Dominion Adaptive Websites

[Chris Cachor]

I was intrigued to see the technology behind this, but I'm left here writing a post about how unimpressed I am at this advertisement. You tout adaptive user behavior, yet all you're doing is designing sites for multiple devices. How does this adapt to user behavior? Someone rotates their screen?

I hate to be a negative Nancy about some of this stuff, but please don't advertise features you don't have (or at least I don't see it on the site/video). Adaptive design should never be considered a "feature". Here's the ad:



And the site: http://www.drivedominion.com/dr.html

When I think of adaptive user behavior, I think of defined set of actions or "triggers" dependent on a set of events in the person's session:

• Person visits vehicle details page for 3rd consecutive time => Launch finance special advertisement
• Person fills out service application form => Show offer to share deal with friends and get a free oil change
• Person alters search to monthly payment => Show lease offers

Is there anybody doing this currently? I see no mention of this on their website from what's advertised.

 

[Peyton Hoffman]

Chris,

Thanks for the feedback, and sorry for the confusion. Now that I read the ad again I understand where the confusion is coming from. A better way to word it would be "adapt to users' devices". Our marketing team is updating this now.

As of today, our sites do not currently change their content or flow to respond to a user's past interactions. That functionality is on our product roadmap, but will not be released until early next year.

The feature we're advertising is our Adaptive Design, which changes layout, content, and navigation to best meet the needs of a user on whatever device they are on. You say that this design should never be considered a feature, but our implementation of it is a first for the auto industry, and effectively eliminates the need for a separate, disconnected mobile site. We believe that is a feature worth advertising.

I'd love to give you a demo of our new platform and get your feedback on it. You clearly understand where the website world is going, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks

Sean Stansell
Product Manager - Web
Dominion Dealer Solutions
[email protected]
443-212-8973

 

[ibdefaria]

I was intrigued to see the technology behind this, but I'm left here writing a post about how unimpressed I am at this advertisement. You tout adaptive user behavior, yet all you're doing is designing sites for multiple devices. How does this adapt to user behavior? Someone rotates their screen?

I hate to be a negative Nancy about some of this stuff, but please don't advertise features you don't have (or at least I don't see it on the site/video). Adaptive design should never be considered a "feature". Here's the ad:

View attachment 1058

And the site: Automotive Marketing, CRM & Inventory Solutions - Dominion Dealer - Welcome to Our DealerRefresh Guests

When I think of adaptive user behavior, I think of defined set of actions or "triggers" dependent on a set of events in the person's session:

• Person visits vehicle details page for 3rd consecutive time => Launch finance special advertisement
• Person fills out service application form => Show offer to share deal with friends and get a free oil change
• Person alters search to monthly payment => Show lease offers

Is there anybody doing this currently? I see no mention of this on their website from what's advertised.

There's a new trend now on the web called "Responsive Design". If you've read anything on web design recently, you've probably heard of it. Maybe that's what they were going for... but I tested it, and it didn't work for their own website. Maybe it only works on dealer's sites. So I am not sure.

Responsive Design is a way to build 1 site that looks good on different types of media (such as mobile, tablets, desktops, laptops)... instead of building 3 different websites (one for each media type).

Responsive Design is great for developers, but the end user usually won't noticed the difference.

 

[kcar]

Yeah that really irritated me too. Another service provider using fancy words to make their service seem like it's new. Anyone can make a website with ipad, iphone, computer compatibility.. But you advertise it like it updates sales or service specials or something great when a visitor returns for the 5th time.. Or when someone clicks on a car, comes back 3 times, they now see the price has dropped, etc.

So.. Please stop false advertising, something you can't deliver. User behavior does not equal user device choice.

 

[yagoparamo]

I'm very curious about responsive design and definitely think there there is something here of the auto industry. A key piece of it is going to be able to know how much is too much and how little is not increasing sales. The right amount, just like any other "invasive" form of advertising, will be the key.

 

[jscole86]

If you've read anything on web design recently, you've probably heard of it. Maybe that's what they were going for... but I tested it, and it didn't work for their own website. Maybe it only works on dealer's sites. So I am not sure.

Responsive Design is a way to build 1 site that looks good on different types of media (such as mobile, tablets, desktops, laptops)... instead of building 3 different websites (one for each media type).

Since pushing into html 5 / CSS 3, there seem to be 2 new methods of web design that have been gaining traction; they are responsive design and adaptive design.

Adaptive web design seems to be what dominion dealer solutions is providing. Adaptive web design is accomplished by changing the styling (CSS) of your site, so that it adjusts the content to perfectly fit the device that you are browsing on (iPhone, iPad, laptop, desktop, etc). (This is probably why their site didn't adjust when you viewed it from your computer browser)

The other method, Responsive web design is very similar to adaptive, except that instead of changing the layout & content of your site based on your device, it changes the content based on the screen size of your browser, regardless of the device you are using. This method seems to be the better way to go, moving forward. Especially with the huge increase in smartphone browsing activity.

Today, Google came out and said that responsive web design is their preferred standard for a smartphone optimized site..

Google On SmartPhone Optimized Websites

 

[mcampo2501]

Last month when I was shopping for a new web site provider, I had talked to Dominion and saw the demo of this feature. It really is pretty impressive. From what I understand, the release of this feature (along with several others) will be part of their new software platform that is due out shortly. Any Dominion website you check out right now won't have it, and only customers signing new contracts will get it without having to upgrade I think, so it will likely be a while before you see this in action.

The best way I can describe this feature is as follows. You open the web page up on your desktop/laptop computer. Grab the browser window from the corner to adjust the window size. As the window shrinks, the page rearranges itself to the point where it is mobile phone optimized. Text becomes touch screen enabled and, as Josh mentioned, the page becomes optimized for whatever device it is being viewed on. You don't need to pay for a separate mobile app, and the content you get is actually displayed optimally.

 

[joe.pistell]

... As the window shrinks, the page rearranges itself to the point where it is mobile phone optimized. Text becomes touch screen enabled and, as Josh mentioned, the page becomes optimized for whatever device it is being viewed on. You don't need to pay for a separate mobile app, and the content you get is actually displayed optimally.

Alex Snyder showed me an example of this a few months ago: The Boston Globe

See for yourself, It's fun to play with, content hops around as you shrink the window, but "displaying optimally" and "arranging content dynamically" are 2 very different tasks. I must say that "displaying optimally" are 2 words that are very very difficult to execute.

Desktop >> Ipad/tablet >> Smartphone

 

[ggarvin]

Don't underestimate how important responsive design (many do call this adaptive design, so hence the confusion) can be to a dealer's site. Having to pinch and scroll all over a dealer's webpage is a sure-fire way to get someone to close down the site on their mobile device. It's not just changing for an iPad landscape or portrait display, it is for all devices and optimizing the user experience based on device, screen size, connection speed. I don't need to over explain the importance of mobile to the crowd on Dealer Refresh, but think about the impact of a non-responsive site... one that is one-size fits all...

I can promise you that this was never designed to be "false advertising" - it really comes down to terminology of adaptive web design and responsive web design and even amongst the posters here there is some confusion. As for the Dominion site itself, as Daniel (ibdefaria) pointed out, we don't employ the technology yet - it is available on the dealer sites though.

Within a year, my guess is that responsive/adaptive (device sniffing and site changing) will be standard for all dealer sites, so I don't think this is a bad thing!

 

[Alex Snyder]

Sean Stansell
Product Manager - Web
Dominion Dealer Solutions
[email protected]
443-212-8973

Sean - you got a lot prettier since the last time I saw you