Mobile Influence on Car Shopping

Transcription

1 Mobile Influence on Car Shopping Understanding the Role of Mobile to Today s Modern Car Shopper by Zach Englum, Associate Manager, Partner Marketing January 2017 New research shows the importance of mobile in the modern car shopper s journey. Here, we look at devices used, the actions performed, and the demographics of the modern car shopper.

2 Contents The Influence Of Mobile On Car Shopping 3 Methodology 4 Online Devices Used In Car Shopping 5 Dealership Contact 9 Apps vs. Websites 14 Online Advertising 18 Mobile Online Activities: An Infographic 21 Understanding the Role of Mobile in Car Shopping 22 2

3 The Influence of Mobile on Car Shopping Car shoppers are interacting with dealerships on mobile. It doesn t matter if it s via an app or a mobile browser on their smartphones or even a tablet, consumers are finding dealers where and when they want to find them. This is significant for many reasons. As a dealer, it means there is a need to have a constant online presence that properly merchandises inventory, have numerous methods of contact, and have their brand properly optimized for mobile. That s a difficult task when the sheer volume of vehicles is considered, along with the numerous touchpoints the Internet provides and the day-to-day operations of the dealership. But, many dealers do well with these efforts, and those that do understand mobile are the most successful today. With this white paper, we provide insight into the role that mobile plays in today s car shopper journey. We also want to provide key takeaways for dealers to help them optimize their mobile presence to take advantage of how car shoppers utilize mobile in today s digital world. We will further dive into the devices used for online car shopping from both the mobile and desktop and laptops perspective. We found that smartphones are used for nearly half of all online car shopping activities, with 46% of consumers indicating they used them. Laptops/desktops are a close second, being used for 41% of all activities. Tablets are a distant third, being used for only 13% of online car shopping activities. This begs the question: what activities are consumers performing on their mobile devices? Across nearly all car-buying activities, both smartphone and laptops/desktops are commonly used but for different purposes. When consumers were asked what they use smartphones for the most, they indicated that reading dealership reviews, deciding which dealerships to visit, and viewing maps and directions to the dealership were especially useful. Laptops/desktops are preferred for activities that include a lot of detailed information or comparing among multiple items, such as: completing credit applications for vehicle financing, viewing vehicle colors/360 vehicle views, and using the build and price vehicle tools. Over half of car shoppers have used their smartphone on dealership lots to get more information most often they are looking up vehicle prices, or comparing makes and models and one-quarter are reading dealerships reviews. We will cover all of this in more depth and offer some insight into the findings to best help dealers understand the need to have an online presence that is optimized for a mobile, always-on digital world. 3

4 Methodology Optimizing for a mobile presence is a necessity today. Life is digital. If a website isn t mobile-friendly or responsive, you re only hurting yourself. Through a questionnaire designed by Cars.com with execution and initial analysis by a third party, Versta Research, we executed a quantitative survey of 337 recent and prospective car buyers. These individuals were carefully sourced and screened from a large national research panel. All consumers were required to own and use a smartphone, have their smartphones play a role in their car shopping process, and have used the internet for this process. We had an equal mix of men and women with an age distribution aligned with the car-purchasing population at large. The survey was conducted between November 28 through December 9, The following analysis is a breakdown of this study with key takeaways to better help dealers understand the role mobile plays in the car shopping journey and help them optimize their mobile presence. 4

