Digital Benchmarking Firm L2 Inc Releases Its 6th Annual Digital IQ Index: Auto 2018 Report.

The L2 report benchmarks the digital performance of 43 Auto brands operating in the US, with a specific focus on key digital strategies and best practices for auto manufacturers to follow consumers into a mobile-first world. The Digital IQ Index methodology examines a brand’s strengths and weaknesses across the four digital dimensions of Site, Digital Marketing, Social, and Mobile. Index brands are classified as either Genius, Gifted, Average, Challenged, or Feeble.

“Estimates point to a slowdown in the auto industry by 2019. Combine this with developments in big tech and the race to create the first driverless car and auto brands are faced with even more uncertainty of what the future holds,” noted Grant Torres, Director of Emerging Sectors Research at L2.

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Key findings from L2’s report include:

A Mobile Minute: In 2017, an average of 61 percent of traffic to Index brand sites came from mobile devices. The average visit to an Index brand mobile site was two and a half minutes shorter and spanned four fewer pages than visits to desktop sites, reinforcing the need for brands to streamline and simplify their mobile touchpoints.

Dare to Compare: Auto brands are ramping up their online vehicle information pages as 95 percent of Index brands now offer product videos on their brand sites, 49 percent provide interior photos and 47 percent give 360-degree views. However, the number of brands who offer brand comparison tools dropped 16 percent between 2017 and 2018 indicating that Index brands may be wary of highlighting vulnerabilities.

Instagram Vs. Facebook: Index brands generated 2.33 times as many Instagram interactions in Q4 2017 as in Q1 2016. While auto brand engagement on Instagram is accelerating, interactions on Facebook have stalled. In 2017, Auto Index brands generated almost four times as many interactions on Instagram as on Facebook.

“Non-Luxury brands have made clear investments in digital to stay top of mind of the evolving consumers. Winning brands optimize their discovery and sales process for mobile by cutting extraneous features that clutter a page, while at the same time layering on mobile-specific features like pinch-to-zoom.” explained Cody Stack, Senior Research Associate at L2.

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