How Buyers Shop Online Before They Walk In and Where Dealers Lose Them

Blog #2: "How Buyers Shop Online Before They Walk In—And Where Dealers Lose Them"

30-Second Takeaway: In August, 88% of shoppers start their research online, and 95% of used vehicle buyers never step foot in a dealership without extensive digital research first. Peak traffic periods expose five critical failure points: unlabeled phone numbers that customers won't answer, non-text-enabled lines, slow responses, broken mobile forms, and mismatched business hours between Google and websites. Each mistake is magnified during high-traffic periods when your competition is just a click away.

How Buyers Shop Online Before They Walk In and Where Dealers Lose Them

In August, most of your buyers aren't walking in cold. They've already "met" you online. According to Cox Automotive's 2023 Car Buyer Journey study, 88% of shoppers start their research online, and for used vehicles that number jumps to 95%+.

The bad news? If your digital experience isn't built to capture and convert them quickly, they'll never make it to your lot.

The Modern Buyer's Path to Purchase

Before a customer steps into your showroom in August, they have typically:

• Spent 14+ hours researching across multiple sites

• Narrowed their search to 2–3 vehicles and 1–2 dealerships

• Made decisions on who to contact based on online transparency and responsiveness

  
  

This means your VDP, pricing tools, and lead forms are as critical as your sales floor.

Why August Shoppers Are Different

Shorter decision cycles: Families shopping before back-to-school don't have weeks to compare, they need a deal fast

High urgency segments: Labor Day promotions create deadline-driven behavior that increases lead submission volume

Peak traffic pressure: A slow day in August is busier than many dealers' peak in January

Where Dealers Lose Online-First Buyers

Our industry mystery shop benchmarks show that during high-traffic periods, dealers consistently fail in five critical areas:

1. The Unknown Caller Problem

• What happens: Your outbound calls show as “Unknown” or just numbers.

• Impact: Customers won’t answer, especially during spam-heavy months.

• Fix: Register numbers with carriers so your dealership name shows on caller ID.

  
  

2. Text Message Dead Ends

• What happens: Customers text your main number, but it’s not SMS-enabled.

• Impact: Less connections with potential customers.

• Fix: Enable SMS on all public-facing lines and test regularly.

3. Response Time Collapse

• What happens: Your 30-min average response slips when traffic spikes.

• Impact: Engagement drops 80% after the first hour.

• Fix: Consider augmenting with ai or lead overflow strategy.

4. Broken Mobile Experience

• What happens: Lead forms glitch on mobile.

• Impact: Mobile is the #1 browsing method in August—broken forms = lost leads.

• Fix: Test all forms monthly on real devices.

5. Hours Mismatch Catastrophe

• What happens: Google listing hours don’t match your website.

• Impact: Shoppers think you’re closed.

• Fix: Sync hours across all platforms monthly, especially before promotions.

The Bottom Line

In August, small digital failures cost big money. Fixing them before the Labor Day surge can mean the difference between a record month and a missed opportunity.

On August 21, we’ll show you exactly how to:

• Identify the 5 critical digital failure points

• Run your own “Peak Traffic Audit” before the rush

• Master high-volume response strategies for promo weekends

• Prove the ROI of quick fixes during peak season

Register now for our August 21 (2pm Est time) webinar to learn more about how to maximize peak months.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER or Scan the QR Code below.

Sources

• Cox Automotive, 2023 Car Buyer Journey Study. Cox Automotive – 2023 Car Buyer Journey Study

• Wall Street Journal, Used-Car Shoppers Go Digital. WSJ – Used-Car Shopping Trends

• Engagement drops ~ Harvard Business Review. HBR – The Short Life of Online Sales Leads