Rental Car Web Sites Can Race Ahead With Keynote Competitive Research

SAN MATEO, Calif.--Keynote Competitive Research, the research division of Keynote Systems , The Mobile Communications and Internet Performance Authority®, today announced the release of the Keynote Customer Experience Rankings for Rental Car Web Sites, a comprehensive industry study regarding the customer experience of leading rental car Web sites.

Keynote Competitive Research produces leading edge competitive industry research – all using the company’s global measurement computer network and commercially available test and measurement products for mobile communications and Internet performance. Keynote Competitive Research regularly evaluates the current state of online customer experience, service levels (responsiveness/reliability) and implementation of best practices of leading Web sites across a wide variety of industries such as travel, financial services and retail. Industry studies and Web performance indices from Keynote Competitive Research are available for purchase. To download research abstracts please visit www.keynote.com.

The Keynote Customer Experience Rankings for Rental Car Web Sites examines the online experience of more than 2,000 prospective customers as they interacted with ten leading rental car sites. The study details how each site performs versus competitors across key business objectives, including customer satisfaction and customer acquisition, and uncovers the leading drivers of success in these areas. The study also offers rental car companies specific, actionable steps they can take to improve their business performance, with a particular focus on improving customer satisfaction, brand affinity and customer acquisition.

“In-depth competitive research and comparison is probably the single best tool companies can use to improve the performance of their online business,” said Stephen Foster, director of competitive research for Keynote. “Keynote’s studies not only offer deep insight, but also actionable advice not available in other research products.”

The Keynote Customer Experience Rankings for Rental Car Web Sites provides competitive rankings of the leading rental car Web sites in the areas of customer satisfaction, brand affinity, customer acquisition success and more. The study then outlines the key areas of site experience, such as vehicle search functionality or reservation processes, that have the most impact on success in these areas. The study captures more than 250+ metrics for each site and ranks the sites in dozens of additional categories including vehicle search, reservation processes, and the design and visual appeal of the site. Further, the study examines why the most successful sites succeed in these areas and offers specific, actionable steps sites can take to improve performance.

Keynote’s technology and research methodology offers a unique view into both customer attitudes and behavior by questioning customers and examining their online behavior as they interact with each site from their own home or office environment. This allows Keynote to offer a unique and detailed understanding of the impact that Web sites have on customer experience and actions, a view offered by no other research study or methodology. By combining the best of Web analytics research with the best of traditional market research, Keynote is able to provide an understanding of why sites perform and rank the way they do, and actionable recommendations for improvement.

For its competitive research studies, Keynote leverages its commercially available test and measurement products. Keynote customer experience studies employ Keynote WebEffective™, an on-demand software platform for conducting in-depth user experience research which integrates the best aspects of usability, behavior and attitudinal research.

The Alamo, Avis , Budget , Dollar , Enterprise, Expedia , Hertz, Orbitz, Thrifty and Travelocity sites were included in the Keynote Customer Experience Rankings for Rental Car Web Sites.

Travelocity Ranks #1 in the Online Rental Car Industry for 2006

Of the sites studied, Travelocity ranked as the top site among rental car companies in the Keynote Customer Experience Rankings, an overall measure of customer experience and customer satisfaction across the more than 250+ metrics measured in the study. The study found that Travelocity’s success was driven by its leadership position in a number of ‘impact drivers’ evaluated, including overall price satisfaction, as well as customer satisfaction with the rental car reservation search and booking processes on the site.

Keynote Customer Experience Rankings (Overall Customer Satisfaction and Experience)
1	Travelocity

The Budget rental car site ranked number one in terms of customer support, reservation process satisfaction and overall site design & organization. Keynote also reported that the Customer Support areas of rental car sites have become the leading driver of consumer brand perceptions and one of the key drivers of rental likelihood.

For more information about Keynote’s Competitive Intelligence offerings view: http://www.keynote.com/solutions/competitive_intelligence_tpl.html.

Customer Experience Management

Keynote’s customer experience management (CEM) services offer both competitive intelligence studies and custom engagement services examining best practices and consumer attitudes and behavior on the Web. To learn more about Keynote’s CEM solutions, visit: http://www.keynote.com/solutions/customer_experience_management.html.

About Keynote

Founded in 1995, Keynote Systems (Nasdaq “KEYN”) is the global test and measurement company for mobile communications and Internet performance. Keynote helps approximately 2,600 corporate customers become “the best of the best” online. The business premise supporting Keynote’s mission is: “Online businesses can’t manage what they don’t measure.” As an independent and trusted third-party, Keynote provides IT and marketing executives with unbiased benchmarking data, competitive analysis and operational metrics from the customer perspective. This data measures service levels and customer experience of Web sites, broadband services and mobile communications.

Known as The Mobile Communications and Internet Performance Authority®, Keynote manages a market-leading infrastructure of 2,400 measurement computers and mobile devices in over 240 locations and 160+ metropolitan areas worldwide that assess service levels and a panel of over 160,000 consumers who participate in interactive Web site tests that assess user experience. These online user experience tests capture customer attitude and behavior to answer the critical “why” behind the “what.” Keynote’s geographically distributed measurement services, on-site monitoring appliances, competitive research and custom studies ensure that its customers outpace their competitors in online service levels and overall user experience.

Keynote Systems, Inc. is headquartered in San Mateo, California, and can be reached at www.keynote.com or by travel in the U.S. at 650-403-2400.

Keynote, The Internet Performance Authority and Perspective are registered trademarks and WebEffective is a trademark of Keynote Systems, Inc. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2006 Keynote Systems, Inc.