Dealers saw a spike in levels of digital enquiries for new and used cars in late May
Digital enquiries into dealers across the UK during May were 16.5% behind 2019 levels.
It marked a significant improvement from April, which saw a drop of 61.5% on 2019, according to lead management company Dealerweb.
James Hill, managing director of Dealerweb, said: “It is clear that digital channels are leading the way as buyers start to think about their next vehicle purchase.
“There is no doubt that dealers will need to ramp up all aspects of the digital customer journey to maximise conversion rates and ensure a great customer experience is maintained.”
“Levels of telephone enquiries have not recovered at the same pace despite many dealerships staffing customer service lines. April saw a 95.5% decline in enquiries against 2019 and May experienced an 80% drop. “
Dealerweb research has previously indicated that 49% of buyers are more likely to complete a vehicle purchase if they receive a response to an online enquiry within one hour. 25% of buyers said they expected a dealer to respond in under 30 minutes.
“Our latest analysis shows that real demand is building and dealers vitally need the right systems in place to maximise on conversion rates in the appointment only, social distancing environment,” said Hill.