Don’t keep your customers waiting. The more steps they need to find information, view an image or play a video on an automaker’s website, the longer the process feels — and the more online customer satisfaction declines, according to recent J.D. Power research.
The J.D. Power 2016 Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study reveals a connection between navigation problems, and the perception of site speed, especially on individual model pages where vehicle details, videos and build tools are available.
The semi-annual study, now in its 17th year, measures the usefulness of automotive manufacturer websites during the new-vehicle shopping process by examining four key measures, including information/content, appearance, navigation and speed. Among these measures, navigation and information/content are the least satisfying for shoppers.
On the other side of the coin, more than half (59 per cent) of those who say they are delighted with the online shopping experience are likely to test drive a vehicle after visiting the site, compared with only 18 per cent of those who are disappointed.
The research shows how critical it is that websites perform at a level that is consistent with the manufacturer’s brand promise, says Arianne Walker, senior director marketing analytics at J.D.Power. “Auto manufacturers need to find the right balance between offering rich content and a robust Web experience that engages shoppers enough to get them to the dealer to take that next step. If the site has difficult navigation and perceived speed issues, shoppers may opt for another brand of interest,” says Walker.
The manufacturers who ranked highest in satisfaction in this year’s survey are Ram with 838 points on a 1,000-point scale, followed by Porsche (836) and Mercedes-Benz (828).
For more information about the 2016 study, visit: http://www.jdpower.com/resource/us-manufacturer-website-evaluation-study-mwes#sthash.kjqHvrva.dpuf
