CARSguide

Background

News Digital Media recently recognised an opportunity to allow people to research, locate and purchase cars while away from their desk or homes.

This was done by launching CARSguide.mobi as their first off-deck commercial mobile site (m-site).

An “off-deck” m-site means that the user doesn't have to be with a particular mobile phone provider to access the site, making it available to all Australian mobile users with access to mobile data, and a colour screen handset.

This accessibility also opened up a range of new advertising opportunities.

The Challenge

Develop a completely mobile site, available to users of all networks that also contained the following features and information:

• Mobile dealer locator with embedded maps
• An abridged Car Buyers Guide with tips & tricks
• Top stories from the website / paper
• Toyota special offers
• Toyota new car specs sent by SMS

The Digital Business Solution

• Our team at Hyro provided the highest quality mobile interface design, handset detection technology (that allowed us to optimise content for specific phones), and a complete usability-testing program.
• The mobile site integrates with the CARSguide website to ensure content and images are consistent across web and mobile at all times.
• We also added an SMS campaign to provide a seamless connection between someone requesting information from the website, to receiving it on their mobile handset, a feature unique to CARSguide.

Success Achieved

• This site has been News Digital Media’s first successful foray into mobile advertising and opened up a range of unobtrusive mobile opportunities as customers browsed mobile content.
• The site has been well received by CARSguide and further demonstrates not only Hyro’s integration capabilities, but also our ability to provide value added benefits.
• The deployment of these technologies and functions provided large benefits to business and an enriched experience for users across Australia.

Head of Mobile Services, News Digital Media, Rick Gleave said,

“CARSguide.mobi is an example of News Digital Media’s off-deck strategy whereby anyone with a compatible mobile phone and data plan can access m-sites."

"The growing mobile advertising industry allows us to provide the m-site service for no charge, which takes away any barriers for people to access the site.”