Google’s automotive retail head Lissette Gole, discusses meeting modern consumer demands

Digital retailing has become a necessity for dealers in the midst of the pandemic. However, tracking consumer activity online and increasing the efficacy of your digital marketing can be challenging. Lissette Gole, head of automotive retail for Google, joined us today to lend her perspective on digital trends and the activity of online shoppers. What’s the most effective way to boost your digital marketing? 

In this segment, Gole and anchor Jim Fitzpatrick, discuss what successful dealers are doing right now as they market their digital retailing platforms. When it comes to online retailing, some consumers are expecting and end to end, online experience from initial research to home delivery. Other consumers want a hybrid car buying process where they utilize online tools and still go into the showroom. Google is seeing various changes and shifts across that buying journey, and they aim to help dealers prepare for all of those changes. 

However, the majority of consumers, if not all, seek a friction-less, customer-led, end-to-end, purchasing experience. According to Google’s annual car-buying process research study, consumers are no longer visiting five dealerships. They are visiting one to two. These visits are not to do research either; they are done to transact. Additionally, Google has seen a huge jump in the number of online transactions from 1% in 2018 to 10% in the first half of 2020.

Lissette Gole brings almost 17 years of automotive retail experience to her position at Google. Prior to her career in the automotive space, Gole also worked in the F&I and service departments for marine dealerships.

Did you enjoy this interview with Google’s Lissette Gole? Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions regarding this topic with host Jim Fitzpatrick at jfitzpatrick@cbtnews.com.