7:10 am, November 16, 2009
Winner: Volkswagen.co.uk
Produced by: Tribal DDB
Runner up: Audi.co.uk
3rd: Fiat.co.uk
SOLID and reliable – just like its cars – the Volkswagen website packs in a host of clever touches to take the Car Manufacturer title.
The German site has recently had an overhaul and offers users a typical VW experience. The branding on the site is spot on, the user journey hooks customers in and the new car configurator is second to none (more on that later).
The site is packed with rich media, video animations and is an absolute pleasure to use. It’s chock-full with information too – everything buyers could possibly want to know can be found on the site quickly and easily.
VW said the award proved the hard work it had put into the site since its launch in 2008 has been worth it.
‘Volkswagen places a huge amount of importance behind the website and invested heavily over the last few years to provide an experience that is innovative, engaging and provides the information our customers require, so being named Car Manufacturer Website of the Year is a really great result which we are very proud of,’ explained Marianne Nicholas, Volkswagen relationship marketing manager.
‘The website is often the first port of call for prospective customers, Volkswagen owners and general web-browsers alike, and it was designed to make it more appealing to all.
‘We are proud of the website, and our research and tracking shows it has been well received since launch. These new functions ensure we offer customers what they want and need, and of course we will be looking to develop the site and its range of features further in future.’
IMPRESSIVE
Car Dealer Eward judges were impressed with the site’s ability to trap the user and filter them through to a variety of different areas.
Many praised the use of animation – which features heavily on the site – as well as the clean and crisp design.
HPI automotive director Daniel Burgess said: ‘The clever homepage directs the user to the correct part of the site immediately. It really lives the brand values of reliability and simple sophistication too and this approach is carried throughout the site.’
G-Forces marketing director Tim Smith also spotted the site has made use of some clever software – stealing a march on its rivals.
‘The use of Adobe’s next generation Flex platform has been put to expert use here,’ said Smith.
‘The site is crammed full with offers, conversion tools and reflects the manufacturer’s promos. It’s also linked in very tightly to off-line marketing.’
Autotorq talk
Our headline sponsor says: ‘A beautifully clean, crisp website with simple but clever use of “I want” navigation on the homepage. It presents a professional, well-engineered face to match the brand characteristics. Nice touches like the cars driving on to the page when you look for new vehicles and an excellent configurator are really appealing – a worthy successor to last year’s winner!’
