PERQ Expands Executive Team to Keep Pace with Triple Digit Growth and Demand for its AI-powered Online Guided Shopping Solution 

Bradley Long appointed Executive Vice President of Sales

Indianapolis, IN – October 24, 2018 - PERQ, experts in online consumer engagement and behavior, today announced the appointment of Bradley Long as Executive Vice President of Sales. Long brings extensive sales experience to his new role, including a decade in the multifamily sector, one of three key verticals PERQ is targeting with its award-winning artificial intelligence-driven SAAS solution. PERQ’s online guided shopping solution boosts website conversions by dynamically delivering the next best step in each buyer’s shopping journey and is currently used by over 1,000 businesses in the automotive, multifamily and home furnishing verticals.

“Since launching our online guided shopping solution, PERQ’s new client base has grown by over 70%, resulting in triple digit revenue growth year-over-year,” said Andy Medley, CEO and co-founder at PERQ. “All this expansion means increased complexity in the business and our go-to-market strategy. Brad has not only led sales teams in other fast-growth marketing technology companies, but also has specific experience in the multifamily industry. And, most importantly, Brad’s core values and leadership style go hand in hand with the culture we have built at PERQ. We are excited to have him on the team.”

PERQ’s unique platform empowers websites to deliver on consumer expectations by revamping them to accommodate today’s research-focused consumer who wants to do the bulk of their research online regardless of what they are shopping for. PERQ’s AI-powered solution can be implemented quickly and easily with the addition of a single line of code that instantly re-engineers sites to be more ‘self-serve’, delivering an intuitive, guided shopping experience with individualized messaging to each consumer. The newly crafted shopping path results in more leads, greater engagement and increased sales.

“I’m excited to introduce PERQ’s powerful AI-driven software to more customers in the multifamily, auto retailing and home furnishing sectors,” said Bradley Long. “ I’m looking forward to working with — and growing — the impressive team PERQ has in place, serving not only the current sales channels, but also targeting other high-touch verticals that can benefit from the results PERQ’s online guided shopping solution offers.”

Long’s career includes over a decade at Apartments LLC, a leading marketing technology provider to the multifamily sector owned by CoStar Group. While there, Long was promoted to President of Apartment.com, reporting to CoStar Group CEO, and was instrumental in growing Apartments.com’s traffic, customer base and revenue. Prior to this, Long served as Vice President of Advertising and Sales for Knight Ridder’s The Tribune, a leading daily newspaper on the central coast of California.

About PERQ

PERQ (www.perq.com) boosts website conversion through its online guided shopping solution which leverages artificial intelligence to dynamically change existing websites to deliver the next best step in each buyer’s shopping journey. As experts in online consumer engagement and behavior, PERQ leverages over 10 million consumer data points, along with real-time visitor behavior.

Founded in 2001, PERQ solutions are used by more than 1,000 businesses in the home furnishing, auto retailing and multifamily industries. Its brands have been named to the Inc. “500 Fastest Growing Companies in America” list on three separate occasions. In 2017, PERQ won the Gold Stevie® Award for lead generation software and Product of the Year in the Big Business Awards.

PERQ Media Contacts

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie@mwebbcom.com or 424-603-4340

Cassandra Cavanah, mWEBB Communications, Cassandra@mwebbcom.com or 818-397-4630

Consumer Behavior Study Upends Common Misconception that the Vast Majority of Online Shoppers are Ready-to-Buy

Data from over a half million consumer interactions analyzed by PERQ illustrates the value of a personalized shopping journey for websites selling high-touch, big-ticket items; reveals that the more online tools and assessments consumers engage with, the more likely they are to purchase; offers key tips for improvement

Indianapolis, IN – August 8, 2018- PERQ, experts in online consumer engagement and shopping behavior, has released new analysis of consumer call-to-action (CTA) data with key learnings for websites of brick and mortar businesses who sell (or lease) high-consideration, big ticket items – especially in the automotive, home furnishing and multifamily leasing verticals. 

