by Marsh Finance on Apr 2, 2025 10:47:09 AM
88% of car buyers start their car search online. Gone are the days of multiple car dealership visits in person; customers are now virtually visiting dealerships and making their car choice remotely. As a car dealership, setting up for digital customers is key, and getting your car stock in a visible and accessible place is key to attracting and converting customers. Google’s car marketplace feature has been shelved for the last couple of years but is set to hit Europe from late 2025 to early 2026. With this in mind, how can your dealership set up your online offering to make the most of this emerging market?
The Growth Of Online Marketplaces
Both Google and Amazon have already taken the step into online car marketplaces, trialling their services in the US. Customers can now purchase cars through the Amazon site, something that is set to hit Europe in 2026. Google have taken steps to incorporate a digital car marketplace with its car listings feature. Customers searching for cars will now receive recommended options with imagery and information at the top of their search feed. Google have also committed to listing real cars on the ‘shopping’ tab of their results, presenting another area for dealerships to excel.
Investing In Digital
Google’s new algorithm will trawl sites and look for car information that matches a customer’s search intent. The best way to prepare your online stock for this is to collect car information in a clear and easily structured way. A great example of this is information like fuel type and mileage. Customers looking for a petrol car with low mileage will trigger a Google search for cars that match this description. If your data isn’t in an easily accessible format, Google might choose a rival site. Get all your information in a clear and concise layout and provide plenty of car images. Imagery helps the customer visualise themselves in the car and can help your results rank higher if you give the image a detailed description. With thousands of cars on your books, it’s best to commit to a standardised approach to car listings, which can be replicated across your inventory. This can help, in particular, with customers lacking in car knowledge. Not all car searchers are experts, and their Google request might just be ‘safe family car low mileage’. For this query, having structured information around number of seats, safety rating and general characterisation (‘family car’) can help your relevant cars sit at the top of the results. Customers are unlikely to scroll past the first set of results, so having your cars listed as high up as possible is a must.
Google’s marketplace presents great opportunities, provided your car descriptions are detailed and easily accessible by Google. Commit to a standard approach that can be implemented across your car inventory.
Harnessing The Power Of AI – Customer Automation
The days of car dealership visits during work hours are over. Many businesses find their online sites to receive the most traffic outside of opening hours, as customers return from work and their busy schedules to scroll online. If you were to enter a traditional car dealership, it’s highly likely that you’d be approached by a salesman. Now picture 100 people coming in at once, would all these customers be seen to? Online dealerships can receive hundreds of visitors a minute, and having staff on hand to greet them with chatbots can be a fantastic way to capture interest and convert there and then. AI can be a fantastic option here. AI-powered chatbots can converse with customers, ask them what cars they are interested in and present real options that customers can click on and get in touch with you about. AI is extremely flexible and can be trained up in how your business communicates with just a few simple commands. Adopt AI and handle multiple customers at once, at all times of the day.
The Bottom Line
Car dealerships are moving online, and failing to have a strong digital car marketplace presence could set your business back massively. Consider creating structured descriptions of your vehicles with sufficient imagery that Google can access easily, and watch your cars list near the top of Google’s search results. Make the most of AI and transform your customer experience, helping convert customers that have visited your site through initial successful car listings on Google.
As a car finance company committed to the online experience, Marsh Finance is well-placed to support your digital transition and provide advice to maximise your operational efficiencies. Partner today and take a major step to championing Google’s new car marketplace.