In Q3 2014, top 3 automobile websites by total user reach on desktop were Autohome.com, BitAuto.com and PCAuto.com with 47.68 million, 35.6 million and 32.48 million respectively according to data from EnfoDesk.
China top 3 automobile websites all had strategies for competing for traffic: Autohome.com reached Baidu Alading platform (it is Baidu’s search open platform which shares data and display hidden wed information to obtain valuable traffic); BitAuto.com cooperated with 360 onebox; PCAuto.com cooperated with Sougou.
Good performance on desktop will stimulate competition for traffic on mobile device among automobile websites. Automobile.com occupied the first display of mobile search results; BitAuto.com shifted to mobile Baidu Alading; PCAuto.com cooperated with Shenma search. Search engines’ revenue from mobile search was the key driving force for China search engine market in Q3 2014.
Except large traffic of top 3 automobile websites in Q3 2014, they must keep their advantages and show some unique features for users. Good content and active online community are the keys. China automobile websites could promote automobile online purchase to develop automobile e-commerce.
Social media is another platform that got automobile industry’s serious attention in Q3 2014. During 14 days’ promotion on Weibo, a total number of over 60 thousand cars were ordered with a total worth of over RMB9.2 billion (US$1.5 billion). Chinese users displayed the highest level of engagement and interactions with brands on social media, according to PwC research. And, A McKinsey survey pointed out that social media has a greater influence on purchasing decisions for consumers in China.