The research, which looks closely at click-to-conversion behavior as well as the overall online experience, found key patterns in the way consumers approach researching and shopping for big-ticket items. The data illuminates serious flaws in long-held assumptions about what consumers want to do once they’ve reached a website and has significant implications for the efficacy of artificial intelligence (AI) in helping engage these website visitors.

“A common misconception for big ticket retailers is that their website visitors are ready-to-buy and are close to the bottom of the shopping funnel, which means that many of these businesses are approaching web engagement in the exact opposite direction of how their customers are behaving,” said Muhammad Yasin, Vice President of Marketing at PERQ. “Our data reveals that most of these online web visitors are in the process of educating themselves, and doing extensive research before they finalize the purchase in person. This presents a major opportunity for businesses to nurture consumers they may otherwise lose before they make the decision to buy.”

For example, PERQ’s insights on automotive retailing show that, rather than going to dealer websites for “buy” tools, like credit apps and trade-in appraisals which is what conventional wisdom assumes, 77% of car shoppers on dealership websites are actually at the beginning or middle of the process and are interested in tools that help them make a decision. A similar misconception exists in home furnishing where retailers often treat websites as static, digital brochures and at multifamily websites, where leasing companies fail to engage apartment shoppers early in their research with compelling website content that helps spur the consumer’s decision.

Global researcher Gartner[1] says that next-generation customers strongly desire self-service and don’t see the need for a salesperson for tasks that they can — and prefer to — accomplish themselves. AI-powered websites featuring online customer journeys help streamline a shopper’s propensity for self-service by using historical data to hone down choices and next steps and to drive relevant CTAs dynamically for each consumer.

Key Insights

The data revealed insights that all industries can leverage to improve click-to-action conversion and website engagement and shows that AI-enabled websites that intuitively and dynamically change for each consumer’s personal shopping journey delivers improved results both on and offline:

“It’s no longer a ‘buy now’ world, especially for retailers who need to capture high research customers and guide them into their brick and mortar location, ” said Yasin. “Our data shows that today's websites must be driven by AI technology as a way to adjust the consumer story and stay relevant to the specific needs and interests of buyers.”

Study Methodology

PERQ reviewed consumer data captured from 8 million CTA renderings from more than a half-million visitors on PERQ’s website platform. Data collected includes all types of lead formats, and during all phases of the consumer journey.

For more of PERQ’s analysis, click here.

About PERQ

PERQ (www.perq.com), boosts website conversion through its online guided shopping solution which leverages artificial intelligence to dynamically change existing websites to deliver the next best step in each buyer’s shopping journey. As experts in online consumer engagement and behavior, PERQ leverages over 10 million consumer data points, along with real-time visitor behavior.

Founded in 2001, PERQ solutions are used by more than 1,000 businesses in the home furnishing, auto retailing and multifamily industries. Its brands have been named to the Inc. “500 Fastest Growing Companies in America” list on three separate occasions. In 2017, PERQ won the Gold Stevie® Award for lead generation software and Product of the Year in the Big Business Awards.

PERQ Media Contacts

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie@mwebbcom.com or 949-307-1723

Cassandra Cavanah, mWEBB Communications, Cassandra@mwebbcom.com or 818-397-4630

Indianapolis-based PERQ takes home the 2018 Gold Stevie Award for “Founding Team of the Year” acknowledging team’s leadership in product innovation, company culture and triple digit growth in 2017

INDIANAPOLIS, JUNE 27, 2018 -PERQ took home a Gold Stevie® Award for “Entrepreneur: Founding Team of the Year” category in the 2018 American Business Awards. The company won for its proven innovation and growth in 2017, including a 300% increase in annual recurring revenues and expanding its Indianapolis-based team by 25%.

PERQ impressed judges with its successful expansion and roll-out of its AI-driven software that enables any website to offer personalized, guided research/shopping experiences. Originally introduced to automotive retailers in 2016 as a way to create better, more friendly online engagement with car buyers, the platform has been successfully rolled out to two other high-ticket verticals: home furnishings and multifamily.

