Guide To The Modern Car Shopper: Consumer Journey Ebook

A Guide
to the Modern
Car-Shopper Journey
Connecting the Dots from their Screens to your Lots
02
eBook: The Modern Car-Shopper Journey
Contents
The Consumer Journey:
Adding it all up
04
In Conclusion
The Big Ideas Behind the
Modern Consumer Journey
Explore Real
Car-Shopper Journeys
The Four Stages
of Car-Shopping
07
13
24
29
03
The data were sharing represents
real shopping behavior as analyzed
by Cobalt data scientists.
Science Sells Cars
80
Cobalt employs over
car-buying behavior analysts
04
The Consumer Journey:
Adding it all up
Until now, weve measured the car-shopper journey in terms
of website metrics: visitors and visits, leads, and phone calls.
But these standalone metrics represent mere snapshots in
time. Its time to start viewing this journey in a more
complete way, by stitching together those snapshots to
produce a true continuous experience, a movie of the new
consumer journey.
This ebook will investigate real car-shopper journeys.
Throughout this book, well show you a handful of these
shoppersmodern families, Gen Yers, and even truck
driversunique behavioral segments youll ultimately want
to advertise to in a targeted way.
05
There isnt another company on the planet that has as much in-
market car-shopping data as we do.
So, how do we have all of this insight into
the consumers car buying digital journey?
Every day our network sees million leads. 1.3
Each week, we track million visits to our website properties.
5
Every month, over billion online ads are served to local
shoppers and tracked in our advertising systems.
1
All resulting in billion inventory searches per year. 1/2
COBALT DATA: A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Want More?
See Real-Time Car Shopper Search Activity in Action
06
All of this tells us a lot about shopper
behavior. It tells us how they engage
with online information. It tells us what
they respond to, or dont. We know
what vehicles they are interested in, and
what actions they take as they get closer
to buying. And most importantly for
dealers, we now know unequivocally how
to deliver shoppers from their screen to
your lots.
This data is the petri dish from which
these three modern consumer personas
were extracted. We saw numerous
patterns across all buyers, and these
three composite personas represent
of the more common patterns
we observed.
So, what does this all mean?
Disclaimer: The Cobalt Business Intelligence team
collects activities, not identities. No personally
identifable information is collected in our
business intelligence.
This information also allows Cobalt to
paint an amazing picture of the journey
that each individual shopper takes. Heres
a high-level view, and then well break
down three individual journeys.
TAKE ME STRAIGHT TO
REAL CONSUMER JOURNEYS
07
During the average car-shopping journey, most consumers
spend 19 hours shopping (60% of it online
1
). While every
shoppers journey is unique, they experience four phases
The Four Stages
of Car-Shopping
1
RL Polk / AutoTrader Auto Buying Study, 2011
2
Google / Shopper Sciences, June, 2011
18.2
information influence the
decisions shoppers make
along the way.
sources
2
of
READ TIPS FOR PROVIDING
A BETTER IN-STORE EXPERIENCE
08
This is what makes someone aware of your brand and
ultimately inspires them to consider it. Theyre not in-market
yet; but they are being infuenced by advertising and social
media as they go about their daily lives.
Maybe it was their friend who drove them to the
mountain to go skiing in their brand new 4 wheel drive.
Maybe it was an ad during the holidays
Maybe it was a Super Bowl TV commercial
New car buyers typically start the shopping process with 2-4
models
3
in mind. Over 60% start with a focus on one model
but may expand their consideration set as they discover
alternatives.
4
They are likely inspired to consider these brands
because of national advertising and social infuences.
1. Inspiration:
3
2010 CapGemini / Cars.com study
4
09
5
Cobalt Business Intelligence
6
This is where shoppers begin to research brands in their initial
consideration set. They are pulling for information in this
phase. Our Cobalt Business Intelligence reveals 75% of
car-shoppers visit manufacturer websites, and most of those
shoppers visit the OEM website and the dealer website in the
same thirty minutes.
5

They also visit 3rd party websites for model reviews and
comparison shopping, as well as multiple dealer websites to
explore inventory and pricing (61% search inventory on dealer
websites
6
). Shoppers are more aware of their options than
ever before, and theyre likely to ADD more brands to their
consideration set before whittling it back down.
2. Discovery:
75
visit both a dealers site and a
manufacturer websites, 75% do
so within the same day. Most of
those do so within the same 30
minutes.
5
Of car-shoppers that
%
10
Discovery Contd:
7
8
According to Google research, 50% of shoppers select a dealer
during this phase of the journey. Theyre most likely to engage
with the dealer who makes frequent impressions through
online advertising and positive consumer reviews.
Did you know that 7 of the top 8 infuences in the Discovery
phase occur online?
7

