Consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic are turning to technology for what used to be in-person, consultative interactions, says Dealer.com.

Because of that, Dealer.com has launched two new digital retailing capabilities that it says can help dealers more easily communicate with shoppers during the car-buying process.

Global conversational services provider LivePerson is powering those new capabilities, called Video Chat and CoBrowse, and Dealer.com says they will create a more engaging environment for dealers to boost their omnichannel and online capabilities, which can in turn help increase sales.

Dealer.com, a Cox Automotive brand, said navigating a deal online can be intimidating, and the company sourced a recent Cox Automotive COVID-19 Consumer Impact Study showing that because of coronavirus concerns, 37% of six-month intenders are less likely to visit a dealership in-person.

Car shoppers might not be able to physically visit a dealership during the current environment, so Dealer.com is launching features that it says can provide a real-time look and feel to car buying for customers. That means they can sit virtually with an associate and conduct the entire process online.

Video Chat and CoBrowse, through the integration with LivePerson, can create a more engaging environment for online shoppers with eased navigation and more interactive features. Those include:

— Video Chat: Consumers can chat with dealers over video, initiated from the Digital Retailing application via LivePerson’s conversational platform.

— CoBrowse: Shoppers can share their screens with dealers while shopping, which means dealers can guide consumers through the deal creation process as if they were sitting with the consumer at the store.

With those enhancements, customers can now communicate with a dealer associate as they would in person, working through the buying process online and viewing payments, terms and vehicle details.

"The pandemic has shown us business challenges, but also presented new opportunities for us to better service our clients,” Dealer.com vice president and general manager Wayne Pastore said in a news release.

Pastore said the company believes a strong connection between the digital and in-store retail experience means a more satisfying shopper experience, and that leads to improved close rates.

“The top priority with our suite of retailing and digital products is to assist dealers in delivering a shopping experience that makes shoppers feel comfortable, informed and excited to buy a car,” Pastore said.

“We’re excited to provide the innovative technologies that give shoppers great experiences and help them make informed decisions, even in these uncertain times,” said Tom Karrat, senior vice president global commercial sales, solutions and success at LivePerson.

Karrat continued, “Working with Dealer.com, we’re proud to enable low-contact experiences that are frictionless and safe for both employees and customers.”