BURLINGTON, Vt. – Dealer.com today announced the launch of two all-new Digital Retailing capabilities, Video Chat and CoBrowse, to help dealers seamlessly communicate with shoppers during the car buying process. As consumers navigate this period of disruption, they are turning to technology for what used to be in-person, consultative interactions. These new tools, powered by global conversational solutions provider LivePerson (Nasdaq: LPSN), will create a more engaging environment for dealers to expand their omnichannel and online capabilities to further drive sales.

The pandemic has shown us business challenges but also presented new opportunities for us to better service our clients.

Navigating a deal online can be intimidating and a recent Cox Automotive COVID-19 Consumer Impact Study shows that 37% of six-month intenders are less likely to visit a dealership in-person due to Coronavirus concerns. In this new world where car shoppers might be unable to physically visit a dealership, Dealer.com is launching features to bring customers a real-time look and feel to car buying, allowing them to sit virtually with an associate and easily go through the entire process online. 

Through the integration with LivePerson, Video Chat and CoBrowse are aimed at creating a more engaging environment for online shoppers with seamless navigation and more interactive features:

• Video Chat – consumers can chat with dealers over video, initiated from the Digital Retailing application via LivePerson’s conversational platform.

• CoBrowse – shoppers can share their screens with dealers while shopping, allowing dealers to guide consumers through the deal creation process as if they were sitting with the consumer at the store.

With these newly added enhancements, customers can now communicate with a dealer associate and work through the buying process online, viewing the same payments, terms and vehicle details as they would in-person.

"The pandemic has shown us business challenges but also presented new opportunities for us to better service our clients,” said Wayne Pastore, vice president and general manager of Dealer.com. “We strongly believe that a seamless connection between the digital to in-store retail experience drives a more satisfying experience for the shopper, leading to improved close rates. The top priority with our suite of retailing and digital products is to assist dealers in delivering a shopping experience that makes shoppers feel comfortable, informed and excited to buy a car.”

“We’re excited to provide the innovative technologies that give shoppers great experiences and help them make informed decisions, even in these uncertain times,” said Tom Karrat, senior vice president Global Commercial Sales, Solutions and Success at LivePerson. “Working with Dealer.com, we’re proud to enable low-contact experiences that are frictionless and safe for both employees and customers.”

For more information on VideoChat and CoBrowse visit https://www.dealer.com/products/digital-retailing/make-deals.