Adapting to change: key automotive trends from 2023

As the automotive industry continues to change rapidly thanks to evolving customer demands, environmental concerns, increasing regulations and emerging new technologies, now is a more opportune time than ever for dealerships like yours to remain at the forefront of industry trends.

Knowing what these trends are, and being able to react to them, can be critical for maintaining profitability, maximising the quality of customer service, and growing in the long term. This blog explores the biggest changes of 2023 so far, and what you can do to make the most of all the data and technology at your disposal.

Key automotive trends for 2023 – and beyond

We know that retailers are always looking at how to maximise lead generation and increase sales and aftersales opportunities. Three particular trends associated with this have stood out this year, and the good news is that retailers have been able to use technology to respond in all three cases:

• Used car pricing: it has been a common challenge this year to strike a delicate balance in the pricing of used cars. The ability to track price and market fluctuations has given some retailers a real edge in this area, with tools like REALinsights INstock helping retailers check and update vehicle stock in seconds. Our data has found that INstock users have increased profit by £250 per unit and sold vehicles an average of 25 days faster.
• Personalised touchpoints: this year, Real Time Communications (RTC), part of the CitNOW Group, has seen an increase of 5.5% in outbound aftersales calls to customers. At the same time, CitNOW has been utilised for 4.13% more sales and aftersales videos in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year. Both of these increases demonstrate the importance and value of making a real effort in connecting with individual customers personally and maximising all potential leads.
• New and used car demand: the increase in outbound aftersales activity may be the result of changes in car demand. According to Dealerweb data for the first six months of 2023, new car enquiries are down 3%, while used car enquiries are up 33% and used car orders are up 46%. All this extra demand means simplifying sales and management can be a real time-saver for retailers, and help them make the most of every opportunity. Dealerweb Showroom and REALaftersales are useful here, respectively for ensuring customers get communications through their preferred channels during their sales and aftersales experience, and for managing every aspect of aftersales work from booking to marketing.

Using data to drive profits

In order to make the most of opportunities in a changing marketplace, it’s first important to quantify what you’re doing well, and where you can make improvements. Getting a single view of all activities and performance levels means you can maintain consistent standards, establish clear performance goals, and ensure all your sites have all the tools they need.

For example, Dealerweb Showroom means you can store all showroom customer data in one place, access it through the management reporting suite, and track the progress of business processes against revenue and profit goals. REALinsights can then report on the data inside Showroom and deliver trends and suggestions for change.

Using these insights to find efficiencies not only helps improve performance, but frees up valuable staff time in the showroom.

Likewise in the workshop, if aftersales managers can conduct performance reviews with technicians and service advisors much faster, and senior group members can quickly access KPI information group-wide, then they have much more time to maximise leads and revenue elsewhere.

Getting the best out of digital solutions

The best retail operations in 2023 – and indeed into 2024 – will be those who make the effort to understand individual car buyer needs, and adapt their approach accordingly. Our research has found that for 30% of retailers, providing a hassle-free customer experience is their biggest challenge, but this is where technology can help in smoothing out sales journeys for customers and retailers alike.

One particular area where many retailers have made substantial improvements is in their online listings. Our survey also showed that most consumers (62%) now prefer using dealership websites to research their next vehicle. High-quality digital resources, readily available in online listings are vital, as is getting those listings online as quickly as possible after a vehicle comes into stock. Auto Imaging can help with this, supporting the development of first-class digital content, including images, videos, personalised content, live feedback and background replacement.

In summary

The automotive retail landscape has changed so much in the last few years, and it will continue to do so in the months and years ahead. Responding to these trends is essential for every retailer that aspires to expand, grow, improve service and maximise profitability. With the help of CItNOW Group technology, you’ll be best-placed to realise your potential and gain market share, whatever the future may hold.

Want to discover how to make the most of your digital tools and data? Find out more here.

CitNOW Group: technology to maximise your sales and aftersales processes

In a digitally-led world, customers are more informed than ever before. Across all areas of retail, they frequently research prospective purchases inside and out before even visiting a retailer in-person. Another consideration, and perhaps the most important, is the evolution of what a customer wants. The recent Salesforce report ‘State of the Connected Customer’ found that 88% of customers feel the experience a company provides is just as important as its product and services – and almost half of the same group say they’ve stopped buying from a company because its competitors provided a better experience.

