#USA #Birmingham #Shift Digital #Auto Dealer #Shopper Survey

Analyzing the Shift Digital Shopper Survey: Why Speed Matters for Auto Dealer Websites

In today's digital landscape, auto dealers are finding themselves in a fierce battle to convert site visitors into paying customers. A recent study by Shift Digital highlights an alarming trend: many auto dealer websites are becoming increasingly complex and, as a result, slower. This slowdown is detrimental, as speed is paramount in retaining customer interest and engagement.

The Shift Digital Shopper Survey, conducted by the Birmingham, Michigan-based technology solutions provider, shows that the proliferation of digital retail tools—like trade-in calculators and service scheduling features—has inadvertently created a cluttered online experience. While these tools are designed to enrich the shopping experience, they often contribute to longer loading times, ultimately leading to user frustration.

The data reveals some shocking insights: for every additional second that a dealer's mobile site takes to load, there is an associated 11% drop in customer engagement. In other words, speed isn't just a convenience; it's a determining factor in whether or not a dealer can finalize a sale.

In analyzing organic traffic from over 3,300 mobile dealer websites, the Shift Digital team observed a strong correlation between website performance and customer interaction. High-performing sites saw 25% more customers engaging and lingering, which translates directly into potential sales.

Matt VanDyke, president of Shift Digital, provides a telling analogy: imagine being in a grocery store checkout line, where one line is moving swiftly with a person buying just a few items, while the other is stagnant, laden with customers carrying full carts. Naturally, you'd switch to the faster line. The same principle applies to online shopping—if a visitor's experience is bogged down by a slow website, they will likely abandon their search and turn to a competitor.

Key Insights on Website Speed
Dan Reynolds, who heads the Advanced Analytics team at Shift Digital, emphasizes the importance of regular assessments of dealer websites to identify potential speed improvements. He recommends several strategies:

1. Optimize Images and Videos: Large, unoptimized media files are significant culprits for slow loading speeds. Compressing or even removing them entirely can lead to quicker load times.
2. Assess and Remove Unused Features: Many dealers may have features linked to vendors that are no longer relevant, contributing to unnecessary complexity in website navigation.
3. Streamline Marketing Tags: Evaluating unused campaign tags can also help in decluttering the site's backend, enhancing its speed and overall efficiency.

Reynolds points out that the optimization process not only benefits the customer experience but also contributes to a dealer's bottom line. The Shift Digital study estimates that for every $100 spent on advertising, only $70 is actually going towards ads, while the remaining $30 is wasted due to poor website performance—essentially an annual leak in marketing budget.

Fortunately, there is a solution. Google has introduced Core Web Vitals, a set of standardized metrics that measure real-world user experience, focusing on three primary areas: loading speed, interactivity speed, and visual stability. These metrics equip dealers with the tools they need to make data-driven decisions about their websites.

VanDyke emphasizes the importance of creating an engaging online environment: "Dealer marketing budgets are always a challenge, and to maximize that investment, it’s crucial for dealers to create a user-friendly site to prevent visitors from bouncing in frustration. Utilizing Web Vitals helps balance functionality with effective branding."

In conclusion, the Shift Digital Shopper Survey underscores a vital reality for auto dealerships today: in the digital world, speed sells. By prioritizing website performance, dealers can bolster customer experience, enhance engagement, and ultimately drive sales to new heights. The full report can be downloaded at Shift Digital.