To ensure better results with their online advertising efforts, vehicle manufacturers and dealers should advertise on the various types of websites that tend to attract new car buyers, according to a study.

Targeting new vehicle buyers at travel, special interest and finance websites can be more effective than advertising on most automotive shopping sites, because potential buyers visiting auto sites have likely already narrowed down their choices, writes Internet Retailer, citing a study from J.D. Power and Associates. Advertisers need to focus on the online behavior of new-vehicle buyers "before they begin actively shopping for their next new vehicle," Steve Witten, executive director of automotive research at J.D. Power, is quoted as saying.

Visits to websites can vary greatly by the type of vehicle consumers are likely to purchase. For example, higher-end car buyers use financial sites such as Yahoo Finance and MSN Money six times more often than do internet users in general.

Large pickup buyers visit NASCAR.com and home improvement sites more than other types of buyers, for example; also, women who are minivan and large SUV prospects tend to visit Disney and game sites more often than others.