The Complete ASC Event List and Glossary

August 13, 2024

The Complete ASC Event List and Glossary

In the terribly competitive automotive retail industry, understanding customer behavior is paramount. As more customers turn to digital channels to research and purchase vehicles, it becomes increasingly critical for dealerships to optimize their online presence. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has introduced a powerful toolset to help dealerships do just that—ASC (Automotive Specific Conversion) events.

In this ultimate guide, we’ll delve into what ASC events are, why they’re crucial for your dealership’s success, and how you can leverage them to gain actionable insights and drive conversions.

What Are ASC Events in GA4?

ASC events are specialized tracking parameters designed to capture key interactions on automotive dealership websites. These events provide deep insights into how customers engage with your site, from browsing vehicle listings to completing forms and making calls. By tracking these events, dealerships can monitor the entire customer journey, identify pain points, and optimize the digital experience to boost conversions.

The Essential ASC Events

Here’s a breakdown of the most important ASC events and their use cases:

asc_pageview (Engagement)
- What It Does: Tracks every new page viewed by a consumer.
- Why It Matters: Understanding which pages are most frequently visited allows you to optimize your site’s navigation and content, ensuring that critical information is easily accessible.
asc_retail_process (Engagement)
- What It Does: Captures when a consumer completes significant steps in the digital retailing process, such as financing applications or trade evaluations.
- Why It Matters: By identifying bottlenecks or drop-off points in the online buying process, you can streamline the experience and guide more customers toward conversion.
asc_cta_interaction (Engagement)
- What It Does: Monitors when a consumer engages with Calls to Action (CTAs) on your site.
- Why It Matters: Tracking CTA interactions helps you assess the effectiveness of your prompts, allowing you to refine your messaging and placement to increase conversions.
asc_form_submission (Conversion)
- What It Does: Records when a customer submits a form, such as a lead generation or inquiry form.
- Why It Matters: Form submissions are a key indicator of customer interest. Tracking this event helps you measure lead generation efforts and optimize forms to maximize completions.
asc_click_to_call (Engagement)
- What It Does: Triggers when a consumer initiates a click-to-call action.
- Why It Matters: This event helps you track interest in direct phone communication, which is crucial for high-intent customers. Analyzing this data allows you to refine the placement and timing of click-to-call buttons.
asc_voice_submission (Conversion)
- What It Does: Captures data after a voice call is completed, including whether the customer’s contact information is sent to your CRM.
- Why It Matters: This event enables you to track the effectiveness of voice calls in generating leads and closing sales, providing insights to improve phone-based customer service.
asc_media_interaction (Engagement)
- What It Does: Monitors consumer engagement with images, videos, or other media on your site.
- Why It Matters: Understanding which media types resonate with your audience helps you prioritize content that drives engagement, enhancing the visual experience on your site.
asc_special_offer (Engagement)
- What It Does: Tracks when a pop-up or slide-out offer is displayed to a consumer.
- Why It Matters: By analyzing the impact of special offers, you can optimize the timing and placement of promotions, increasing their effectiveness in driving conversions.
asc_item_pageview (Derivative Engagement)
- What It Does: Records when a consumer views a specific item page, such as a Vehicle Detail Page (VDP).
- Why It Matters: This event helps you monitor engagement with individual vehicle listings, allowing you to analyze user behavior and refine your inventory presentation.
asc_form_engagement (Engagement)
- What It Does: Tracks user interactions during the form fill process.
- Why It Matters: By understanding where users struggle with forms, you can make data-driven improvements to form design, increasing submission rates.

Why ASC Events Are Critical for Dealerships

Optimizing your dealership’s digital presence is no longer optional—it’s essential. ASC events provide the granular data you need to understand your customers’ digital journey fully. By leveraging these events, you can:

Enhance the Customer Journey: Gain a clear view of how customers navigate your site, allowing you to optimize every touchpoint to guide them toward conversion.
Improve Conversion Rates: Identify and address points of friction in the customer journey, leading to higher conversion rates and more completed sales.
Make Data-Driven Decisions: Use detailed insights to refine your marketing strategies, allocate resources effectively, and focus on what drives the most engagement and revenue.
Increase Customer Satisfaction: By continuously improving your digital experience based on ASC data, you can ensure a smoother, more satisfying customer journey, leading to greater loyalty and repeat business.

How to Get Started

Implementing ASC events in GA4 requires a strategic approach. Start by identifying the key interactions on your site that align with these events. Then, work with your analytics team or partner to configure these events within GA4, ensuring that they are correctly tracking the data you need.

Once your ASC events are in place, regularly review the data to uncover trends, spot issues, and refine your digital strategy. With a well-optimized set of ASC events, your dealership can stay ahead of the competition and provide an exceptional online experience for your customers.