Survey: Automaker Sites’ Clout With Buyers Limited

Manufacturer websites play a limited role in the early stages of the car-buying process, according to a U.K. survey finding consumers favor automotive-content sites in the early stages of their research.

A study by market-research company Kantar finds 63% of would-be car buyers do not go to an automaker’s website in the first 30 days of their online research, instead choosing content-led sites to consider options, prices and comparisons to determine the best deal.

The study of the AutoTrader.com website measured online desktop activity over three months, tracking more than 300,000 transactions.

In a rapid path-to-purchase that takes an average of just six weeks for 85% of new-car buyers, the site visited most often by people researching new cars was AutoTrader.com with 64%, three times as many as second-place eBay, at 22%.

Brand-promiscuous buyers take just 10 steps on the fast track to purchase, the study also reveals. And while 60% say they are considering up to three brands at the outset, online behavior points to an average of just 1.8 manufacturer sites visited, suggesting many options are dismissed during initial research.

The survey found 9% of consumers considered just one car brand, while 31% looked at two brands, 25% at three and 16% at four.

AutoTrader.com display director Chris Ward says it’s clear automotive-content sites play a leading role in an increasingly rapid path to purchase for new-car buyers.

“Consumers are no longer brand-loyal and automotive sites are now where buyers make their brand comparisons and decisions – even which brand to finally purchase,” Ward says in a statement.

The Kantar research also found people do not necessarily follow their original purchase intention when considering options to buy a new, nearly new or used model.

Of those who planned to buy a nearly new car, 18% instead bought brand-new.

AutoTrader.com says a recent study of 1,024 car buyers by Aurora Market Research found the more research people do, the more likely it is they will buy a new car. Aurora found 21% of new-car buyers started out looking for a used car, while only 3% of people shoppers changed their mind and bought used.

The rise of the Internet means 62% of new-car buyers don’t contact a dealer before arriving at their facility, AutoTrader.com says. The website says this mirrors the average number of dealership visits, which has fallen 41% in the past four years to an average of 2.2 visits in 2014, according to the latest Google Gearshift report. For new-car buyers the average number of dealership visits has fallen to 1.6.