More new-car buyers use tablets, smart phones to plan purchase

More new-car buyers use tablets, smart phones to plan purchase

Tablets and smart phones are used by one in five new-vehicle buyers who use the Internet in the automotive shopping process, according to a new study by J.D. Power and Associates.

Nearly 80 percent of new-vehicle buyers use the Internet to research their vehicle purchase, and 99 percent of those use a desktop or laptop at some point in the purchase process. But 20 percent also use a smart phone – most of them at the dealership, accessing pricing, model and inventory information and comparing vehicles. Eighteen percent use a tablet.

It is important for websites to provide consistency across their sites and apps, no matter what device is being used to access the information, says Arianne Walker, senior director of automotive media and marketing solutions at J.D. Power. Dealers should take care that their site can be easily navigated from any device.

Nearly 60 percent of Internet users narrow their choice to one model in the week before purchase. Nearly all buyers visit manufacturer websites during their shopping process, followed by third party websites (81 percent), dealer sites (73 percent) and social media sites (5 percent). Dealer sites are mostly used for inventory and dealer-specific information, such as directions, hours and contact information.