By Tony Willard

Videos are predicted to become an increasingly important sales tool on dealers’ websites alongside a wider range of products to increase F&I revenue.

Vince Brand, head of creative services at AutoProtect, said: “In today’s digital environment, video meets customers’ desire for information that can be quickly digested.”

He said research suggested people spend an average 2.7 minutes watching an online video, so ensuring they were easy to find and “short and sweet” was the key to success.

Brand said dealers tended to offer only two or three added-value products in showrooms, but online they could introduce potential customers to far more.

“This approach is highly controlled and therefore a compliant way of helping customers to discover other options,” he said.

“With a choice between reading a page of content or watching a 60-second video explanation, video wins every time. More importantly, people retain more information when the brain is stimulated verbally and visually.”

AutoProtect uses videos to promote a range of products from asset protection to a Williams-branded ceramic and synthetic paint protection treatment for cars.

Brand said: “Customers looking online for a car can also find a dealer’s additional products and begin to make their buying decisions before entering a showroom. At the same time, video delivers its message in a controlled and highly compliant manner.”