"We share this recognition with our entire team – smart, talented, like-minded individuals that are focused on delivering innovative technology that helps our clients close more deals,” said Andy Medley, CEO and president. “PERQ has come this far because we’ve been fortunate enough to have brought together a group of people who enjoy daily challenges and understand that driving change means rolling up your sleeves and working hard."

PERQ’s platform is driven by extensive consumer behavior data, and enables high-ticket retailers and businesses a way to bridge the online/offline gap as more consumers seek self-service options. This means, much like an Amazon.com experience, a consumer’s online journey is completely personalized and guided by their individual needs. In addition, websites know and remember who they are, including name, what they are interested in, and offer personalized options each and every time they return to the website to help move them toward a decision and, ultimately, lead them to an in-person visit.

"Today’s consumers are tech-savvy and like to be in control – they want to do most of their research online regardless of what they are shopping for – that means they expect more than an online brochure, and are put off by too many irrelevant banners and calls to action,” said Stephanie Ragozzino, PERQ’s Executive Vice President of Product. “With our online guided shopping solution, websites dynamically adjust to be relevant to the specific needs and interests of each consumer."

“The nominations submitted for The 2018 American Business Awards were outstanding. The competition was intense, and those recognized as Stevie Award winners should be immensely proud of this accomplishment,” said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards.

The American Business Awards are the nation’s premier business awards program. This year, more than 3,700 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration in a wide range of categories. More than 200 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year’s Stevie Award winners.


About PERQ
PERQ (http://www.perq.com) boosts website conversion through its online guided shopping solution which leverages artificial intelligence to dynamically change existing websites to deliver the next best step in each buyer’s shopping journey. As experts in online consumer engagement and behavior, PERQ leverages over 10 million consumer data points, along with real-time visitor behavior.

Founded in 2001, PERQ solutions are successfully used by more than 1,000 businesses in the home furnishings, auto retailing and multifamily industries. Its brands have been named to the Inc. “500 Fastest Growing Companies in America” list on three separate occasions. In 2017, PERQ won the Gold Stevie® Award for lead generation software and Product of the Year in the Big Business Awards.


PERQ Media Contact
Cassandra Cavanah, mWEBB Communications, Cassandra@mwebbcom.com or 818-397-4630
Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie@mwebbcom.com or 949-307-1723

Thompson will put nearly 15 years in sales and client success experience to work building a world-class customer experience for all PERQ clients

Indianapolis, IN – March 6, 2018 - PERQ, experts in online consumer engagement and behavior, today announced that Stephanie Thompson has joined the company as Vice President of Client Success. Thompson will lead a broad initiative to refine and expand client onboarding, data reporting and lifecycle processes across all the verticals PERQ sells to including auto, furniture retailing and multifamily – all high consideration products/services that demand a positive online and offline experience.

“Stephanie brings over a decade of experience building teams responsible for creating an optimal customer experience,” said Paul Champion, executive vice president of Operations at PERQ. “Among the many qualities she brings to our team is her ability to make our client-facing experience better, more proactive and responsive. She’s an incredible coach and has done a great job empowering our team to be their best.”

Thompson’s career includes key leadership positions in sectors such as automotive, retail, and furniture; she most recently worked at Gannett as a key account sales director specializing in online and traditional marketing. A graduate of Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in Communications, Thompson has become an expert in building powerful teams that specialize in developing long-lasting client relationships. She has a proven track record in organizational leadership, client success, and managing complex and challenging client engagement across multiple communications channels.  

PERQ is known for its award-winning website technology that assists consumers in their decision making and guides them through the shopping process. Unlike other software, PERQ’s online guided shopping solution leverages consumer behavior data to serve up the next best step in the shopping process, increasing online engagement.

“I am honored to put my experience and skills to work for PERQ in this leadership capacity, during what is a very important and exciting time in the company’s history,” said Thompson. “At PERQ, we are completely dedicated to our clients, and, as the team lead for Client Success, I can tell you that we plan to dramatically expand the value they receive from PERQ products, services and team members.”