5 Online Devices Used In Car Shopping ARE SMARTPHONES DOMINATING ONLINE CAR SHOPPING? According to our study, smartphones are used for nearly half (46%) of online car shopping activities. Desktops or laptops are a close second, being used for 41% of all online activities. Tablets are a distant third, being used for only 13% of online car shopping activities. This shows a shift in the way consumers interact with the world today, not just in car shopping. Not long ago, desktops and laptops were the primary method of surfing the Internet and shopping online. With the advent of higher quality digital, mobile technology, consumers are allowed to shop online on their own terms. 55 Age of users who use desktops and laptops more in their car shopping. Dealers that recognize the role mobile plays in consumers lives will be the most successful in moving metal. This is why it is important to think from a mobile, digital perspective when creating an advertising strategy. Optimizing vehicle inventory to be seen on smartphones along with the necessary merchandising is key to engaging car shoppers and influencing them to choose one vehicle or dealership over another. It should be no surprise, then, that Millennials are the primary users of smartphones in car shopping. This generation has grown up with technology and has quickly adopted a mobile mindset when it comes to interacting with the world and consuming entertainment, information, or shopping online via their smartphones. 35 Age of consumers who use smartphones more in car shopping. 5

6 ONLINE DEVICES USED IN CAR SHOPPING CONTINUED KEY TAKEAWAYS When partnering with third-party vendors, choose those that are optimized for mobile Millennials are the primary users of smartphones in car shopping Tailor online messaging to recognize that car shoppers are using mobile to speak more to this audience Role of devices in car shopping 13% Tablet 41% Desktop/Laptop 46% Smartphone WHAT ARE THE PREFERRED TASKS FOR CONSUMERS USING SMARTPHONES IN THEIR CAR BUYING PROCESS? We know the role smartphones play as the device of choice in car shopping, but what actions are car shoppers performing? Smartphones are especially the device of choice for viewing maps and directions to the dealership, deciding which dealerships to visit, and reading dealership reviews. This makes sense using a mobile device while in transit to help navigate to their dealership of choice. This also means that car shoppers have made a choice and researched enough to be satisfied to choose a dealership s lot to visit. The high prevalence of use of dealership reviews on smartphones also shows that consumers may be cross-shopping competitor dealerships while on the lot. Auto shoppers want real-time information. We know from our own research that 63 percent of auto shoppers were still researching dealerships after showing up at a dealer s lot, and more than half of those visited additional dealerships based on what they found via their mobile devices 1. 1 Behavioral Analytics on Mobile, Cars.com, Q

7 ONLINE DEVICES USED IN CAR SHOPPING CONTINUED Millennials use smartphones more often than others across many car shopping activities. KEY TAKEAWAYS Car shoppers are using smartphones to read dealer reviews maybe even cross shopping while on the lot Car shoppers have made a choice about visiting a dealership when using their smartphones to navigate to the dealer s lot Car shoppers are comparing vehicle prices and photos on their smartphones Device usage in specific car-shopping activities Base size Smartphone Desktop/ Laptop Viewing dealership map/directions n=66 80% 44% Deciding on dealerships to visit n=167 66% 50% Reading dealership reviews n=106 68% 58% Looking at vehicle prices n=285 68% 61% Viewing vehicle photos n=254 66% 61% Reading vehicle reviews Reading editorial content on vehicles (i.e., Car & Driver articles) Reading dealership service department reviews Determining vehicle makes and models to research/look at Using a payment estimator n=188 62% 57% n=85 60% 56% n=53 58% 58% n=189 59% 62% n=29 53% 60% WHAT TASKS ARE DONE MOST ON DESKTOPS AND LAPTOPS? We can t discuss the role mobile plays in the car shopping journey without understanding the role that desktops and laptops play as well. Desktops and laptops are especially the device of choice for viewing vehicle colors/360 vehicle views, completing credit applications for vehicle financing, and using build and price vehicle tools. Essentially, desktops and laptops are used for those tasks that may seem more laborious to the consumer providing detailed information via online forms or more video-heavy experiences that are deemed easier to perform with larger screens and keyboards. 7

