In recent years, a growing share of car buyers are using the web to research and compare vehicle options before making a purchase.

Consumers are increasingly exposed to advertisements throughout their online shopping journey. According to a study by Facebook in 2016, people use mobile in 45% of all shopping journeys. However, more than 90% of retail sales are still taking place in stores.

The challenge for automotive professionals today is to create a link between search ads and dealer visits. Dealers know that people research cars on the web but it is difficult to track which online action actually leads to a dealer visit or a purchase.

Google’s “store visit conversion” metric is the solution for making the link between clicks on search ads and in-store visits. We will be discussing examples of case studies from Honda Australia, Nissan UK, and Hyundai UK that have successfully implemented this conversion model and have proven successful.

Definition of the store visit conversion type

Google announced in December 2014 that the metric called “in-store visit” would be counted as an offline AdWords conversion.

This type of conversion allows you to measure the impact of clicks generated by ads on the number of in-store visits. The advantage of this metric is that it enables advertisers to identify the campaigns and devices (such as mobile or desktop) that generate the most visits to points of sale. It also enables advertisers to better analyze ROI and to make more informed decisions, when creating AdWords search ads, in relation to spending and bid strategies.

How the store visit metric works and its terms of use

Users who agree to share their location history are tracked by Google to measure their clicks on AdWords ads as well as their in-store visits. Via an algorithm, Google extrapolates this data to also take into account unconnected users. The data numbers come from anonymous and cumulative statistics. AdWords is thus able to estimate the number of people who visited a store after clicking on an ad.

In order to be eligible to measure store visit conversions, a company needs to fulfill specific requirements. The company must have multiple physical store locations, have ads that record several thousand clicks as well as receive a large number of in-store visits each month. It is also important to associate the company’s MyBusiness account with its AdWords account and to activate location extensions.2 Because of these requirement, this feature is so far mainly reserved for hotel chains, restaurants, cinemas, and car dealerships.

After spending several months in Alpha and then Beta, this metric was one of the main subjects discussed at the 2016 Google Performance Summit. It was at this summit that Google confirmed having made improvements to the feature and announced plans to make it available to a wider selection of businesses.

Successful tracking of store visit conversions in the automotive industry

A case study conducted by Google looked at the 107 dealerships that constitute Honda Australia. Using the store visit conversion tool, Honda was able to measure the statistics of Google users who clicked on one of their search ads and then visited a Honda dealer. The results of the study showed that a 6.1% share of paid clicks from computers were followed by a visit to a dealer within 30 days. This number was even higher on mobile: 7.4%. Honda was subsequently able to develop more efficient and effective online marketing campaigns while controlling their return on investment (ROI).

For Nissan UK, tracking store visit conversions made it possible to measure ROI more effectively and allowed the dealership group to make more informed decisions about advertising creatives, budgets, offers, and overall marketing strategy. The Nissan Group is even able to further customize their customer relationships in order to achieve more sales.

Hyundai UK was able to demonstrate in its latest study with Google the importance of digital marketing campaigns in generating more in-store conversions. The Hyundai group tested two brand keyword campaigns over a 6-week period. Close to 5% of mobile clicks led to a dealer visit within 30 days. The campaigns thus generated over 300,000 monthly visits to the website and more than 8,000 in-store visits.

The way consumers buy vehicles is constantly evolving. It is therefore important that car dealers take into account the large role mobile plays in consumer purchasing activities and make the effort to optimize the shopping journey of their customers.

The next challenge will be to measure the number of in-store sales generated by an AdWords campaign. Google already offers a tool for tracking store sales conversions, so there is little doubt that this practice will become more common in the months to come.

With the arrival of the new 2017 car models on the automotive market in Quebec, it’s time to take a look at a few vehicles that offer some of the most promising innovations.

Audi A4

For its sixth generation, the 2017 Audi A4 offers a brand new look in which the cabin interior has been completely redesigned to be more sophisticated as well as sportier. The 2017 edition’s gutsier powertrain increases output by 32 horsepower and torque by 15 lb-ft compared to the 2016 model. On top of more power, the new version includes a full range of new features. As always, the Audi A4 offers your choice of two body styles: the sedan and the Allroad Quattro, which is a rugged robust family wagon with all-wheel drive.

BMW X4

In the same class as the Acura RDX, Audi Q5, Lexus NX, Mercedes-Benz GLK, and Lincoln MKC, the 2017 BMW X4 is an even sportier version of the BMW X3, a prominent Sports Activity Vehicle. Combining pep with muscle, the BMW X4 is designed to deliver plenty of driving excitement. For example, its 8-speed sports transmission means the BMW X4 xDrive35i can reach 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds.

Honda Civic Hatchback

Not marketed in Quebec and Canada since 2004, the hatchback version of the very popular Honda Civic is finally back for 2017. All five versions (LX, EX, Sport, EX-L and Sport Touring) will be equipped with a 1.5 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. While the engine generates 174 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque for the LX, EX and EX-L versions, the Sport and Sport Touring versions enjoy 8 horsepower more. Two transmissions are available: a 6-speed manual gearbox or a CVT, both offering substantial fuel economy.

Infiniti Q60

Previously known as the G35 and the G37, the Infiniti Q60 coupe has been completely redesigned for the year 2017. Featuring a new silhouette and three new vigorous powertrains, the Q60 coupe arrives just in time for the beautiful days of autumn. For 2017, the Infiniti Q60 coupe offers a driving experience that is both rugged and refined thanks to its 336 performance settings. The Q60 is also equipped with six pre-configured driving modes: a standard mode, two sports modes, an eco mode, a snow mode, and a personal mode that you can program.

Mercedes-Benz CLA

The Mercedes-Benz CLA is a coupe style sedan. The 2017 version boasts a bold new style and a choice of powertrains to shame the competition. The Mercedes-Benz CLA 2017 comes in two versions, both of which deliver breathtaking performance with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine generating 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. There is also an even more muscular version, the CLA45 AMG, which is equipped with the same engine, but produces 375 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque.

Toyota 86

In 2017, the car formerly known as the Scion FR-S is dubbed the Toyota 86, becoming Toyota’s sports car standard bearer in the process. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine develops 205 horsepower when combined with the six-speed manual transmission. A six-speed automatic is also available, but the output drops to 200 horsepower. The rear-wheel drive, with a balanced chassis, delivers endless driving pleasure on winding roads. In town, the car’s racy design will definitely turn heads.

Volkswagen Beetle

The Volkswagen Beetle has remained steadily popular for over 70 years, all while maintaining its traditional exterior look. The interior, on the other hand, is a completely different story. Equipped with advanced technologies for the year 2017, the cabin can easily accommodate five passengers in comfort as opposed to other coupes and convertibles. The dashboard has been refreshed and offers a large touch screen for accurate control. The driver will be pleased to find audio playback and Bluetooth telephony controls integrated into the new 3-spoke steering wheel. The newly designed cabin also features an automatic temperature control system, a new sound system, and Wi-Fi connectivity. As always, the Beetle offers drivers an affordable way to acquire a convertible.