PRESENTATION OF CARTRACK Cartrack permits decision makers in the automotive sector to measure the online and offline habits, as well as the opinions of car shoppers.

• Target audience : internet users in the process of purchasing a new or used vehicle.

• Study carried out at a European level : France, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain and Italy.

• Most automotive online players taken into account : manufacturers, intermediaries and automotive information sites.
METHODOLOGY 1 – Population studied
• Internet users having purchased a car in the 6 months prior to the study, or predicting such a purchase in the next 6 months.

• Internet users are split off into two groups : new and used car vehicle purchasers.
2 – Collection of data Online survey based on a self-fulfilling questionnaire administered to 2,500 internet users across 5 countries.
The questionnaire is managed by the software package Askia Web.
3 – Recruitment of respondents Recruitment took place during February and March 2001, via banner ads placed on 130 internet sites in France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK.
CARTRACK’S CONTENT AND RESPONSES GIVEN 1) When and how does the internet enter into the car shopping process ?
• Analysis of the buying process on the internet : information making of contact test drive request online reservation
• Usage of the internet for the financing of the vehicle,
• Usage of the internet for obtaining an insurance for the vehicle,
• Advantages of the internet compared to traditional information sources,
• Navigation route taken by site visitors : what tools do they know about, use and prefer ? 2) Internet user perceptions of the principal online players in the automotive sector
• Site awareness levels and how often they visit them.

• Strengths and weaknesses of automotive sites : quality of information, ease of use and quality of transaction processes,
• Satisfaction levels with respect to site tools,
• Credibility of the car manufacturers’ sites in relation to the online intermediaries and other online information sources.
3) Who are the internet users in the car shopping process ?
• Socio-demographic characteristics,
• Profile of car purchaser : make, budget, purchase criteria, opinion on the present car distribution network, proximity to nearest dealer,
• Internet profile : professional and private usage, how long they have had access, navigation behaviour, internet purchases made (type, amount), knowledge of information sources, knowledge and usage of site tools.