Member Article

£100,000 digital marketing investment builds on sales boom for Conservatory Outlet

A leading home improvement product supplier has pressed the button on an £100,000 digital marketing drive to help its UK-wide network of retailers enjoy a strong 2022.

Wakefield-based Conservatory Outlet is working with DigitalKOG to develop the latest lead generation focused websites that will be tailored to all 27 retailers that exclusively sell their conservatories, extensions, doors, windows, and orangeries.

These sites will feature enhanced product collections, improved navigation to support the customer journey and a clearer insight into company values, including what makes them different, quality standards, manufacturing processes and helpful guides.

They will also have a dedicated ‘careers’ section that will help the sector overcome the significant recruitment issues it is facing.

“The pandemic has really highlighted how important digital marketing can be to our business, with more than a third of our £28m sales generated through email or website enquiries for our network,” explained Karen Clough, Marketing Director of Conservatory Outlet.

“Last year, our collaboration with DigitalKOG and our retailers generated over 46,500 enquiries, a 7% rise on 2020 and a massive 150% increase on 2019. Website hits also registered 1.8million for the first time in our history, as more consumers decided to spend their time and disposable income on improving their homes.

“Interestingly and proving that people still crave human interaction (especially during Covid-19), over 73,035 potential sales calls were received, whilst showroom visits were also significantly up.”

She continued: “You can’t stand still in our industry. We wanted to build on 2021’s momentum by investing £100,000 into our next digital marketing campaign. This will create new websites for all 27 firms in our network, and we’re also facilitating a major marketing event in Manchester in February to develop strategies for the next twelve months.”

Conservatory Outlet, which recently secured the ‘We Invest in People’ accreditation for the first time, focused on seasonal offers and specific dealer advantages, such as new products, showrooms, finance and living experience case studies.

Individual customer brands were also strengthened, whilst social media campaigns explored Instagram more and split tested different Facebook approaches, including lifestyle animations and real-life video case studies.

Karen went on to add: “We firmly believe that leads are best generated directly and exclusively for our individual customers, as opposed to being passed on from a central source. It’s all about building strong brands that make an impact in their own right.”

“The past two years have taught people that their homes are more important than ever, and for that reason they’re willing to spend on improving them.

“We believe this trend will continue. Although the industry has been hit with multiple significant price increases and extended lead times, people are still very willing to purchase… it’s all about buying from the right company, so trust and service are very important.”

For further information, please visit www.conservatoryoutlet.co.uk or follow @conservatoryuk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .