CHICAGO, April 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars.com, the
premier online resource for buying and selling new and used cars,
announced today that it has been ranked Highest Third-Party
Automotive Website by J.D. Power and Associates. The
inaugural study, conducted with more than 4,000 used- and new-car
purchase intenders, measures the usefulness of third-party
automotive websites during the new- and used-vehicle shopping
process by examining four key measures (in order of importance):
information/content; navigation; appearance; and speed. Among
the 21 sites evaluated, Cars.com ranked highest overall and also
led in areas of navigation, information/content and speed.
"Delivering the very best consumer shopping experience has
always been our number one priority at Cars.com, so I'm thrilled to
see shoppers in this study recognize the experience we've worked so
hard to create," said Mitch Golub,
President of Cars.com. "With the number of choices and
considerations, buying a car can be overwhelming. Our goal is
to help shoppers easily navigate all aspects of the research
process and equip them with the content and information they need
to confidently move toward purchase."
"Results of the Third-Party Automotive Website Evaluation
StudySM follow changes we launched to Cars.com at the
start of 2013 designed to improve the experience. While we are
constantly evolving the site, we started the year with a major
refresh, including an updated look and feel, easier browsing and
faster load times."
According to J.D. Power and Associates, sites with higher
satisfaction saw corresponding advocacy and loyalty rates,
indicating a connection between satisfaction and the likelihood
visitors will return to a site throughout their shopping process –
ultimately translating into increased exposure for
advertisers.
"We've been 'consumer-first' from the start, but it benefits our
manufacturer and dealer advertisers as well," Golub said.
"Our success in meeting the needs of shoppers throughout the
various stages of their purchase process means we're able to offer
advertisers not only a high-quality, in-market audience, but also a
powerful environment for influencing decisions at key moments
throughout the consumer journey."
For more details about the study, J.D. Power and Associates'
press release can be accessed here.
ABOUT CARS.COM
Cars.com is an award-winning online destination for car shoppers
that offers information from consumers and experts to help buyers
formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay
for a car. Cars.com offers thousands of new and used vehicle
listings, consumer reviews, side-by-side comparison tools, photo
galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and many other tools.
Cars.com puts millions of car buyers in control of their shopping
process with the information they need to make confident buying
decisions. Launched in June 1998,
Cars.com is a division of Classified Ventures LLC, which is owned
by leading media companies, including A.H.
Belo (NYSE: AHC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The
McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), Tribune Company and The Washington
Post Company (NYSE: WPO).
SOURCE Cars.com