New Dealer.com Research Shows Summer Bump for Car Shopping Behavior Continued in August
ATLANTA, Sept. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer may already be in the rearview mirror, but new research from Dealer.com revealed that consumers' car shopping interest remained heightened through August, as seen in slightly higher total traffic to dealer sites and through rising search advertising costs.
The September Dealer DataView index - which captures data through August 31, 2017 - revealed that overall summer trends continued through August, with minor month-over-month shifts in dealer website engagement. Total traffic to dealer sites increased by .15 percent, with mobile accounting for 57 percent of visits - holding steady with recent trends. New vehicle detail page (VDP) views are up slightly month-over-month, rising to 45 percent of total VDPs, and used VDPs dropped slightly, to 44 percent. SUVs remained the most popular body style in terms of digital engagement.
Search advertising cost-per-click (CPC), another leading indicator of demand, continues its steady rise. Averaging $3.35 nationally in August, CPC is up 13 percent year over year - a steady increase which serves as a continued reminder that the market is becoming more competitive. Fall digital advertising investments may need to be adjusted to account for this trend and capture local demand.
"The key indicator we keep our eyes on with DataView reporting is the quality over quantity engagement metric, in which August's numbers pointed to a rise across dealer websites," said James Grace, Senior Director of Analytics Products, Cox Automotive Media Solutions. "With the current industry conversations around our challenging sales climate, the September reporting shows positive signs from U.S. consumers that there's intent to purchase a vehicle."
For more insights and to view the full September DataView report featuring detailed regional breakdowns. please visit: http://www.dealer.com/assets/Dealer-Data-View-September-2017.pdf.
To register for future DataView reports, visit http://www.dealer.com/dataviewsignup_teaser/.
About Dealer.com
Dealer.com provides an integrated platform of Advertising, Website and Managed Services products which allow OEMs, dealer groups, retailers and agencies to leverage advanced digital technology and data to better engage and connect with their customers. The company practices a deep commitment to its culture of innovation, with a focus on health and wellness, making it one of the most desirable places to work, and a valuable partner for automotive retailers. Based in Burlington, Vermont, Dealer.com is a Cox Automotive brand. For more information, visit www.dealer.com.
About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. is transforming the way the world buys, sells and owns cars with industry-leading digital marketing, financial, retail and wholesale solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and the overall automotive ecosystem worldwide. Committed to open choice and dedicated to strong partnerships, the Cox Automotive family includes Autotrader®, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, vAuto®, Xtime® and a host of other brands. The global company has 32,000-plus team members in more than 200 locations and is partner to more than 40,000 auto dealers, as well as most major automobile manufacturers, while engaging U.S. consumer car buyers with the most recognized media brands in the industry. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., an Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion and approximately 60,000 employees. Cox Enterprises' other major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Media Group. For more information about Cox Automotive, visit www.coxautoinc.com.
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SOURCE Dealer.com
