Operators of Third-Party Auto Sites Should Pay Close Attention to Consumer Wants and Needs

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com) has announced the addition of Automotive Industry Online to their offering

DUBLIN, Ireland, Sept. 24 -- Consumers' growing use of the Web during the car-buying process means rising expectations about what kinds of information and tools they'll find at dealer and OEM sites. In turn, this means that in order to use the Internet effectively, dealers, OEMs and operators of third-party sites should pay close attention to consumer wants and needs. Above all, detailed pricing data to be a must, followed closely by comprehensive product information and cost calculators. In other words, consumers want to quickly find the car they want and determine if they can afford it, and on what terms. Dealers are making progress in these key areas, while OEMs are still lagging behind, with less than 50% of manufacturers offering pricing data on their Web sites and only 30% featuring payment calculators.

This Automotive Industry Online report analyzes the state of e-business in the automotive industry, specifically, how the Internet is reshaping the ways in which vehicles are manufactured, marketed and sold to customers. Each of the four chapters looks at a different e-business practice and its impact on firms along the automotive value chain, from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and parts suppliers to Web-based content and e-commerce companies to dealers and consumer end-users:

  -- IT and e-commerce trade
  -- Online advertising
  -- Consumer-oriented Web sites and consumer usage preferences
  -- Automotive dealers and the Internet

  The Issues and Questions Covered in the Report:

  -- Industry IT spending comparisons
  -- Advertising spending -- on- and offline
  -- Advertising by manufacturer and car types
  -- Supplier connectivity and communications
  -- Dealers are leading the way
  -- How consumers research car purchases
  -- Consumer preferences
  -- Crucial consumer opportunities being lost
  -- Top auto Web sites
  -- The growth of online purchasing
  -- The eBay challenge
  -- And much more...

  For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c5288