These digital infuences have more impact than TV, newspapers
and radio. When it comes to infuencing the purchase decision,
online infuences are second only to the experience consumers
have in the dealership
8.
Searched online, used search engine 71%
61% Searched the inventory of a dealership
Sought information from an automobile brand/manufacturer website
59%
Sought information from a dealership website
56%
Talked with friends / family about automobiles 56%
Comparison shopped automobiles online
59%
Requested a quote on an automobile
53%
Searched online for a dealership
49%
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
11
The consumer makes contact with you, virtually, by phone,
email, and/or by visiting your dealership.
Remember that shoppers are getting more and more self-
sufcient due to new technology and platforms (smart
phones, tablets, social media).
Most never call or email you; 69% frst contact you when they
walk on your lot.
9
If they have a positive experience, they purchase a vehicle.
3. Engagement:
9
RL Polk / AutoTrader Auto Buying Study, 2011
This is when a shopper is done researching and initiates contact.
Congratulations, you are ofcially in their consideration set.
69
contact you when they walk
on your lot.
9
of shoppers first
%
AutoTrader Auto Buying Study, 2011
12
They accessorize their new vehicles and return for
maintenance. Their ownership experience infuences
someone elses discovery; as owners, they write
reviews and infuence their social circles.
4. Ownership:
Without further ado, lets take a look at our frst journey:
13
Explore Real
Car-Shopper Journeys
on your ad
Remarketed
customers are
3x
&
more likely
to click
to convert than
new customers
4x
more
likely
14
MISS POP CULTURE
Shopper #1
Miss Pop Culture is an Internet
savvy shopper.
She embarked on a 36 day shopping
journey, about half the average
length. She cared deeply about color,
features, trim and style of the cars.
She looked at:
5 diferent models.
8 diferent dealersNOT of the same
make, but of competing brands.
Over her journey, she looked at a
whopping 127 diferent VINS.
At the end of her journey she
bought a car.
For more information about this journey, visit:
www.cobalt.com/consumerjourney
Like a large majority of shoppers,
Miss Pop Culture never flled out
a lead form on a dealer website.
15
She looked at these diferent models. The model she bought
was model E. She spent 40 minutes on this single VIN.
You can tell based on these patterns where she was leaning.
A digitally savvy dealer will show her targeted ads based on
the models shes looking at.
Why didnt she buy the light blue modelmaybe it wasnt the right
segment of vehicle (ie SUV vs sedan). Maybe it was the way the dealer
was or was not advertising to her. We can show that the dealer with
model E on the lot was keeping ads in front of Ms. Pop Culture with
the right message.
JAN FEB
Model A Model B Model C Model D Model E
40 Minutes
on this Day
36 DAYS
Each color represents a diferent car model searched over the span of 36 days.
The size of the bubble represents the amount of time Miss Pop Culture spent researching that particular VIN.
16
Its all about Inventory. Not one of these shoppers
submitted an email lead. Our Cobalt Business Intelligence
shows that Hours and Directions page views, VIN views,
number of vehicles viewed, and time spent on VIN are all
true sales indicators.
Best Practices: Drive emotional attachment! Add as much
detail to your inventory pages as you can to create a rich
experience and drive deep engagement.
Key Insight #1:
Email Leads are not the Holy Grail.
Lets take a look at our second journey:
17
MR BIG WHEELS
Shopper #2
Mr. Big Wheels is a brand buyer.
He shopped for 45 days
Looked at 2 models, both of the
same brand.
He consistently went back and forth
between the brand website and
multiple dealer websites.
At the end of his journey he
bought a car.

In one day Mr. Big Wheels shopped
20 diferent dealers. Although he
was clearly loyal to the brand, he
shopped around.
18
20 dealers
shopped in
ONE DAY.
45 DAYS
Each color represents a diferent dealers website visited over the span of 45 days.
Across the board, we found that 75% of shoppers who go to
both a brand and dealer website do so within the same day
most do that within the same 30 minutes.
75
%

of Shoppers who go
to both a brand and dealer
website do so within the same
daymost do that within the
same 30 minutes.
19
Still think shoppers are loyal to you? All of these shoppers
shopped a minimum of 8 dealers, and Mr. Big Wheels
shopped 20 in a single day. Online retail makes ruthless
comparison shopping a way of lifeit takes less than a
minute to drive from dealership to dealership.
Best Practices: Have a strong Why My Dealership message
on your dealer website. Retargeting is key to keep your
dealership top-of-mind.
Key Insight #2:
You are One with the Manufacturer
Online retail makes
ruthless comparison
shopping a way of life.

