In December 2016, WUA conducted research into the online orientation behavior of consumers who want to have new winter tires fitted on their car. The 200 respondents were completely free to choose a suitable website to digitally schedule an appointment.
Online there is a wide range of both garage chains and specialized car tire websites. Kwik-fit.nl performs very strongly in this research. Not only is the website found most often (by 70% of respondents), but also on experience themes in WUA's WPS model: Look & Feel, Offering and Brand. The website scores highest every time among all competitors found. A performance that rarely occurs in the free orientation research we conduct at WUA. Also notable are the high scores in First Impression: Kwik-Fit.nl scores 80 points or higher on all components. Below, 2 important learnings from this research are discussed.
Learning 1: The importance of a rock-solid landing page
Notable in this research is that more than 80% of visits in this study came through a search engine. An indication that not many consumers have a website top-of-mind when they start looking for a set of winter tires. This makes it all the more important to have landing pages from Google properly organized. Kwik-fit knows how to entice its visitors on the page, among other things with a sleek Look & Feel. The appearance appeals and supports the customer journey and the path to the product. Kwik-fit scores three first places here: on appropriateness of appearance to the product, on direct relevance and on general appreciation of appearance.
1 Relevant Visual: The image in the main banner connects well with the customer's experience: although it doesn't snow very often in the unpredictable Dutch winters, this is the situation the customer wants to prepare for. The image connects well with this need. As one of the respondents notes: "Looks nice with appropriate images."
2 Direct access: The visitor to this page can get started immediately. Without being distracted by a whole range of peripheral issues, directly selecting the winter tire is (visually) central. Other (specialized) websites often overwhelm the visitor with a whole bunch of offers and options. "Clear site: I'm immediately asked what tire size I'm looking for."
3 Trust: Another striking aspect is the trust that is conveyed. Directly under the banner where you can search is the customer rating. Due to the relatively 'clean' design of the page, this trustworthy piece of data doesn't drown among all sorts of other factors. As one of the respondents notes: "Clear, reliable and solid."
4 Expert role: Below the fold on the Kwik-fit.nl website is information that can further guide the searching customer. Kwik-fit.nl takes the consumer by the hand without overwhelming them. Since most consumers don't often choose winter tires, the phone number at the top left is also highly appreciated: "If I don't understand something, I can immediately call their number". In the words of one of the other respondents: "Clear, organized, professional"
Learning 2: Icon usage
What most consumers notice in this research is that there are not only many websites, but also many different tires. Despite this, most websites still manage to guide their users well through the offering. One important aspect of this is making good use of smart icons. This gives the consumer quick insight into the tire's characteristics. "Clear information. Tires with an A to G label, like with houses and e.g. washing machines: gives a lot of info at once."