8 ONLINE DEVICES USED IN CAR SHOPPING CONTINUED Desktops and laptops have their place, and when used, one could assume that consumers are highly focused and engaged when giving in-depth information in this way. Screen size can also play a role in collecting various types of information, and it could just be a preference amongst some car shoppers to use desktops and laptops in some cases. We see here that most consumers are searching dealership inventory on their desktops and laptops. Car shoppers may be in their early stage of shopping, wanting to choose vehicles, review specs, and incentives to later compare vehicles and move to their mobile device. 59% of car shoppers are searching dealership inventory on their desktops or laptops. KEY TAKEAWAYS Be sure to provide detailed merchandising on your vehicles in order to entice car shoppers to consider you when they are early in their car shopping journey Provide numerous and detailed photos of your inventory for car shoppers to review they may be used to compare on a smartphone later on Train your sales teams to identify consumers on the lot using their smartphones and have them approach them with engaging conversation Device usage in specific car-shopping activities (cont.) Getting a quote from a dealer on a vehicle Searching incentives offered on vehicle purchases Searching dealership inventory Comparing vehicle makes and models Viewing available vehicle options and features Determining trade-in value Visiting the manufacturer website (Ford, Toyota, Honda, etc.) Build and price vehicle tools Completeing a credit application for vehicle financing Viewing vehicle colors/ 360 vehicle views Base size Smartphone Desktop/ Laptop n=123 51% 59% n=119 53% 61% n=164 59% 67% n=224 55% 64% n=195 55% 66% n=147 46% 59% n=163 47% 71% n=116 41% 67% n=60 38% 65% n=139 42% 70% 8

9 Dealership Contact HOW ARE CONSUMERS FINDING DEALERSHIP INFORMATION? Half of shoppers go directly to dealerships, rather than contacting them ahead of time. That s a big insight! Half of consumers do not send an or phone lead before showing up to the dealership. These same car shoppers are most likely using their smartphones for maps and directions, making these metrics even more valuable when evaluating digital ad spend. This also makes proper attribution of car shoppers on a dealership s lot all the more important. 50% of car shoppers do not contact a dealership before showing up on the lot. One-quarter submit contact information and another quarter call for an appointment. This is also important. While we know that half of car shoppers do not send a traditional lead like phone or , one-quarter still do send traditional leads making these important lead types to monitor. We also see that 14% submit lead information via their mobile device. Here, the data on dealership information sources points out the need for understanding the car shopper lead path journey. While search engines came out on top as the number one source at 71%, that does not indicate where consumers started their journey. Indeed, by the time a consumer chooses to type in a make or model or a dealership name, they ve researched enough to actively seek out that information from that specific dealer. Lastclick attribution is not representative of how car shoppers initially found a dealership. 9

10 DEALERSHIP CONTACT CONTINUED Those under 45 more often use social media to find dealership information. KEY TAKEAWAYS Ensure you have an attribution process to know how consumers found your dealership and work with your third-party vendors Create a holistic approach to understanding how consumers are researching you Evaluate your SEO & SEM spend and place your advertising dollars where consumers start their journey to lead them to you and to ultimately see them show up on your lot Dealership information sources Search engine (Google, Bing, etc.) Dealer website 71% 68% Third party automotive sites (Cars.com, AutoTrader, Edmunds, TrueCar, CarGurus, etc.) 42% Manufacturer website 26% Social media site 24% Yelp.com 18% YellowPages.com 9% None of these apps 1% Dealership contact methods 22% Call the dealership to set up an appointment 50% Go directly to the dealership 14% 14% Submit my contact information to dealership on a desktop/laptop computer 1% Other Submit my contact information to dealership on my mobile phone 10

