, build anticipation for handover or collection, and can also be used to introduce the aftersales team for upselling opportunities

The biggest thing that these three types of videos have in common is that they all put the customer first.

Seamless back-end operations 

Every great customer-facing process is built on the systems and data that operate behind the scenes. In the case of the omnichannel experience, this means customer management systems that can bring every part of the journey together seamlessly.

Dealerweb Showroom can be instrumental in achieving this, thanks to its intuitive, user-friendly interface that allows your sales departments to oversee every lead and journey from start to finish. This can include creating customer offers, building orders, administering finance agreements, and planning outbound marketing campaigns.

It’s vital to nurture customer journeys all the way through to the point of sale, and beyond that into the realm of aftersales – but it’s easy for some touchpoints to get forgotten about or slip through the cracks. Automation, however, can make sure this never happens, which is why CitNOW Sales can be integrated with Salesforce*. That way, all information and activity, including enquiries and video watch data, is synchronised for easier and more complete lead management.

In summary

At a time of high competition between dealerships, a strong and positive omnichannel experience has never been more important. The best ones will stretch from initial research all the way through to aftersales, encompassing video, imagery, lead management, timely communication, data and insights along the way. The end result will be a seamless end-to-end experience that customers not only expect, but will enjoy, too.

Discover the new processes that will revolutionise your omnichannel customer experience. Contact us today to find out more.

* only available for PRO tier customers.