Gone are the days when the dealers would manage to sell their cars through brochures alone. Internet is used as a marketing tool. Today manufactures promote their models though their websites in a big way and there are a good number of portal service providers who offer comprehensive data regarding various makes and models.

Industry experts view that a good website is only a pre-requisite for good sales. Various manufactures also opt for online advertisements to promote there products in a big way. The automotive websites/portals provide better interactivity by providing information to customers and persuading them to buy their products. Studies indicate that more customers now prefer to first browse the website to research about the models before actually buying the car at a local dealership.

According to estimates, online transactions, such as asking for the price of a car or the trade-in value or about complete costs with required accessories, in automobiles in the Unites States of America (USA) accounts to nearly 70 percent of the total sales. The showroom is involved only in the final step of the actual buying process. The concept, however, is still at an infant stage with only 10 percent of online transactions happening via the internet in India. The internet is also playing a roll of importance in selling used cars.