The Economic Times reports that auto manufacturers in India aren’t too bullish on e-sales; GM India has a low conversion rate for inquiries online, at 12-15%. Maruti had earlier allowed NRIs to purchase cars for their relatives in India, but has no plans for e-sales yet.
Any comments from those running auto portals? Do you actually believe that people in India will buy cars online? What kind of value addition do you do?
Sahad had done an overview of auto portals, here.
A car, whether new or old, is a major expense for most people and they tend to seek multiple opinions and (at least) take a test drive. The Internet is one source of opinions, apart from friends and family: earlier this year, I had blogged my experience, and quite a few people reached the page via search engines; some left comments, others mailed for more details and reliable dealers. Blogs and sites like MouthShut.com have become sources of (mostly) independent opinions, and auto companies would do well to track them for feedback. At the end of the day, these opinions help form opinions, which may affect purchase decisions.
Related:
- It’s Rush Hour For Auto Portals