The Internet is changing the way Canadians shop for vehicles, according to a study of online shopping habits.
Nearly 60 per cent of online Canadian adults surf the Internet for automotive-related information and one-quarter would consider buying or leasing online, according to a recent market research poll by CF Group Inc.
“Before setting foot in the dealer’s showroom, many consumers use the Web to research vehicles. Some say that the Internet has made them feel more confident and prepared to conduct business with a car dealer,” CF Group vice-president Richard Charters said.
However, the study also found that Canadians are not highly satisfied with automotive Web sites that they visit. “While automotive Web sites do a good job providing detailed technical specifications, Canadians attach a high level of importance to competitive pricing comparisons and third-party vehicle reviews, which they feel are lacking on the Web,” Charters said.
The study revealed automotive Web sites aren’t meeting online Canadians’ desires to order or locate a vehicle equipped exactly the way they want it, obtain the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, and even negotiate a price.
One-third of Canadians polled say they are extremely satisfied with the performance of Web sites delivering these features.
“Based on what online Canadians who visit automotive Web sites are saying, there are a number of improvements automakers can make to their sites to enhance their relationship with existing and prospective Web-savvy customers,” says Charters.
The study found that Canadians visit automakers’ Web sites much more frequently than they visit third-party intermediary sites, the most popular of which include Yahoo! Canada’s Autos section, Autonet.ca, Carpoint.ca and Autobytel.ca.
CF Group’s Canadian Online Automotive Monitor is conducted twice a year using the firm’s Internet panel of over 26,000 online Canadians who have agreed to participate in survey research from time to time. For the study, e- mail invitations were sent to 5,000 panel members. In total, 2,505 online interviews were completed between January 23 and February 2 this year. The survey results are nationally representative of the online Canadian adult population. For a survey sample this size, the margin of error is plus or minus 1.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
