Motors.co.uk, one of the UK’s largest car search response networks for motor dealers, has seen a 300% increase in visits and a 550% increase in page views from mobile devices in the past 12 months, while its iPhone and Android app downloads have shot up by 66% in the last nine months.
This expediential growth in mobile traffic to Motors.co.uk is partly due to a 68% increase year on year in smartphone sales, driven in part by lower average purchase prices and greater availability of these phones on pre-pay. Smartphone sales now account for 37% of all mobile phone sales and are tipped to reach a critical mass in the next twelve months.
Phill Jones, Commercial Director at Motors.co.uk comments: “Our iPhone, Android and iPad apps, together with our brand new mobile site, continue to contribute response at a fast growing rate – traffic to our site from mobile devices has tripled in the last 12 months. Perhaps more importantly from a dealer perspective, all stock goes onto our mobile site and our apps, at no extra cost.
“Now is the right time for car dealers to address how best to optimise their websites for use via smartphone browsers. Whilst it is true that these browsers can render most websites usable, a really great mobile site can act as a clear acquisition channel to introduce new users to the desktop site. Indeed, in a recent survey that we conducted, 85% of respondents said that if they found a really good mobile site then they would check the ‘main’ desktop version of the site.
“In terms of prioritising mobile and app development to get the most value, it may be tempting to think the world starts and ends with creating an iPhone app. But the real winners over the last year have been Android, who now enjoy a 37% share of new smartphone sales (compared to just 11% a year ago) with BlackBerry (RIM) in second place with 23% and Apple in third with 22%.”
Motors.co.uk is owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust Plc and has 1.3m monthly unique visitors and more than 150,000 used cars for sale and has major national and regional partners including Mail Online, Honest John, Parkers.co.uk and Desperate Seller. The website’s seven regional newspaper group partners provide exposure across more than 200 local newspapers, with a combined c9m readership.
