Client case studies are useful when they tell you what happened without any gloss. This is the story of Avant Rent A Car, a vehicle hire company with a solid offline business whose digital presence needed to live up to it.
We'll walk you through where they started, what we found, what we did and, above all, the lessons you can apply to your own business, even if you're not in car hire.
The context: why car hire depends so much on digital
In vehicle hire, a lot of decisions are made on a phone: someone looks for a hire car at their destination, compares options and books within minutes. If your website doesn't show up, loads slowly or makes booking complicated, that person ends up with another company or on an intermediary platform.
Platforms help bring in customers, but they charge commission on every booking. That's why, for a car hire company, boosting direct bookings is a question of profitability. We explain this in more detail in our guide to SEO for car hire companies.
The starting point
Avant Rent A Car had a good offline business but a digital presence that didn't do it justice: a slow website, neglected social media and no content strategy at all. Bookings relied almost entirely on word of mouth and on platforms charging high commissions.
It's a very common situation for businesses that are doing well: day-to-day work takes up all the time, and digital gets left for “when there's time”, which never comes.
The diagnosis
- Website optimised neither for mobile nor for direct bookings.
- Unmanaged Google profile.
- Instagram with sporadic posts and no visual identity.
- Total reliance on intermediaries.
None of these points is serious on its own, but together they form a vicious circle: without a website that's ready, there are no direct bookings; without a Google profile, it's hard to appear in local searches; and without active social media, there's no trust. The result is that customers end up booking wherever is easiest for them – and that wasn't the company itself.
What we did
We redesigned the brand identity and built a fast website focused on direct bookings. We set up the Google profile, a consistent content calendar and a recognisable visual style. The goal: for customers to book directly, with no commission in between.
It wasn't a single action but consistency: posting every week, replying to every review and keeping the website up to date for months on end.
How we approach a project like this
Beyond this case, this is the general method we follow when a local business wants to rely less on intermediaries. Every project is tailored, but the building blocks are usually these:
- An honest diagnosis. We review the website, Google profile, social media, reviews and how customers find the business today. No endless reports: just a clear list of what's holding the business back.
- A consistent identity. The logo, colours and tone are the same on the website, on Google and on social media, so the business is recognisable at a glance.
- A website built to convert. Fast on mobile, with the information customers need close at hand and a short path to booking or getting in touch. That's what we focus on in our web design service.
- Local SEO and Google profile. Complete and accurate details, the right categories, real photos and regular posts. There's a practical guide in how to optimise your Google Business Profile.
- Social media with a calendar. Weekly planning with its own visual style, rather than posting whenever there's a spare moment.
- Reviews. Asking for them naturally and replying to all of them, good and bad. We go into this in how to get and manage Google reviews.
- Month-by-month follow-up. Checking what works, fine-tuning and keeping up the pace.
Results
- A sustained increase in direct bookings.
- Greater visibility in local searches.
- A real community on social media, not bought followers.
- Less reliance on external platforms.
These results don't happen overnight. They come because all the pieces are worked on together and kept up over time.
Lessons you can apply to your business
- Your website should close deals, not just exist. If customers can't book, buy or get in touch in a few steps, the website isn't doing its job.
- Your Google profile is free and decisive. For a local business, it's often the first thing the customer sees.
- Social media needs consistency, not spikes. Posting every week with a clear visual style builds more than a one-off campaign.
- Replying to reviews is marketing too. People reading your reviews notice how you respond.
- Depending on a single channel is a risk. Whether it's booking platforms or listings portals, it pays to have a channel of your own.
- Nothing works in isolation. Website, Google, social media and reviews all reinforce each other.
If you run a dealership or a used car business, the logic is the same: portals such as AutoScout24 or AutoTrader play a similar role to booking platforms, and your own website, Google profile and social media are how you gain independence.
How is your business doing?
Ask yourself these quick questions:
- Does your website load quickly on mobile and let people get in touch or book without any hassle?
- Does your Google profile have up-to-date opening hours, photos and details?
- Have you posted on social media this week?
- Have you replied to every review from the last month?
- Do you know what share of your customers come through your own channels?
If any answer is “no”, you already know where to start. And if you'd like a fresh pair of eyes, you can ask for a free review of your digital presence.
The Avant case sums up how we work: an honest diagnosis, consistent execution and real metrics. There are no magic shortcuts – just a method applied month after month.
Frequently asked questions
What problem did Avant Rent A Car have at the start?
It had a good offline business, but a slow website, neglected social media and a heavy reliance on word of mouth and high-commission platforms.
What actions were taken?
The brand identity was redesigned, a fast website focused on direct bookings was built, the Google profile was set up and a consistent content calendar with a recognisable visual style was put in place.
Does this method work for a dealership?
Yes. The logic is the same: your own website that converts, a well-kept Google profile, consistent social media and well-managed reviews, so you depend less on third parties.