GAP: Budgeting for customers

A product finder is geared to the customer’s way of thinking.

The Site

GAP, a central Paris BMW car dealership, gives over the main part of its home page to a product selector for its long-term rental business. A panel shows ‘monthly rental budgets’ ranging upwards in €100 (£68.30 /$120.55) increments from 400€, with a euro-sign arrow that can be clicked and dragged to any of the featured budgets. This then launches a page of deals, each with a prominent ‘Devis personnalisé’ (‘personal quote’) link to a quotation form that can be submitted online.

The space below the selection panel on the home page is used to showcase one of the deals available. Click through from the photograph of the featured BMW for details of the offer.

The Takeaway

Two things about the GAP deal finder mark it out for attention in an area that is now a staple for e-commerce and business-to-business sites. First is the alignment with its customers’ way of thinking. Many if not most are likely to be businesses or senior executives looking for an upmarket car. At GAP the choice of model has already been made – they can have any one they want so long as it’s BMW – so the issue is one of budget: what can they get for what they want or can afford to pay? The interactive price-range panel homes straight in on this while the photo-feature adds to the temptation to see what you could get if you were to stretch your budget a little.

Second, the journey through to pricing your selected package is as stylish and smooth as you would anticipate the ride to be in your BMW. Imaginative use of technology, a classy look and – another nice touch in a part of the market where customers expect some individual attention – the offer of a personal quote.

First published on 12 January, 2006