Our research highlights increases in retailer website traffic, social activity and volumes of enquiries for cars over the festive season.
Our latest research has highlighted sharp increases in automotive retailer website traffic, social media activity and volumes of enquiries for new and used cars over the festive season and into the New Year.
We evaluated consumer activity on the websites of motor retailers across the UK at the end of 2022 and identified a 26.7% increase in traffic, month-on-month, during the final week of December 2022. The results showed this momentum continued into the New Year, with a further 23.1% jump in traffic on car retailers’ sites during the first week of January compared to the previous week.
We also identified that enquiries for new and used cars increased sharply – on average by 60.4% – during the first week of January 2023 compared to the final week of December 2022. This suggests many of the website visits at the end of the year are translating into tangible enquiries just days later.
Broadband providers reported that Boxing Day 2022 represented a peak in fixed broadband traffic, with BT reporting an increase of 17.5% compared to preceding days in the same week and Sky Broadband reporting an uplift of 18.02% over the same period.
This spike in traffic indicates increased activity on social media platforms, not just visits to websites. We always see improvements in the performance of the social media ads that we place on behalf of retailer clients over the festive season and into the New Year. For example, from November to December 2022, one of our dealer clients saw a doubling in the volume of website traffic that resulted directly from the dynamic social media ads generated by our SocialStock tool. It’s easy for retailers to set spending limits and quickly drive visibility among a highly engaged, ready-to-buy audience.
Most motor retailers scale back their staffing levels over the festive period, and some will think it is a time for digital marketing to take a break, too, but that fails to account for the sharp rise in online activity and the evident uptick in purchase intent.
It’s clear that motor retailers need to make adequate provision for a significant increase in digital activity over the festive period when many consumers are away from the workplace and spend more time online, and also during the first week of January when a ‘New Year Sale’ mindset proliferates, and consumers are on the hunt for offers and incentives.
With fewer sales and marketing personnel available, digital tools can shoulder the burden of engaging with prospects proactively and reactively, fostering leads and channelling keener prospects into the sales funnel.
For more information on how we can help kick-start your 2024 with the use of digital tools, please contact us today.
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