Images Showcasing the Functionality of New Vehicles Increasingly Important
to Online Shoppers
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., June 27 /PRNewswire/ -- HUMMER.com is the
most useful manufacturer Web site for new-vehicle shopping, according to
the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Manufacturer Web Site Evaluation
Study(SM) -- Wave 2 released today.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050527/LAF028LOGO-a )
The semi-annual study measures the usefulness of manufacturer Web sites
during the new-vehicle shopping process. New-vehicle shoppers evaluate Web
sites in four key areas: appearance, speed, navigation, and
information/content.
Information/content, which includes vehicle features, specifications,
images, equip and build tools, payment calculators and dealer locators, is
the most important factor area to shoppers, accounting for 36 percent of
the overall index score.
HUMMER ranks highest with an index score of 870 on a 1,000-point scale
-- a 12-point improvement from Wave 1 of the study, which was released in
February 2006.
"With nearly 300 different models to choose from, shoppers increasingly
rely on the Internet to help match them with a vehicle that not only
ideally fits their desired needs but also their image and budget," said Sam
Thanawalla, senior manager of digital marketing solutions at J.D. Power and
Associates. "HUMMER is an example of a site that has established, and
continues to utilize, a logical and user-friendly site design and site
architecture that connects with visitors. The increased use of vibrant
images, demonstrative videos, diagrams and valuable vehicle specifications,
as well as a state-of-the-art build tool, nicely articulate the
capabilities and benefits of HUMMER vehicles to shoppers."
HUMMER is followed in the rankings by Kia, Suzuki, Pontiac and Subaru,
respectively. Across all manufacturer Web sites, the industry average of
838 is the highest recorded in the history of the study.
"Manufacturers are consistently finding new and creative ways to
deliver information to vehicle shoppers, and the quantity of Web site
information is exploding at a rapid pace," said Thanawalla. "However,
shopper expectations of Web sites will continue to grow, and shoppers will
increasingly expect Web sites to make all information easily and quickly
available to them."
The study reveals a considerable shift in the importance of vehicle
images on manufacturer Web sites and the ability to display the
functionality of a vehicle versus simply showcasing its appearance.
Manufacturers are benefiting from growing levels of high bandwidth
connectivity among new-vehicle shoppers, allowing them to incorporate
creative tools to feature the enhancements and capabilities of their
products.
"More than ever, buyers are relying on their vehicle to be practical,
adaptable and exciting," said Thanawalla. "Images can display the flexible
function of vehicles, the ease of use of features and accessories, and the
ease of reconfiguration, such as folding and removing seats, storage
accessories and console repositioning. Educating shoppers about these
features allows manufacturers to elaborate on improvements to quality,
safety, reliability and fuel efficiency with the use of credible, logical
and emotional content on their Web sites. However, as site content becomes
more complex, the importance of site speed cannot be taken for granted."
The study continues to demonstrate that the more useful a manufacturer
Web site is, the more traffic it is likely to drive to dealerships.
Offering better online shopping experiences to more shoppers has made
manufacturer Web sites a key destination when researching new vehicles.
"Looking forward, manufacturers will consistently add more content to
their Web site in the form of audio, video, sketches and reviews to
accommodate the growing queries and concerns of all shoppers," said
Thanawalla. "This tremendous increase in content will require new forms of
navigation to access information. This will occur in the form of
intelligent search tools and improved universal navigation compounded with
relevant navigation links throughout Web pages."
The 2006 Manufacturer Web Site Evaluation Study -- Wave 2 is based on
evaluations by 11,348 new-vehicle shoppers who indicated they would be in
the market for a new vehicle within the next 24 months.
Manufacturer Web Site Ranking
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)
HUMMER 870
Kia 864
Suzuki 863
Pontiac 859
Subaru 859
Honda 856
Mitsubishi 854
Saab 853
Buick 850
Lexus 848
BMW 846
Mercury 846
Cadillac 845
GMC 845
Chevrolet 843
Dodge 843
Chrysler 840
Land Rover 840
Mazda 840
Industry Average 838
Ford 837
Toyota 834
Mercedes-Benz 833
Hyundai 831
Jaguar 831
Lincoln 830
Volvo 828
Jeep 827
Porsche 826
Scion 824
Volkswagen 823
Nissan 819
Saturn 818
Acura 815
Infiniti 815
MINI 813
Audi 807
About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is
an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating
in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting,
training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction
measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually.
J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.
About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global
information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial
services, education and business information markets through leading brands
such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D.
Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 290 offices in 38
countries. Sales in 2005 were $6.0 billion. Additional information is
available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.
J.D. Power and Associates Media Relations Contacts:
John Tews Syvetril Perryman
Troy, Mich. Westlake Village, Calif.
(248) 312-4119 (805) 418-8554
john.tews@jdpa.com syvetril.perryman@jdpa.com
No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information
in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and
Associates. http://www.jdpower.com/corporate
SOURCE J.D. Power and Associates
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Related links:
http://www.jdpower.com/corporate
http://www.HUMMER.com http://www.mcgraw-hill.com
Photo Notes:http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050527/LAF028LOGO-a
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
John Tews, Troy, Mich., +1-248-312-4119,
john.tews@jdpa.com, or Syvetril Perryman, Westlake Village,
Calif., +1-805-418-8554, syvetril.perryman@jdpa.com, both of J.D.
Power and Associates
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