Web Tracking-Part I

Over the past week or so, I have been looking through the websites for Acura (www.acura.com) and Nissan (www.nissanusa.com) to decide which one to use for my web tracking assignment. I chose the two websites because I have recently become interested in getting a new car, and research, mainly online, is going to play a major factor in my decision. I have always personally liked Acura cars, but even though their website is eye catching at first, and certainly looks great, it is at times entirely too slow. The Nissan site, on the other hand, looks much plainer at first, but is much easier to navigate and is much faster. The Acura site focuses too much on trying to show large pop up pictures, and causes a slow loading time, whereas Nissan utilizes easy to see thumbnails that the viewer can access with ease.
Even as I looked through other car manufacturers websites, I was continually drawn back to how well Nissan's site was done. One particular thing that I noticed was that it was one of the few websites that would allow you to see what an option, such as car color or adding a part like new wheels, would look like without having to reload the page. The website is incredibly easy to navigate, with drop menus and easy point and click features. When you click on the vehicle lineup, you can drag over thumbnails, which pop out quickly to show a slightly larger image with a starting MSRP price, so you won't have to waste your time with models out of your price range. Nissan also offers a section called "Need help selecting your vehicle?" where you can sort models by price, gas mileage, and even seating.
I will continue to check these weekly and maintain a journal that will be summarized in my final report on the site. So far, I am impressed by its ease of use and how quickly it can go, and the color layout is starting to get to me too. Soon, their 2007 models will be coming out and we might get to see a new look for the site as well. Until then, I'll keep my eyes peeled and see how the site continues to develop.