Rise in Auto Leads Via Mobile Devices Signals Consumer Experience “Nurturing” is Key to Auto Industry Growth

IgnitionOne Q4 Automotive Trends Report Also Finds That More Than One-Third of All Auto Site Traffic Related to SUVs


NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IgnitionOne, a global marketing technology and data analytics provider with a focus on the auto industry, has identified a rising trend in lead conversions on mobile devices as desktop leads continue to decline. The finding comes from the latest IgnitionOne Automotive Industry Report, highlighting key industry benchmarks for Q4 2017. The quarterly study also found that, for the first time ever, more than one-third of all automotive site traffic pertained to SUVs.

For auto brand marketers engaging in omni-channel and cross-device strategies, IgnitionOne’s mobile lead conversion findings are especially relevant, showing that:

  • Consumer conversions via mobile grew 25% more in Q4 than at the start of the year in Q1 2017.
  • Over the course of the year, desktop leads saw a decline, falling 15% compared to Q1.

Notable engagement trends include the following:

  • Overall engagement was down in Q4, but site traffic increased.
  • Global traffic and engagement for compact cars decreased.
  • Growth in SUV-related traffic came amid a decline in exhibited interest for mini, small and medium cars.
  • SUVs saw more interest than those three segments combined, as their share of traffic slid from 40% in Q1 to just 34% in Q4.

For market context on the mobile trending, U.S. adults spent more than three hours per day on mobile devices in 2017, compared to barely more than two hours with desktop or laptops, according to eMarketer. As mobile time spent continues to outpace desktop, auto marketers should expect this conversion trend to continue throughout 2018 -- representing a powerful opportunity to use data to nurture and optimize the consumer journey.

The trending on site traffic creates a clear opportunity for manufacturers to leverage their first-party data as part of a website personalization and media strategy. By adapting their sites to deliver relevant messaging to the most engaged visitors, manufacturers can optimize spend by targeting it more precisely and increase conversions throughout the year by personalizing websites. And finally, the traffic and engagement trends on compact cars, for which sales were already starting to decline, could be a harbinger of a trend throughout 2018.

“Data has revolutionized marketing across several consumer-facing verticals, and auto is no exception. With increased access to consumer behavior data, marketers are poised to gain a clearer understanding of exactly how their target customers interact and engage with their brands and models online, across multiple channels,” said Will Margiloff, CEO of IgnitionOne. “Our Q4 findings clearly set the stage for marketers to not only engage consumers in the channels that reflect their increasingly mobile lifestyles, but to nurture that journey every step of the way. The new 1:1 data driven arsenal gains its leverage through experiential customization at every touchpoint, personalized content, website personalization and more.”

“Automotive consumer trends shift at a dramatic pace based on the economy, fuel prices, seasonality, and consumer needs,” said Rachel Pierson, Global Director, Strategic Automotive Accounts at IgnitionOne. “The availability of timely data enables marketers to make strategic decisions on which models to elevate within their marketing plans.  Our latest findings show that SUVs are experiencing a moment of popularity with consumers.  Marketers need to adjust their targeting strategies to leverage this insight based on their sales goals with existing and new model inventory.”

Methodology
Based on first-party data gathered from more than 350 auto manufacturers and dealer websites across more than 50 countries, the Automotive Industry Report looks at global and car segment trends including website visits, visitor engagement, buying intent signals, and cumulative leads. The proprietary IgnitionOne Score™ models and defines, in real-time, the propensity to convert a visitor to a website, exploring how engaged they are with the automotive brand’s site, car models, products and offerings that they visit.

About the IgnitionOne Auto Solution
IgnitionOne provides intelligent marketing technology solutions that drive real-time customer engagement helping auto manufacturers, dealers and lead aggregators generate highly qualified leads. Powered by the IgnitionOne Score™, our proprietary data solutions and methodology allow marketers to create unique, one-to-one communications with both prospects and current customers to convert highly-interested users into qualified leads. These score-powered communications can be deployed through programmatic Display, Facebook, Google, email and Website Personalization.

Download the Q4 report here.

About IgnitionOne
IgnitionOne offers technology and services that help marketers win. The company focuses on intelligent audience creation, real-time cross-channel scoring, and robust optimization – providing a layer for smarter marketing decisions and deeper insights, whether you use native IgnitionOne solutions such as Search, Display, Email, and Website Personalization – or the marketing technology you already have.

With a global footprint of over 450 employees in 10 countries, IgnitionOne is one of the largest independent marketing technology companies in the world, currently scoring over 300 million users monthly in 75 countries and powering more than $60 billion in revenue each year for leading brands, including General Motors, CenturyLink, La Quinta and Acer, as well as advertising agencies such as 360i, GroupM and ZenithOptimedia.

For more information, please visit http://www.ignitionone.com or follow the company on Twitter @ignitionone.

Contact:
Kendall Allen
For IgnitionOne
kallen@witstrategy.com