New PERQ consumer behavior data reveals key tips to clean up websites leading to 42% increase in CTRs, 15% profit lift, and a 5-fold increase in lead data

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 13, 2017 - Decluttering dealership websites and focusing on targeted messaging and “personalized” Calls to Action (CTA) can significantly increase click-through rates, lead data collection, and, ultimately, dealership profits, according to consumer website data(1) analyzed by PERQ. PERQ, who are experts in website conversion and consumer behavior, released the information in conjunction with the launch of their Auto Website Conversion Course, a series of online best practices tutorials that can help dealers clean up their websites and create more effective conversion paths.

“Most dealership websites are jammed with a cacophony of offers, messages and static lead forms that, more often than not, lack relevance to the visitor. It’s the equivalent of walking into a dealership and having multiple salespeople yelling offers and information at you all at once without bothering to ask what your name is, if you’re ready to buy or if you want a new or used vehicle,” says Russ Chandler, Product Marketing Manager at PERQ. “It’s no wonder the average dealership website converts less than 3% of their traffic(2).”

Most dealership websites simultaneously display a potpourri of offers and actions — from ‘get e-price’ static lead forms to incentive offers — creating a cluttered look and unfocused consumer experience. According to PERQ data, dealerships who declutter their websites by offering a streamlined and interactive experience that doesn’t treat consumers as anonymous strangers see a 42% increase in CTRs, 15% profit lift and a 5-fold increase in the amount of data collected on sales leads. These websites are not ‘bugging’ visitors with messages they have no interest in but, instead, target consumers based on their website behavior, dynamically adjusting what is pushed to them.

For example, if a consumer has already received a quote for their trade-in vehicle, it is a waste of digital real estate and consumer attention span to display more CTAs asking them to value their vehicle trade. However, this is how the majority of websites behave. A declutter strategy, on the other hand, leverages smart CTAs to automatically change the trade-in Call to Actions to test drive Call to Actions, moving this customer down the conversion funnel. This instantly streamlines the site.

“Basic declutter tactics seem obvious, yet we see websites that are stuck in the clutter rut every day,” Chandler says. “A declutter strategy also offers opportunities for your dealership to gather data that will help provide a more informed sales interaction.”

Among the declutter best practices advocated by PERQ and included in its complimentary Auto Website Conversion course are:

1. Entice visitors to seek more useful information. Offering customers something of value creates an opportunity to gather data that will help provide a more informed, streamlined sales interaction. 
2. Inventory CTAs and conversion tools to understand what works and what doesn’t. 
3. Analyze how effectively (or if!) a CTA is converting. If a CTA is not performing well, be prepared to get rid of it – it is just taking up space and overwhelming visitors. 
4. Re-evaluate remaining CTAs and make informed decisions on which CTAs to display based on user behavior. 
5. Consolidate CTAs on SRP and VDP pages.

All data and analysis was gathered from PERQ’s FATWIN Web Engagement, a platform that ‘virtually’ trains dealership websites to have relevant, real-time ‘conversations’ with each visitor through dynamic interactions (such as incentives, appraisal, warranty information, etc.), that change based on the consumer’s journey across the website.

For more information about accessing PERQ’s Auto Website Conversion course, click here.

About PERQ 
PERQ (http://www.perq.com), a marketing technology provider, boosts website conversions by creating and delivering interactive experiences to the right consumers at the right time. Founded in 2001, PERQ solutions today are used by more than 1,000 businesses across the United States. PERQ’s brands have been named to the Inc. “500 Fastest Growing Companies in America” list on three separate occasions.

PERQ Media Contacts 
Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie(at)mwebbcom(dot)com or 949-307-1723 
Cassandra Cavanah, mWEBB Communications, Cassandra(at)mwebbcom(dot)com or 818-397-4630

(1) Behavior data gathered from 45,000 consumers who appraised their vehicle via PERQ’s FATWIN trade-in tool in 2016 
(2) DATA point: January 2017 Dealer.com insights report