Automotive manufacturers’ Web site designers need to place greater emphasis on the ease of navigating through their sites, even if it comes at the expense of less information content, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2000 Manufacturers’ Web Site Study(SM) released Jan. 3.

This inaugural study, completed at the end of 2000, includes more than 3,000 evaluations regarding the quality and usefulness of 35 different automotive manufacturer Web sites by Internet users who intend to purchase or lease a new vehicle in the future.

“What may appear to a Web engineer to be a terrific tool or function serves no purpose if it’s difficult for the average consumer to use or if it is buried deep within the site,” said Chris Denove, partner at J.D. Power and Associates and director of the study. “Companies need to understand that when shoppers become frustrated with a Web site, the effect is similar to encountering a rude salesperson at a store. The study makes the bottom line clear: Internet users who have a bad experience with a manufacturer’s Web site are less likely to consider products offered by that manufacturer in the future.”

Respondents to the study also report positive experiences. Of the Internet users rating a site outstanding, one-half indicate they are more likely to want to test drive a vehicle built by that manufacturer.

“The message for manufacturers is that a well-designed Web site is an effective and

cost-efficient way for them to drive traffic to the dealers’ showrooms,” said Denove.

The actual content of automotive manufacturer Web sites is divided into four categories: (1) price configurator, (2) vehicle information (options, specifications, etc.), (3) visuals (photographs and graphics) and (4) purchase process aids (dealer locators, incentives, price quotes, etc.). Among these, the price configurator is the most important. The configurator not only has the greatest statistical impact on a site’s overall rating, but respondents also state that the most important tool a manufacturer site needs to offer is the ability to calculate the sticker price of a vehicle equipped with specific options.

Other functions that significantly impact consumer ratings include side-by-side vehicle comparisons; information about specifications; performance; and features. Content designed to help consumers purchase a vehicle (such as dealership information and price quote request forms) has the least impact on overall ratings.

Of all the manufacturer sites evaluated in this study, a few of the stronger performing sites such as Infiniti and Isuzu all perform well in both content and functionality. Infiniti’s site receives particularly high marks for its monthly payment calculator and ability to display side-by-side vehicle comparisons.

“Although the Infiniti.com site may not be most technologically advanced, the home page is uncluttered, photographs are large and clear, and the key features are all easy to find and use,” said Denove.

The Kia Web site also performs well in the most important attributes, scoring high in functionality features -- navigation, readability and special effects. The site’s home page allows consumers a choice of a multimedia introduction or the ability to bypass this option and begin their information search. The site scores well in the price quote purchase process tool, which allows consumers to easily obtain a price quote for a new vehicle from a local dealership.

The Isuzu.com site performs strongly in areas such as navigation as well as on the quality of the vehicle pictures and numerous core content features including: specifications; calculate list price; monthly payment calculator; dealer locator and price quote. The site allows consumers to quickly locate valued information, according to survey respondents.

The study also shows that manufacturers need to take into consideration the fact that most Internet users do not have access to high-speed connections. Slow download speeds are the most frequent complaint of respondents.

Some manufacturer sites feature animation to bring their site to life. Although the study found that these special effects have a significant impact on index scores when done right, respondents using telephone modem connections frequently become frustrated with the ability of their computer to display these features.

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Agoura Hills, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a 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 actual responses from millions of consumers annually.

J.D. Power and Associates can be accessed through the Internet at www.jdpa.com.