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CASE STUDY
Adapting to the Digital Age

"One gains trust with tangible results; numbers don't lie."

PROJECT SUMMARY

After 30 years in the industry, a respected brand faced challenges transitioning from traditional B2B to B2B e-commerce. Lacking effective marketing tools, they sought the expertise of Screws + Stilettos to enhance their online presence. With strategic branding and targeted advertising, the brand flourished, experiencing significant growth and success in the e-commerce space. This particular case study journey highlights the importance of adapting to changing consumer trends and utilizing digital marketing strategies. 

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BACKGROUND

February 2017

New Website Launches

February 2018

Hires Third-Party Agency to Manage Digital Marketing, Strategy + Website

  • Minor SEO + Website Improvements

  • Push for Social Media Platforms

  • Substantial Paid Advertisement Spending for Lead Generation

  • Additional Investment Lead Generation Tools

January 2019

After 1 Year of Third-Party Agency

  • Converted Leads: +2%
  • Gross Revenue: +9%
  • Acquisition Cost: ~ $10K per month
  • ROI: $3.47 

February 2019

Industry Expert Recommends Screws + Stilettos ("S+S")

Client Preliminary Intro + Potential SOW Meeting with Courtney + Kelly

Courtney + Kelly provide a customized action plan specifically tailored to client's unique needs

Client Terminates Services with Third-Party Agency and Retains S+S

PERFORMANCE SUMMARY

Shifting focus from driving as much traffic as possible (at a very high cost with a very poor conversion rate) to fixing the infrastructure, backend, reporting + SEO resulted in a 33% increase in converted leads, 20% increase in revenue + a 42% increase in profit within the first year.

Once SEO/tracking was properly set up and the backend was ready to handle the optimized website, the focus shifted for the second year to optimizing the UX and website content. In less than a full calendar year, converted leads are up 48%, revenue is up 42% and ROI has increased to $16.50.

Combined, the two step process resulted in a 70% increase in revenue and our conservative spending approach resulted in an 85% increase in profit.

 

ACTION PLAN + RESULTS

I. INFRASTRUCTURE + BACKEND

PLAN OF ATTACK

Immediately STOPPED ALL Spending on Paid Advertisements + Traffic Drivers

In our opinion, this was “money being thrown into a blackhole”. The UX + SEO were very weak, the Bounce Rate was HIGH + the Session Duration was LOW. The Paid Traffic drove new users who clearly demonstrated they had a bad experience, bounced quickly + did not return.

COURSE OF ACTION

Shift focus to INFRASTRUCTURE, SEO, Reporting On/Offsite + Topline Website Functionality

Website Functionality - i.e. Page Speed, Bounce Rate, Search Functionality, CSS Style Guide, Image Size, Mobile Optimization, Tracking/Reporting, Existing Software/Platform Integrations, User Segmentation, etc.

ACTUAL RESULTS

Converted Leads +29%

  • up from 2% YoY previously 

Gross Revenue +18%

  • up from 9% YoY previously

Acquisition Cost -100%

  • immediately dropped acquisition costs from $10K/month to $0/month

ZERO DOLLARS SPENT on Paid Ads + Lead Generation

UTILIZED ONLY FREE Resources + Tools

II. USER EXPERIENCE + CONTENT

PLAN OF ATTACK

Shift focus to USER EXPERIENCE, Design, Content + the Customer’s Journey with a phased launch of redesigned website in mid March, which was rolled out to all by late March.

Major website improvements included the monitoring of KPIs, including key metrics such as Conversion Rate, Session Duration + Traffic.

Began soft launch of Paid Advertisements in late June 2020.

 

COURSE OF ACTION

Continued iterations, improvements + optimizations based on Customer’s behavior from March - September 2020.

KEY METRIC RESULTS

Conversion Rate +138%

    • increase from 1.3% to 3.1%

Session Duration + 50%

    • increase from 2:17 to 3:26

Traffic +106%

    • increase of over 106% within 5 months
    • increase YoY 66% for Q2 and 106% for Q3

ACTUAL RESULTS

Converted Leads +55%

  • up from +29% YoY previous year when focusing only on backend

Gross Revenue +51%

  • up from +29% YoY previous year when focusing only on backend

Acquisition Cost $0 - $7K per month

  • $0 per month from February 2019 - July 2020
  • $7K per month beginning July 2020
  • compared to $10K per month in 2018

ROI $11.75

  • up from $3.47 with previous 2018 Ad Spend

240% INCREASE IN ROI from Paid Ads + Lead Generation

$180,000 SAVED in Acquisition Cost During Project Period

$36,000 IN ANNUAL SAVINGS in Ongoing Acquisition Costs

DIRECT FROM THE SOURCE

Founder + CEO | 35 Years in Business

I worked extensively with Courtney and Kelly for a year and a half to advance the brand across all channels of our business. As our target audience transitioned dramatically from the specialty store arena to on-line sales, they helped me develop, implement and manage many successful marketing and business initiatives, including but not limited to marketing campaigns, SEO, SEM, SMM, website redesign and replatforming, e-commerce partner development and listing management, revenue-producing email marketing campaigns, SMM management, CMS management, comprehensive analytics reporting and strategic analyses for informed business decisions.

One gains trust with tangible results; numbers don't lie.

PROJECT SUMMARY EXTENDED

After 30 years of leading the way in handcrafted and sustainable custom designed tableware, frames, gifts, and engraveable homewares, a highly respected brand faced significant challenges when they had to transition from traditional B2B with brick and mortar retailers to also providing B2B and B2B e-commerce platforms.

The company encountered difficulties in attracting and retaining customers in the online space since they lacked the necessary tools and strategies to effectively market their products and engage with their target audience. They continuously invested in third-party "experts" and various agencies year after year to help them compete in the ever-changing landscape and regain their market share. Unfortunately, each new endeavor resulted in exorbitant costs with little to no impact.

Through word of mouth, the company discovered Courtney + Kelly's expertise and sought the assistance of Screws + Stilettos as business consultants to address their challenges and turn their business around. With their expertise, Screws + Stilettos implemented a comprehensive strategy to enhance online presence and improve their digital marketing efforts.

By focusing on strategic branding, targeted advertising, and customer engagement, the brand began to flourish and grow in the online space. Courtney + Kelly identified unique selling points and effectively communicated them to their target audience, resulting in increased website traffic and sales.

With the guidance of Screws + Stilettos, the brand successfully navigated the challenges of transitioning from brick and mortar retailers to the e-commerce space. Since then, they have experienced significant growth and success online, establishing themselves as a reputable and thriving e-commerce brand.

This particular journey underscores the importance of adapting to changing consumer trends and harnessing the power of digital marketing and e-commerce. With the right strategies and guidance, businesses can overcome obstacles and thrive in the online marketplace.