Car Dealerships Be Aware of False Advertising: Is Social Media Corrupting Online Sales?, from Jennings Social Media.
While we all know that social media builds brand awareness and can help send Web traffic to a dealership’s website, is it really helping the buying experience for car shoppers? The answer is yes. Eighty-three percent of auto shoppers visit dealer websites in their research process whether that’s from their mobile or desktop computers. Although more and more online searchers are starting from a mobile device, many dealerships are still behind the eight-ball when it comes to mobile ads and mobile optimized sites.
So what’s the issue with social media and false advertising? Why is there so much hoopla all of a sudden about social media not selling cars and that it’s only good for brand awareness? Does it really help sell cars or not? Of course it does, but perhaps it’s the dealerships and spammy content that is turning off the buyer. Let’s take a look at what might be driving this trend.
Online savvy buyers do not want to talk to someone about buying a car until they are satisfied with their own research. According to CNBC, 10 years ago consumers were visiting an average of five car dealerships to discover the market and what they may want. Now buyers are visiting an average of 1.6 car dealerships, preferring to do research themselves so they know what they want and have the upper hand when negotiating a purchase.
