TROY, Mich. -

The digital retail space continues to evolve.

But because of the pandemic, many manufacturers were forced to speed up the process, says Jon Sundberg, who is senior manager of digital solutions at J.D. Power.

Sundberg was discussing the new J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study, which found that overall satisfaction of automotive manufacturer websites averages 832 on a 1,000-point scale for the luxury segment. The mass market segment averages 827.

The semiannual study measures the usefulness of automotive manufacturer websites during the process of shopping for a new vehicle. Ranking highest in the mass market manufacturer website segment, with a score of 850, was Jeep.

The study examined the following measures, in order of importance: information/content, navigation, appearance and speed.

Dodge (839) and Toyota (839) ranked second in a tie for the mass market manufacturer website segment.

Land Rover, with a score of 846, ranked highest in the luxury manufacturer website segment. Lexus ranked second at 845 and Cadillac placed third at 844.

The U.S. Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study is based on responses from 11,209 new-vehicle shoppers who say they might be in the market for a new vehicle in the next two years. The study was fielded from October to November. The initial study was released in 1999.

The 2021 U.S. Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study also found that only 35% of car shoppers are delaying a new-vehicle purchase due to the pandemic.

That is a decrease of five percentage points from the summer.

The study also found that 45% of car shoppers are willing to purchase online. J.D. Power said that as confidence in online car purchasing increases, manufacturer websites must become more sophisticated to meet shoppers’ expectations.

“For automotive manufacturers, an effective website is critical,” J.D. Power said in a news release. The company added that a manufacturer website serves as an important portal of information for new-vehicle shoppers during the selection process. The site assists those shoppers in narrowing their consideration set, and it helps them identify key vehicle features and benefits, according to the company.

Further addressing how the digital retail space continues to evolve, Sundberg said websites are moving beyond the traditional research tools such as images and videos. They are moving toward allowing customers to go through the full purchase process online.

“Continuous updating beyond the basic research capabilities to accommodating interconnected systems which allow shoppers to purchase vehicles fully online will prove to be beneficial to shoppers and manufacturers alike,” Sundberg said.