Mobile devices have become the preferred way to do almost anything online; as of November, 70% of internet access came from mobile devices. This will increase as hand-held technology improves.
The convenience and accessibility of these devices has made our lives – and online shopping – easier.
The prevalence of mobile browsing, however, has put an even greater emphasis on user-experience design: the ability to create a mobile website that best enhances the customer experience.
The proper UX design engages the consumer by providing a more interactive experience, helping businesses better prepare for the increased mobile transactions of the future. After all, mobile devices are predicted to yield nearly $659 billion in sales by 2021, more than 50% of all online transitions.
So what is UX design? And how can incorporating it help a company complete more sales and prepare for the more-mobile future?
A positive user experience design facilitates a seamless interaction between the user and the product online. It should be easy, interactive and functional. When a site is able to provide that type of customer experience, consumers are more likely to return and recommend your website or app.
Auto dealers specifically have a prime opportunity to capitalize on UX design as it can save the shopper time throughout their purchase journey, increase customer engagement through inventory suggestions that are relevant to them and provide an improved website experience that eliminates the threat of losing leads due to user frustration.
More specifically, UX design tools help auto dealers make the mobile car-shopping experience a positive one. They should include:
- More detailed vehicle deals pages that provide a transparent and trustworthy consumer experience. These should be equipped with high-resolution vehicle imagery, the ability to start deals online, and vehicle reviews.
- Personalized shopping experiences that leverage previous shopper data to display the most relevant vehicle inventory and promotions for consumers to get them to content of interest quickly.
- Mobile specific usability features like accordions to prevent lengthy scrolling, fixed mobile footers on vehicle pages with primary pricing, a mobile call to action and click to call, keeping high engagement features accessible at all times.
- Send-to-phone capabilities allow consumers to browse on their desktop and easily send vehicles of interest, via a text message, to their mobile device to continue their shopping process while on the go.
When deployed properly, these tools make dealers’ websites easier to navigate for consumers. That is crucial as 70% of mobile searches lead to consumers taking action within one hour. (Wards Industry Voices contributor Katie Wilkins, left)
As mobile shopping becomes more prevalent, businesses need to ensure they’re focusing as much on their mobile channels as they are on their traditional websites. Consumers are now more likely to start their shopping process on mobile devices. They expect mobile shopping to feature sleek design and easy navigation to facilitate seamless transaction.
If leveraged in the correct manner, dealers can utilize proper UX design to make a good first impression on customers, generate more leads and close more sales.
Katie Wilkins is Dealer.com’s director-website product management.
