The State Of Japanese Automotive Site Design, 2007

As part of a study that evaluated 12 major Japanese sites, Forrester recently used its Web Site Review methodology to evaluate the user experience at the Web sites of four major auto manufacturers: Honda, Mazda, Nissan, and Toyota. While Japanese automakers' sites offer plenty of value to prospective car buyers, poor navigation and presentation make content and function hard to find and consume. To reach a more realistic balance between delivering practical and emotional experiences, auto companies should focus on improving basic usability, look at other industries for best practices, and design their sites to provide the content and function users need in the larger context of their potential purchases.