Smart Marketing Concepts

Internet Marketing Strategy Case Study

Driving customers looking to Payless!
Payless Car Rental attracts new business by Marketing on the Internet
A Real-world Case Study - Published: August 2003

After its early 1998 launch and thousands of dollars later, Payless Car Rental‘s corporate website had experienced very little traffic. The original website address was changed from PaylessCar.com to www.800-PAYLESS.com, to reemphasize their toll-free consumer reservations number. As the popularity of the World Wide Web grew, the company website was at a standstill and took a backseat to the company‘s ambitious growth plans to double the number of its franchises by 2003.

Internet Marketing Case Study Payless Car Sales The Challenge
When the first Payless Car Rental site was published, the design was basic and made up of a collection of brightly disoriented web pages that resembled a brochure. The empty portal offered links to franchise sales, caricatures, and old announcements with little information on the cities they serviced, special rates or a reservation mechanism.

As a result, Payless Car Rental decided to bring the design and management of the web site in-house determined to enhance its marketability by improving the visitors experience and convert them into a customer.

Internet Marketing Case Study Payless Car Sales The Solution
The first task was to obtain a domain name which would create a lasting impression. A key factor to success on the web is having a domain name (Url) that is short, intuitive and easy to remember. Thus, PaylessCarRental.com was secured. A complete website overhaul was in order then the website underwent a complete makeover which included a totally redesigned layout and more logical navigational pathway to drive sales. The new site introduced a location directory, rental policies, fleet information, online reservations and a little bit of company history.

After thorough keyword research, the site was optimized for search engines and directories. Link popularity was strategically attained and a banner advertising program was implemented to compliment those efforts and to build targeted consumer awareness in many of the popular travel portals. By this stage, the domain name (URL) was included in every Payless Car Rental marketing effort both on and off line.

Internet Marketing Case Study Payless Car Sales The Results

Today, PaylessCarRental.com receives over 250,000 unique visitors per month. That translates to nineteen percent of its revenues, and growing! Payless Car Rental is seriously focused on resources that will drive visitors to the site and continues to reap the benefits of their decision to bring their Internet Marketing efforts in-house. To further enhance its new business exposure, Payless Car Rental set up marketing agreements with popular travel-related web sites.

Payless Car Rental was provided with an autonomous, cost-effective solution through an Internet Marketing strategy. The plan focused on increased efficiency, agility and control that resulted in substantial cost savings and return on investment. "Combined with the revenue generated from travel web sites, sixty percent of our business is Internet driven." says Payless’ spokesperson. "That speaks for itself. And our brand name helps. Payless has the perfect name for the Internet. No one goes on the Internet to spend more."

For Payless Car Rental, the corporate website along with its new Internet-driven culture has become a necessary tool that is an enabler of open information and client interaction. Now, Payless Car Rental is focused on building consumer awareness, excelling in customer service and capitalizing on their compelling brand name.

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