Site review: Auto Trader
Motoring website Auto Trader has recently launched a new version of its site in beta, updating the technology behind the site and introducing a more modern design.
The Auto Trader mobile website was impressive when I reviewed it recently, so I've decided to have a closer look at the new desktop site. It's a pretty big site, so I've confined my review to a used car search...
Which auto websites are getting it right?
A study of automotive website usability has named the Audi website as the best by a manufacturer, with Volvo and Mini the runners up.
The eDigitalResearch study was commissioned by Auto Trader, and looks at various features of car websites, including selector tools and customer service options.
I've been looking at some of the winners' websites...
Buy it now, or not: eBay can't sell GM's cars
Life is tough for General Motors. Once the world's largest and most powerful automaker, the Great Recession put the final nail in the coffin of a company that had grown too large and too lackadaisical to survive.
But thanks to Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the support of the United States government, GM is trying to reinvent itself. It's spending lots of money trying to convince consumers to give its cars a second look and it's looking for new solutions to old problems.
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This article covers what I've learned from working with hundreds of customers on improving the results that they get from email marketing by optimising the subject line.
Whatever software you use for your email campaigns, these tips are worth reading...
Does the UK car industry not get social media?
Despite the opportunities offered by social media, the UK car industry seems to have been slow to catch onto it as a way of promoting its products and talking to customers.
In the US, brands like Ford, thanks to the efforts of its social media director Scott Monty, have placed a high importance on engaging with customers through social media, yet I can think of very few examples from the UK.
The workaround: technology strikes back
People have been finding workarounds for poorly designed systems for many years. Although both the technology and the workarounds have become more sophisticated, the problem, and its solution, remains the same.
Many years ago, before web-based interfaces, we were asked to investigate why an online ordering system wasn’t delivering the promised productivity benefits. Our research, which involved videoing staff dealing with telephone orders and then interviewing them about the process, soon revealed the problem.
Toyota launches a Twitter-oriented microsite, buys (?) a sponsored definition
Can brands build unique experiences for consumers around Twitter? Toyota is giving it a shot with a new Twitter-oriented microsite called Harmony Tweets that is being used to promote the Prius.
The microsite was built by Federated Media, which has over time gone from an ad rep to a "conversational marketing" agency.
How car websites can improve comparison tools
Econsultancy, in association with Global Reviews, has released a number of Customer Experience Benchmarking reports this week, on of which looks at key usability success factors on automotive websites.
This report looks at car comparison tools, which are supposed to help users to decide which car and model is most suitable for them. Providing a usable comparison tool makes it easier for customers to research their purchase and produce a shortlist of suitable cars.
Thinking outside the box and other bad advice
Earlier this month I opened CREATE 2009, a forum for academics and practitioners to share creative and innovative ideas for human computer interaction (HCI).
The conference's theme was ‘Creative inventions and innovations for everyday HCI’ so to start things off I outlined my four step approach to help designers find more creative solutions to their problems.
Facebook Fan Box and what it means for brands
Facebook has just launched Fan Box, a new widget. This is great news for brands wanting to grow a Facebook fan page. But it's probably going to drive traffic in the wrong direction for most brands.
Social media: the best and worst of 2009
Email marketing: six steps to improving customer engagement in 2010
Web 2.0
Graham Charlton
Strategy & Planning
