Garrett was waiting in the parking lot outside a supermarket when he saw a car drive past that caught his eye. The car had dealer plates, so Garrett used his smartphone to look up the dealership and get an idea of pricing. The result? That dealership should be expecting a call sometime soon.
Thanks to the smartphone in our pocket, consumers can respond to advertising or research a product at any time or place they want—including sitting in a supermarket parking lot. Because of this, the brands that will win where-should-I-buy-it moments are those that are there and useful when consumers reach out.
In Garrett's case, the initial sighting of the car with dealer plates attached prompted him to jump online and search the dealership's inventory and pricing. Finding these details easily via the website inspired him to make direct contact with the dealership. But he may just as easily have given up his search, or turned to another dealer, if this information was not readily available. Another tip: While websites and apps can often answer consumers' questions, sometimes a good old fashioned phone call is still needed, so consider implementing one-click calling on your website.
Search interest in dealer phone numbers is up over 78%.
Source: Google Trends, August 2015 vs. August 2014, United States.
