Mobile car shopping is evolving, as more consumers who before would drive around the dealership lots and search the Internet for a new ride are now turning to their mobile phones and tablets.

And according to a recent study conducted by Nielson on behalf of Cars.com, a higher proportion of used and certified pre-owned shoppers are also using mobile during their search.

As the number of people with smartphones continues to grow, mobile vehicle shopping will spike, as well, says mobile marketing trends company Briabe Mobile.

In fact, according the a new study from the company, 87 percent of car shoppers are already using or planning to use a mobile device in their search for the right car.

And used-car dealers should take note of this trend, as well. Sharon Knitter, senior director of mobile at Cars.com, told Auto Remarketing, “In 2012, among mobile users, 19 percent of recent purchasers and 22 percent of intenders were shopping from used. In 2011, those numbers were 12 and 18 percent, respectively.”

Knitter said the company has seen quite a significant increase in used-car shopping among mobile users, but she attributed the rise to growth in overall mobile usage.

“What we are seeing is overall growth in the number of mobile automotive shoppers. The majority of mobile shoppers used to be a little younger, but now so many people are using mobile, it is moving towards the total population.  It would make sense that we would see used and CPO mobile customers come up, as well,” Knitter said.

“Everybody is mobile now; it is hard to find somewhere is not,” Knitter said.

Meeta Chawla, vice president of client services and consumer insights for Briabe Mobile, also stressed that the results from a recently completed company report, “Auto Shopping On-the-Go with Mobile: A Study of How Consumers Are Using Mobile Devices in Auto,”  are particularly relevant for used-car dealers.

“We asked respondents what type of car they were planning on purchasing, and 26 percent said they’re looking for a used car via a dealer, versus 8 percent looking for a used car via a private sale,” Chawla said.

Chawla also told Auto Remarketing what exactly the rise in mobile shoppers means for dealers as a whole.

“Dealers must pay attention to how these consumers are using their mobile devices in car shopping. What makes mobile even more important to dealers is that it’s an effective acquisition and retention tool.  For acquisition, mobile must have a place in their marketing and advertising efforts,” Chawla said.

And dealers may want to ramp up focus on their mobile websites, too, as about  41 percent of mobile shoppers use automotive apps during their shopping process, compared with 99 percent of users who access mobile websites, the Nielson mobile study found.

And how can dealers ramp up their mobile site?

Chawla offered Auto Remarekting some “key” recommendations:

—Ensure that consumers can find them with one click via an easy to access dealer locator. 

—Entice them with pricing/special offers on their main page.  Remember the screen is small, so be concise about information. 

—And most importantly, ensure there is “click-to-call” functionality so potential customers can call them with one click. 

“As mentioned previously, be sure to also leverage mobile media to reach your audience, there are effective and affordable ways to target on mobile that can ensure reaching auto intenders,” Chawla added.

Mobile Car-Shopping Trends

According to Briabe’s study, three out of five respondents have noticed an auto ad on their mobile phone or tablet.

The trend doesn’t stop there. More than one-third (37 percent) have clicked on auto ads for more information, company officials said.

And dealers may benefit from taking note of a few consumer trends when designing their mobile websites and ads.

The study found that deals and promotional offers along with ads that highlight car features resonate the most among mobile users with 76 percent of respondents saying they’re most likely to click on these types of car ads

Banner ads (68 percent) and social media ads (69 percent) turned out to be the most effective types of ads that cut through the online clutter, officials added.

Also, the study shared that users are most interested in research (85 percent) and / or price comparison (86 percent) when shopping for cars on their smart phone or tablets.

“These findings provide a snapshot into various demographic groups for car manufacturers, agencies and dealers,” said James Briggs, chief executive officer and co-founder of Briabe Mobile.

“If they are not reaching their audiences through mobile, they are missing important opportunities to market not only to active mobile users, but to turn those clicks into potential car purchases,” he continued.

Chawla also explained a bit more about how dealers can tap into this expanding customer base, stressing that text messages are becoming an important outlet for customer/dealer communication.

“One key area is to leverage local based mobile media buys — this ensures an effective use of media dollars.  And having a mobile optimized site is critical.  For retention, one of the key findings of the survey was how many consumers wanted to be reminded via text for service appointments after their car purchase,” Chawla said.  “This is a huge opportunity for dealers to leverage mobile loyalty programs to create a lasting relationship with customers and keep them coming back for servicing.”

Also of potential interest to dealers, the survey found that the top five sources used on a mobile devices for vehicle shopping are search engines, Cars.com, car company websites, Facebook and AutoTrader.com.

A Look at the Demographics

The study also took a look at which demographics were more active on mobile platforms while looking for their next vehicle.

First, the company explained that car ads on mobile devices generate more “awareness and responsiveness” among African- and Asian-Americans, according to the study. Close to two-thirds of African-Americans (65 percent) and Asian-Americans (63 percent) are aware of these ads versus Hispanics (59 percent) and the general market (62 percent).

And 39 percent of African-Americans and of Asian-Americans were most likely to have clicked on a car ad, officials added.

That said, one demographic, in particular, may see a mobile “boom” in the next few years .

“Hispanic auto shoppers had the highest potential with 91 percent of respondents indicating that they have used or plan to use their mobile phone or tablet to shop for a car,” company officials said.

Lastly, the study found that African-Americans (75 percent) and Hispanics (69 percent) are more eager to be alerted via text message for service reminders after they purchase a car.

“The purpose of the survey was to identify how mobile behaviors impact the auto shopping process and to find specific areas where auto advertisers can have deeper and more meaningful engagements with consumers,” Briggs said.

Briabe Mobile surveyed 1,641 consumers, ages 18 to 54, who were planning to purchase an automobile within the next 12 months and owned a smart phone or tablet. The survey was conducted online from July 26 to July 31.

Headed for ‘Universal Adoption’

In other news from the mobile market, Cars.com cites a study by Nielsen that surveyed over 1,500 smartphone, advanced feature phone and tablet users who reported using automotive applications and/or mobile websites in their vehicle shopping process.

The company found a bevy of consumer trends, including higher than expected mobile use among older shoppers.

In fact, “a similar study from 2011 found the average mobile shopper to be young, more affluent and likely shopping for a new vehicle, this year’s study found mobile usage to be more mainstream,” officials said.

“A higher proportion of older shoppers are using mobile compared with the 2011, particularly due to an increase from 20 percent to 26 percent in the proportion of mobile shoppers over the age of 55, and income is more diverse, with more shoppers reporting household income below $100,000 compared with the previous study,” they continued.

The study also found that consumers aren’t just using smartphones to access websites while on the go — tablets are rising in popularity, as well.

“In 2011, smartphones saw the highest proportion of ownership, and while that remains true in 2012, 48 percent of mobile car shoppers also own a tablet, versus just 28 percent last year,” company officials said.

Lastly, the study showed that consumers were using tablets for research-intensive activities, including looking up vehicle information and looking into price comparisons.

On the other hand, smartphone usage was higher for “activities that typically take place closer to purchase, such as contacting a dealership via phone or text, scanning VINs for specific vehicle information and check-ins.

“In fact, more than four in 10 mobile shoppers reported using their device while on the dealership lot,” the company said.