Background
Car inventory became a major problem across the auto industry and our client, an auto resale company, was getting price estimates through a third-party service. Our client decided to cut costs and enhance the customer experience by building a custom software platform. The goal was to create a model of pricing based on current inventory and estimates from other used car platforms, and then use its own algorithm to find a point at which the client could purchase a car and sell it at a profit. The shift to custom software accelerated our client’s need for ongoing, prioritized web enhancements, beginning with a brand refresh implementation and search optimization. SingleStone supported the client in its shift to a user-centered, product organization by establishing and embedding product best practices within the custom software solution.
Response
Discovery revealed customers expect car buying and car consigning to be frictionless, but the current experience required in person and digital interactions, which needed to change.
Functionality was top of mind for employees and customers. We used the following tech stack: Material UI, TypeScript, React, C# Azure Functions (like an AWS Lambda), Azure Service Bus, and Azure Key Vault.
The solution presented Users a way to identify their car by VIN or LP/State. It searched a third-party web service to get all possible configuration information about that vehicle with a pricing model included. Users were presented with a survey form based on the vehicle information received for their identified car, allowing them to select car configuration details specific to their model, including potential damages or upgrades and customer contact information.
Users submitted the survey and vehicle pricing model to our backend estimate evaluator. The solution presented a trade-in offer price to the customer based on the above results, delivering a frictionless customer experience.
Result
- The survey on the frontend was much simpler for Users to navigate and complete to get their used car estimate
- Functionality was achieved by having the story displayed on the front end for Users to stay present and engaged
- The client more than doubled its conversion rate
- Great for Users because the frontend process was streamlined; great for business because more Users saw the survey to completion