Case study · Exelon · Steer · 2018
Launching a car subscription people wanted.
Research, rapid web experiments, and the MVP marketing site for Steer, an electric car subscription service incubated by Exelon.
At a glance
Three weeks of live web experiments turned a confusing landing page into a sign-up engine, and shaped the site Steer launched with.
3x
conversion rate, from 1.16% to 3.47%
12%
bounce rate, down from 83%
278
people signed up to learn more
01 · What we learned
People loved the service. The electric part could wait.
The team interviewed 22 people in DC, Austin, and Chicago, visited their homes, and had them sort vehicles and map their journeys. The concierge lifestyle excited almost everyone. An all-electric fleet didn't, and in the end every decision came down to price.
Steer is a lifestyle
"This looks like freedom."
EVs aren't a selling point yet
"I am kind of nervous about them."
Decisions come down to the numbers
"I'd need to sort of run numbers and see how it compares."
Making the research usable
I turned the findings into visual deliverables the client could act on, including four personas that map each person's price threshold, current car costs, and likelihood to subscribe.
Price sweet spots clustered at $400-500, $700-800, and $1,000-1,200 a month.
02 · Web experiments
Test, measure, change one thing, repeat.
We ran four versions of the site over three weeks, driving traffic with Facebook and Google ads to test messaging and pricing. Each round fixed what the last one revealed.
Version 1 · Nov 21-28
3 sign-ups
Too many CTAs. People jumped around the site and 3 of 252 visitors converted.
Next
One clear CTA, optimized for mobile
Version 2 · Nov 29-Dec 3
77 sign-ups
Conversion rose from 1.16% to 3.47%. Bounce rate fell from 83% to 12%.
Next
Simplify the sign-up form
Version 3 · Dec 4-7
109 sign-ups
Conversion up 24% after form changes. Form drop-off fell from 90% to 68%.
Next
Keep testing audience and message
Version 4 · Dec 8-11
87 sign-ups
Ads with Tesla imagery had the highest click-through and conversion.
Next
Apply every learning to the MVP
EV-forward ad copy earned a 3% click-through rate, against a 0.8% benchmark for auto ads. Interest in EV and non-EV subscriptions was about the same, which told us electric could be a differentiator without being the headline.
03 · The MVP site
Meet people where they are.
Every design decision on the MVP came from something we measured.
Mobile first
97% of experiment traffic came from phones.
"Learn more," not "Subscribe"
Most visitors were still deciding. The CTA matched that stage.
Tested imagery
Tesla images drove the most engagement, so they lead the hero.
Electric as a differentiator
EV messaging sets Steer apart, but doesn't lead until the market matures.
04 · Outcome
Steer launched.
Steer launched in the Washington, DC area and later expanded into Texas. It reached millions in annual recurring revenue within its first year, and in September 2020 Exelon sold it to Facedrive.
17
EV makes and models in the fleet
< 12 mo
to millions in annual recurring revenue