Another study confirms what auto manufacturers and dealers already know: online car buyers are hitting the web in droves to research their next purchase of a new or used vehicle. But the new study from Feedback Research, a division of Claria Corp., also suggests that online car shoppers know in advance the type of vehicle, if not the brand, they want before starting their Internet research.
The study, which includes more than 250 respondents, finds that 63% of online vehicle shoppers know from the beginning of their web research which type of vehicle they want to purchase and only consider that one type while comparing different brands.
The survey also found that finding the right price remains the most important factor to 58% of the online car buyers Feedback Research surveyed. Other important factors in the online car shopping experience include researching the size of the car (51%), the reputation of the car manufacturer (48%) and a vehicle’s design and style (46%).
Online car shoppers also tend to make speedier buying decisions. The study found that 61% of car buyers bought a car, truck or sport utility vehicle within two months of beginning their web search.
Of the third-party vehicle comparison sites, the Feedback Research study found that the most visited destinations were Autobytel.com followed by Autoweb.com, Carsdirect.com, Automotive.com and Kelley Blue Book (KBB.com). Online car buyers visit an average of five sites during the purchasing cycle, the study says.
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