One of the primary challenges we faced was that users didn’t fully understand what SmartPath is—or why it should matter to them during their vehicle shopping experience. Despite SmartPath offering a more streamlined, flexible, and dealership-connected online shopping journey, many users either overlooked its presence or misunderstood its purpose. The benefits—such as real-time inventory, transparent pricing, and the ability to complete more of the car-buying process online—weren’t surfacing in a way that felt relevant or valuable to the average shopper. This lack of clarity led to:

- Low engagement with SmartPath tools like the Payment Estimator and Trade-In User confusion between traditional browsing vs. SmartPath-enhanced experiences
- Drop-off from critical pages like the Vehicle Details Page before conversion actions
- Our challenge was to reposition SmartPath not just as a feature, but as a trusted companion—something that empowers shoppers with control, clarity, and confidence at every step.

The way I conducted user research was through utilizing the Google Forms platform to structure a 20 question survey. I was fortunate enough to get, providing me with a semi-large sample size. This helped with the development and design of the solutions in our new version of the iOS mobile app. I’ve provided some key questions below from the surveys I administered.