How to sell cars with 81% Internet Penetration in the GCC
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In the Middle East, internet penetration tripled in the last eight years to reach the 60% mark. In the GCC, internet penetration stands at a much higher 81% with Bahrain holding the first position at 98%, UAE in second position with 89.2%, and Oman in third position at 68.5%.
It's easy to assume then that most car buyers will visit online sources to collect information about vehicles during their research phase. As far as online research is concerned, we know that over 90% of users start their searches with none other than trusty Google.
For the above, let me tell you where you should focus if – and only if – you really want to sell more cars. A couple of years ago Google revealed a nice study called the Micro Moments Every Automotive Brand Should Win to Gain Customers. The idea here is not only to go through ideas but to give you some quick bullet points to make sure you can always be a part of the winning circle.
To learn more about Micro Moments: Click Here!
While 95% of vehicle buyers use digital outlets as a source of information, there are 3 main sources car buyers trust during their research phase. These sources include third-party websites (such as YallaMotor), manufacturer/distributor websites, and YouTube. Between those, potential buyers go through 900 (or more) digital interactions. Which basically means, more than 900 opportunities to hook the customer.
Now, before we move forward, why do users trust third-party websites? It’s simple, because they can browse multiple makes and models in one location with information being provided from an unbiased source. To further help them decide on a vehicle that suits their needs, they can shortlist and compare offerings before visiting the dealer/distributor’s website.
5 must-dos to sell more cars:
1) Yes, I'm always on the phone
From those 900 digital interactions mentioned earlier, 71% of them happen through mobile phones. If your website, content, and forms are not mobile-friendly, you are basically encouraging potential clients to buy cars from your competitors since the process is a lot easier for potential customers.
2) Speed is King
In addition to the above-mentioned point, prioritize speed. From Google, we know that if your site takes longer than 3 seconds to load, 53% of consumers will abandon it. To make sure your customers aren’t abandoning your site due to its speed, test the speed of your site using the following link: https://testmysite.withgoogle.com/intl/en-gb
3) It's just a form, keep it simple
Don't make the user fill a larger than necessary form as this will dramatically reduce the number of leads generated. As for the statement, "If he/she takes the time to fill the form in, it’s because he/she is really interested" might be the biggest lie of the century. Name, mobile number and email address should suffice. Use a bit of information from your site to know which car the user is browsing and connect them accordingly. Other popular fields such as location, version of the car, preferable time to contact, preferable medium, nationality, are simply unnecessary at this stage.
4) Contact the buyer
After filling a form, the user is expecting an email, SMS or phone call. Please do get in touch with them and make sure to do it on the same day or during the next morning if the customer filled the form in the evening. Don't forget the user explores 14 brands, considers 6 and then decides between 2. Acting slowly on this front means you are selling cars for your competitors. You will be surprised if I share how many forms I’ve filled and how many people truly took the time to contact me after doing so.
5) Hit the play button
YouTube is the second largest search engine and a solid influencer when it comes to the car buying process. Users are searching for professional Test Drives/Reviews, Feature Highlights, and Walkaround videos. Make sure your car is in every single journalist/automotive professional’s garage and they produce relevant and professional video content. Real stuff sells cars.
Now, after reading this article you might be asking yourself: what about the popular Instagram influencers we all know so well? Apparently, they don't fulfill this purpose.
Sources:
https://www.internetworldstats.com/stats5.htm#me
https://www.statista.com/statistics/603061/number-of-internet-users-in-middle-east-countries/
