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Automotive retailing is going digital, and as dealers gain access to better data and marketing technologies, car shoppers are getting hungrier for unrestricted, immediate information online.

Today, your customers expect to retrieve the same amount of information browsing your website that they would get if they actually visited your dealership. Because of this, it’s important to discover what your VDP can do to engage your consumers and truly understand how that engagement determines their buying decisions. Without further ado, here’s the VDP: uncensored.

Your customers crave better content, and they want it in 10 seconds or less

Online shoppers are becoming more and more demanding and impatient as they browse the web. According to a study by Microsoft, shoppers will quickly scan over a page in search of relevant information, and will leave within 10 seconds if they don’t find it.

However, Microsoft’s study also revealed that the more time a user spends on a page, the less likely they are to leave it. In other words, the more your pages fulfill customers’ needs, the more opportunity you have to connect them with your dealership and convince them that you have what they’re looking for.

According to “The VIN Journey,” a webinar from Cobalt, the most common reason customers are on your site is because they are shopping for a vehicle — not to schedule service, or look for parts. And when they’re browsing for that new purchase, customers depend on your VDPs to give them the information they need.

Ultimately it’s up to you to captivate them through strong, in-depth content to show them your vehicle has the complete package. Plus, by understanding and tracking how long visitors are on your pages, you can work to create a VDP that quickly grabs your customer’s attention, effectively communicates your value to them, and encourages them to buy from you.

How do we know VDP’s are “worth it?”

Cobalt conducted an eight month study of 9 million VDPs, 125 million website visits, and 250 million online actions to decide whether or not VDP activity is an efficient predictor of sales. They discovered that the average new vehicle stays on the lot for 53 days, consumers spend an average of 25 minutes looking at a vehicle online, and the average VDP is viewed 23 times.

The results of their study concluded that 2 of the top 4 online sales predictors are VDP views and time spent on VDPs, vehicles with 20-30 VDP views spend 29% less time on the lot, and cars with more than 30 VDP views spend 44% less time on the lot. To make a big impact on your bottom line, you need to make a big impact on your VDPs.

Research across the Dealer.com network of retail dealerships indicates that VDP traffic, lead form submission, and nationwide new vehicle sales are all rising together.

The new digital frontier of car shopping allows customers to research, decide, and initiate their purchasing decision without ever leaving their computer, and Dealer.com sees this as a huge advantage.

So how do you drive VDP engagement?

Find a way to be engaging! It really is that simple. Don’t even think about using stock photos (custom photos increase your click rate by more than 155%).

Instead, enrich your VDP gallery with actual photos of your inventory and 360º walkaround technology that your users can touch and interact with (this type of tactile connection can increase sales by 6-25%).

Provide your shoppers with live chat incase they have questions, earn their trust by adding reviews and sales team profiles to each page, and incentivize them with tempting offers that they have to redeem at your store.

Remember: your goal is to 1) capture their attention, 2) deliver them the information they’re looking for, and 3) keep them wanting to learn more.

How do you do it?

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