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Dealership Software: Tools Every Dealership Should Have

To get ahead of the competition, dealerships need to step up their game, firing all cylinders from all corners. And to do that, here is a list of dealership software to optimize their performance and increase their sales.

It used to be a lot simpler back in the day. There were no dealership software tools then. Dealerships then rely heavily on books and salespeople manually check pricing lists. In addition, all it takes is some industry experience, personal confidence, and different other strategies to meet sales goals every month. But then the times have changed, just like that.

dealership-software

Because of technology, the way dealerships have to do business changed drastically. No matter how big or small the company is, new technological advancements turned a no-fuss and straightforward dealership process into a more complex one. In addition, competition has become fiercer and, to a certain extent, aggressive due to the popularity of social media. With all the rapid changes left and right, many dealerships have succumbed to their competitors because they didn’t get ahead or at least leveled with.

But not everything is at a loss here. Though technology and social media may be ruthless to some businesses, they are not entirely the enemy. On the contrary, Tech can be a friend if you know how to use it to your advantage. Below are some dealership software tools that every dealer should use to get ahead of their car sales game.

dealership-software a clean showroom

Digital Marketing Plarform

Gone are the days that dealerships rely on TV and print ads just to attract attention from buyers. But those platforms just won’t do enough these days. No matter how you smile on the screen with awkward music in the background for a 30-second placement, the effort will be all questionable. Not only these types of ads are expensive, but it’s also getting less effective year after year. First, Youtube killed the TV star, and two, only a few people catch the news from print.

So how can your dealership maximize its effort and budget for marketing and ad campaigns? By using a digital marketing platform. There are many platforms online that one can use to advertise their business and services. But most of the time, companies rely on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and even Tiktok. Billions of people worldwide are on these platforms every day, and it’s safe to assume that your target customers are in there, too.

There are so many benefits that you can get when you enter these platforms. For one, they’re effective yet won’t burn your pocket. Social media platforms also allow you to target the right customers and interact with them for an added customer service.

If you’re already on any of these social media platforms, another way is to bring your inventory to a car marketplace. Car marketplaces bring thousands of car buyers into a single platform, giving you more chances of selling.

Click on the link to learn more about how to reach more car market leads.

dealership-software buy and sell

Car Valuation Tool

Yes, more and more people are buying everything online, and this includes vehicles. In addition, more and more people go online initially to research some used vehicles for sale, with some of them ending up buying one. But there are two caveats with this situation. First, this is nothing new. Most dealerships in the US right now have their own used car inventories displayed, making the competition more vigorous than ever. Second, most people are hesitant to buy vehicles online because they might be paying more than what they bargained for.

To solve these problems, one dealership software that dealers should use is the used car valuation tool. This tool allows dealerships to determine the most accurate price for the vehicle they’re selling. Used car valuation tools use a program that gathers all the costs of a specific car within their reach and creates an estimate for the price that both the people and your profit will appreciate.

So how does this dealership software tool solve these two problems? First, when you sell your vehicles at the fairest and most accurate prices, people will be more attracted to them. Second, they will think that it’s not too expensive and yet not so suspiciously affordable. Add this tool to your list of dealership software must-haves, so you and your buyers know just how much your vehicle is worth.

Click on the link to learn more about car valuation.

couple buying cars

Recon Tool

As a company, Carketa has been helping thousands of car dealerships each day. If there’s one thing we’ve realized from the get-go, it’s that all car dealership processes are time-consuming. This fact holds true, especially with handling the inventory. Inventory is arguably the most hectic of all the dealership processes. Not only does it consists of pricing the suitable vehicles, but it also controls the recon processes of each vehicle. By recon processes, we mean monitoring each car with care and attention. This takes a lot of time that dealers have to sacrifice a decent amount of hours each day instead of focusing on sales.

The recon tool is yet another dealership software tool that can help dealerships ease their processes and even boost sales. This tool allows you to track your inventory – both on the front end and inventory – to know where you are at with your inventory and sales. The recon tool also allows you to sell your vehicles under the recon process, maximizing your chances of having them sold even when they’re not yet on your lot. Lastly, the tool allows you to manage your inventory on your phone or PC, so you don’t have to walk around the dealership to check everything.

Click on the link to learn more about reconditioning software.

couple sharing one screen

Digital Condition Reports

We’ve already mentioned that one problem selling vehicles online brings is that it increases doubt. Americans lose millions of dollars each year because they were baited and lured in by scammers. This is the reason why people second guess when they shop for cars online. Another reason why customers online doubt is that, as also mentioned, vehicles are a huge investment. It’s akin to buying a house or a very expensive dog.

And when you buy a thing with a hefty price tag, you need to check on every detail that needs checking. Unfortunately, some dealerships make one error because the vehicles they sell online don’t have all the features and specifications listed for buyers to read and decide on.

As someone in the dealership business, you can omit this error by providing digital condition reports. Condition reports are a document that has all the information a buyer needs to know before making a purchase. There are many condition reports available online. However, only a few provide the most complete details of the vehicle. The information provided ranges from the make and model, to specs, to the status of the title, and even to the condition of the engine and tires. When looking for a digital condition report, ensure that their inspection should be at least 200 points.

Your dealership will have leverage online through the condition reports by being a more honest business that cares for its customers.

Click on the link to learn more about digital condition reports.

Push Notifications

One good thing about doing your business online is that it allows you to cater to your customer’s needs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Back in the day, customers need to wait for office hours for them to reach out to your business. Nowadays, they can just reach out to you through email or chat. In this way, you can receive your customer’s query even when you’re out of the dealership for the day. In fact, even when you’re on vacation.

But communicating through your customers this way has its own setbacks as well. First of all, you need to set it up. It takes a lot of time and effort to perfect those bot messages, although it would really help minimize customer exchange. Second, even though your customers can easily connect with you, the reply still depends on when you open their queries. And when you have a dealership, one of the most asked queries customers ask pertains to how their vehicle is doing, recon-wise. Good thing there’s a way to eliminate this.

Through the use of push notifications, your customers can still get the information they need even when you’re off the online grid. Carketa Connect tool, for example, is a dealership software tool that sends messages to your buyers, giving them information regarding their vehicles. In addition, this tool provides text messages in real-time, so there’s no delay in disseminating info. Through this, your customer will not worry too much or hassle you with loads of questions.

Click here to learn more about Carketa Connect

Do You Have These Dealership Software Tools Already?

If not, you can always reach out to our team, who can provide you with detailed information regarding these dealership software tools. Always remember that you will always need to be three or five steps ahead in this digital time and age. So give us a call now or schedule a free demo here.

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