11 DEALERSHIP CONTACT CONTINUED DO CONSUMERS USE SMARTPHONES WHEN CONTACTING DEALERSHIPS? Yes! But to what degree? Smartphones are primarily used for phone calls, texts, and online maps. Desktops or laptops are used primarily for online chat and though the percent to which all are used for chat and is close between them. Smartphones, after all, are meant to make communication easier and the consumption of entertainment and information easier on the go. It s no surprise that when consumers do choose to contact a dealership, smartphones are their preferred method. The same logic goes for chat and being used on desktops and laptops it s sensible though smartphones can be used for these methods as well. Car shoppers will contact dealerships whenever they want and how they want on their own terms, which means it s a necessity for dealers to make themselves available by any means necessary to optimize their mobile presence. 56% of car shoppers use smartphones on dealership lots. Shoppers under age 55 are more likely to use smartphones on the lot, which is interesting. Generally, we find that car shoppers under 35, Millennials, use smartphones more often than not for numerous actions. Though, here, we see the prevalence and acceptance of smartphones in daily life driving growth of smartphone use in the car shopping journey. This correlates with growth in age-range use of smartphones applied to car shoppers. Specifically, with Millennials rising in power as a consumer demographic, we see the rise of mobile behavior being tied to it indeed, studies are showing Millennials are often choosing to text versus speaking on the phone but mobile s prevalence isn t specific to just Millennials, although they use it more often than not. Every consumer has their preferred method of communication. It s to what length they will go to contact a dealership, and the dealership s willingness to embrace new ways of communicating with car shoppers. In order to accommodate the numerous touchpoints and communication methods that exist, dealers must update their sales and engagement strategy to handle the traffic coming their way digitally and physically on the lot and understand what drove them to contact a dealer to begin with. Embracing communication between sales staff and a car shopper via smartphones and texting is one way to do this. Sharing more vehicle information with car shoppers when they are on the lot can go a long way in making consumers happy and making them an advocate for your dealership, along with engaging in mobile communications. 11

12 DEALERSHIP CONTACT CONTINUED KEY TAKEAWAYS Arm your sales team with the tools necessary to communicate with consumers on their terms Train your sales team on the consumer s path to purchase to have a full view of what drove a customer to contact you Embrace using smartphones and mobile devices in the sales experience to connect with consumers who choose to communicate this way, e.g. creating a text strategy for car shoppers Methods for contacting dealerships Text a dealership to get additional information Chat online with a dealership to get additional information Call a dealership to get additional information Look up directions/map to a dealership Call a dealership to set up an appointment a dealership to set up an appointment 68% 45% 85% 89% 86% Smartphone Tablet/iPad Desktop/Laptop Landline 8% 8% NA 28% 22% 49% NA 19% 5% 5% 15% 7% 19% 24% NA 2% 5% 4% 13% 7% 51% 19% 48% NA 18% Would not use this method Use of smartphone at dealership 44% No Yes 56% 12

13 DEALERSHIP CONTACT CONTINUED WHAT ROLE DO SMARTPHONES PLAY IN LOOKING UP MAKE AND MODEL INFORMATION? Some interesting insights came from this question when posed to car shoppers. First, one-quarter use their phones on the lot to read dealership reviews. Phones are also used to find competitors inventory and information linking back to cross-shopping. 64% of car shoppers are looking up pricing on their smartphones. But, we found that men more often look up vehicle prices, which accounted for the most looked up piece of information on smartphones while on a dealer s lot. Here, we can assume that car shoppers on the lot are looking up comparable vehicles they ve previously found to ensure they are getting the best price for them. Millennials, again, are more often looking up car reviews (41%) and dealership reviews (28%), further reinforcing the role smartphones play in helping car shoppers narrow down a vehicle and dealer to purchase from. KEY TAKEAWAYS Car shoppers are on the lot looking up both car reviews and dealership reviews Vehicle comparison actions are happening while consumers use their smartphones Train salespeople to be knowledgeable of the marketplace to ease consumer worries so they know they re getting a fair price with great customer service Use of smartphone at dealership Look up vehicle prices 64% Comparing vehicle makes and models 51% Look up vehicle options/features Read car reviews View vehicle photos Use payment estimator Determine trade-in value Search inventory of other dealerships Read dealership reviews Search incentives or special offers on vehicles Look up dealership information (hours, address, etc.) Search current dealership inventory Use map or directions to locate another dealership Schedule an appointment at a dealership Complete a credit application for vehicle financing 42% 41% 38% 34% 32% 30% 28% 26% 23% 21% 20% 11% 8% 13

