The Cars.com Mobile Tune-Up sweepstakes has drawn to a close. Thanks to everyone that participated and shared their best practices.  We received many fantastic tips from dealers across the country, telling us what you are doing to stay in sync with today’s mobile shoppers.

Reading through the entries, a few key themes stood out as being most critical, including transparency, delivering a great mobile experience and optimizing content that matters most to mobile shoppers.

Transparency:

With 63% of shoppers now using their mobile device for additional research while on the dealership lot, transparency is more important than ever. As shoppers have access to all the information they need to make informed decisions, salespeople must understand what shoppers are seeing online and not try to hide from it.  Smart dealers are recognizing this trend and embracing a transparent process to build trust. Here is what we heard from ourMmobile Tune-up entries:

• Always ask customers what sites they have visited/ the level of research done online. Applaud their knowledge and use it to further conversation and closing. – Alyssa, Arkansas

• Mobile apps with inventory navigation make it easy to navigate and buy online. It’s what consumers want – transparency. – Lee, Wisconsin

• Make sure to show different options to a customer on a mobile device.  Most consumers love technology! – Mark, MI

Or as Jamie simply put it:

• Transparency is key! – Jamie, Mississippi

Mobile Experience:

To convert mobile shoppers, you’ve got to deliver a great mobile experience. From your online ads, to your website and email response, consumers simply expect their mobile experience to be seamless and easy. In fact, 40% of mobile shoppers (smartphone and tablet users) say they will never return to a site if it isn’t mobile friendly.  These great tips can help you improve the mobile experience you deliver:

• Be sure to test all mobile sites regularly with different cell phone models and carriers to be sure that all visitors have full functionality. – Muhammad, Ohio

• Everyone lives on their mobile devices now, so make sure when you email your customers you format it so that it is easy for them to read on their phone. – Tim, IL

• Check your company website on mobile devices to make sure your mobile customers are seeing what you want them to see.  – Nichole, MI

• Make sure your text is resized to be readable w/out pinch and zoom. The less pinching and zooming, the more pleasurable to browse through it. – Eric, Georgia

Content is Key:

Customers on the lot are using their mobile devices to search for a variety of information, from pricing and inventory, to reviews and directions.  A recent study from Placed Inc. shows 51% of mobile users on the dealership lot are searching for price, payment and offers, 29% search inventory and 17% seek out reviews.  Because of this, it is imperative to have good reviews and accurate inventory and pricing on your site.  These dealers are already ahead of the game in building process to give shoppers easy access to the content they need and want:

• We put a QR code sticker on every used vehicle that takes the user straight to the VDP. – Sharon, TX

• While customers are waiting for finance, service, etc. give them an iPad or mobile device to put in a review about their experience on Cars.com! – Brandon, OH

With rapid shifts in technology and consumer behavior, it is more important than ever to stay current and adapt your dealership’s strategies to most effectively reach, influence and convert car shoppers. For more information about how shoppers are now using mobile devices throughout the shopping journey and for tips to take your marketing mobile, check out our new ebook, Navigating Mobile Marketing.