July 24, 2015

Toyota Motor Europe

The Challenge

Toyota’s brief to Amaze was to audit the structure and architecture of the old site and create an entirely new navigation model that would streamline the users’ online journey.

Toyota’s previous site was an expression of a very mature and highly complex website, grown through nine previous iterations and its current form is a reflection of learning and the experience gained over the years. The new version (V10) is about the structure and architecture of the site, not about the branding or visual design.

Current and previous versions of the site had focused on the delivery of information and knowledge about the cars and the brand to end users. V10 was to place a far greater emphasis on moving users from knowledge to active consideration of purchase.

The Strategy

The strategy for the new site was to place a strong emphasis on moving users from knowledge gathering to actively considering purchasing a vehicle. It was to deliver thoughtful innovations and actions, which actively improve the quality of the consumers’ online research process. The aim was to eliminate typical issues such as struggling to find relevant information, whilst introducing appropriate use of images, up front transparency of costs and social validation.

Thorough research and testing was carried out by Amaze, from eye tracking and usability testing through to user interviews and competitive benchmarking of the automotive sector. The intensive research phase delivered key insights in order to truly understand how to bridge the gap between the number of visitors to the website and the number of people who progress through the purchase cycle to buy a Toyota.

The Results

The new site structure reflects Toyota’s new brand direction, ‘Always a Better Way’, focusing on a stress free customer experience. The new version of the website is being rolled out across Europe and the Middle East, covering a total of 31 markets, following successful pilots in Germany and Finland.

The roll out of the site across all markets is due to be completed by the end of May 2012.