Automotive e commerce: Statistics, trends and best sites that drive sales, revenues and market share

With the growth of ecommerce, everything can be sold online, and automotive items are no exception. In fact, automotive e commerce is considered as one of the most prospective industries that can help business owners gain a lot of profits. Hence, in this article, Arrowtheme gives you the statistics, trends and several outstanding car ecommerce sites that boost sales as well as market share for your business. So, explore with us right now! 

The statistics of Automotive e commerce

Ecommerce income from auto and parts retail sales in the United States reached around $51.6 billion in 2018, up 121% from 2012. They sell automobile parts, accessories, and service online to both B2C and B2B customers for everything from sportbikes to trucks. 

While some of these companies are new to the market, others are making their first forays into the online world. In particular, there are many others who are modernizing their online shop platforms and establishing multi-channel campaigns in order to expand their market share.

>>> Read more: How to sell auto parts online quickly and get high profits

Trends in Automotive e commerce

#1. The rise in online consumers

When it comes to Automotive e commerce trends, we can’t help but mention the dramatic growth in online buyers. In fact, this is one of the most powerful trends in the automobile business, with an increasing number of buyers recognizing they don’t have to buy a car from a local dealership. In the past, the majority of customers just utilized the internet to get prices, compare models, and schedule a test drive. 

Until now, Germany is the leading online new car sales in the world with around 10% of all new car sales taking place totally online.

Example of an online car showroom

For instance, Audi, one of the most globally famous car brands, introduced the Audi VR Experience in 2015. In general, this is a unique and fully digital way for customers to test drive their ideal car without ever having to leave their home. Following that, customers can put on the VR glasses and explore the car in virtual reality after selecting a vehicle of interest. 

What’s more, customers can completely customize their vehicle to be unique by choosing the features they want or don’t want. Plus, at any point during the demo, you are able to alter the model, color and trim. 

In particular, when it comes to add-ons, Audi witnessed an immediate increase in upselling because clients could choose whatever they wanted rather than being limited to what was available at the store. 

As a result, Audi gained around 60 – 70% rise in overall car sales. Best of all, virtual test drives technology was also a great success with about half of consumers acquiring a vehicle without first completing a physical test drive.

Furthermore, in order to continue from this first success, Audi plans to build even more VR experience showrooms throughout the world. 

In addition, buyers tend to enter a one-stop shop for all of their automotive needs in the future. That means they will need to visit one website to purchase a vehicle, parts, accessories, and services. Although purchasing vehicles online is not quite simple, if you are running an auto component ecommerce online, your dealership will have an advantage. 

#2. A technologically-advanced dealership

Thanks to a lot of modern technologies, dealerships can easily enhance efficiency and bring customers the best experience. Then, as an automotive ecommerce owner, you should consider tablets and cellphones as the effective method to achieve your goal.

Tablets 

Tablet becomes one of the most common devices all over the world due to its portability and convenience. With automotive e commerce industry, tablets have been used in a variety of ways by certain forward-thinking dealerships:

• Firstly, look up the customer’s VIN, dealership inventory, pricing, and more right now.
• Secondly, introduce a method for completing the task that is both quick and precise.
• Thirdly, take advantage of it to increase client satisfaction and trust
• Besides, stand out compared to any competitors. 

Moreover, even if your employees know the figures off the top of their heads, allowing your consumers to see the numbers for themselves provides reassurance. In particular, no matter what you are selling, customers will feel more connected at every step of the transaction if they can handle the tablet and interact with it. 

Alternatively, tablets simplify the process and can save everyone time when it comes to parking and strolling between the building and the vehicle.

Not only that, customers can use tablets in the waiting room at forward-thinking dealerships while their vehicle is being serviced. Best of all, tablets with learning games pre-installed can even be placed in play areas for children.

Texting

When it comes to service updates, phone calls are considered as standard. Thus, as a car ecommerce store, you should consider adding a texting option to your dealership. In reality, it is one of the fastest-growing modes of communication with around 20 years existing. Hence, it’s had plenty of time to develop into a polished system for contacting someone quickly and efficiently. What’s more, following are a few advantages traders have discovered: 

• First and foremost, customers are kept up to date in real time.
• Secondly, you can send photographs of the car, such as damaged parts or a completed repair.
• Thirdly, customers will feel more involved in the process.
• Finally, clients can refer back to earlier SMS instead of forgetting what you stated on the phone.

Dealers have already observed greater approval rates and increased customer satisfaction as a result of this powerful and direct method of communication. Not only that, there are a lot of automotive ecommerce sellers that have noticed an increase in favorable social media messages and customer retention. Additionally, it also cuts down on the number of calls your dealership receives. 

