Shoppers are looking for easy-to-use, content rich websites designed for desktop and mobile, without sacrificing speed, according to J.D. Power research.
The latest J.D. Power 2016 Canadian Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study found speed is more important to mobile users, and navigation and appearance are more important to desktop users, though information and content are the most important factor for both.
The website experience helps carmakers attract customers to dealerships, said J.D. Power. Of the new-vehicle shoppers who are satisfied with their experience on a manufacturer brand website, 63 per cent are more likely to test drive a vehicle after visiting the site, compared with 21 per cent who are “disappointed,” said J.D. Power.
“It’s a fine balance between providing the critical information that shoppers want while maintaining speed and usability of the site, which is a particular challenge with mobile,” said J.D. Ney, manager, automotive practice Canada at J.D. Power, in a written release. “Having an effective website is critical for brands to help attract and maintain customers in a very competitive Canadian market,” he added.
The J.D. Power study measures the usefulness of automotive websites and how each brand compares/performs during the new-vehicle shopping process.
Key measures include, in order of importance, information/content (34 per cent), appearance (24 per cent), navigation (22 per cent) and speed (21 per cent). Satisfaction is calculated on a 1,000-point scale.
Lexus and Lincoln ranked the highest overall in a tie, each with a score of 782, followed by Cadillac (781), Infiniti (779) and Jeep (775).
The J.D. Power 2016 Canadian Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study (MWES) is based on responses from more than 3,000 new-vehicle shoppers who indicate they will be in the market for a new vehicle within the next 24 months.
