18 June 2012

Listening to the statistics that were rattled out about online car buying at the SMMT Summit conference at the start of last week was mesmerising.
Those stats included:

• 7 out of the top 8 factors influencing car buying now happen online
• 51% of buyers didn’t buy the car they set out to own
• 83% of car buyers said online videos had influenced their choice
• mobile device searches have doubled in the past year
• 15-20% of car enquiries are now via mobile devices
• 80% of car buyers share their experience online

The most shocking fact, even though I knew the trend, was that buyers, on average, visit only 1.3 showrooms before buying, down from 5 visits six years ago.

This shows two things. First, it’s vital to know what, as a business, you’re doing when it comes to an online presence so that people do eventually end up in your showroom. And second, if a showroom visitor doesn’t buy from you – what’s gone wrong?

I know it’s a bit of a plug, but the speakers at this year’s Auto Retail Network Web Workshop event (including people from Google, eBay, Reevoo, as well as some of your fellow retailers) will hopefully give help with both these points. And if you click quickly enough, there may just be a place left.
I hope to see you there.

Tristan Young

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Tags: Auto Retail Network, buying habit, Online car buying, stastistics, Web workshop