#3. Automotive e commerce websites 

With the competition in the global market as well as the dramatic increase of merchants, owning a website is not enough. More importantly, your website is extremely perfect that stands out from the rest and brings customers the best purchasing experience. 

Website necessities

• First of all, it must ensure neat and professional layout
• Secondly, design that is both eye-catching and unique with fantastic visuals
• Thirdly, make sure the fast loading speed, less than 3 seconds
• In addition, a bunch of advanced features of a search bar

Especially, you should also have the following in your parts and accessories eCommerce store:

• VIN decoder with an easy-to-navigate and precise parts catalog
• Besides, the checkout process is straightforward and quick.
• Integrate reliable and famous logos such as: PayPal certified, Google Trusted store, manufacturer logos.
• Offer customers a variety of payment options including PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, etc. 

All-in-one experience

Selling parts and accessories online is the wise choice. Besides, in order to meet the growing demand of automotive e commerce items from customers, you should provide everything they require in one location: parts, service, automobiles, and information about all of it.

For more details, you can refer to the cross-over sales – a great way to generate extra revenue if you have an online parts store that you promote locally. Moreover, don’t forget to offer the following services to customers:

• When consumers spend $70 or more on your parts website, they get a free or cheap oil change.
• In case customers sign up for your online parts store’s email list, they get a free vehicle wash.
• 10% off vouchers for your website are readily available at your dealership’s counter.

Mobile-Friendly Shopping

In fact, in the modern days, there are more and more people using smartphones and tablets. Thus, having a mobile-friendly website is becoming increasingly important that allows customers to access your site by any type of devices. Especially now that Google has announced a new “mobile-first” algorithm adjustment that would prioritize responsive and mobile-friendly websites. Plus, according to a recent UPS study, 52% of online car consumers have purchased parts or accessories using their phones. In particular, when it comes to tablet purchases, the percentage is even higher.

Because of the rapid growth of online parts, if you don’t have an automotive e commerce website, you will surely miss a lot of potential customers. Alternatively, you must keep in mind that simply having a website is no longer sufficient yet focus a lot on friendliness. Customers will have to squint at microscopic text and struggle to press small buttons if your website isn’t mobile-friendly. As a result, most of them will give up and never come back to your site.

#4. Useful Content availability

In the online space, no matter what you are wondering, you can easily find how-to guides and videos. This is the reason why you no longer need to be a professional to perform routine vehicle maintenance on your own thanks to the knowledge available online. Plus, the online parts and accessories sector is considered as one of the most promising prospects in the next many years. Best of all, people are using the Internet to research and buy parts in greater numbers than ever before.

#5. Electric and Hybrid Car Sales

The next popular trend of automotive e commerce you pay attention to is selling electric and hybrid cars. According to recent statistics, the sale of these vehicles is on the rise. While they are still a minority of vehicles on the road, their number will continue to rise. In particular, people are becoming more environmentally conscious than ever before, and they want to do everything they can to reduce pollution.

Furthermore, concerns about rising gas prices and forecasts that fossil fuels would run out soon make many automobile buyers even more conscious of how this will affect the vehicle they purchase.

#6. Car vending machines & 3D printing

Car vending machines 

Coming to this trend of automotive e commerce, we can’t help but mention the coin-operated automobile vending machine at Carvana. Simply speaking, this five-story structure can accommodate up to 20 automobiles and is designed to keep customers away from salespeople. What’s more, shoppers tend to be dissatisfied with pushy salespeople. Therefore, adapt by concentrating your sales team on providing outstanding service and genuine support and guidance rather than just a sale. 

3D printing

The last trend in this topic is 3D printing. For more details, older vehicle owners can purchase the parts they require for DIY repairs and maintenance. Besides, for automakers, this implies parts that are less expensive, lighter, and faster to manufacture. Thus, as an car e commerce dealership, you can have their own 3D printer in the parts department. Parts managers might stock obsolete parts on shelves without taking up any room. These vehicle parts can be manufactured on demand, eliminating the risk of losing money due to obsolescence. 

Top best automotive e commerce sites that drive sales, revenues and market share

1. CruiseMaster

The first car ecommerce website we highly appreciate is CruiseMaster. Based in Australia, this site is pioneer in all-terrain towing technology and sells independent arm suspension systems for caravans and camper trailers. 

Shoppers can instantly get the following information on the home page:

• Firstly, navigate to product pages to read specifications and scroll through photographs of the company’s items.
• Secondly, you can take a look at some videos showing the goods in action.
• Write and read reviews
• View similar items
• For more information, download a Customer Information Sheet.

