Consumers are turning to their mobile phones to research car makes and models, according to research by mobile advertising company Jumptap.
In a report titled Mobile Auto Study, which is based on comScore data, the company says that traffic to mobile automotive sites is increasing at a much greater rate than their online counterparts.
Visits to online car sites are growing at 30 per cent year over year, while visits to mobile auto sites have grown 463 per cent.
“At Ford, we moved aggressively to mobile marketing, prior to the shift in consumer behavior of using smartphones and tablets to do auto research,” says Brian McClary, social and emerging media specialist for Ford Motor Company. “This recently published study from Jumptap and comScore further validates that this is where the market is headed. Weve seen some great success so far running mobile campaigns on Jumptaps network, and will continue to work with them to find ways to target this audience as it continues to evolve.”
According to the study, Edmunds.com is the most accessed auto site on mobile, with 17.1 per cent of mobile consumers who access auto content visiting the site. 
“Buying a car has always been a mobile process,” says Stephen Gandee, VP of mobile and emerging technology for Edmunds. “You have to ultimately go to a dealership to test drive the car and make sure its right for your lifestyle and budget, so having access to the information, pricing, and available inventory in your area at your fingertips just makes smart consumer sense. We are seeing the traditional auto buying process being disrupted with the availability of this information on the mobile device.”
The study also looked at demographic, and found that mobile auto browsers are more likely to be male – men make up 48 per cent of the overall mobile audience, but make up 66 per cent of mobile auto content users.
“At Jumptap, we work closely with major auto manufacturers to find the best ways to reach the right mobile audience through data and targeting,” says Paran Johar, chief marketing officer for Jumptap. “As brands realise the power and potential of mobile advertising, they are increasingly calling on us to help them understand mobile audience through in-house analysis and outside research. Our auto study, the first in a series of vertical-specific studies Jumptap will be conducting this year, paints a picture of a very fast-growing population of people using smartphones and tablets to research automotive information.”
