Yamaha Launches New Consumer Parts and Accessories Web Experience

KENNESAW, Ga., Nov 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A.'s Customer Support Group (CSG) unveiled its completely redesigned website designed to enhance the Yamaha consumer experience by ensuring all Genuine Yamaha and Star accessories, apparel, gifts and parts that drive their Yamaha lifestyles are just a click away.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131118/CL18356-a )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131118/CL18356-b )

The URL for the new site is simple: yamahapartsandaccessories.com. Owners and fans of Yamaha and Star^® Motorcycles; Yamaha ATV s, Side-by-Sides; and Yamaha snowmobiles, watercraft, golf cars and power products can explore the thousands of ways Yamaha helps maximize the ownership experience.

Three Main Goals
When CSG decided to evaluate its web presence and launch an optimization plan, it identified three primary goals:

• Deliver a new, exciting look that matched the excitement of its products,
• Increase website functionality and ease of use,
• And create a web experience that appeals to both today's and tomorrow's Yamaha enthusiast.

The new site delivers a look and experience much like what consumers encounter when visiting a major retailer's site. Pages come alive with bold images depicting a variety of powersports lifestyles, and easy-to-use navigation and search bars ensure quick and easy browsing.

CSG's Marketing, Sales, Product Planning, and Business Planning departments worked closely with all U.S. Yamaha divisions and the Information Systems Division (ISD) to ensure consumers experience seamless relationships between a Yamaha or Star Motorcycles product and the many Genuine Yamaha, Star, Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing (GYTR^®) accessories, parts and apparel, plus thousands of other quality products available from Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A. and its authorized U.S. dealers.

CSG and ISD partnered with Milwaukee-based ARI Network Services Inc. to develop the new website's architecture; create home pages that faithfully reflect each powersports category's motoring lifestyle; and manage the execution of the various architecture relationships to ensure cohesive integration with all existing Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A. websites and pages.

"I'm very proud of what we have been able to accomplish with the new yamahapartsandaccessories.com site," said Frank Pittman, general manager of CSG. "We launched the new site on the heels of some significant Yamaha and Star introductions like the 2014 Bolt^® and Bolt^® R-Spec motorcycles, the 2014 Viking™ Side-by-Sides, the 2014 FZ-09^® sport bike, the 2014 YZ250F and YZ450F motocross bikes, and the 2014 SR Viper™ snowmobiles."

Pittman added that while the new site has been launched, websites are "kind of like the Golden Gate Bridge. It's up and operational, but you're never really finished painting it." He promises fresh, up-to-date Genuine Yamaha accessories, apparel and parts information, accurate fitment data to ensure consumers find the right product for their Yamaha or Star, product and technical videos, news, service and maintenance information, and seasonal content tailored for each powersports or Yamaha product category.

Designed for Today and the Future
Yamaha and ARI Network Services developed the new site on an HTML5 platform to ensure immediate compatibility with current internet standards and to build a solid foundation for future site functionality.

Acknowledging the days of internet surfing solely on a desktop or laptop computer are in the past, the team ensured compatibility with today's many mobile devices. It features responsive designs with dynamic filtering and image resizing.

Most valuable to consumers is the ability to filter results by what fits their Yamaha or Star product. They can then delve more deeply into the product's information, such as features and benefits, specifications, related and required products, and view multiple and alternate product images.

And purchasing through an authorized Yamaha dealer is easy. Consumers simply create a My Yamaha profile and add desired products to a wish list that they can give to their preferred dealer. Identifying local dealers is simple using the site's Dealer Locator function.

CSG will add more customer tools and features in Phase II and III of the site development timeline.

SOURCE Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A.