14 Apps vs. Websites DO CONSUMERS USE MOBILE APPS OR WEBSITES MORE WHEN SHOPPING FOR CARS? We ve been discussing the role smartphones play in the car shopping process, but we haven t specifically addressed the use of mobile apps and mobile websites in that same process. We found that 93% of consumers use mobile apps on their smartphones and of those consumers, 46% use apps that help with their car shopping journey. It s also interesting that a majority of car shoppers only use location services if the app requests or requires it s use. It s a good rule of thumb that when reviewing reporting that highlights geo-locating metrics, that these numbers likely underreport the total number of consumers who are actually using their smartphones in their car shopping journey. Car shoppers 55 and older are highly likely never to use location services. Car shoppers 55 and older are less likely to use mobile apps, and less likely to use them for car shopping. They are also much more likely never to use location services. But, even among app users, websites are more commonly used. But, what role do these mobile websites play in the car shopping process? A large one. Usage of a mobile website in the car shopping process leads the way in requesting a vehicle quote, viewing vehicle options and features, and reading vehicle reviews when compared to app usage. Usage of mobile websites could be related to familiarity in seeing a browser and typing in a URL versus not knowing if an app is available. But, this points out the need to partner with third parties that are optimized for mobile websites and apps to reach the larger car shopping community, so as to present dealers inventory effectively and drive traffic to dealership lots. 14

15 APPS VERSUS WEBSITES CONTINUED Those dealers that are optimized for mobile are going to win out in the car shoppers mind and win more market share from competitors. KEY TAKEAWAYS Car shoppers use both mobile apps and mobile websites interchangeably and for different activities Younger car shoppers skew towards app usage while older car shoppers prefer using mobile websites Work with third party vendors that have responsive, mobile websites that speak to car shoppers and ensure you reach your audience in every way possible Use of mobile apps on smartphones Use of mobile apps in car shopping process 7%No 93% Yes 54% No 46% Yes Use of location services on smartphone 24% Always 33% Only when the app requests it 39% Only if required for the app to function 4% Never 1% Not sure 15

16 APPS VERSUS WEBSITES CONTINUED Usage of mobile websites vs. apps for specific car-shopping activities Website App Looking at vehicle prices Comparing vehicle makes and models Using a payment estimator Determining vehicle makes and models to research/look at Determining trade-in value Viewing dealership maps/directions Reading editorial content on vehicles (such as Car and Driver articles) Build and price vehicle tools Reading dealership service department reviews Completing a credit application for vehicle financing Getting a quote from a dealer on a vehicle Deciding on dealerships to visit Reading dealership reviews Visiting the manufacturer website (Ford, Toyota, Honda, etc.) Reading vehicle reviews Viewing available vehicle options and features Visiting the manufacturer website (Ford, Toyota, Honda, etc.) Viewing vehicle colors/ 360 vehicle views Searching incentives offered on vehicle purchases Viewing vehicle photos 84% 64% 82% 65% 76% 65% 86% 76% 78% 69% 76% 59% 91% 65% 82% 73% 80% 70% 93% 47% 91% 53% 83% 48% 88% 53% 88% 55% 84% 53% 90% 65% 90% 65% 87% 63% 79% 56% 81% 59% WHY DO CONSUMERS KEEP SOME APPS BUT NOT OTHERS? When you think about the way you download and delete apps, it makes sense that not all car shoppers keep apps that help them along their car shopping journey on their smartphone they are for a specific purpose and most consumers run into memory issues on their phone at some point. Not all apps survive when this happens. For example, according to this study, research and searching apps are most temporary of any category. But, most self-installed apps are mostly permanent on consumers smartphones. Staple apps like social networking, weather, and gaming have longevity on car shoppers smartphones. 16

17 APPS VERSUS WEBSITES CONTINUED The research also told us that Millennials are more likely to have installed most app types as compared to other age groups (35+). It s important to partner with third parties that have responsive mobile sites and good app experiences. These are the partners that will help dealers reach consumers at the onset of their car shopping journey, help them research and narrow down their options, and lead them to the dealership s lot. These are the dealers that will win, by partnering with the likes of Cars.com as a growth engine for the dealership. KEY TAKEAWAYS Apps that help in the car shopping journey do not have a permanent place on car shoppers smartphones Millennials use apps more than other age groups Partnering with third parties optimized for mobile with great app and mobile website experiences are key to driving more traffic to the dealership. Apps installed on phones Social networking (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) Weather 81% 75% 97% 97% Games/entertainment 74% 76% Banking/credit cards 66% 95% Navigation/maps 65% 98% Music and audio Mass merchants (Walmart, Target, Amazon) 65% 63% 97% 85% News 50% 93% Food and drink/ restaurants 48% 79% Travel (hotels, airlines, TripAdvisor, etc.) 44% 76% Health and fitness 43% 92% KEY Sports 41% 87% % Installed app Department stores (Macy s, Kohl s, Sears) Auto research/ searching 39% 35% 67% 46% % % % of app permanently installed 95+% permanent Craigslist 27% 67% % 80%-94% permanent Real estate/ house searching 23% 53% % <80% permanent Business 19% 81% 17

18 Online Advertising Most consumers find automotive ads useful, especially in the early stages of their car shopping journey. Ads about specific vehicle models and incentives are most valuable in the eyes of consumers (59%). In addition, advertisements directly from manufacturers are equally as valuable (59%). This shows there is value in advertising using online banner ads for dealers. It s the content that dealers need to focus on. We suggest content that focuses on the vehicle model and the purchase incentives that are available for that model to drive traffic to the dealer s brand and lot. Shoppers under 35 find videos and pre-roll more valuable. There s additional value in highlighting manufacturer content along with video content. Smartphones are optimized by screen size for consumers to engage with video and high resolution content. Merchandising vehicle inventory with video on third party sites and the dealer s site can encourage engagement, especially for Millennials. Further creating content around the benefits of makes and models like car safety and vehicle specs can encourage engagement of car shoppers during their research stages. Those 55 or older find ads from manufacturers more valuable. KEY TAKEAWAYS Online banner advertisements have value in informing car shoppers purchase decisions Online banner advertisements should have content optimized to grab car shopper attention with incentives and simple creative Online video is a good way to engage Millennial car shoppers 18

19 ONLINE ADVERTISING CONTINUED Value of online banner ad types Ads about specific vehicle models Ads about car incentive or rebates 59% 58% Ads about financing Ads about car safety General ads about car brands 40% 39% 44% Other 1% Value of banner ad sources and formats Advertisements from car manufacturers (e.g., Ford, Honda, Toyota, etc.) 59% Videos Advertisements from neutral 3rd party sites (e.g., Cars.com, AutoTrader, Edmunds, etc.) 38% 42% Display banners Full page takeover (ad that covers entire web page) Push notifications (texts or alerts on relevant automotive information) Educational ads Sponsored content Pre-Roll (brief advertisement before viewing content) 30% 23% 23% 18% 18% 17% 19

20 ONLINE ADVERTISING CONTINUED Value of automotive advertising Very valuable 10% 49% Somewhat valuable Not at all valuable 12% 28% Not very valuable Advertising is most valuable during... 15% When narrowing down at the dealership level 61% Research/early stages while reading more about model details/specs 24% While scanning through inventory 20

21 WHAT CAR-RELATED MOBILE ACTIVITIES ARE CAR SHOPPERS DOING ONLINE? 78% 71% Researched vehicle information (e.g., make, model, specs, etc.) Researched vehicle pricing information 65% Researched online reviews of vehicles 54% Looked up dealership contact information 53% Searched dealership inventory 44% Searched car maintenance or service provider in their area 41% Read online reviews to research a dealer from which to purchase 14% Listed or sold a vehicle using an online ad Mobile Influence on Car Shopping Cars.com Insights January 2017

