Car dealers are going online for sales - and successfully
Autohome is offering shoppers the chance to compare cars quickly and easily and sold 18,000 cars in 2013.
Combining China’s love of online shopping and automobiles seems to be a winning formula for local website Autohome.com.cn. The company offers vertical comparison services that allow users to quickly and easily tailor searches to find the car of their dreams, and get the best price for it too.
As well as selling cars online, the website also makes a tidy profit by promoting brands across its popular web portal.
In a 2012 survey by consultancy Arthur D Little, more than 85% of Chinese consumers said they were “likely or very likely to purchase a new car online”, compared to just 42% of their American counterparts.
While websites like BitAuto and Autohome serve primarily as marketing portals and less as conventional dealerships, distributors are realising the value of O2O (offline to online) marketing. Online shoppers can compare and customise deals online then complete transactions quickly and seamlessly in store.