Many industries are filled with complicated terms that are hard for people outside the field to understand, and the automotive industry may take the cake when it comes to this. It is notorious for jargon that confuses and frustrates many consumers.
Traditional online vehicle search functions only amplify this problem. The usual year, make, model, and style search forces consumers to wade through confusing names and may inadvertently eliminate many good vehicle choices. In addition, these types of searches do not allow retailers to gather valuable market intelligence regarding consumer preferences, which can help in targeted marketing. In short, traditional searches are about the vehicle, not the consumer, and are therefore stumbling blocks for many shoppers.
In the early 2000s, some automotive websites began implementing "lifestyle" searches. Named because they often depend on consumers answering a list of lifestyle questions -- questions that sought to categorize people as "sporty," or "career focused," or "family focused," for example -- these searches exposed consumers to a broader range of vehicles, but also forced them to pigeonhole themselves as a particular type of person. In addition, lifestyle searches still operate by focusing on the vehicle -- segmenting vehicle options by attributes like doors and engine size -- instead of on consumer needs.
It's time to go one step further and implement needs-based searches. These searches focus on the needs of the consumer, not on the vehicle. They are personalized and go beyond vehicle-centric options like engine size to what a consumer needs out of a vehicle. They allow consumers to search based on a number of different factors like gas mileage, available headroom, or off-road capability.
And now is the best time to implement this type of navigation. A recent independent study, commissioned by Chrome, revealed that a majority of consumers who bought or leased vehicles in the past 12 months changed vehicles because of their needs. Of particular note, 23 percent wanted better gas mileage, 8 percent needed more seating capacity, 7 percent didn't need as much capacity, 6 percent wanted more leg or headroom, and 4 percent wanted a vehicle with off-road or towing capacity. With traditional year, make, model and style searches, there is no way to help consumers find vehicles that match these needs quickly and easily.
The benefits of implementing needs-based searches
Educate consumers
Needs-based searches can expose consumers to a broad range of vehicles that may have never been on their radar. Allowing consumers to search by gas mileage, for example, may help them discover many vehicles they had not considered. Alternatively, they may learn that a vehicle they had their eyes on is not the best choice when fuel economy is a deciding factor.
Sell more new and used vehicles
Needs-based searches can also help you sell more new and used vehicles. With new vehicles, this type of search helps consumers understand which vehicle choices are available and showcases inventory that may not have previously made the consumer's short-list.
For used vehicles, this type of search helps consumers navigate what, by definition, is a limited supply, since they can only choose from what is on the market or on a preferred dealer's lot. By helping them focus in on what is really important in a vehicle, the consumer can better locate a range of vehicles that fit their needs.
Gain market insight
Needs-based searches provide the opportunity to capture valuable demographic information and information about consumers' needs. Tracking user patterns can indicate the types of vehicles that consumers are searching for and help drive stocking or ordering decisions. This information can also be used to build a better customer profile, which allows for a better consumer experience.
Enable regional-based searching
A consumer in Florida may need cooled seats, while a consumer in North Dakota may need heated seats. Needs-based searches enable this type of specificity for a competitive advantage. A website that offers quick and easy access to this type of detail will offer much more value than a website with traditional search functionality where consumers have to comb through data to find specific details.
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