We have a hypothetical story for you.
This story is about customers’ micro-moments and how to capture them.
Pretend for a moment that we (the ARI team) are a shopper who’s interested in buying a boat. We’re scrolling on Facebook and in our feed we see a photo of an acquaintance with their brand-new pontoon. Your dealership, where the craft was purchased, shared the picture on your own page, which popped up on our feed.
We’re intrigued by the sleek, sizable pontoon, so we decide to click the link in the post caption and view the boat listing on your website. This particular pontoon is a little beyond our budget, so we look through the related inventory listings and come across a different model that seems to be exactly what we need. So, we fill out a lead form to get more information, and we excitedly await your reply.
The above collection of actions that just took place – from browsing Facebook to click the post link and browsing for the perfect unit to inquire about – is known as “micro-moments.”
Why Micro-Moments Matter
As more consumers adopt mobile search as their main shopping forum, their path to purchase is formed by a series of micro-moments. Being able to embrace these micro-moments as the dealer is your key to staying competitive in a mobile market. After all, 70% of smartphone users who made an in-store purchase first did a mobile search to learn more about the product (1). If your dealership isn’t prepared to connect with these prospects during these micro-moments or if your store is not easily found online, you run the risk of being left out of their buying journey.
Three Steps to Embrace Micro-Moments
Here are three steps to help your dealership connect with shoppers during micro-moments:
Make sure your website is mobile-first. Most of us have our mobile phones on us most of the time so it makes sense that the first device we reach for when we need to research something is a smartphone. In order to keep mobile shoppers on your site instead of your competitor’s, your website needs to deliver a smartphone-friendly experience. What does it mean to be smartphone-friendly? Your website should display well on any device and be easy to view on smaller screens. CTA buttons such as “Request a Quote” or “Call Now” should be easy to click on a touchscreen.
Be active on your shoppers’ favorite browsing platforms. In addition to your website, consider all the possible starting points for a customer’s path to purchase. This could be an online business directory, third-party inventory listings and social media pages, just to name a few. Drive traffic from these platforms by including links to your website, especially to inventory pages, to help shoppers locate the units they’re interested in as soon as possible.
Make online shopping quick and easy. People who search online are often doing so during brief periods of free time, such as work breaks and public transit commutes. Shoppers who make quick searches want instant gratification, so simplify the browsing process as much as possible to help them find the information they need. Create 360-spin images or video tours of your popular inventory so shoppers can view multiple angles and details. Post your listings on social media to get in front of more leads and let followers share your listings with their friends. Give shoppers an easy next step to take in the purchase process, whether it’s clicking a link to a unit listing or messaging your dealership to get more information.
Micro-moments, though small, are highly influential to the path to purchase. In just a moment or two, shoppers can be persuaded to take the first steps down the journey of making a purchase at your dealership. Get ahead of your competitors by enabling your online presence to embrace micro-moments wherever they occur.
Want to improve your digital marketing strategy? Connect with ARI today!
(1) SmallBizGenius
