• May 8, 2009

AutoTrader.com, an online automotive marketplace, has launched what it says is its first major Web site redesign in several years.

Among changes to the site, the "Find Your Car" functionality has been made a dominant element of the page by moving it to the top left and highlighting it in a large blue box. The company says the change reflects consumer behavior on the site and customer feedback suggesting that the feature is the most popular on the site. The "Find Your Car" section lets users search for a car by make, specific location, body style or lifestyle.

The company says making more content and functionality "one click away" was also a major goal of the home page redesign. "After 10 years of organic development, many useful features for car shoppers were several pages away from the home page, making them harder for the casual shopper to find," said a company release.

The AutoTrader.com "Sell Your Car" function, where consumers go to list their own vehicles for sale on AutoTrader.com, retains a prominent position in the top right of the home page, because of that section's long-time popularity among visitors to AutoTrader.com.--Karl Greenberg