With that objective in mind, Thompson will lead the charge to build upon an already exceptional client success team at PERQ. With a planned focus on client education, new product development and upgrades, the company’s commitment to client success is unquestioned and includes a doubling of the team size in just one year. 

“Stephanie is a critical piece of our leadership team and organizational strategy,” said Andy Medley, co-founder and CEO at PERQ. “We’re mindful that the most important thing in any business is the customer, and Stephanie is definitely a customer-first leader. She’s focused on driving business results based on the voice of our clients, a priority that’s critical for us. As we grow quickly, it’s important to have a leader like Stephanie to help ensure this.”

About PERQ

PERQ (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, and PERQ Web Engagement is a 2017 Gold Stevie® Award winner for lead generation software.

PERQ Media Contacts

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie@mwebbcom.com or 949-307-1723

Cassandra Cavanah, mWEBB Communications, Cassandra@mwebbcom.com or 818-397-4630

Specialists in online guided shopping and consumer engagement to participate in largest third-party partner program in the industry

Indianapolis, IN – October 19, 2017 – PERQ, specialists in online guided shopping and consumer engagement, today announced that the company is a participant in the CDK Global Partner Program. As a member of the largest third-party partner program in the industry, PERQ is now part of a marketplace of applications and integration choices developed to help automotive dealers succeed. 

“We’re thrilled to be part of the CDK Global Partner Program which will make it easy for forward- thinking dealerships to take advantage of our unique online guided shopping solution,” said Stephanie Ragozzino, EVP of Product at PERQ. “PERQ helps dealers make better online connections with buyers by creating an online guided shopping environment that rivals the experiences consumers get from big brand websites – all with just one line of code on their existing website.”

PERQ’s Online Guided Shopping Solution increases leads and improves close rates for dealerships by guiding online car shoppers with smart, interactive and connected experiences that replace traditional tools and static lead forms. No other solution improves the website customer journey in the intuitive way PERQ does: engaging car shoppers through their vehicle of interest, trade-in and test drive to researching incentives, handling deal arrangements and providing an interactive payment calculator.

“We’re very pleased to introduce PERQ as the newest member of the CDK Global Partner Program,” said Howard Gardner, vice president and general manager, CDK Data Services. “PERQ is a welcome addition to our vibrant program that provides dealers with a range of partner choices and the assurance that their programs can be seamlessly integrated with our applications.”

The CDK Global Partner Program provides its partners with access to a diverse CDK ecosystem through the ability to integrate with a range of CDK applications, as well as with CDK dealer websites. Benefits of the PERQ Online Guided Shopping Solution include a 50-200% increase in unique lead submissions, an average lead-to-sale conversion increase of 10-50%, as well as 10% higher gross profits on website leads. Dealership case studies can be found here: https://perq.com/success-stories.
 

About the CDK Global Partner Program

The CDK Global Partner Program now numbers 300 partner companies that together offer more than 400 unique applications dealers can use to run their businesses. The CDK Partner Program provides data, workflow and website integration to a wide range of third parties, OEMs and dealers. Visit http://www.cdkglobal.com/partners.

About CDK Global

With more than $2 billion in revenues, CDK Global (Nasdaq:CDK) is a leading global provider of integrated information technology and digital marketing solutions to the automotive retail and adjacent industries. Focused on enabling end-to-end automotive commerce, CDK Global provides solutions to dealers in more than 100 countries around the world, serving approximately 28,000 retail locations and most automotive manufacturers. CDK solutions automate and integrate all parts of the dealership and buying process from targeted digital advertising and marketing campaigns to the sale, financing, insuring, parts supply, repair and maintenance of vehicles. Visit cdkglobal.com.
 

About PERQ

PERQ (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, and its Online Guided Selling Solution is a 2017 Gold Stevie® Award winner for lead generation software and a 2017 Ventana Research Digital Innovation Award Winner for Marketing.

PERQ Media Contacts

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie@mwebbcom.com or 949-307-1723

Angela Jacobson, mWEBB Communications, angela@mwebbcom.com or 714-454-8776