The Missing Factor in Car Dealer Websites

The evolution of car dealer websites has been a slow process. The industry was once dominated by flash websites. Thankfully, that’s behind us, but now there’s a need to take it even further into the future by embracing the trends of the present. Mobile is becoming a dominating part of nearly everyone’s lives and the need to embrace the mobile shopper has been missed by many dealers.

Today, all of the trends are pointing to responsive websites to be the way to go. It isn’t just Google and other major players that are saying it. The consumers are saying it as well by showing an increased push away from single-device surfing and embracing the use of multiple devices for their shopping needs. They might find something at work, show other people on their smartphones, then show their spouse at home on a tablet. They want a single experience regardless of the device and most dealers have not embraced this concept.

It isn’t their fault. The automotive industry is loaded with many different vendors that work specifically with car dealers and nobody else. This has translated into tons of different opinions, many of which are simply wrong. A recent post by a dealer website provider pointed focused on the shift that is being missed by many dealers and their website companies.

Responsive websites bring the single-experience to the website. It allows for consumers to see nearly the exact same page regardless of their device. There are small changes – the addition of “click to call” buttons on smaller screens, for example – but for the most part the experience is the same regardless of the device. This is what people want. It’s what Google has been pushing for a long time now. When will dealers (and their vendors) start to embrace this fact?