Dealer websites first port of call for new car buyers

Dealer websites are the first port of call for buyers searching online for a new car. Review platform JudgeService polled the views of 5,789 buyers for the forthcoming JudgeService 2024 State of the Nation to identify the latest trends impacting dealers.

When asked which online services they use to search for new cars, over half (54%) cited dealer websites, followed by Auto Trader (27%) and Carwow (9%).

Manufacturer websites remain the fourth most popular source, although their share dipped year-on-year from 8% to 7%.

“Our research has found that dealer websites are still the first port of call for most new car buyers researching their next purchase, significantly outperforming every other online service,” said Neil Addley, managing director of JudgeService.

“While this is welcome news for dealers, it does act as a reminder of the importance of keeping websites up to date and to use them to showcase the latest new car offers and promotions as these will resonate with in-market buyers,” he said.

Buyers were also asked to name their preferred websites for used car searches. Auto Trader remained the most popular at 56%, up from 55% last year, followed by dealer websites which dipped from 39% to 37%. Carwow retained its third position, unchanged at 6%.

“Used car advertising on dealer websites has improved immeasurably over recent years, with the best performing retailers providing detailed content and ensuring it is regularly refreshed, so it’s disappointing to see a slight dip in their popularity among buyers.

“This is where investing in search engine optimisation can make all the difference in putting stock directly in front of potential buyers,” said Addley.