Mobile functionality online is of such importance to dealerships, it’s almost better to just let the statistics speak for themselves. 71% of respondents in a Facebook study use mobile during their car purchase process. That’s already an enormous percentage. On top of that, however, 58% say that in the future, their smartphone is likely to be the device they use for ALL vehicle research. But despite the fact that mobile website use is growing, research by Facebook shows that many dealership mobile sites are not up to the task. This is because…
Desktop-First Design is Breaking Down Customer Experience
According to Facebook, “more than 7 in 10 mobile customers report feeling overwhelmed by all the information that is available.” That feeling of being overwhelmed is the symptom, but the disease is desktop-first design. Many dealership websites are built for a desktop and then squashed down to work on a mobile site, leading to an overly-complicated and frustrating experience trying to find the right information.
Dealership Mobile Websites Struggle with Usability
Beyond a breakdown of customer experience, dealership sites encounter hurdles with usability. Facebook research found that mobile car shoppers “are 3 times more likely to find it difficult to get the information they need to make their car-purchasing decisions,” compared to customers who did their research on a different type of device. Frustrating filters, vague navigation, and unintuitive design can all contribute to the experiences of difficulty by car shoppers on mobile.
Mobile Websites for Dealerships Don’t Instill Trust
Perhaps one of the most startling facts that Facebook found was that “65% of mobile customers worry that they’re going to make the wrong decision.” This is one of the most unnerving statistics Facebook research uncovered. One of the key purposes of dealership websites is to instill a sense of trust and confidence in the shopper. The fact that those key emotions are lacking on mobile shows that emotional design and merchandising have gone by the wayside.
Super basic bullet points to fix things:
- Build your site with mobile-first design.
- User test your website to determine where users are experiencing difficulty getting the information they require.
- Re-design your mobile site to include reassuring design elements that emotionally connect with car shoppers.
Conclusion
Mobile sites have the power to drive a huge amount of sales to a dealership, but the current state of dealership mobile sites demonstrates major weaknesses. Customer experience is the powerhouse of mobile websites – built on an expectation of speed, convenience, and useful information. With dealership mobile websites failing to live up to those expectations, the power of mobile websites is being neglected, and the importance can’t be ignored for much longer.
Facebook Research:
“The Road to Purchase in a Mobile-First World.” Facebook. Facebook, 23 July 2015. <https://insights.fb.com/2015/07/23/road-to-purchase-mobile/>.