20
Consumers experience the dealer website as an extension
of the manufacturer website, ofering complementary
information they need to make a purchase decision.
To maximize shopper confdence and purchase intent,
consistency between manufacturer and dealer website is
critical. Discordant style, models, or incentives will confuse
shoppers and lower conversion.
Still think ALL you need to do is align with your OEM?
Not true. Mr. Big Wheels shopped a single brand and 20
dealership websites. Hes hungry and he knows he wants a
hamburger, but hes not picky about where he gets it.
Translation: Brand alignment just gets you
in the consideration set, then its all about your
competitive advantages.
Best Practices: Balance OEM alignment with a strong
Why Me? Message.
Key Insight #3:
Think About the Consumer
Lets take a look at our fnal journey:
21
THE MODERN FAMILY
Shopper #3
Throughout The Modern Familys
90-day journey, we saw that they
engaged with:
8 diferent dealership websites.
Every single day throughout the 90
day journey they had interaction
with a dealershipvia website visits,
inventory searches, digital ads, etc.
They were exposed to digital ads 329
diferent times.
At the end of their journey they
bought a car.
The dealership that this shopper
bought from was one who began
interacting with the family from the
beginning of their 90 day journey
and kept the line tight.
22
Exposed to
329 diferent
dealer ads
90 DAYS
You can see in the graph below that the dealer The Modern
Family purchased from began building an online relationship
early on in the journey with advertising and then kept the
line tight through every phase of the purchase process with
continuous online advertising.
Each color represents a diferent dealers online ad exposure over the span of 90 days.
23
Still think you can swoop in at the low funnel and
capture the sale? Our data shows that consumers buy from
the dealer who messages them frst and most frequently.
Savvy dealers are building a relationship with the shopper
long before they call or walk in your store.
Best Practices: Start your digital marketing eforts early
and be present throughout the entire journey.
Key Insight #4:
The Ever-Present Bird gets the Worm
Consumers buy
from the dealer who
messages them first
and most frequently.

24
The Big Ideas
Behind The Modern
Consumer Journey
While there is plenty of tactical strategy to be
gleaned from these three individual personas,
there are also some high-level insights we
can conclude about how the overall nature of
modern car-shopping has changed.
Here are just a few top-level takeaways:
25
The Modern Car-Shopper Journey
is a Road Trip, not a Commute
As weve seen from these paths to purchase, to call the
modern car-shopper journey non-linear would be an
understatement. Rather, todays car shopping journey
is dynamic, digital, and consumer-driven.
To put this in context, its helpful to contrast the diference
between a commute and a road trip. Rather than a speedy
journey from point A to point B, the modern car-buyer
journey is self-paced, meandering, and riddled with sensory
distractions. From inspiration to destination, online research
is the steady fuel throughout the journey.
26
Modern car shoppers are digital tourists who, like most
travelers, start out their automotive research road trip
armed with a clear plan, which inevitably falls apart.
The path becomes riddled with wrong turns, backtracking,
scenic distractions, and breaks to stretch your legs.
The digital journey is no diferent: Modern car-shoppers
may make a reviews pitstop, then travel to the dealer
website, then backtrack to reviews, and so on. As a dealer,
your goal is to put enough signage on the highway to keep
drawing shoppers down the path to purchaseyour path.
Contd
27
There is no Virtual
There are no virtual shoppers. There are just shoppers.
Our research shows that 64% of your website visitors are likely
to purchase a vehicle within 60 days.
9
Online and ofine exist
in one single experience, which is why we talk so much about
connecting the dots from screens to lots.
9
60
D
A
Y
S
64
%
28
Its an Online World
While the in-store experience remains critical, the sheer
volume of online car-shopping activity is staggering. We
know from Googles ZMOT playbook that seven of the eight
automotive buying infuences are online, and our shopper
journeys underscore this in mind-blowing ways:
We know what youre thinking: dont these people have lives?
The answer to that is debatable, but we can tell you these
in-market shoppers are voracious for automotive shopping
information, so its more important than ever to shine online.
249
Online activities. MISS POP CULTURE alone completed
329 dealership ads and interacted Online everyday for 90 days. THE MODERN FAMILY viewed
20
dealership websites in a single day. MR BIG WHEELS shopped
29
In Conclusion:
A true understanding of digital car-buying behavior is now
available, you as dealers have a responsibility to immerse
yourselves in understanding these journeys.

Do you speak digital?
Become fuent in online buying behavior for more car sales.
Know what makes them TICK
to know what makes them CLICK
DONT WAIT!
SEE REAL CONSUMER
JOURNEYS RIGHT NOW

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