The internet continues to change buyer behaviour. According to the 2013 Automotive Buyer Influence Study commissioned by Autotrader.com with R.L Polk & Co on automotive buying, the amount of time consumers spend shopping for a car has decreased. However, the proportion of the time they spend shopping online has dramatically increased. With the endless amounts of information available on the internet, car buyers don’t need to venture out of their homes when researching their next car. The internet has enabled buyers to become much more efficient in their car search. Consumers now spend over three-quarters of their research time online.

The study revealed that used car buyers spend 77% of their research hours online. The study also looked at what types of activities buyers were performing online, and it revealed that third-party sites (such as Gumtree) were where they spent the vast majority of their time (see graphs above).

The study also showed that for both new and used Car Buyers, the internet was the principal source that led them to the dealership where they bought a car – more than 15 times of any other media source cited in the study (such as newspaper ads).

So what does this mean for car dealers? It means that having your car ads online is vital to reaching as many potential customers as possible. Not only that, but dealers also need to ensure they have their ads present across their own websites, OEM sites and most importantly, third-party sites, such as Gumtree.

Gumtree simply connects buyers and sellers. We give dealers the opportunity to connect with the 3.8 million potential buyers on the site. And the dealership is a point of focus on Gumtree. It’s showcased alongside each car ad and on the ‘Dealer Page’. Dealers are able to clearly display their address, phone number, opening hours and website as well as a logo or an image of the car yard.

Ensure you’re making the most of your Gumtree subscription. For help with your car ads, setting up your ‘Dealer Page’ or anything else, contact Dealer Support on 1300 137 304

Source: 2013 Automotive Buyer Influence Study commissioned by Autotrader.com with R.L Polk & Co