Dealers need to maximise online presence
The latest survey from used car data expert, HPI, confirms that the internet remains the preferred research tool used by motorists when looking to buy a used car, with 84% of consumers visiting online classifieds, such as Auto Trader or Fish4Cars. Interestingly though, the majority of used car buyers surveyed also said they believe they will find a better price online than when visiting dealer showrooms. HPI is therefore urging dealers to maximise their online presence in order to attract buyers onto their virtual or physical forecourts.
Whilst online classifieds were most favoured by consumers when conducting their research, 54% said they also went to auction sites, such as eBay and 45% visited local dealer websites.
Once used car buyers knew what they wanted to buy and were ready to search for the best package for their money, nearly half believed that buying online offered the most affordable prices (46%), followed by attending auctions (30%) and flicking through the classifieds (14%). Shockingly, only 10% thought that franchised and independent dealers, or car supermarkets, offered the best deals.
The good news for dealers is that the majority of respondents confirmed that they were willing to travel up to 100 miles to view a car they had seen online, with 17% willing to go over 200 miles. Finally, confirming the need for dealers to fully maximise their online offering, the survey found that choice (78%), convenience (62%) and good deals (51%) were the three most popular reasons for used car buyers to surf the web.
Daniel Burgess, Managing Director for HPI comments, “Our findings clearly demonstrate that used car buyers believe that they will find the best priced vehicle within their budget online. But dealers who place an equal emphasis on their online presence as their showrooms and forecourts shouldn’t feel too perturbed about this. With consumers generally now browsing and buying online, not just by PC but by smartphones and tablets, those dealers that treat their website as secondary now need to be taking steps to shift its priority. Being online is not enough. How you showcase your stock and where you make it accessible within the online community is key.”
HPI’s Dealer Exchange is an online publishing tool that will cost effectively and simply advertise dealers’ stock across more than 30 used car classified websites. Dealers can upload their stock quickly and easily by themselves or it can be uploaded as part of the HPI Check process. Every vehicle advertised can be supported by up to 12 images, giving dealers that extra edge needed to get the attention of buyers.