Best practice analysis of automotive company websites. Analysis by Rahul Nambiar Website: http://www.rahulnambiar.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/rahulnambiar

1. AUTO INDUSTRY
WEBSITE PRACTICE
RESEARCH
Rahul Nambiar, Class of 2010
Master in Digital Marketing, IE Business School

2. Table of Contents
Overview

Typical Content Structure for Automobile

Industry
Marketing

Sales and After Sales

Fleet

Public Relations

 Social Web and Online PR

3. Overview
To conduct a best practice research of

automobile industry websites
To provide insights on the ideal content

structure on the web and Social Web
integration

4. Broad Content Structure
Auto.com
Sales and Public Company
Marketing Fleets
After Sales Relations Information
Social Web

5. Marketing – Content Structure
General Lead
Tools
Information Generation
Product Listing Build/Customize
Vehicle Request Quote
Feature Specification
Compare Vehicles
Pricing Information
Test Drive
Brochure Downloads Customer
Engagement Games
Search
Dealer Search
Newsletter
Registration
Special Offers

6. Sample Review- Toyota.com
Innovative Customer
Engagement Tools
Superb Listing of Products
And Pricing
Customer Engagement Tool –
Fuel Calculator.
Linked with Call toTool,
Comparison Action
Linked with Call to Action

7. MiniUSA.com – Build your
Vehicle
Another Comparison Tool
Another Example of
Call to action

8. MiniUSA.com –Customer
Engagement Game
Lead Capture
Customer Engagement Game is one of the best ways to promote/Educate on the features
Specifications of a vehicle, especially when the target segment is the youth in the 18-25 c

9. Marketing - Recommendations
A superb way to list the products and easy navigation to find

Product Specs
Search Functionality to easily find the Vehicle

Comparison of models

Customer Review/Ratings Module for Models for generating User

Generated Content through Forums
Fan Club

Need to have good customer engagement tools. Some e.g.

Fuel Efficiency

Games

Build your Vehicle

Adding Call to action at all the touch points

Sharing of Content to the social web(Especially after a Building your

Vehicle etc.), This was not seen in any of the leading websites. Best
practice would be to share in popular social networking sites
Email Newsletters to promote new launch- Registration


10. Sales and After Sales
Customer
Tools Finance
Service
Personalized, Maintenance
and Warranty Calendar
Service Locators Loans Request Management
Accessories Management
Customer Testimonials
How to fix tools for
Online Payment and Billing
Maintenance
Customer Rewards Program
Online
Inventory Search
Vehicle Loan Calculation
Virtual Finance Management
Tools
Complaint Management
System

11. Toyotaowneronline.com
Rewards Program
Customer Testimonials
Owners Manual

12. Inventory, Booking and Bill
Payment
Online Payment
Inventory Search
with Location

13. Sales and After Sales -
Recommendations
Online Service System to fulfill all service level request from

booking of service to tracking status to fulfillment of service
Registration of Vehicle

Tools to help self service and maintenance of vehicle(for e.g. How

to fix a flat in 10 minutes etc.)
Finance and Number Crunching Calculators

Service Centre Locator Tools(Completely integrated with Maps will be

great)
Online Finance Section for loan request management

Feedback/Complaint Management

In the Website, Live Chat to resolve problems and booking ticket

number
System to maintain Dealer quality and Maintenance

Personalized Maintenance Calendar

Integrate Email Newsletters for registered customers on the new

accesories

14. Fleet : Research
Auto car makers’ sites – fleet
section
Product Details
Services
Financing
Fleet benefit/Contact us

15. Key Features across Fleet
section
Interactive showroom to display your products with a lot of small functionality like

Product Sort

Product Comparison

Next Steps

Vehicle Links and Tool & Reference

Product Life Cost Calculator

Fleet Service Tool box

Payment Estimator

Fleet Demo & Guide

Fleet Dock


16. References across Fleet
section of auto car makers’ sites
Fleet Steps &Cost Calculator
Next Demo Tool box &
Fleet Service Guide
Fleet Dock
PaymentComparisons
Vehicle Sort
ProductLinks and Tool
Estimator
Life
Reference

17. Public Relations
Website Related Online PR
Listening to Online
News/ Events
conversation using Tools
Management of Online
Archival of news
Groups/Community
Sharing of News, RSS
Blog Commenting
Feeds
Blog Fan Club Management

18. Some Best Practices
Events and Registrations
Connect up with
Popular Motor Blogs
FAQ Management

19. Follow Online Conversations
Tracking Online Referen
Throughout
Reply from @mazda6 to
the enquiry or complaint
and
Link them up to the
website

20. Online Community
Management
Management of FAN clubs in

Facebook, MySpace, Orkut etc.
Following conversation using Tools like

Radian6
Managing Customer Complaints through

Monitoring
Introducing moles on the web for positive

commenting in auto review blogs
Building of an Online Community for the

Company

21. Alltop.com – Example

22. Designing an Online Community-
References
Online Community Managers – Post by Chris

Brogan http://www.chrisbrogan.com/on-
managing-a-community/
Building Online Communities – Jason Falls

http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2009/01/2
6/building-on-line-community-starts-off-line/
Growing an Online Community – Lee Odden

http://www.toprankblog.com/2009/01/blogwell-
growing-an-online-community/

23. Research References
Popular Automobile Website

http://www.toyota.com/

 http://www.ford.com/
 http://www.vw.com/
 http://www.chevrolet.com/
 http://www.nissanusa.com/
 http://www.miniusa.com/
 http://www.hyundaiusa.com/
 http://www.fiat.com
 http://www.gmfleet.com/
 http://toyotaopenroad.com/

24. Research References
Online Community and PR

 http://autos.alltop.com/
 http://www.chrisbrogan.com
 http://www.mashable.com
 http://addictomatic.com/
 http://search.twitter.com/
 http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/

25. Contact Me
Rahul Nambiar
Email: rahul@urja.com
Blog: http://rahulnambiar.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rahulnambiar