Based on the pretense that Super Bowl ad aftermath may pose the first big test of the year for vehicle shopper satisfaction, an automaker’s website could leave their potential customers as elated as Peyton Manning or as sullen as Cam Newton.

According to the J.D. Power 2016 Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study — Winter, analysts determined website navigation problems due to rich content, especially on the individual model pages, can negatively impact customer satisfaction and perceptions of site speed.

The semiannual study examines four key measures (in order of importance) to determine usefulness of automotive manufacturer websites during the new-vehicle shopping process:

— Information and content
— Appearance
— Navigation
— Speed

Satisfaction is calculated on a 1,000-point scale. The study showed overall customer satisfaction with manufacturer websites came in at 808.

J.D. Power noticed that as the demand for interactive and illustrative information has increased, so has the number of navigation issues on automaker sites — especially on the model pages. That’s where the firm said vehicle details, videos and build tools are available.

The study mentioned a connection between navigation problems and the perception of site speed. The more steps needed to find information, view an image or play a video, the longer the process feels, which leads to a decline in satisfaction.

More than four in 10 shoppers — 42 percent to be exact — indicate experiencing a problem with speed in at least one area of the website, according to the study.

J.D. Power noted speed satisfaction is higher among shoppers who do not experience a speed issue than among those who do (838 versus 765, respectively). The combination of navigation and speed issues can be extremely detrimental to the shopping experience.

Analysts spotted a 232-point gap in satisfaction between shoppers who experience no speed or navigation issues (845) and those who experience three or more navigation issues and speed issues (613).

“Automakers just spent many millions of dollars on advertising during the Super Bowl to drive a massive amount of traffic to their respective digital showrooms; it's critical that those websites perform at a level consistent with the manufacturer's brand promise,” said Arianne Walker, senior director of marketing analytics at J.D. Power.

“Auto manufacturers need to find the right balance between offering rich content and a robust Web experience that engages shoppers enough to get them to the dealer to take that next step,” Walker continued.

“If the site has difficult navigation and perceived speed issues, shoppers may opt for another brand of interest,” she went on to say.

3 other findings

J.D. Power highlighted a trio of other key findings stemming from the 2016 winter study, as listed below:

— Manufacturer website becomes conduit to test drive: Among new-vehicle shoppers who say they are “delighted” with their experience on a manufacturer brand website (overall satisfaction scores of 901 or higher), 59 percent indicate they are more likely to test drive a vehicle after visiting the site, compared with only 18 percent of those who say they are “disappointed” (scores of 500 or below).

—Build and price tools weigh down site performance: The content with which shoppers most often experience slow speed issues includes the build and price tool, videos and interior/exterior 360-degree images. 

—Site navigation leaves room for improvement: Among the four study measures, navigation and information/content are the least satisfying for shoppers (800 each).

Website study rankings

J.D. Power found Ram (838) ranked highest in overall manufacturer website satisfaction, followed by Porsche (836) and Mercedes-Benz (828).

Here is the complete rundown:

Ram: 838
Porsche: 836
Mercedes-Benz: 828
Lexus: 821
Mini: 820
Audi: 818
BMW: 818
Jaguar: 818
Jeep: 818
Volkswagen: 818
Infiniti: 816
Acura: 815
smart: 815
Land Rover: 814
Cadillac: 813
Hyundai: 810
Fiat: 808
Industry average: 808
Dodge: 807
Mazda: 806
Subaru: 805
Lincoln: 804
Chrysler: 802
Nissan: 802
Volvo: 799
Honda: 798
Buick: 794
Chevrolet: 794
GMC: 794
Scion: 794
Kia: 785
Ford: 783
Mitsubishi: 783
Toyota: 781