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  • Essex Auto Group
  • Essex Auto Group

Essex Auto GroupEssex Auto Group

IntrodutionIntroduction

Essex Auto Group is a multi-franchise car dealer, evolving over the past 20 years as a strong, independent, family-run motor retail group. The company was founded by Philip Maskell as Essex Ford in 1989 and they now operate 7 franchises under the more appropriate name of Essex Auto Group.

Essex Auto Group invests heavily in their team and facilities, and plays an active role in the community.

The ChallengeThe Challenge

Essex Auto Group approached GForces for a new website to increase sales of new and used cars and to promote the virtues of their staff and their commitment to customer service. Along with increasing the number of leads generated and improving their conversion rate, there were three main objectives to be achieved with the new Essex Auto Group website:

  • Increase the number of new users visiting the site
  • Reduce the monthly bounce rate
  • Encourage users to spend longer on the site each time they visited

The new site achieved all three.

 

The SolutionThe Solution

In order to increase traffic and sales, the Essex Auto Group site features a number of innovations:

  • Several PPC micro sites, including www.59reg.co.uk and www.thinkfordfirst.co.uk
  • Online parts shop (www.essexautoparts.co.uk) with a Live Parts Enquiry facility to give customers the best possible service
  • Live Service Booking, allows customers to speak to the servicing team online and book their car in for servicing online in a matter of moments
  • Facebook pages help enhance EAG’s online presence and promote community events
  • Loyalty Reward Scheme (Smart Reward) through the website, where repeat customers can register and receive large discounts on services
http://www.essexautogroup.com/

Moving ForwardMoving Forward

EAG is looking to move it’s SEO strategy to the next level by utilising video search optimisation, as well as expanding their Social Media marketing efforts. Whilst this is in early stages, it’s already delivering strong search engine position results.

They are also looking to build an online deposit functionality into their site and have plans for micro-sites to exploit alternative markets.

ResultsResults

  • Over a 12 month period, EAG saw a 40.9% increase in natural search leads whilst utilising GForces search engine optimisation services
  • During the same period, visitor retention was up by 80%
  • March 2009 – March 2010 EAG saw a 28% increase in natural search visitors
  • Since the site launch, EAG have seen a 53% year-on-year increase in visitor traffic
  • The number of new users jumped from 559 in February 2009 (the month before the site launched) to an average of 7,600 each month thereafter