The Increasing Importance of Mobile in Used Car Purchases

In today’s society, our mobile phones are part of everything we do, including buying a car. Weve’s Automotive Research 2017 investigated how mobiles were used throughout the car purchase journey, and below are some key points from the study which show just how important these smart devices are.

“84 per cent of consumers use their mobile phone at some stage when buying a car”

Finding the perfect motor once meant going into local dealerships and letting the sales team advise you. This is no longer the case. Now, many consumers will conduct research on their mobile phones before making a decision.

“Second hand car buyers are far more likely to use automotive apps and general motoring websites” 

While new car buyers tend to use brand websites and go into physical dealerships, Weve’s research found that people looking for a used car were more likely to use general motoring apps and websites to help them make a decision.

One in 10 consumers will buy a car on their mobile

An increasing number of people are willing to purchase a vehicle completely digitally, with a tenth of consumers happy to make a purchase using their mobile device and a quarter of people happy to buy online. Consumers are constantly looking for the quickest, most convenient ways of purchasing and mobiles offer a world of information at your fingertips.

  “23 per cent of customers go through the entire process on their mobile and then purchase in a dealership”

Although, mobiles are now a significant part of buying a car, the majority of sales still take place offline. However, dealership visits are occurring later in the purchase journey, when people have already got a good general idea about the car they want. They will use their mobiles to get quotes and book test drives too and when people do visit a dealership in person, Weve found that half will still use their mobiles while they are there to check prices, specifications and stock levels elsewhere.

“The move towards mobile is disrupting the path to purchase”

According to Weve, the average period of time between a person first thinking about buying a car and actually making the purchase is continually decreasing. The process will now take the typical consumer just six weeks.

What Does This Mean for Dealers?

Mobiles are becoming an integral aspect of the car purchase journey, so you need to make sure that your website is mobile responsive, encouraging consumers to use their phones to research your products and services.

While mobiles are increasingly important for car buyers, the window of opportunity for marketing is becoming smaller. This means that dealers may want to think about creating and optimising mobile advertising campaigns.

Mobile Targeting

Mobile targeting can ensure that you are reaching potential customers effectively with your adverts during their purchase journey.

Tailored Audiences: With mobile targeting technology, you can build a campaign which allows you to filter consumers with high-conversion potential based on their other mobile activities.

Location Technology: Technology like geofences, WiFi and GPS can be used to help you reach your audience at the best place and time.

For more information on how Click Dealer can help your dealership with mobile targeting or other ways of developing your online presence further, get in touch today on marketing@clickdealer.co.uk, 01782 478 220 or via our contact page.