9:38 am, February 25, 2013
AUTO Trader has revealed the number of mobile users using the used car trading platform hit 3.5m in January – a year-on-year increase of 60 per cent.
The increase in Auto Trader users on mobile has grown from 430,000 in January 2010, 924,000 in January 2011 and 2.2m in January 2012. The growth, which sees users undertaking more than 36m searches a month and looking at 62m vehicle adverts, is set to continue as penetration of smartphones and tablets continues to increase.
The firm is now urging dealers to realise cross-platform capability is as important as ever.
Nathan Coe, group director, Auto Trader said: ‘With smartphone ownership at almost 60 per cent penetration in the UK and tablet ownership increasing five-fold, dealers need to embrace the new world and ensure their businesses and vehicles are presented optimally, regardless of the device or platform their customers are using.
‘With 57 per cent of consumers refusing to recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile website and 40 per cent turning to competitor sites after a poor mobile experience, dealers should really focus on the cross-platform experience offered by their businesses. A dealer’s ability to ‘meet and greet’ these consumers on the digital forecourt will result in increased leads, conversion, sales and profits. However, despite the opportunity, many are yet to fully embrace this transition and are subsequently letting competitors fill the gap.’
