Impact: Women buying cars online

When it comes to buying a new or used vehicle women do not feel as comfortable about the car buying process as they do about other high value purchases. Recent research highlights the issue of women often feeling under more pressure in the showroom or at a dealership than men (What Car? Magazine).

Leading economist Linda Babcock and author of “Women Don’t Ask” claims that women are 2.5 time more likely to feel “a great deal of apprehension” about negotiating than men, especially when it comes to purchasing a car, which may lead to women putting off going to a showroom or car dealership altogether. However, as the Internet continues to grow and people are increasingly purchasing high value goods online, there are further signs that it is also changing how people buy cars.

Ford Retail, the UK's largest dedicated Ford dealer group, has launched ‘FordOnline’, a new easy-to-use car buying website that offers both convenience and value for Internet shoppers looking for new or used Ford cars as well as commercial vehicles.

Most car buying journeys start with browsing the Internet for information. Surprisingly, FordOnline has found that a large proportion of Internet shoppers (37%) are now prepared to purchase vehicles without a test drive, removing one of the final barriers to online selling of cars.

The convenience of the process is becoming increasingly important. New research carried out by FordOnline.co.uk shows that motorists believe the benefits of buying a car online are convenience and a hassle free process, especially with today's busy lifestyles:

What would you rank as the greatest benefit of buying your car online?
· Getting a better deal (35%)
· It is convenient and quick (29%)
· There is no need to haggle on price (21%)
· It saves time/saves visiting a dealership (19%)
· It is less stressful than buying from a dealership (13%)

The research also reveals that the majority FordOnline.co.uk users are already well versed in making a broad range of purchases online including; Books, DVDs and music (59%), Insurance (55%), Holidays (52%), Clothes and jewellery (43%), Theatre/concert tickets (35%), Brown goods such as TV's (34%), White goods (30%), Toys (26%), Health and beauty products (25%) and Car parts (24%).

Steve Hood, Managing Director of FordOnline.co.uk, commented: “We know that with the growth of the Internet there are car buyers out there who want to search for and buy a car without visiting a dealership. We have specifically designed FordOnline.co.uk for those people, offering them great choice, low-prices and high levels of customer service. What you see on FordOnline.co.uk is exactly what you get. Our customers only need to visit a dealer to pick up their vehicle.”

FordOnline.co.uk aims to make car buying simple and straightforward, it is also 100% owned by Ford Retail, the largest dedicated Ford dealer group in the UK, so users can be confident in using the website – it is the trusted, quick and convenient way to buy a Ford vehicle. They are now also to be found with the latest stories and updates on Twitter @FordOnlineUK. To find the best deals on your next Ford, go here