With this in mind, it’s clear that the automotive industry must continue to transform their operations so that customers receive the sales and aftersales experiences they want and expect – whether that’s online, in person, or more than likely, a combination of the two.

In this article, we’ll explore how retailers can transform their sales and aftersales processes with the CitNOW Group’s solutions, and the associated benefits for both customer and retailer alike.

Common challenges

Delivering on customer expectations, while maintaining a smooth, agile and dynamic sales and aftersales operation, requires the overcoming of a number of challenges.

A strong sales funnel is imperative in today’s digital world, with retailers focusing on maximising every sales and aftersales opportunity that comes their way – both online and offline. This requires many different elements to come together, including the maintenance of good customer communication, building strong and trusted relationships over time, and specific targeting with the right contact and offers at the right time. Automating follow-ups and reminders is a key part of enabling this process.

With developing a strong customer experience comes the need to better streamline internal processes. The implementation of technology has to be planned carefully: adopting a well thought out family of solutions that complement each other, will be essential to ensure real-time data consistency and internal efficiency. This applies to customers too, as they want a seamless multi-channel experience without having to double-key or continually repeat their details.

How our solutions can help

When you deploy a range of solutions from the CitNOW Group, you can empower your customers, but you can also get so much more. Your business and workforce will benefit from customers leading the experiences they want, translating to stronger sales and profitability in the long-term.

These solutions encompass customer-facing areas which help with engagement, and internal systems that help with processes and efficiency:

• • Sales: the ability to fine-tune the nature, quality and timing of contact at every stage of the customer experience can improve your conversion rates. CitNOW Group solutions make this viable as an end-to-end process, for automotive sales enablement. This includes:
    • High-quality advertising assets with Auto Imaging
    • Multi-platform customer response with Web1on1
    • Personalised showroom videos delivered with CitNOW Sales
    • Fair and accurate part exchange appraisals with Tootle
    • Lead capture, response and customer management through Dealerweb
  • Aftersales: there is still a major opportunity for further profitability after a customer has purchased a vehicle, whether it’s for repairs, regular servicing, or MOTs. Our solutions make this an easy process for customers and aftersales teams alike, every step of the way, through:
    • Identification and follow-up of outstanding service work, plus booking and check-in of customers for repair work directly against your live workshop diary, managed through REALtime Communications (RTC)
    • Creation of personalised videos to detail the work required on a vehicle or give it a visual clean bill of health with CitNOW Workshop
    • Creation of detailed eVHCs, Online Customer Authorisations and utilisation of digital jobs cards through REALtime Communications (RTC)
  • Insights: data can help dealerships understand where improvements can be made to processes and communication – connecting with customers and maximising productivity to drive success. CitNOW Group’s data-rich solutions include:
    • Management and tracking of showroom activity with real-time productivity and profit figures, plus stock management information, in Dealerweb
    • Analytical tools and embedded customer feedback prompts to measure video success in CitNOW Sales and Workshop
    • Reporting capabilities and actionable insights in a single place, across your business processes, through REALinsights from REALtime Communications
    • Powerful dashboards for sales, aftersales, call centres, stock management and finance to display performance against targets and key KPIs, through REALtime Communications

In summary

In just about every area of your dealership, there is potential for technology to help you do things faster, easier, more cost-effectively and in ways that serve your customers better. The real opportunity lies in being able to integrate the right technology into the right part of your processes, supplied from a provider that helps you join the dots with ease and maximise every opportunity to boost your bottom line.

CitNOW Group has the technology stack to unite automotive professionals across the customer experience. We can help you transform the car buying and owning journey through engaging communication, whilst also gathering insights to optimise and drive your growth. Learn more about all of our solutions here.

CitNOW Group: transforming the automotive customer experience

Customer expectations are changing all the time, but one certainty is that the demand for outstanding offline and online buying experiences is growing at pace. There’s a clear desire for more convenient, consistent, and connected experiences from start to finish, with personalisation becoming as much of a differentiator as a retailer’s products or services – and the automotive industry is no exception to this.

