The majority of car buyers find their next vehicle online and there are many different tools available that make it possible to purchase that vehicle online too. But how many car buyers are ready to buy fully online and what should you do to prepare for them?

When we asked recent new and used vehicle buyers if they would like to buy their next vehicle completely online and have it delivered, only 1 in 10 said they would prefer buying online over buying in a dealership. This number is virtually unchanged since we first started tracking interest in online buying in 2017. While car buyers love to shop online, they still want to see and test drive the vehicle they’re going to buy in person.

However, when asked about different components of the vehicle purchase process, almost half of recent vehicle buyers say they’d like to decide on warranties, complete financing applications, determine trade-in values, negotiate, and even complete final purchase paperwork online during their next purchase.

The way to prepare for online buyers is to create a hybrid experience that allows for car buyers to complete some steps online, while seamlessly transitioning to completing other steps in person. This experience will satisfy the needs of todays buyers, while also giving you the flexibility to adapt as interest in buying online grows. After all, it wasn’t long ago consumers were afraid of buying anything online, and while few people want to buy a car online today, 1 in 3 car buyers could see themselves buying online sometime in the future.