Feature


In plain site Our annual website analysis shows how well the top 10 OEMs cater for their fleet customers online W


here do you go to do some homework about a new car? Google, probably, but assuming you prefer the


official source of information to a swathe of reviews, your next stop will be the manufacturer’s website. We have said before that OEMs’ fleet and company car information is often eclipsed by consumer-leaning online content. That is understandable from a broader marketing perspective, but brands for which fleet and business sales make up, in some cases, more than 50% of their annual registrations should really put some effort in to cater for such customers via their digital shop windows.


Some absolutely nail it, while others


leave a lot to be desired, and our annual website analysis rewards manufacturers that pour their energies into pages, functions, and features for fleets and those that regularly freshen these elements. In addition to evaluating the sites’ primary functions, we also do a bit of digital mystery shopping to try out each manufacturer’s remote customer services.


Ranking/


position change from 2022


▲1 (+1) ▲2(+3) ▼2(-1)


▲4(+5 most improved)


▼5(-2) ▲6(+1)


▶7(no change) ▲8(+2)


▼9(-4 biggest faller)


Manufacturer Score


Vauxhall BMW


Mercedes Hyundai


Toyota Ford Kia Nissan Volkswagen ▶10(no change) Audi 24 | August 2023 | www.businesscar.co.uk Good Bad


68% So much more considerate of fleets than any other top 10 OEM site Did not respond to our Twitter message; live chat work in progress 61% Best configurator; excellent live chat/messaging responses 61% Best social media and generally strong in other areas 60% Great design; very speedy and effective on live chat


Design could really do with an update; sub-par dealer finder Poor live chat and messaging responses


Mobile version loses some of its desktop equivalent’s good features


54% Wonderfully simple layout and good fleet-themed extras 51% Brochures and dealer finder put others to shame


Like Hyundai, the mobile site sheds some of the desktop version’s handy links


Others are better designed, easier to navigate, and have superior configurators


50% Lightning-fast live chat response; strong social media and extras Failed to respond to our Twitter message; shonky dealer finder 47% Design has improved; solid responses via messaging services 45% Second best dealer finder and good fleet extras


Hard to find simple info, naff configurator, little/no fleet extras Does not do brochures; sub-par social media, worst live chat


43% Strong mobile site and configurator; good response to messaging No brochures, promo-heavy social media, pitiful live chat response


We have made some key changes to this part for 2023, to better reflect how users typically interact with brands online. We no longer email manufacturers and, though we still phone them, this has been removed from the scored part of the assessment. Those two elements have been replaced by live chat and social media messaging respectively. This year’s deep dive sees top-spot


regular Vauxhall back in its usual position. It came second in 2022 because it was mid-revamp and some services were inactive, but most of those are now up and running and refreshed accordingly. It is once again the most fleet-centric OEM website by a clear margin, and the ongoing cues it has actively taken from this analysis are obvious. Last year’s winner, Mercedes, fell to second place, which it shares with BMW – a big improver, much of which was due to its excellent responses to live chat and messaging. The same can be said of fourth-placed Hyundai, the most improved brand of 2023 with a five-place rise. Only 25% separated first from last this


year, which suggests the competition has hotted up in line with the tweaks to our assessment and the mid-table, especially, is very closely matched. The bottom three manufacturers – Nissan,


Volkswagen, and Audi – suffered from, among other things, overly promotional social media, a lack of brochures, and poor live chat services.


How our analysis works In late July and early August, we examined the websites of the 10 best-selling OEMs according to 2022 SMMT full- year registrations. We always start at the principal fleet and business page (to which we navigate via Google) and fan out to other pages from there. Each site is assessed in 10 key areas and


ranked from one to 10, which generates an overall percentage score. If a website lacks a particular service or feature (e.g. no brochure) then we score zero in that category. We like sites that are well-geared towards fleets and company car drivers and do more than just plug or sell the products. When


we interact with them, manufacturers that respond quickly, clearly, politely, and with relevant information also get the thumbs up. Finally, we contact each OEM’s press department to ask if the fleet pages have been updated in the past year.  Ease of use: Above all, a good website should make it simple for users to find basic information about the company’s core products. Our benchmark is the price of a car (even better if it’s a P11D), then its CO2 figure.


 Design: The most subjective category is also the one that will arguably dictate how long a user remains on a page. Drab designs in need of updating do not make you want to stick around and vice versa.


 Configurator: The go-to tool for user-choosers speccing up their next company car. The best are informative, interactive, and cool to look at.


 Brochure download: If you think brochures are old hat, look at the highest-rated ones in our assessment, which are highly interactive and teeming with information. Even better if they are easy to find on the site.


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