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Changing times

20% of UK cars to be sold online by 2015

A fifth of all UK car sales will be conducted online within five years, according to Britain’s leading web management company for the automotive sector, GForces.

The firm believes that the path people have traditionally followed when buying a car - going to a dealership, test driving the desired car, then signing on the dotted line - could be replaced with an entirely web-based purchasing process. 

They believe that up to 20% of automotive consumers will read online reviews from trusted outlets, find the best price, and then conduct a secure financial transaction over the internet, just as many currently do with other financial products and holidays.

Tim Smith, GForces’ commercial director, said: “People are more comfortable with purchasing large products online. Many of our clients are meeting their customers’ demands by moving more of the car sales functions online such as vehicle reviews, finance propositions and insurance quotations.  

“Visits to dealerships will continue because some people want to test drive the vehicle or speak face-to-face. However, the internet generation are less inclined to this behaviour. 

“This fact, coupled with improving vehicle quality and extended warranties, makes the test drive less important than it once was. Consumers also have the added protection of distance-selling regulations that gives people a cooling-off period once a vehicle is delivered to them.”

However, rather than forecasting the beginning of the end for traditional dealers, Smith believes that they now have the chance to get their online presence in order before the goalposts move. 

“This is a fantastic opportunity for car dealers, rather than a looming disaster,” he said. “If they take this chance to put in place an effective web marketing strategy, they’ll be far better equipped to operate successfully in the online marketplace of the future and to adapt to whatever consumer trends come their way.”