Openbay Content Strategy
Turning expert knowledge into useful content
Discipline
UX & Content Strategy
Company
Openbay
Timeframe
1 year
Overview
About Openbay
Openbay is an auto repair software start-up located in Cambridge, MA. Openbay has two products. A SaaS Chatbot which is utilized by automotive repair shops to converse with customers after hours and a customer-facing application that gives users estimates and enables them to contactless book and pay for auto repair.
About The Project
I wrote all interface content on the screens shown across four Openbay sites and contributed to their design and layout. I interviewed subject-matter experts, wrote and edited articles, and organized product information for vehicle owners and service providers. The work supported service bookings and qualified leads.
Openbay Article Pages
The Openbay article site serves as a directory for vehicle owners to find various information regarding car repair. This directory was created mainly for SEO purposes. When vehicle owners conduct research for their car repair-related questions they stumble upon this page leading them into a funnel to book an appointment on our application site.
Openbay Articles ↗
My Process
Openbay has a team of ASE-certified techs that are used to formulate quotes for those inquiring about car repair. In order to create the articles for this directory, we interviewed these techs on various subject matters. We recorded notes from these interviews and wrote the articles based on the information these subject matter experts provided.
Content Decisions
The articles needed to answer a repair question before asking someone to book. I paired explanations of the repair with a plain-language account of how Openbay works. Relevant calls to action throughout each page gave readers a next step when they were ready to request an estimate.
Business Impact
Increased our marketplace conversion rate and service request demand generated by our article pages by 40%.
Scroll to see the site.
Openbay Overdrive Blog
The Openbay blog provides car care information for vehicle owners and is a place for service providers to find resources on advanced online chat and service center marketing. Our blog has been featured on Feedspots top 100 auto blogs with the likes of Car and Driver and Motor Trend. In the auto repair space, we are ranked number 12.
Openbay Blog ↗
My Process
For our auto care articles, we typically interview our team of ASE techs to receive insight on certain topics. For our Openbay Otis-centric articles, we interview the owners of service centers and recount their stories. For those who use Openbay Otis Advanced Online Chat on their website, we record the business impact of using our product and convey how Otis has helped them meet their benchmarks. We also create articles based on trending topics in the auto industry. I write a large portion of the articles that go up on the blog. For those that I do not personally write, I am responsible for editing each article for keyword and SEO best practices.
Design and Writing Choices
The blog served two audiences: vehicle owners and shop owners. I organized content for each audience and used tags and search to help readers find relevant information. Written articles and video offered different ways to explore car care and service-center topics.
Business Impact
Together, the blog and marketplace site supported average monthly web GMV growing from $27,000 to $84,000 year over year.
A few articles I wrote
Openbay Overdrive Blog · January 29, 2021
How to Keep Your Battery Charged, Especially During Cold Weather
It’s not always necessary to jump start your battery, especially if you take preventive measures to keep it charged when you’re not frequently using your car or during cold-weather months.
There’s some confusion out there about the different methods, in particular the difference between trickle charging your battery and float charging it. Even though both slowly charge your battery so it doesn’t lose its juice, there are subtle differences between the two that are worth knowing.
Read article ↗
Openbay Overdrive Blog · January 11, 2021
‘Otis Creates a Personalized Experience’: How Hogan Tire Serves Today’s Digital Consumers
Hogan Tire & Auto Service is a third-generation, family-owned tire and auto service business in the greater Boston area. Founder Thomas E. Hogan started the company in 1915, and it has stayed in continuous operation for over a century through a winning formula of superior service and customer-service excellence.
Today Hogan Tire is a successful eight-location operation led by brothers Ed, Tom, and Bill Hogan, who proudly continue the tradition their grandfather started. They follow a simple example set by their father and grandfather: never be afraid to try something new to meet the needs of their customers.
Read article ↗
Openbay Marketplace
Openbay Marketplace for Service Providers
Openbay Marketplace is a site directed towards service providers with the goal of demonstrating the value of joining our platform. This site breaks down every feature available with Openbay Marketplace in a hierarchical and digestible way. Additionally, this site provides additional insight into optional programs that Openbay Marketplace users can opt into such as our towing program, and tools they can use such as our mobile and desktop apps.
↗ Website: Marketplace for Service Providers
My Process
For this project, I had discussions with the Head of Product for Marketplace. He came up with most of the features for Marketplace and therefore was able to provide me with a detailed explanation of the advantages of each feature. I also spoke with our customer success team and used insights stored within Metabase and Freshdesk to sort the most popular and useful features. This allowed me to write detailed explanations of the features that highlighted what service providers are looking for and that addressed their concerns.
Design and Writing Choices
I prioritized the benefits service providers cared about most: acquiring customers, booking appointments, and being found online. The content hierarchy gave these subjects the most detail, then explained supporting features and addressed concerns about moving more of the business online.
Business Impact
Together, the marketplace site and blog supported average monthly web GMV growing from $27,000 to $84,000 year over year.
Openbay Solutions
Openbay Solutions Site
The Openbay Solutions site provides a detailed breakdown of the features and customizable options available with our advanced online chatbot Openbay Otis. This website also provides insight into what digital age consumers are looking for when they arrive on the homepage of an auto service center website and how service providers can use Openbay Otis to better meet their customer’s needs with automated chat to ultimately increase repair revenue.
My Process
When developing the content strategy I interviewed the head of our SaaS sales team. He has the most knowledge in regards to what aspects of Otis are popular selling points. I also interviewed our top clients with who we have long-term relationships. We discussed what separates Otis from other chatbot services that they have used in the past in addition to what features are most useful to them to help increase their repair revenue.
Design and Writing Choices
I organized the Solutions site from a clear product overview into deeper feature explanations. Supporting pages let readers investigate details without overwhelming the main story. Customer quotes and an explanation of missed service opportunities connected the product’s capabilities to shop owners’ needs.
Business Impact
Increased our monthly MQL leads for our SaaS product by 30%
