Ebay predicts March car buying surge as mobile market matures
Auto firms are set to battle it out on the mobile platform to gain the attention of new car buyers in March according to insights from eBay.
The e-commerce firm claimed March is one of the most lucrative times of year for auto purchases. This year, due to online sales becoming more popular with consumers, brands will be set to compete for attention on mobile devices.
According to eBay Advertising, in January 2015 the percentage of mobile purchases of four major car brands - BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen and Nissan - on eBay saw a 17 per cent year-on-year increase, indicating the growing role of mobile devices in the car purchase cycle.
Phuong Nguyen, director of eBay Advertising UK, said: “At such an important time for the sector, marketers must keep pace with how customers interact with the category. Brands must have visibility on mobile or they risk being excluded from the research and purchase journey.
“Showrooming is becoming an intrinsic part of the online shopping experience, and brands should use it as a chance to engage audience segments.”
Pauline Robson, director of MediaCom Real World Insight, added: “The role of mobile in the buying journey is increasing in significance as people become more confident to browse and shop across all categories, including large ticket items.
“Smart brands understand how potential customers are moving across devices, and give consumers the opportunity to engage in the time and way that suits them regardless of device.”
EBay also stated that the end of March also signals a move into the annual bonus cycle, setting in place a second March spike in car searches.
In the third week of March 2014, eBay recorded a 35 per cent uplift in searches for “Porsche” compared with the previous week which is partly attributed to such bonuses.