Advance Auto Parts Revs Up Business Performance
Nation's Second Largest Auto Parts Dealer Uses HBX Service to Increase Online Marketing ROI, Improve Site Design and Usability
SAN DIEGO, July 6 -- WebSideStory (www.websidestory.com), a leading provider of on-demand Web analytics, today announced that Advance Auto Parts (www.advanceautoparts.com), the second largest auto parts dealer in the U.S. with more than 2,500 stores in 39 states, is using its HBX Web analytics service to improve its online initiatives. Since implementing HBX to better understand online visitor behavior, Advance Auto has been able to improve several site goals, including driving more in-store traffic through its store locator, increasing monthly newsletter subscriptions, and generating more traffic to its e-commerce site (www.partsamerica.com). The company has also been able to ramp visitor loyalty and site usage by tailoring editorial content to visitor preferences and streamlining navigation.
"Customers are staying longer and immersing themselves," said Mark Palmer, Internet marketing manager for Advance Auto, based in Roanoke, Va. "Usability is very important to us. Give a customer a poor experience on your site and they won't bother shopping at your retail locations. HBX enables us to make vast improvements to our Web site that directly impact our bottom line.
HBX also helps Advance Auto increase its online marketing return on investment. The company uses the service to easily pinpoint the best and worst-performing campaigns -- everything from search keywords to banner ads -- and invest its resources accordingly. Palmer uses HBX to alter messaging and creative elements on the fly to increase conversions. If something isn't working, "we'll yank it down and try something else," Palmer said. In one instance, decisions based on HBX reports saved Advance Auto tens of thousands of dollars by showing that a large media buy wasn't performing anywhere near expectations. HBX reports showed the conversion rate from the banner ads to the site were extremely low. Shown this data, the advertiser promptly gave Advance Auto a significant discount on its next purchase. "HBX more than paid for itself right there," Palmer said.
Advance Auto also uses HBX reports to guide its editorial decisions. For example, when a story about how to improve gas mileage in the face of skyrocketing gas prices generated a huge spike in page views, Palmer quickly ordered several more along the same lines. When putting together the content for its monthly newsletter, the company often looks to which stories and FAQs on the site are generating the most interest.
"The Web is an important customer touch point, and Advance Auto Parts is showing that the best way to guarantee a positive experience is through the detailed understanding of visitor behavior," said Rand Schulman, chief marketing officer for WebSideStory, Inc.
HBX, which recently won PC Magazine's Editors' Choice Award for Web analytics, is a hosted, on-demand analysis and reporting service that delivers real-time information about online visitor and customer behavior. HBX customers use the service to improve online marketing ROI, increase conversions and online advertising revenues and enhance customer support. HBX requires no hardware or software investment and can be implemented within a few days. For more information about WebSideStory, visit http://www.websidestory.com/ or call 888-844-8269.
About Advance Auto Parts
Headquartered in Roanoke, Va., Advance Auto Parts is a leading retailer of automotive parts in the United States. On April 24, 2004, the Company had 2,553 stores in 39 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The Company serves both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets.
About WebSideStory
Founded in 1996, WebSideStory is a leading provider of on-demand Web analytics. WebSideStory's services provide actionable, real-time information about online visitor and customer behavior. For more information, contact WebSideStory, Inc. Voice: 858.546.0040. Fax: 858.546.0480. Address: 10182 Telesis Court, 6th Floor, San Diego, CA 92121. E-mail: wsspress@websidestory.com. Web: www.WebSideStory.com. HBX is a trademark of WebSideStory. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners.