Why a Digital-first customer experience is imperative in 2021?

The global automotive industry has been the most disrupted sector in the last decade, especially after everything 2020 brought along. There have been some profound and prominent trends that have impacted the global automotive landscape. Be it electric cars, autonomous mobility, digital selling or shared mobility, the future of automobiles is headed in the right direction as we move ahead with sophisticated technological advancements in 2021. Talking about the statistics, the automotive industry of 2030 would be far more connected, autonomous, shared and electric. As per the Experience Per Mile 2030 report, here are the statistics that depict the change of dynamics and the current trends’ impact at the end of this decade. The report states that in 2030 “96% of new vehicles (will be) shipped globally with built-in connectivity (2X increase since 2020), 79% of new vehicles (will be) shipped globally with Level-2 autonomy or higher (vs 45% in 2020), 26% of mobility profits (will be) derived from new sources – e.g. on-demand mobility (vs 1% in 2020) and 24% of new cars sold (will be) electric vehicles EVs (vs 3% in 2020).”

The challenge with the conventional sales model

The relatively new entrants like Tesla, Nio, etc., are posing some serious challenge to the conventional automakers with their products and their sales model. Historically, automotive OEMs have followed a tried and tested model that kept dealers between the customers and themselves. With the changing times and the eventual shift in the industry dynamics, the scalability of this conventional model is becoming a grave concern for OEMs. The API-driven digital economy of today’s day and age is not compatible with the single-channel monolithic platforms of the past. The sales channel of a majority of automotive OEMs needs to be redefined, especially in the post-COVID-19-era. While crafting the new sales channel, the journey should be customer-centric rather than product-centric. The dealership network should be incorporated at an earlier stage of the sales process, and the entire flow should incline towards retail sales.

Digital Transformation: The future of automotive retail

Digital transformation has taken the automotive industry by storm, and no specific segment is left untouched. Not just that, this technological advancement has impacted the end-customer experience in an unprecedented manner. It has not only changed the way people used to buy cars but has managed to change the customers’ perception of the entire car-buying journey. It won’t be an understatement to mention that digital transformation single-handedly led the global automotive industry to the path of resurgence from a worldwide economic slowdown. Customer expectations have evolved drastically, especially after the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Digital interaction has become the new normal, which has shaped the narrative of digital selling in automotive sales. If an estimate is to be believed, then by 2025, more than 25% of global auto sales will be carried out online, and this trend is bound to grow as we move towards the future of mobility. OEMs and their respective dealers are bound to join the digital transformation bandwagon in order to sustain and succeed in the ever-changing industry.

Integrating the B2B2C model and Digital Transformation

Today’s customers demand transparency and that too at every step of the car-buying journey. They want to be an integrated part of the decision-making process and want to know everything that affects their purchasing cycle. To cater to such expectations, the dealer paper cycles need to be automated that revolve around a digital-centric experience enabled by a customer relationship management (CRM) platform. This approach should be coupled with the data fetched from the customer’s interactions with the brand through various digital entities. The fundamental objective of transforming this entire landscape is not to eliminate the physical dealerships at all but reincarnate them into experience hubs that deliver the best experience to the end customer.

Retail revolution: Changing the face of automotive sales

The entire shift in the sales model has made the channel more customer-facing than ever before. Recent technologies like BOPAC (buy online pickup at curbside), BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store), BOBO (buy on behalf of), Live Shopping, Live Clienteling and many more are the defining aspects of how an automotive is sold in the present and the future as well.

About AutoFacets

AutoFacets is a pioneer when it comes to offering world-class automotive IT solutions for the entire automotive industry. Right from the dealerships to aftermarket experience, we cover it all. Contact us for any query while ensuring that your business remains afloat and doesn’t go off track.