2.  Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is famous for its spectacular racetrack, and its ecommerce site reflects that passion. From this automotive e commerce site, clients can buy racetrack attire and souvenirs, as well as the outfit of their favorite drivers. Best of all, they may zoom in for a closer look and see similar items when exploring products.

3. Awesome GTI

The third perfect automotive e commerce site you can’t ignore is Awesome GTI. The thing that makes Awesome GTI stand out is it lets customers customize, tune, and service their Volkswagens, Audis, and other high-performance vehicles. Besides, this best ecommerce site contains a big inventory with many high-quality photographs per product. Plus, zooming capabilities, shipping and returns information, financing choices, garage service descriptions and pricing, and a blog to keep customers interested.

4. Brock’s Performance

In case you are seeking a wonderful automotive e commerce site, let’s take a look at Brock’s Performance. Firstly, it sells wheels and tires, engines and clutches, suspension and brakes, and exhausts, among other motorcycle parts. 

Besides, featured products and services are displayed in rotating banners on the site’s front page. 

Furthermore, when visiting its product page, buyers can read technical specifications, view detailed product information and related items. Aside from that, they can also write reviews. 

5. Enjuku Racing Parts

Enjuku Racing Parts is a premier tuning store for S-Chassis performance and specializes in Nissan 240SX vehicle parts and repair.

All of the information a buyer could need to make a purchasing choice is available on product pages, including:

• Realistic and vivid images
• Product features
• A description of the company’s rewards program
• Reviews
• Financing information.

6. BB Wheels

Coming to the list of best automotive e commerce sites, one of the most outstanding names is BB Wheels. For more details, BB Wheels is a family-run automobile firm that specializes in wheels, tires, and car accessories. On this site, shoppers can swiftly find products by type thanks to the site’s attractive user design. 

Additionally, the company’s free delivery, current specials, financing choices, a bolt patterns and fitment guide, daily deals, and Google Customer Reviews are all highlighted on the homepage. In fact, this is the most effective way to grab customers’ attention. Not only that, its product pages include information on the product, similar products, warranty information, and customer reviews.

7. Boogie Lights

If you are looking for an awesome automotive e commerce website for motorsports, Boogie Lights site is the most ideal option. On its homepage, customers may see examples of various installations and click through to learn more about specific goods.

What’s more, consumers can also select their favorite controller, add accessories, read reviews and FAQs, and go through installation instructions.

8. RTW Wheels

Don’t forget RTW Wheels if you wish to build a successful car ecommerce website like it. First and foremost, RTW Wheels is a Texas-based independent wheel and tire manufacturer. Besides, dealers can apply to buy OEM wheels at wholesale prices on this site. Plus, customers can learn more by visiting the company’s blog, customer reviews, FAQ, and resources. Alternatively, answering a few simple questions about your vehicle’s make, model, etc. Then, it will produce a list of products that meet your criteria, including extensive descriptions, specifications, reviews, and related items. 

9. Sportbike Track Gear

Sportbike Track Gear automotive e commerce is the perfect place for clients to purchase motorcycle components, accessories, and gear. Customers viewing the site know that all of the products have been tried and evaluated by experienced professionals because the company’s guiding principle is “if we won’t use it, we don’t sell it”.

Moreover, in order to boost sales, products in the catalog include several high-quality photos, product videos, sizing charts, and similar products that other customers have added.

10. Competition Motorsport

On its ecommerce site, Competition Motorsport distributes high-performance racing products. Best of all, large, attractive advertisements and featured products adorn the homepage. Especially, shoppers may compare products side by side, look at product photos and schematics, zoom in, and look at related items. 

11. Spindle-Source

The next website we want to suggest for you is Spindle-Source –  a well-known company that supplies high-quality automobile aftermarket parts. With this site, customers may find everything they need for your car project, from spindles to coils to lift kits. Not only that, Spindle-Source enables shoppers to explore the site’s huge inventory to see which vehicles a product fits, product specifications, reviews, related items by category, and shipping information. Plus, with dealers, they can register to participate in the company’s wholesale program.

12. Metal Tech 4×4

Last but not least in this topic is Metal Tech 4×4. In fact, this flawless automotive e commerce website specializes in the sale of high-end off-road parts and accessories. Alternatively, when using the faceted search engine of this site, customers may sift through goods. Also, examine numerous product photos, check schematics and product specifications, read reviews, download product manuals, and get a price. 

In conclusion 

To sum up, in this article, we deliver you the Top best car ecommerce websites you should refer to give more ideas to develop your business. All in all, Arrowtheme hopes you can get useful and necessary information. In case you are wondering about any problem, let’s CONTACT US for more details.