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SEO, SEM, CPC, KPI... but do you recall the most important Acronym of all OSCO

Oct 17, 2011
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Dan
In this business we are regularly bombarded by new and exciting acronyms that become mainstays in our daily lives, workplace, and discussion with our peers. We seem to more or less live in a world run rampant by SEO, SEM, CPC, etc... but there is one acronym that I feel is rarely touched upon and is without doubt the most important to Automotive Internet/Digital Marketing conversation piece, On Site Conversion Optimization or "OSCO".

The concept of OSCO is one that I feel very strongly about and I also feel it is far more important than even the best SEO or SEM strategy. I mean how good can any robust SEO or SEM strategy be when your on site experience sucks and your website converts poorly. Dealers are notorious for partnering with vendors and or companies that promise to get you more traffic. When I seek out such services I look for ideas, products, or strategies that make the absolute most of the traffic we are already getting.

Once we've built (and thoroughly tested) what we consider to be an Optimized for Conversion on-site experience do we seek to increase traffic because at the end of the day what good is a low (or even any) CPC if your traffic doesn't call, submit, or venture to your showroom?
At the end of the day what good is trying to fill a glass that is already full?

Creating a website built to convert like crazy has proven to be a fun study in the page pathway our visitors take. We look for patterns in where customers are venturing online from their entry page and do our best to help deliver the most intuitive next step on our website. We arrange our forms, CTAs, directions, and other contact information in places we see the most opportunity to convert or at least where they absolutely belong. People like to ask questions about the sales process before committing to a make or model or even a dealership. It is our job as Automotive Marketing Professionals to provide them easy ways to ask those questions whether it be on the phone, through email, or engaging with a Chat agent.

Dying to hear how the rest of you feel about OSCO.
 
Dan, one of my all time favorite topics! The industry started in ecommerce years ago, and now has trickled down into sites all around. The industry refers to it as: Conversion Rate Optimization or CRO. The pioneers and giants that I follow closely are:

Conversion Rate Optimization | Conversion Rate Experts
SiteTuners | Website Conversion Rate Optimization ? Landing Page Design & Testing Service » SiteTuners
MECLABS

Lots of other players in this space with lots of great experiences and teaching.

HTH
Joe
 
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Dan, I think this is a great thread! I too am surprised that there is not more focused discussion on conversion rate optimization (not just on-site). I think it is easier for people to discuss SEO, SEM, and CPC because they can be measured in easier numbers. At the end of the day, we are here to increase sales and what good is a ton of blind traffic if nothing is converting. Even better yet, not just focusing on more leads, but also measuring on how to increase the quality of those leads.
 
I'm sure Dan can elaborate on this more than I, but I will chip in.

How do you define a conversion? Is a lead a conversion?

A conversion is an action that the viewer takes in order to inquire about something, for example a vehicle. So yes, a lead would absolutely be a conversion.

Is a VDP view a micro-conversion?

A VDP view can not be viewed as a conversion (even a micro one). This should be kept separate and measured on it's own. Now, leads per VDP view ratio is a good way to measure your conversion rate, especially for the purpose of this discussion, which is onsite specific.

What is the value of a Lead vs a VDP view?

I am not sure if I understand the question. I'm assuming it would be a lead coming from the VDP, whether by phone or contact form? In any case, a VDP is a tool for education and leads. A VDP view doesn't do anything if you can't convert it into a lead (includes hard to measure leads, such as walk-ins).

Does it very by store, location, web platform, sales team closing rate?

Yes.
 
How do you define a conversion?

When a surfer becomes a prospect, however there has been a tradition at many dealers to measure a website performance not by all the conversions but by the form conversions (email, credit apps, etc) and to take the phone calls out.

Is a lead a conversion?

Yes, but again for website conversion purposes you need to ask how are they measuring the percentage: calls + emails + credit apps +service, or just some of those.

Is a VDP view a micro-conversion?

A VDP is just that, I don't know if someone is trying to measure different platforms VDP views based on traffic to see which site funnels people better to the inventory.


What is the value of a Lead vs a VDP view?

A lead is a real opportunity, a VDP is just a number.

Does it very by store, location, web platform, sales team closing rate?

It varies tremendously by the most insignificant changes. Websites without a solid back end that measures everything that is happening on the front end can't be fine tuned properly.
 
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