Digital influence study

Understanding the role and influence of various sites across stages in the car shopping process.

The beginning of the buyer decision journey can be confusing. Shoppers are filtering through so much information and their path to purchase feels complex.

new vehicle shoppers are undecided on a vehicle

new vehicle shoppers cross-shop with used vehicles

Digital Influence Study

The Digital Influence Study explores the role and influence of various sites across stages in the shopping process for new vehicle shoppers and recent new vehicle purchasers. Click here to see how third-party sites influence changes in their consideration and their final purchase decision.

The average new vehicle shopper spends 105 days in market.

Experience the consumer journey
Consider the consumer journey
Select the consumer journey
Buy the consumer journey
Restart the consumer journey

Explore - 50 Days

Initial exploration of brands and vehicles available in the market and just starting to think about next vehicle purchase.

Consider - 28 Days

Actively building a list of brands and vehicles to consider for next vehicle purchase and researching those of interest.

Select - 19 Days

Selected the brand(s) or vehicle(s) on consideration list, visited a dealership to look at vehicles, but have not started the buying process

Buy - 8 Days

Ready to engage with a dealership in negotiations or conversations about sales price, trade-in, and financing.

Explore50 Days

Consider28 Days

Select19 Days

Buy8 Days

New vehicle shoppers spend most time in explore & consider stages because they don't have an exact vehicle in mind

The ability to influence through automotive advertisements is highest during the explore and consider stages.

% Auto ads are helpful in decisions

% Researched a brand / vehicle after seeing an advertisement

Explore
84
38
Consider
79
39
Select
63
26
Buy
65
22

Automotive Ad Recall is highest on third-party sites.

Recall of auto ads highest on third party sites.

top websites that shoppers recall seeing advertising online:

45

THIRD PARTY SITES

43

DEALER WEBSITES

37

OEM SITES

32

SOCIAL MEDIA

22

NEWS AND MEDIA WEBSITES

Third Party sites have more influence over consideration

75

of new vehicle shoppers in the consider stage have already changed their consideration set

26

THIRD PARTY SITE

16

DEALER SITE

20

OEM SITES

14

SEARCH SITES

7

SOCIAL MEDIA

Third party sites remain an influential piece of the journey among new vehicle shoppers

New vehicles shoppers prefer third party sites over all others

"If I could only visit one type of website to research a vehicle purchase, I would choose..."
33

28%

OEM SITE

19%

Dealer Site

12%

Search Site

3%

SOCIAL MEDIA

Website(s) used for final decision on the make

Among New Vehicle Buyers

Third-Party Websites

Dealer Websites

OEM Sites

Search Sites

Social Media

Third Party Sites are viewed as trusted and unbiased

Top benefits for each site

Third Party

  • Unbiased
  • Trustworthy
  • Reliable
  • Knowledgeable

OEM

  • Knowledgeable
  • Detailed Information
  • Accurate Information
  • Comprehensive

Dealer

  • Accurate Information

Search

  • Easy to find content

Social

  • Not a top site for any benefits

They have an unbiased opinion and have a larger amount of information and different types of cars and brands.

Every brand is at your fingertips. You don’t have to go from site to site which is tedious.

New vehicle buyers start and end their shopping on third-party sites

New buyers are highly likely to start and end their shopping on a third party site.

81

of new vehicle buyers visited at least 2 websites

First & Last Website Visited

Among those visiting multiple websites.

13%
22%
52%
13%

First

5%
11%
49%
35%

Last

Search sites

Third-party sites

OEM sites

Dealership sites

63% of shoppers interact with us before purchasing their new vehicle. Cut through the clutter and reach more shoppers when it matters most in their journey.

Digital influence study

  • This online study was conducted during June 2019 among 1,800 new vehicle shoppers AND recent new vehicle purchasers.
  • Ages 18-70 years old
  • Shoppers: plan to purchase within next 6 months
  • Buyers: recently purchased in the past 6 months
  • Research completed by KS&R, an independent market research firm headquartered in Syracuse, NY.

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