22 Understanding the Role of Mobile In Car Shopping Now more than ever, dealers can take advantage of the shopping journey becoming more and more mobile. The influence of mobile on car shopping is manageable for dealers. As the prevalence of smartphones and technology grows, the ways by which consumers can communicate and engage with online dealers can only grow, too. This leaves huge opportunity for dealers to optimize their mobile presence and strategy to grow with car shoppers in terms of engaging with dealers brands and communicating back and forth. Recognition that car shoppers of every age group are using smartphone apps and mobile websites to engage with their inventory is necessary to be successful in today s digital, e-commerce world. Those dealers that opt for or have an advertising strategy that prioritizes not just digital but mobile as well, will reach more car shoppers more often. We ve discussed how mobile is being used by different demographics, the roles of smartphone apps, desktops and laptops, and mobile websites, along with the actions that car shoppers prefer to perform most on each. Using these insights, it s up to dealers to make the necessary changes and additions to their mobile strategy to grow their brands online and speak with car shoppers in the way car shoppers choose. First, dealers should keep lead and contact forms on the homepage of their mobile websites. Based on this research, we see that consumers are more likely to fill out complex lead forms on their desktop device for things like trade appraisals and financing. But, putting lead and contact forms on the homepage can increase the chances of receiving a lead and other forms of contact information when consumers use mobile. Lead and contact forms can also be placed at the end of the car shopper s lead path that can lead to more detailed communication in the future. For more general information or inquiries on part of the car shopper, making information available in an optimized mobile fashion is ideal for quick communication between the dealer and car shopper. Next, simplified online banner ad creatives can help maximize impact on consumers via mobile devices. Ads with more detail may look great on desktop and laptops, but that doesn t always translate well to mobile screens. Focus on content consumers are looking for in ads like specific vehicle listings, sales incentives, or rebate offers in a simple presentation for viewability on smaller, mobile screens. 22

23 UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF MOBILE IN CAR SHOPPING CONTINUED Make sure that online reviews are accessible. The easier it is for mobile consumers to find reviews on your dealership, the better it is for you. Third party partners that syndicate reviews are ideal in helping keep your online brand in front of car shoppers. Car shoppers also lean more on mobile devices to look at dealer reviews, so you want to ensure that content is easy to access on a mobile device in addition to your own website. Carefully consider significant time and financial investment in mobile apps. A dealer app that focuses on inventory selection will lose impact with car shoppers post-purchase and make it likely to be deleted from their phone. If you are going to put a focus on apps, consider partnering with third parties that provide more than just inventory-based content, like Cars.com, that has editorial and fixed operations content to keep car shoppers engaged post-purchase. The consumer lead path to purchase starts online. Mobile allows for car shoppers to start their journey from anywhere or continue their journey from one screen to another looking at inventory, sending lead information, reading reviews, comparing prices and other vehicles to physically being on a dealer s lot comparing vehicles or being ready to purchase. Mobile allows for constant contact with car shoppers. Remembering some of the insights listed here when updating or creating your mobile strategy will help you move more metal and reach car shoppers today all from the convenience of their own mobile device. About Cars.com Cars.com is a leading online destination that helps car shoppers and owners navigate every turn of car ownership. A pioneer in automotive classifieds, the company has evolved into one of the largest digital automotive platforms, connecting consumers with local dealers across the country anytime, anywhere. Through trusted expert content, on-the-lot mobile app features, millions of new and used vehicle listings, a comprehensive set of research tools and the largest database of consumer reviews in the industry, Cars.com helps shoppers buy, sell and service their vehicles. About Versta Research Versta Research is a market research and public opinion polling firm that helps you answer critical questions with customized research and analytical expertise. They design studies that turn data into stories, and help you communicate those stories to the audiences who need them most. 23