Swapalease.com has grown revenue 500+ percent using Google AdWords.
| Since 1999, Swapalease.com (http://swapalease.com/) has helped match thousands of people looking for short-term vehicle leases with people hoping to exit theirs. The idea for the Cincinnati-based company was born on an auto showroom floor, where the company's founder was having a hard time selling new cars because so many customers were stuck in leases. With more than $500 million worth of successful automobile lease transfers to its credit, today Swapalease.com lists about 7,000 to 9,000 leases in its online marketplace. The company's target audience is anyone leasing a car or looking for a short-term lease.
Approach Prior to joining Google AdWords™, Swapalease.com advertised through radio, newspaper, and other print ads as well as billboards – but Director of Lease Operations Scot Hall says the limited exposure of those formats was a drawback, noting, "Only so many people see will see a billboard or newspaper ad." On the other hand, AdWords has enabled Swapalease.com to attract more customers for less money by distributing its ads widely. "AdWords is a very cost-effective way to reach a geographically widespread audience – anyone with an Internet connection can find our online store," says Hall. "It's like having a billboard in every major city." Because car leasing occurs all over the country, Swapalease.com focuses on nationwide AdWords campaigns. Today the majority of Swapalease.com's advertising is pay-per-click because it offers targeted and measurable advertising, which produces a higher conversion rate. In terms of cost, Hall said AdWords beats traditional advertising hands-down, and he observes that "it's much more effective because of that targeted audience AdWords provides." Joining AdWords was an easy choice because of Google's "strong foothold" in online marketing, says Hall, adding that advertising on Google adds an element of trustworthiness for customers. "People respect what Google's search results are, and that brings credibility to our business." In addition, Hall touts the ease of AdWords' bidding process. "You can set your daily budget with what you're comfortable spending, and you don't have to sit there and watch it," he says. "If there's a day when you don't have time to log in, you don't have to worry about overspending." He adds it's easy to make adjustments to his account anytime, anywhere and describes the AdWords interface as "very user-friendly." By using tools like the Report Center, Hall continues, "We know what we're getting and what we're paying for it. Whether you want a report for a three-day or three-month period, you can pull it out of there – flexibility is a key factor." Most important, he adds, "It doesn't matter how easy or cost effective it is unless it works, and AdWords does." Results AdWords has helped fuel Swapalease.com's revenue growth more than 500 percent during the last two years. "AdWords is one of the major catalysts for that," Hall says, noting that as a result 90 percent of his advertising budget is devoted to online advertising, and 60 percent of that goes to AdWords. "We've had a lot of success, and have grown dramatically since 1999 due to AdWords. It has enabled us to reach thousands of new customers." Hall advises advertisers to embrace AdWords. "Seach engine marketing is still relatively new, and many marketing professionals are reliant on traditional forms of marketing," he says, but notes that AdWords is easy to use. "You don't have to learn an entirely new language to use it. Advertising on AdWords is essential to do in order to keep costs down and grow one's business." About Google AdWords Google AdWords is currently used by thousands of businesses worldwide to gain new customers in a cost-effective way. AdWords use keywords to precisely target ad delivery to web users seeking information about a particular product or service. The program is based on cost-per-click (CPC) pricing, so advertisers only pay when an ad is clicked on. Advertisers can take advantage of an extremely broad distribution network, and choose the level of support and spending appropriate for their business. For more information on launching your own campaign or getting expert help, visit http://adwords.google.com. Would you like to share your Google AdWords success story with us? We'd love to hear from you! Return to Automotive overview page |
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