What is Buyer Journey?
The buyer journey is the sequence of stages a car shopper moves through from initial awareness of a need to the final purchase decision, typically spanning weeks to months.
At a Glance
Buyer Journey
The buyer journey is the sequence of stages a car shopper moves through from initial awareness of a need to the final purchase decision, typically spanning weeks to months.
Full Definition
Automotive buyer journeys are extensively researched: the average car buyer spends 13–14 hours researching online before visiting a dealership, consulting 4–5 sources and visiting an average of 2 dealership websites. The journey stages — awareness, research, consideration, and decision — correspond to different search query types: informational (what is the best midsize SUV for families), comparative (Toyota RAV4 vs Honda CR-V), and transactional (new Honda CR-V for sale [city]). Each stage requires different content to capture and advance the buyer.
Why It Matters for Your Dealership
A dealership with content only at the transactional stage loses buyers to competitors who also addressed their research questions. Buyers who receive useful comparison and feature content from a dealership website are measurably more likely to submit a lead to that same dealership when they reach the decision stage.
In Practice
Automotive buyer journeys are extensively researched: the average car buyer spends 13–14 hours researching online before visiting a dealership, consulting 4–5 sources and visiting an average of 2 dealership websites.
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