40% of Women in US, Canada, Want Web-based Car Sales by 2020

Auto marketers are seeing a growing trend among women in the U.S. and Canada buying cars, but those consumers are still reporting they’re unhappy with the vehicle-buying process — despite more female drivers being on the road than men. So the messaging has to change, reflecting a more digital-savvy car-buying process, with easy financing via clickthroughs, according to research announced on Thursday. A full 40 percent of female car buyers will want to consider their vehicle purchases via digital retail platforms by 2020, reports Frost & Sullivan’s analysis titled “Women as Vehicle Customers — Voice of North America Consumer Findings.” Once online, women will want seamless access to information about auto design and technology; sales and retails; and vehicle ownership. The report says automakers’ and car dealerships’ “success will depend on developing targeted marketing in social media and smart retail outlets that offer women a firsthand experience of the vehicle and its unique features and capabilities.” Channel Preferences Correlate With Vehicle Choices “The majority [of] female vehicle-seekers are more Internet-savvy and prefer luxury sports cars rather than regular, personalized vehicles,” reads Thursday’s announcement about the research. The Frost & Sullivan findings include the following takeaways that automakers and vehicle dealerships marketing to women should be: Developing a powerful interactive website with multi-vehicle model “compare” features; Partnering with financial technology companies online to help improve customer experience and sales, and make the process of vehicle financing less intimidating; and (For one female demographic) launching specific vehicle models that target women and offering female-centric interior features for SUVs and sedans. Auto Manufacturers and Dealerships Need to Interact More With Female Consumers, In General — Online and In-person Most notably, auto dealers and manufacturers need to be willing to accept constructive criticism from women buying their cars, reads the report. Frost & Sullivan Mobility Research Manager Vishwas Shankar says: “Overall, women are less likely to be early adopters of new vehicle technology and give importance to powertrain; they are more likely to seek safety, maneuverability and automatic vehicle access.” So to engage with female consumers, automakers and car dealerships should be: Focusing on in-store experience and improving customer experience through the employment of female sales staff; Being receptive to feedback to increase customer satisfaction; Conducting experience sessions that target women customers to test new technology prior to purchase; Developing dealerships in shopping malls with play areas to increase the footfall of women [with children] visiting dealerships; and Driving sales through a focus on reliability, fuel economy and safety improvement across cars, SUVs and sedans [for marketing to one of the segments within the female auto-buying pool]. What do you think, marketers? Please respond in the comments section below.

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40% of Women in US, Canada, Want Web-based Car Sales by 2020

Heather Fletcher

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Heather Fletcher