By the time a customer reaches out to a retailer, it’s highly likely that they’ve conducted their own extensive research. They already know what vehicle they want, how they will finance it, and the estimated value of their part exchange. At the same time, the automotive industry is currently undergoing a major transformation, with OEMs moving towards the agency model, a transition to electric vehicles, and an increased use of online services.

All these factors mean that back-end processes and supporting technology may need to change in order to meet customer expectations.

Connecting the dots

The CitNOW Group possesses a strong portfolio of technology products that help unite retailers and customers. Our solutions streamline customers’ sales and aftersales experiences, while also providing retailers with valuable data and insights.

Guided by a vision to transform the way the automotive world communicates, the CitNOW Group places focus on the needs of the customer to maximise conversion, satisfaction and retention. We achieve this by digitising every stage of the customer journey, from initial research to potential purchase, and through the ongoing aftersales experience.

Supported by unrivalled insights, reporting, and integration tools, retailers can take control of their processes and systems. This enables them to effectively deliver blended experiences according to individual customers’ needs and preferences. And in a data driven world, investing in a suite of solutions brings value in other areas, ensuring optimum efficiency and the early identification of any untapped revenue generation opportunities.

An innovative group of companies

The CitNOW Group’s solutions are used in 64 countries all over the world. In the UK, the Group currently comprises:

• Auto Imaging – Vehicle imaging software solutions that help franchised dealers create high-quality digital assets for vehicle stock both new and used. They can benefit from pro-grade vehicle imagery, stock web video, personalised video, live QA, real-time in-app feedback, and digital backdrop replacement. Stock feed integrations and APIs help dealers leverage this content seamlessly into online listings.
• CitNOW – Through a range of app-based products, CitNOW adds transparency and personalisation to car buying and owning experiences. It can also help in improving sales and aftersales processes to increase customer loyalty, revenue and stock turnover. Products include Web (capturing and distributing pro-quality online assets); Sales (personalised video communications from the showroom); Workshop (personalised video vehicle health checks); and Bodyshop (video-based vehicle condition assessments).
• Dealerweb – An enquiry and lead management platform that helps manage and track showroom activity and customer engagement, supporting smoother back-office workflows and processes. The core Dealerweb product, Showroom, is a modular platform enabling sales departments to manage customer enquiries, configure vehicles, build orders, administer finance applications and plan outbound marketing campaigns; reporting facilities allow success to be quantified in real-time productivity and profit figures. All this is managed within the internal platform or through seamless integration with third-party suppliers. Dealerweb React is a web-based system for capturing, managing and responding to web-sourced leads.
• REALtime Communications (RTC) – Specialising in development and deployment software for retailers that streamlines sales lead management and aftersales operations. Products include REALsales (customer and prospect interaction management); REALinsights (data analytics that track real-time performance across all departments); REALstorage (digital document storage); REALevhc (electronic vehicle health checks); and REALaftersales (end-to-end workshop process management).
• Tootle – An online part exchange vehicle appraisal tool that helps customers and retailers alike reach fair and accurate valuations and condition appraisals. Tootle uses cap hpi for an initial valuation, after which customers are alerted if their expected valuation exceeds the recommended industry estimate. Customers can upload digital assets onto a secure platform so that retailers can provide an accurate appraisal and valuation before a customer visits a retailer. Tootle can be used independently through a bespoke retailer URL or through integration with Dealerweb and CitNOW Sales video presentation pages.
• Web1on1 – Web1on1 is Europe’s leading messaging solution with its Automotive Conversations Platform and fully conversational Messaging Contact Centre. The Web1on1 platform supports live chat, WhatsApp and chatbots – all that is needed for instant and easy communication through the channel that best suits the car buyers and owners.

In summary

The best way to improve the customer sales and aftersales experience is to join the dots and deploy multiple interconnected solutions within the automotive ecosystem. That is the philosophy at the heart of the CitNOW Group of services and solutions, helping truly unite the customer and retailer through the right technology that transforms the customer experience.

Click here to learn more about our comprehensive suite of solutions. Additionally, visit us at AM Live on 10th November for a demonstration of how CitNOW Group can align with your processes and deliver the ultimate customer experience.