Confession time: I co-founded a company that aggregated clicks from thousands of automotive websites to determine consumer purchase intent. It was purchased in 2015, but I still feel remorse. Why? Because clicks might be killing digital marketing. In this three-part series, we'll explore the impact of clicks on digital marketing effectiveness, the true cost of clicks, and new solutions that create opportunities to resolve this dilemma.

Let's start with the fact that asking consumers to navigate a gauntlet of clicks to discover inventory and engage your local sales team has failed to perform. We don't buy clicks just to increase website traffic. We buy clicks with the hope they'll lead to a conversation about a car. Without a conversation, it's difficult to start, let alone close a deal.

But the current "click path to purchase" is riddled with friction. Consumers encounter red flag friction points like lack of tools to consolidate information, the requirement to share personal data, lack of messaging options, lack of personalized support, and difficulty finding accurate inventory and pricing information.

And even if consumers make it through the gauntlet, we've lost 99.992% of our sales prospects. Out of 100,000 auto shoppers targeted with an ad, only eight become a sales lead. And of those leads, less than half will actually have a conversation with the sales team.

The "Gauntlet of Follow Up" at the dealership level is exhausting and expensive. But there's hope. New solutions like AskOtto's Open Dialog Advertising platform can remove the click gauntlet and create fluid, friction-free processes.

Click fatigue is real, and consumers are expecting friction-free experiences. It's time to remove the clicks and start having conversations about cars. Stay tuned for part 2, where we'll explore the true cost of clicks.

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