Whether you’re an auto repair shop or a department store, the internet is the easiest way to reach millennials; this is probably not a surprise to anyone. But the way that millennials use the internet – and the way they shop online – might surprise some.
Blackhawk Engagement Solutions conducted a study to determine the shopping patterns of millennials. Here are a couple of statistics from their study:
Eighty-nine percent report that their primary connection to the internet is their smartphone.
Social Media is the most popular shopping news source, with 55% relying on it to make decisions. In fact social media beats out friends and family! Only 36% reach out to friends and family outside of social media when making a shopping decision.
If you run a repair shop and you’re looking for new customers, Millennials are among the best targets. Since they’re younger, they haven’t yet formed a strong relationship with a repair shop yet, making them more likely to try out a new shop. And since they tend to purchase cars which are previously used, they are less likely to take their vehicle back to the dealership for repairs (because it isn’t under warranty).
This is why we always recommend that repair shops ensure that their pages are mobile friendly, and that shops maintain a presence on social media platforms. Over half of all web searches are conducted on smartphones now, but that number jumps to 9 out of 10 for Millennials – if your website doesn’t show up properly on a phone, you’re going to miss this entire generation of purchasers. And while you can reach this generation with your websites, reviews and testimonials, a social media presence is the easiest way to assist with name recognition when they’re asking around about local shops.
