Relieve Auto Buyer's Online Anxiety

Every page on your website has the potential to cause anxiety in your prospective auto buyers. That's because each page asks (or should ask) them to do something. This includes clicks to a deeper page. Part of your quest is to reduce this friction that results in inaction. I know, easier said than done.

However, once you realize the following things, you can address their stress points.

• anxiety is not rational
• abundance of options causes indecision
• each additional field on a form increases stress
• each web page should carry a mini value proposition
• incentives can overcome anxiety

Anxiety in purchasing a car is natural. It's a big expenditure for most people and there are so many options that choice is difficult. We want to be right about our decisions, although when confronted with many options, our stress level increases, along with our indecision.

• Do we want the blue one or the red one? Hey, that new orange color is cool!
  
• Can we live without the SLT package?
• Are front airbags enough or do we need side airbags too?
• How safe will I really be?
• Are they serious about this gas mileage?
• What will I give up if I buy a hybrid?

One of the strategies to addressing website visitor anxiety is to look at the paths your customers take through your website and analyze each step. Imagine what goes through the potential buyer's mind with each choice to click. What are they thinking? What is your web page asking them to do? Does the sequence make sense to them?

Now, for each call to action (click, form, etc.), find the relevant value proposition. If it's not on the page, make sure you add it. Why should the visitor click or participate? Are you setting clear expectations? Are you delivering when they take the action you've asked of them?

Think about your buyers and make a list of all the anxiety issues you can think of. Then apply those to your website and find the places where friction is likely to occur. Once you've enhanced the value that supports why they should take action on your pages, make sure to apply the right incentives.

An incentive is something that pays for the buyer's attention and is worth the exchange for the time they spend with you. This could be a coupon, a fun video of their ideal car, an eBrochure, or other high value information that helps them in their quest to find the perfect car for them.

The point is that you have the ability to reduce auto buyers' online anxiety by the choice you make in content presentation, form design, graphics use and navigational paths. By addressing potential anxieties you can increase their comfort level with your dealership, which leads to trust. Trust is the ultimate remedy for anxiety. You just have to think like they do.