Grades of Brands’ Websites Rising

Automaker websites are getting better grades from consumers as they shop for vehicles, a J.D. Power study found.

Overall satisfaction with the sites has increased over the past year, based on measurements in a semiannual survey on content, visuals, navigation ease, and speed. J.D. Power first conducted it in 1999.

This summer’s installment of the survey found satisfaction in the premium segment at 724 on a 1,000-point scale, up two points from the winter survey results and by 13 points year-over-year.

Satisfaction in the mass-market segment was at 713, up five points from the winter and eight points year-over-year.

J.D. Power said consumers can be fickle but that manufacturers are savvy to adapt on a dime.

"Website satisfaction can be volatile and automotive websites are not immune to changing preferences," said J.D. Power Director of Digital Solutions Jon Sundberg. "However, manufacturers have shown to be very agile when it comes to website design and ensuring their sites meet modern standards, more so than many other industries, as exemplified through the study data."

In the premium segment, Alfa Romeo’s site ranked highest at 755, followed by BMW and Infiniti. Ram topped the mass-market segment at 735, with GMC and Jeep close behind.

The survey is based on responses from more than 10,000 shoppers who said they plan to look for a new vehicle in the following 24 months.