“Minimalist” Version of Edmunds.com Home Page Wins Optimization Experiment, Launches Today

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, fully launched its redesigned Web site. The site includes a new home page that was the result of a webpage optimization experiment conducted earlier this autumn.

“The winning home page design is the simplest one and is reminiscent of the clean graphical experiences presented by Apple and Google”

In the experiment, site visitors were shown one of four Edmunds.com home pages, each created using a different design strategy. One prominently featured dramatic car photos, while another was more task-oriented. The third contained simple graphics and fewer choices, while the fourth was similar to the site’s previous home page.

“The winning home page design is the simplest one and is reminiscent of the clean graphical experiences presented by Apple and Google,” commented Edmunds.com Chief Operating Office Seth Berkowitz. “In the course of the experiment, visitors who were shown the ‘minimalist’ version of our home page had significantly more engagement with the web site than visitors who were shown other versions.”

“The new home page and other new design elements may be the most obvious aspects of our new site, but there have been massive advancements to the infrastructure as well,” commented Edmunds.com Vice President Eugene Park, pointing to the Edmunds Technology Blog at http://technology.edmunds.com/ where more technical details are made available.

Among the redesigned site’s new tools and features are:

• The Edmunds.com Car Finder, which allows car-shoppers to discover cars of interest based on price point, body style and/or features such as iPod connectivity, fuel efficiency ratings and other personal choices.
• The Edmunds.com Affordability Calculator, which answers the age-old question “what car can I afford to buy” and generates a shopping list based on real-world vehicle preferences and budget constraints.
• Pre-production car information, so that car shoppers can easily compare offerings to determine whether to wait for a future model year before making a new car purchase. Here’s an example of the 2012 Fiat 500 page at http://www.edmunds.com/fiat/500/2012/.
• A new “save” function, which allows site visitors to privately collect their car research from any Web site, and to make notes.
• New car inventory listings, which allow car shoppers to quickly learn where to buy the vehicles that most appeal to them.
• Enhanced Dealer Ratings and Reviews, which measure dealership responsiveness to modern shopping practices and expectations.

About Edmunds.com, Inc. (http://www.edmunds.com/help/about/index.html)

Edmunds.com Inc. publishes Web sites that empower, engage and educate automotive consumers, enthusiasts and insiders. Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, launched in 1995 as the first automotive information Web site. Its mobile site, accessible from any smartphone at www.edmunds.com, makes car pricing and other research tools available for car shoppers at dealerships and otherwise on the go. InsideLine.com is the most-read automotive enthusiast Web site. Its mobile site, accessible from any smartphone at www.insideline.com, features the wireless Web's highest quality car photos and videos. AutoObserver.com provides insightful automotive industry commentary and analysis. Edmunds.com Inc. is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit. Follow Edmunds.com on Twitter@edmunds and fan Edmunds.com on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/edmunds.