Research shows that 87% of car buyers used the internet
A recent survey conducted by eBay, Gumtree SA’s holding company, showed that 87% of respondents used the internet in some way as part of their car purchasing process and over 60% indicated that they are more likely to purchase a car online.
Gumtree SA’s Automotive Head, Jeff Osborne, said that online platforms are increasingly used at every stage of the purchase journey from initial research through the serious consideration phase to final viewing and purchase.
Gumtree alone sees over 200,000 unique browsers visiting the Autos category every month and more than 200,000 Autos ads live at any given time.
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“It is a massive marketplace that dealers know they cannot ignore, demonstrated by the fact that 64% of our listings are now from dealers as against a 50/50 split only a short while ago,” said Osborne.
The Automotive Head believes this should be a wake-up call to those dealers who are not operating on the site. “They are missing out on a vibrant sales space which is only going to get bigger,” he added.
Osborne describes Gumtree Autos users as “committed browsers who do not often cross into other categories – they are usually only looking to buy or sell a vehicle”.
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Research has shown that male and female buyers are equally likely to use the internet in car purchasing, however, there are some interesting gender differences in the key factors in decision making.
“Women consider the price of the vehicle to be the key consideration in a purchase, this is then followed by fuel economy and safety, whereas the brand of the car was found to be the most important attribute for men,” Osborne concluded.
Source: Gumtree South Africa and Ogilvy & Mather PR Cape Town