We’ve been in the business of reviews for quite some time now – 15 years to be exact.  As DealerRater has grown, so has the power and influence of reviews to the success of dealerships.  Today, consumers use reviews for half or more of new purchases.¹  Reviews truly have become the new word of mouth.  Friends and family once had the exclusive power to influence purchase decisions, but today anyone with internet access can leave a review of their car shopping experience and influence the purchase decisions of millions of other car shoppers.  The power to influence has truly shifted.

When it comes to reviews, it’s important to remember the four ‘P’s of online car shopping: Product, Price, Place, and Person.  The car buying journey starts with shoppers researching cars that interest them – the product.  When they’ve narrowed down their options, price is a big factor in determining their next steps and available options that inevitably leads them to researching the place – which dealership is right for them?.  Finally, when they’ve settled on which dealership to visit, the person they choose to work with has a huge impact on the sales process.  Providing a great customer experience is what should set your team apart from the competition.  Pair a great experience with a personal request to write a review of their experience when they get home and you’re one or two steps ahead of the game. 

Reviews are incredibly powerful and provide a huge opportunity for you to succeed in the online marketplace.  Our job is to provide a transparent forum that showcases your commitment to quality customer service and connects in-market consumers with the right person at your dealership.

Those dealers who are most successful with online reviews are the ones that actively solicit and manage them.  There are fundamentals that should be followed to leverage reviews to the dealership’s benefit.  Reviews are essential in shaping the customer journey, and dealers need to actively participate in the review process by soliciting them.  In fact, a majority of consumers feel that online reviews are helpful, and almost half would avoid a purchase without them.¹  In other words, if you don’t yet have any reviews of your dealership, nearly half of your prospects are quickly crossing you off their shopping list.

Dealers should take ownership of the review process by always asking customers for reviews.  Ask frequently, and perhaps even share a photo of them in their new car to post with their review.  Train your sales staff to always ask for a review post-purchase and make sure they understand that great reviews helps build their own personal brand.  Remind your customers that sharing the story of their dealership experience is valuable to your business.

Once you’ve earned reviews, you must manage them.  Reviews cast a wide net online, which allows a dealership to be seen anytime, anywhere.  Review sites like DealerRater amplify the impact by syndicating your dealership’s reviews across multiple third-party sites frequented by car shoppers, exponentially increasing the value of all those reviews you’ve worked hard to earn.  But, the quantity of reviews doesn’t matter if you don’t take time to understand what customers are saying about you.  Read every review your dealership receives; celebrate the positive and immediately address the negative.  And monitor what customers are saying about your competitors – transparency with online reviews goes both ways.

As the largest dealership review platform in the industry, we’ve had conversations with thousands of businesses over the years and done extensive consumer research on the role that reviews play in the car shopping journey.  And we’ve condensed all the valuable insights we’ve gleaned over the years into a definitive guide to help you win the reviews game.  We encourage you to download the guide, identify some tips to put into action today and then partner with us on your journey.  Click here to download our guide. 

[1] Car Shoppers Are Judging You.  Cars.com White Paper.  February 2017.