Online marketing zooms consumers down the road to buy the cars of their dreams
You'd think that buying a car---especially a pricey luxury model---was all about being there in person to whiff the new car smell, feel the sinuous curves, and kick the tires (just before they throw you out).
That's true, but our recent survey into the online habits and preferences of luxury auto shoppers shows that online sources also play a critical role in the shopping process---and offer marketers many touch points along the buyer's autobahn.
Here are a few key findings:
- Consumers use more online sources (4.8) than offline sources (4.2) while luxury car shopping
- When gathering information before purchase, the most popular digital sources are online ads (40%); news websites (23%); video sites (22%); and blogs (20%)
- While hunting down their dream car, shoppers visit review sites (66%) and dealer sites (54%) more than they visit actual dealerships (47%); search engines are in the race too (46%)
How have you used online sources in your car-buying quest? Please pull over and share your story.
