According to JD Power and associates, there's an increase in the number of new car shoppers looking for information on auto manufacturer websites. As opposed to just a few years back when most shoppers (62%) visited an independent new-vehicle website first and just 36% visited an auto manufacturer's website, JD Power's study says the numbers are now more similar.
Today, 47% of new-vehicle buyers are first using an independent site like auto123.com in their shopping process while 46% first check out a manufacturer site. These numbers aren't limited to the start of the purchase process either- as shoppers are using the internet through the entire purchase process more than ever before.
"As automotive manufacturers have steadily pulled advertising dollars out of traditional media and redirected them toward digital media and search engine marketing, manufacturer Web site visitation has increased," said Steve Witten, director of marketing/media research at J.D. Power and Associates. "Since the automotive industry makes some of the largest advertising expenditures in the United States, a small shift in the percentage of marketing dollars to digital media has quickly leveled the visitation share between manufacturer and independent sites."
In other words, carmakers are going online, and the customers are following them there.
Other reasons for the increase in carmaker website visitation? JD Power says it has to do with continual improvements in usability and site content. In fact, yet another JD Power study says that overall website usability in the automotive industry is 6 percent better than it was in 2003.
Another trend has to do with consumer ratings and reviews, and JD Power says that well over 60 percent of new-vehicle buyers who use the internet in the buying process also read one or more types of consumer-generated content. The most popular are user reviews and ratings, though blogs, photo sharing sites and online forums are also important. In the past few years, the internet has facilitated a new phenomenon where thousands of owners of a certain make or model of vehicle can virtually occupy the same online space to share knowledge and answer questions.
"Consumer reviews are almost always available on the most heavily trafficked independent Web sites, which is likely contributing to high usage of consumer reviews among shoppers," Witten said. "Lower usage of other consumer-generated content may be due to lower visibility. However, opportunities exist to invite vehicle shoppers and owners to share content on the Web, especially for independent sites, which might have fewer concerns about negative comments and reviews. Taking advantage of these opportunities will in turn encourage greater engagement among site visitors and provide content that shoppers are clearly finding valuable."
Today, 47% of new-vehicle buyers are first using an independent site like auto123.com in their shopping process while 46% first check out a manufacturer site. These numbers aren't limited to the start of the purchase process either- as shoppers are using the internet through the entire purchase process more than ever before.
"As automotive manufacturers have steadily pulled advertising dollars out of traditional media and redirected them toward digital media and search engine marketing, manufacturer Web site visitation has increased," said Steve Witten, director of marketing/media research at J.D. Power and Associates. "Since the automotive industry makes some of the largest advertising expenditures in the United States, a small shift in the percentage of marketing dollars to digital media has quickly leveled the visitation share between manufacturer and independent sites."
In other words, carmakers are going online, and the customers are following them there.
Other reasons for the increase in carmaker website visitation? JD Power says it has to do with continual improvements in usability and site content. In fact, yet another JD Power study says that overall website usability in the automotive industry is 6 percent better than it was in 2003.
Another trend has to do with consumer ratings and reviews, and JD Power says that well over 60 percent of new-vehicle buyers who use the internet in the buying process also read one or more types of consumer-generated content. The most popular are user reviews and ratings, though blogs, photo sharing sites and online forums are also important. In the past few years, the internet has facilitated a new phenomenon where thousands of owners of a certain make or model of vehicle can virtually occupy the same online space to share knowledge and answer questions.
 |
"Consumer reviews are almost always available on the most heavily trafficked independent Web sites, which is likely contributing to high usage of consumer reviews among shoppers," Witten said. "Lower usage of other consumer-generated content may be due to lower visibility. However, opportunities exist to invite vehicle shoppers and owners to share content on the Web, especially for independent sites, which might have fewer concerns about negative comments and reviews. Taking advantage of these opportunities will in turn encourage greater engagement among site visitors and provide content that shoppers are clearly finding valuable."