5 I's of Marketing

The 5 I's of marketing play an important role in identifying whether a website is ticking the right boxes when it comes to utilisation and customer focus. The I's, developed in 1997, help to identify the basic necessities for a website to stand out and fare well in front of customers. Of the five are included, Interactivity, Integration, Independence of Location, Intelligence and, Individualisation. I will be using the Toyota website as an example to apply the 5 I's.

Interactivity

Referring to the methods by which users can interact with the website. Usually websites tend to have links to their social media pages.

In the case of Toyota, they have also added a subscription component to alert and notify users through email. They also have links to help users try out their vehicles or request brochures.

Another interesting feature is the Toyota TV and newsroom which helps users understand what Toyota has to offer and notifies them of the updates in Toyota.

Integration

Integration focuses on integrating different social media platforms to interact with users and market the products. The platforms help the users acquire insight into the products. In Toyota's case, Twitter and Facebook would notify users about upcoming vehicles or deals that may be in place.

YouTube, however would help users gain an insight into how the vehicles are, as a whole. Videos help users understand products that are more intricate and layered.

Independence of Location

As the heading states, the requirement for a website not to be dependent on a location to be accessed. Being a website, the primary accessibility requirement would be internet access. Independence can be further improved by having apps. In Toyota's case, it does not have a primary app to access its products but it does have secondary apps to assist users with their vehicle.

Intelligence

The data that the company gains about their users helps them engage with their users and possibly market the product further. An example of this on the Toyota website can be seen to be the reviews of various types of cars listed to help other users gain a secondary opinion on products that they may be interested in.

Individualism

This refers to the websites capacity to cater for users based on their requirements and help users gain a more personalised approach on the products. Toyota has done so by adding a MyGarage account that helps users by enlisting and catering to their preferences

The site further aids users by filtering out vehicles and giving users in-depth knowledge to assist them in their choices.

Though the website does not have a dedicated mass filtering system, it does have all its vehicles listed. By clicking on any type, its details would open up and notify of other models available in that selected type.