MG Rover signs Web-tracking deal
MG Rover has signed a deal with Web analytics company WebTrends, which the car company hopes will increase customer conversion across its 25-plus MG and Rover websites in Europe.
MG Rover internet development manager Chris Marks says: “It is crucial for us to analyse the trends among visitors to our MG and Rover websites. We naturally see every visitor as a potential customer.”
MG Rover will use WebTrends to track the success of its online marketing campaigns to encourage MG and Rover customers to download brochures, locate their nearest dealer or register for test drives.
MG Rover Group distributes MG and Rover cars in more than 50 international markets. It is in negotiations with the Chinese government-owned Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation over a deal which would see SAIC effectively take control of the Rover marque (MW February 10).
WebTrends will track site visitors to see what websites they come from, which parts of the MG Rover websites they look at, whether they request a brochure or test drive and what sites they go to after they leave.
The software is also able to track trends by region or individual campaigns, allowing campaign effectiveness to be assessed and sites modified accordingly.
MG Rover also plans to use WebTrends to look at usage patterns on the “design your own car” sections of its sites. The company hopes this will allow it to analyse design trends and obtain a clearer picture of what appeals to customers. “We see our websites as strategic marketing tools,” observes Marks, adding that MG Rover wants “to be able to use Web analytics as a critical evaluation tool for our online campaigns”.
