3 days ago
New and used car dealers should be on a variety of digital marketplaces in order to ‘build trust’ with customers and maximise leads.
That is according to fresh data from Motors, which has found that the average buyer visits four car search websites before sealing a deal.
The result is the same as the last time the firm ran the survey, back in 2023, and up on 2021, when the average stood at 3.5 marketplaces.
The study, carried out as part of the firm’s new Digital Touchpoints Survey, also revealed that most motorists spend around 48 days in the buying process when it comes to choosing their next car.
Meanwhile, a whopping 95% of in-market buyers used car search websites, such as Auto Trader or Motors, in their buying process in March.
Younger buyers are the most active online car searchers led by those aged 25-34 (28%) and 35-44 (26%), with buyers under 44 tending to be the most active users of car search websites for used cars.
On the flip side, older buyers (over 45) are more likely to choose dealer and manufacturer websites for new cars.
When it comes to searches for used cars by fuel type, the focus for nearly two-thirds of buyers is on (ICE) vehicles with petrol at 44% and diesel at 20%. Interest in hybrids is strong at 22%, ahead of EVs at 14%.
The average time spent looking for a car is 48 days, with new and used cars evenly split at 50 and 51 days respectively, although nearly new car searches, for vehicles under two years old, are less at 41 days.
Women typically spend longer (54 days) searching for a car than men (43 days). The fastest decision makers are aged 25-34 (42 days) and the slowest are over 65 (57 days).
The longest searches by fuel type are for EVs (52 days), followed by hybrids and petrol (both 49 days) and diesel (45 days).
Reacting to the findings, Motors’ marketing director Lucy Tugby said: ‘The latest Digital Touchpoints Survey shows how buyers continue to choose not to lock into a single car search website, preferring to see the vehicle they are interested in being advertised on different platforms.
‘We know from our conversations with dealers that multisite advertising builds assurance and trust through transparency as listings can be compared on a like-for-like basis.
‘The research also shows how buyers currently in the market expect to spend several weeks searching for their next purchase, highlighting the importance of ensuring listings are kept up-to-date and prices constantly reviewed.’
The findings of the survey were based on 3,000 active car buyers and were independently researched by Insight Advantage.
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The post The importance of dealers being on multiple car search sites is revealed in new Motors’ survey appeared first on Car Dealer Magazine.
