WALTHAM, Mass. — A study conducted by Oracle Data Cloud has found that DealerRater is often the last website a consumer visits before securing a vehicle. Of the visitors who make a purchase, more than half complete the deal within four weeks of visiting the website, according to DealerRater.

Visitors to DealerRater Dealer Profile pages are 3.5 times more likely to buy a vehicle than the average consumer, the company found. Those who visit an employee profile have an even greater likelihood, four times more than the average consumer, to buy a vehicle, the company added.

“DealerRater is the final stop for shoppers before calling or visiting a dealership,” said Gary Tucker, DealerRater CEO. “This study demonstrates that consumers coming to the DealerRater site are in the final stages of the buying process. Given that consumers are visiting fewer and fewer showrooms, it is especially important that dealers be in front of consumers at this stage of the buying process to showcase their dealership and their people.”

The company stated that the study, which it commissioned, underscores the importance to sales success of engaging consumers online early in the vehicle-buying journey. To find the data for the study, Oracle Data Cloud connected visitors to DealerRater over a three-month period with subsequent vehicle sales data to confirm the actual vehicle purchase activity of site visitors.