Ease of Use in Appliance Websites is Critical to Drive Retail Store Traffic

COSTA MESA, Calif., Sept. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Home appliance shoppers who find brand and retailer websites less complicated to use than expected are nearly three times as likely to visit a store location, according to the J.D. Power 2016 Appliance Shopper Website Evaluation Study,^SM released today.

While only 25% of shoppers who find brand websites to be more complicated or about what they expected, 63%—or nearly three times more—of those who find the brand websites less complicated are likely to visit an appliance retailer.

Shoppers perceiving a retailer website to be less complicated also are more likely to consider the same retailer for other purchases than those who perceive a retailer website to be more complicated or what they expected (71% vs. 53%, respectively).

"For shoppers who have an informative, uncomplicated website experience, it's highly likely their next step is to grab their car keys and drive to a retail location," said Greg Truex, senior director at J.D. Power. "Companies that grasp the relationship between their website's usefulness and increased brand consideration are more apt to increase customer satisfaction."

In addition to measuring website experiences via a desktop, the study also measures experiences on mobile devices this year. "While information is the most important factor for all shoppers, those using a mobile website tend to value ease of navigation and website speed more than desktop shoppers," Truex said. "The volume of mobile shoppers will likely increase exponentially in the coming years, and companies need to constantly adapt to their customers' shopping habits."

Following are additional findings of the 2016 study:

• Opportunity for Consistency: Samsung and GE Appliances brands excel on both a desktop and mobile device, ranking among the top three in each segment, with the performance of other appliance brand websites varying. Among retailer websites, Lowe's performs consistently in both desktop and mobile, ranking second in both segments.
• Retailer Sites Outperform Brand Sites: Across the device types, appliance retailer websites achieve higher scores than appliance brand websites (840 vs. 826 averages on desktop; 836 vs. 828 averages on mobile device).
• Appliances Beat Autos: On a desktop, appliance brand (826) and appliance retailer (840) websites score higher than automotive manufacturer websites (807).¹ The same is true on a mobile device, as appliance brand (828) and appliance retailer (836) websites score higher than automotive manufacturer websites (783).²

Study Rankings

Among appliance brand websites viewed on a desktop, GE Appliances (846) and LG (846) rank highest in a tie on a 1,000-point scale. GE Appliances performs particularly well in the information/content, navigation, speed and appearance measures, while LG performs particularly well in information/content and appearance. Samsung (839) ranks third and KitchenAid (834) ranks fourth.

Among appliance brand websites viewed on a mobile device, Samsung (863) ranks highest, performing particularly well in information/content, navigation, speed and appearance. Maytag (843) ranks second and GE Appliances (842) ranks third.

Among retailer websites viewed on a desktop, Best Buy (846) ranks highest. Lowe's (845) ranks second and The Home Depot (842) ranks third.

Among retailer websites viewed on a mobile device, h.h. gregg (852) ranks highest, performing particularly well in information/content, navigation, speed and appearance. Lowe's (842) ranks second.

About the Study
Now in its fourth year, the J.D. Power 2016 Appliance Shopper Website Evaluation Study evaluates the usefulness of desktop and mobile websites for appliance brands and retailers based on four measures that comprise the overall website experience: information/content; navigation; appearance; and speed.

The study is based on responses from more than 7,500 major appliance purchase intenders who evaluated both brand and retailer websites. The study was fielded in June and July 2016.

Media Relations Contacts
John Tews; J.D. Power; Troy, Mich.; 248-680-6218; [email protected]
Geno Effler; J.D. Power; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-621-6224; [email protected]

About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/about-us/press-release-info

¹ J.D. Power 2016 Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study—Summer

² J.D. Power 2015 Automotive Mobile Site Study

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SOURCE J.D. Power