Price And Location Key To UK Mobile Auto Searchers

According to research I came across the other day, mobile auto search is really picking up steam in the UK. However, results also revealed that in comparison to the US, UK consumers take more time to make purchase decisions, as well paying more attention to price.

These are findings from the UK Mobile Path-to-Purchase study, carried out by Nielsen on behalf of mobile-location based advertising network xAd and mobile call measurement expert Telmetrics. As a whole, mobile emerged as a major source for auto-related information, with 44% of searches now resulting in a purchase.

According to the research, 72% of all auto searches are made in regard to consumers looking for new or used cars. Car service comes next with 28%, followed by car parts, which account for 19% of all auto queries.

Price comparisons are also popular, with UK consumers using them more than US consumers. In terms of making purchasing decisions, however, US mobile auto searchers seem to be quicker in making up their minds: almost 60% of UK mobile searchers say they decide whether to take the plunge within a month or longer, in comparison to 29% of US searchers.

In addition to price, location plays an important role in UK consumers’ buying decisions. Around 44% of UK mobile auto searchers expect dealerships to be located less than five miles away from them. Given proximity’s significance to mobile auto searchers, marketers could include location details and contact information to become more attractive to potential buyers, Monica Ho, vice president of marketing at xAd, commented.