An Ecommerce Case Study: RVupgrades Used Product Q&A to:
-
Increase customer lifetime value by 2x
-
Reduce customer support costs by 60%
-
Generate a conversion rate of 75%
Company Background: RVupgrades.com
RVupgrades is one of the largest online retailers of RV parts and accessories, providing everything an RV'er needs to outfit their motorhome or camper. Their online store has over 10,000 products available and has shipped over a quarter of a million orders.
THE GOAL: Improve Marketing KPI's, Increase Organic Traffic, and Generate Sales
RVupgrades was looking for an efficient way to increase sales. They recognized that the key to online sales is growing organic search visibility. When done correctly, better SEO means showing up higher in search results, leading to more organic traffic with higher conversion rates.
The leadership at RVupgrades recognized that in their space, the best way to differentiate themselves was through efficient customer service. and thought leadership. They wanted to be seen as the resource for answers about any (and all) RV products.
THE PROBLEM: A Cumbersome, Outdated Method of Responding to Customer Questions
Before turning to Q&A, RVupgrades was using email to respond to customer requests.
Bill Rowell, the company's president, recognized that if they could answer customer product questions quickly and easily in a way that could position them as an online thought leader, they could be recognized by their current customers as a “go-to resource” for RV-related information. He knew this would also positively impact SEO, which would attract new customers.
They were also hoping for an easy way to change how they were managing their customer questions. This created an opportunity for a win/win/win if they found the right solution that could:
- Establish them as an online thought leader
- Increase their search engine traffic
- Make answering customer questions more efficient
These goals led them to Q&A from Shopper Approved.
"The problem was slow cumbersome emails. After answering a customer, we had no database or way of efficiently retrieving the information if the question came up again.” Bill Rowell - President, RVupgrades.com
THE SOLUTION: Q&A from Shopper Approved
Since RVupgrades was already using Shopper Approved's Ratings and Reviews platform for the products on their site, adding the Q&A tool to their product pages was a simple integration for their Shopper Approved team.
This one change was a the perfect way to increase online visibility while driving organic traffic and reaching their conversion goals.
When you combine the customer-focused content of Q&A with the social proof from ratings and reviews and then display all of this information where it is easily seen on the product pages, you get a multiplier effect that amplifies trust and conversions.
THE RESULTS: Big Gains in Metrics That Boost the Bottom Line
- 75% average conversion rate of clients who receive an answer to their question in Q&A
- 2x growth in customer lifetime value by adding Q&A
- 60% reduction in customer support costs by adding Q&A
- 9x average increase in the conversion rate across all product pages with Q&A
"We find that after answering a customer question with an answer that confirms the product is a good fit, we generally see an order approximately 75% of the time.”
Bill Rowell - President, RVupgrades.com
THE BONUS: Featured Snippets at the Top of Google's Results Page
For RVupgrades, the benefits of Q&A went beyond the lift on their website.
Q&A organically fuels Google Featured Snippets at the top of search results. Featured Snippets are the 40 - 60 word answers that Google displays when searchers ask a question. Featured Snippets are very important to Google, and their software constantly crawls the internet to find the best, most accurate answers to feature.
More importantly for ecommerce businesses and marketing purposes, gaining a featured snippet has been proven to drive more high-purchase-intent traffic to websites. Even better, these visits result in a high conversion rate. Shoppers who get their question answered in a Featured Snippet based on Q&A are often pre-converted, ready to buy at the moment they arrive on your website.
"We fired up Shopper Approved Q&A on our product pages and it’s been amazing for increasing sales."
Bill Rowell - President, RVupgrades.com
Summary: Q&A Was a Highly-Effective Tactic to Help RVupgrades Increase Traffic and Sales
To improve their service, increase sales, and establish themselves as a thought leader in the RV industry, RVupgrades integrated product Q&A with product ratings and reviews.
This solution resulted in a 2x increase in customer lifetime value, 60% reduction in customer support cost, and a 75% conversion rate among clients who received an answer to their question in Q&A. The integration also resulted in a 9x average product page conversion rate.
On top of the immediate results, Q&A fueled Google organic featured snippets at the top of the search engine results page (SERP), driving more high-purchase-intent organic traffic and conversions.
Learn more about Shopper Approved Q&A and how to use this powerful tool on your site.
Related Q&A articles:
Drive More Visibility, Traffic, and Sales
Accessibility