Boosting car sales with efficient search and integrations

the starting point

Our collaboration began early in 2023 when Rinta-Joupin Autoliike was looking for a new partner to develop their digital sales channel. The previous site was built with headless technology. There was no need to touch the functionalities, but renewing the architecture aimed to bring speed to the site’s performance, further development, and content management.

The work started with an extensive mapping: we audited the source code and architecture and identified the bottlenecks. Based on the results, we formed a joint plan for a new site with a simpler architecture, while retaining all the old functionalities.

The site, implemented with the new architecture, was launched in late 2023, and since then, we have been developing it in close cooperation with Rinta-Joupin Autoliike. Over the years, our collaboration has shaped into a true partnership: we are in contact almost daily and act more as an extension of Rinta-Joupin Autoliike’s marketing team than as an external partner from whom strictly defined projects are ordered.

technical implementation

Vehicle search

The search for individual vehicles is by far the most important feature on the site and the core of the entire business. As one of the most significant renewals, we designed and implemented it from scratch. The goal was clearer and more user-friendly search – today, the filters and results form a more intuitive whole that is pleasant to browse. A search alert was also added to the search, allowing the user to subscribe to an email notification when a vehicle fitting their needs becomes available for sale.

Behind the search is a powerful search engine that returns results from a large selection lightning-fast, even when multiple filters are active simultaneously. In further development, we switched the search engine to the open-source Typesense solution. It brought more speed to the search as well as over 80% cost savings annually.

Vehicle data and integrations

The care salespersons maintain a DMS/ERP system containing information on every vehicle for sale. We built an integration where data moves from the system to WordPress and is presented to the user on the website. The data is also enriched from auxiliary systems, and AI structures it into more readable format and picks out essential points to be used elsewhere on the site. One significant solution improving the user experience is the AI-assisted equipment categorization: instead of long and heavy lists, the vehicles’ equipment is automatically grouped under clear subheadings. When a vehicle’s information is updated and the system detects changes in the equipment, the data is automatically directed to the AI for recategorization.

The customer can make financing calculations and start the application process directly from the vehicle’s page. The financing functionalities are integrated into a system provided by a third party: the calculator’s data updates in real-time whenever the user changes the values. A vehicle can also be reserved directly, guiding the customer to the reservation fee payment. In addition, one can request a video presentation of the vehicle or add it to an offer basket, which allows requesting an offer for multiple vehicles at once.

Form contacts are automatically transmitted to the DMS/CRM system for the staff to process. If the backend system is temporarily down due to a maintenance break, for example, the form submission is received normally, and the integration takes care of the data transfer later. This ensures a smooth customer experience and guarantees that not a single lead is missed. The integration also supports attaching images to forms, which is a rare feature in CRM integrations.

User account

A login feature has been implemented on the site, allowing customers to update their own information, add their own vehicles, save their favorites and track their price development, and edit their search alerts. As a small detail improving the user experience, a logged-in user’s information is automatically filled into forms, and one’s own vehicle can be offered directly as a trade-in. In the future, the customer’s transaction history with Rinta-Joupin Autoliike will be made visible as part of their own account.

Performance and monitoring

The site uses Cloudflare, which ensures good performance and protection against cyber attacks. The reliable architecture has also proven its strength in practice: in an article, we explain how Rinta-Joupin Autoliike’s traffic flowed without issues at the same thime when competitors’ sites were down (in Finnish). For monitoring integrations, we use our own Everwatch tool, which brings the status of all integrations into a dashboard. In an error situation, Everwatch sends a real-time alert to our account and Care team so that business-critical issues can be reacted to quickly.

continuous collaboration

Rinta-Joupin Autoliike now has at its disposal a modern WordPress site, easy-to-use content management, and reliable background processes, as well as a partner who doesn’t just tag along but acts as an active co-driver on the shared journey to becoming the country’s largest used vehicle dealership.

After the technical renewal, the same core team has continued developing the site. Having the same creators involved from the beginning has been crucial for the success of the occasionally very fast-paced development.

During the long partnership, we have come to know Rinta-Joupin Autoliike’s business in detail. We share a common view of the needs and customer behavior – this helps us suggest and implement features that serve the business and the users. The shared overall picture, combined with the active use of analytics in decision-making, ensures that any pain points hindering sales are effectively identified, and that new features do not cause such issues either.