Cape Town-based web developers WebNow have joined forces with communication agency Draftfcb South Africa and usability consultants JH-01 to develop a powerful new ecommerce-based website for Toyota South Africa. Visitors to the site can research, select, finance, insure, order and maintain a new or used car with the help of powerful search and transaction technology.
The successful collaboration project started in October 2008. The site has been live since August 2009. Since then the site has attracted 200,000 unique visitors and driven over 300 finance applications via the finance section.
The site is based on a complex content management system, designed to meet Toyota's unique requirements. With content provided by multiple sources, Toyota brand office, Sales, Toyota dealers, Toyota Financial Services and Draftfcb, visitors use the site to inform their decision to buy any car from the entire Toyota range as well as accessing relevant corporate information.
The site catalogues the specifications, add-ons and optional extras for every model, with a comparison function to help buyers decide what suits them best. From the pre-purchase zone, buyers can identify the car they want, book a test drive, select their favourite accessories, add an insurance policy and configure their finance options all in a trolley format which can be printed or saved for access at a later stage.
Once buyers have made their selection, they are moved into the purchase zone. Using an electronic signature function, their selection is confirmed and the buyer has the option to transfer their trolley to their local dealer for processing or save it to their MyToyota profile to be accessed or modified at a later stage. In this zone in a future release, the buyer will be able to monitor their order progress, apply for finance and insurance and monitor the details of their delivery. Provision has also been made for the possibility that buyers will be able to buy the car using a credit card or EFT payment methods online. In the purchase zone, buyers can add service and maintenance schedules to their trolleys and leave feedback for Toyota Customer Services.
In the future it will be possible for the buyer to keep up to date with their car's service programme from within the post-purchase zone. And when their finance has come to an end or they need a change, then a buyer can arrange for a trade-in or trade up.
Complex project combining creativity with multiple languages and protocols
Draftfcb developed the strategy behind the site along with the creative vision, while JH-01 consulted on the user experience design. Working closely with the client and their project partners, WebNow designed and developed the back-end technology through a clearly defined process. This was complex process that included:
Developing the functional requirement specifications; creating the system architecture and design; developing the content management system tailored specifically to Toyota's unique requirements; implementing the signed-off creative, which involved converting initial concept documents to html and css files. WebNow developed the master page and theme and developing the website using ASP.NET and C# programming protocols; and the business logic and data access layers using C#. The developers used Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 for all development. The team developed the integration bus and designed and developed the database using SQL Server 2005.
Toyota South Africa Manager: Web Communications Systems, James Smith, explained the impact on the motor sales industry that the website will have: “The Toyota South Africa website has completely changed the face of buying a car in South Africa. The new website creates a seamless process through which our customers can make a decision about which vehicle to buy and customise the vehicle according to their needs. Many people feel a lot of pressure when standing in a dealer's showroom but the website allows them to make a decision in the comfort of their homes. It assists by guiding them through the purchase journey allowing them to gather all the information they need, enhancing their decision to buy the best vehicle suited to their needs.”
WebNow CEO, Jean-Pierre Dumont, said: “This was one of the most challenging projects WebNow has ever undertaken. The success of the site is a testament to Toyota's clear vision and the highly effective collaborative approach shared by Draftfcb and JH-01, our project partners. We have broken new ground with both the concept and the technology and we are pleased to have played such a critical and successful part.”
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