2017 Netsertive Automotive Survey
2017 NETSERTIVE AUTOMOTIVE PATH TO PURCHASE SURVEY
How does digital marketing influence consumer's automotive purchasing decisions?
WHAT WE WANTED TO KNOW
WHAT WE DID
We used Google Consumer Surveys to gain further insight into how digital influenced the decisions of those who had purchased a new car within the past 6 months. The survey was conducted in July 2017 and included over 500 respondents, ages 18-65.
Over half of shoppers only visited 1- 2 dealerships before making a purchase.
Consumer reviews, search engines, and local dealer websites topped the list of online influence.
KEY TAKE AWAYS
Shoppers knew which brand they wanted, but were unsure of the dealership they would purchase from.
The data from the survey indicated that females visited fewer dealerships before making a purchase.
Of auto shoppers visited only 1-2 dealerships before making a purchase.
FEMALES VISITED FEWER DEALERSHIPS
Shopping for a dealership is the new normal. Over half of respondents only visited 1-2 dealerships before making their final purchase.
ONLINE RESEARCH PUTS SHOPPERS IN CONTROL
67%
“The automotive industry is extremely competitive, especially now that buying decisions are increasingly made before customers visit a dealership." “We understand the automotive landscape and the goals and challenges each dealership faces daily. At Netsertive, we use data-driven insights to help brands and dealerships execute co-op marketing campaigns to target car shoppers throughout their purchasing journey.” - Brendan Morrissey, CEO and Co-Founder of Netsertive
BABY BOOMERS ARE IN THEIR CAR-BUYING YEARS
18-24 24-34 35-44 45-54 55+
It's not all about the Millennials. The 55+ age group represented the largest group of new-vehicle buyers.
What is your current age?
Almost half of respondents spent less than one month researching before making a purchase.
THE PATH TO PURCHASE IS GAINING SPEED
How much time passed from when you first started researching to when you actually purchased the vehicle?
AGE EFFECTS TIME TO PURCHASE
Less than one month 2-4 months 5 months 12 months 16 months
Shoppers ages 18 to 34 had a shorter research cycle, less than one month. Shoppers ages 35 to 54 had a longer research cycle, two to four months.
Which of the following online sources did you use to research before purchase? Select all that apply.
46%
CHECK YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT
CONSUMER REVIEWS
While it’s clear many digital sources play a role in decision making, consumer reviews, search engines and local dealer websites topped the list of online influence.
SEARCH ENGINES
DEALER WEBSITES
DIGITAL IS KEY TO BUILDING INFLUENCE
Get a free multi-point digital inspection from one of our automotive experts and learn where you're showing up in your local market.
44%
45%
"We are capturing the lion's share of new car sales in our market, and we attribute our strong digital presence as an integral part of our success this year." "When we began working with Netsertive in 2014, we watched our website traffic and leads increase significantly. Since then, we’ve added both Netsertive’s digital video and social media advertising channels to our local search marketing campaign." Susan Hamilton, Director of Advertising Continental Mazda Anchorage, Alaska "
DIGITAL AND TRADITIONAL WORK TOGETHER
DID NOT SEE AN AD SOMEONE REFFERED ME TV NEWSPAPER RADIO BILLBOARD
While the majority of respondents' research was not prompted by another source, 29% started their online research after viewing an ad on a traditional media channel.
COMPUTER MOBILE TABLET
AUTO SHOPPERS USE MULTIPLE DEVICES
What devices did you use to research and shop for a vehicle online?
More shoppers are adopting a multi-device approach when it comes to online research.
"If customers can’t locate you online, it’s that much more difficult for them to find your showroom." "Netsertive is the only marketing company that took the time to understand our unique market. With Netsertive’s help, we’ve increased our online presence and local market awareness. We’ve also reduced the cost of connecting local automotive shoppers to the vehicle detail pages on our website, in some cases by more than 50 percent.” - John Woodman, Internet Sales Manager Cutter Automotive Galleries Honolulu, Hawaii
The majority of respondents knew the brand of vehicle they wanted to purchase, but were unsure of the dealership they would purchase from. Dealers who own their local market online will win the last mile.
When you first started looking for vehicle, which one of the following best describes your knowledge about which brand and dealership you wanted?
THE LAST MILE IS LOCAL
When you first started shopping for a new vehicle, how many models (types of vehicles) did you consider?
AUTO SHOPPERS EXPLORE THEIR OPTIONS
Almost half of respondents said they considered at least 3 models during their research process.
What is the brand of the vehicle you ultimately purchased? Contact us to view the results of this question and get even more brand-specific data!
CONTACT US NOW
BRANDS MATTER