Artificial Grass Direct: eCommerce in a crowded field

When AGD, a company in a highly competitive industry, sought to revamp its eCommerce presence, it knew it needed more than just a website refresh. It needed a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that could drive real results. Enter Platform81, a digital marketing agency specialising in WordPress website builds, SEO, PPC, and conversion rate optimisation. Their task was clear: increase AGD’s sales, boost sample requests, and ensure long-term growth through smart, targeted marketing efforts.

In 2021, We embarked on a project to not only rebuild AGD’s website but also to implement a holistic digital marketing strategy that included SEO, PPC, and continual UX optimisation—all while keeping seasonal sales considerations top of mind.

Rebuilding the Foundation: New eCommerce Website 2021

The first step in transforming AGD’s online presence was a complete overhaul of their WordPress eCommerce site. The goal was to create a fast, user-friendly website that could handle high traffic and boost conversions. The new website focused on:

• Improved User Experience (UX): Navigation was streamlined, making it easier for customers to find products and request samples.
• Mobile Optimisation: With mobile traffic on the rise, ensuring a responsive design that worked seamlessly on all devices was critical.
• Faster Loading Times: Page speed is not only essential for user satisfaction but also for SEO rankings. The website was optimised to ensure fast load times, reducing bounce rates.

By focusing on these key elements, Platform81 laid the groundwork for an efficient and optimised eCommerce platform that was primed for growth.

SEO Strategy: Building Long-Term Keyword Rankings

After the website was rebuilt, Platform81’s next focus was on driving organic traffic. In such a competitive industry, SEO was crucial for increasing AGD’s visibility and ensuring long-term success. The approach included:

1. Keyword Research and Strategy: We conducted in-depth keyword research to identify high-value, low-competition keywords. These keywords were strategically placed throughout the website’s content, meta titles, and descriptions. The focus wasn’t just on high-volume terms but also on targeting long-tail keywords that would bring in qualified traffic.
2. On-Page Optimisation:
   • Title Tags & Meta Descriptions: Optimised to be both SEO-friendly and engaging, improving click-through rates (CTR).
   • Alt Text & Image Optimisation: Ensured that all product images were tagged appropriately, improving visibility in image searches.
   • Internal Linking: A smart internal linking structure was implemented to help users navigate the site while improving search engine crawlability.
3. Content Development: We also enhanced AGD’s website with valuable, SEO-optimised blog posts, product descriptions, and landing pages. This helped establish AGD as an authority in their niche while also driving traffic from organic search queries.
4. Technical SEO: The team addressed any technical SEO issues that could impact performance, such as broken links, missing meta tags, and site crawlability. These small tweaks ensured that Google could easily index and rank the site.

Boosting Sales with PPC: Targeting Immediate Results

While SEO was working in the background to generate long-term gains, we implemented a paid search (PPC) strategy to drive immediate results. PPC, when combined with SEO, can be a powerful tool to capture traffic at different stages of the buyer’s journey.

1. Google Ads Campaigns: Platform81 created highly targeted Google Ads campaigns that focused on high-intent keywords. These campaigns targeted customers who were ready to purchase or request a sample, ensuring that AGD could capture the most valuable leads.
2. Retargeting: In addition to search ads, retargeting was used to bring back customers who had previously visited the website but didn’t make a purchase or request a sample. By keeping AGD top-of-mind, retargeting helped to capture additional conversions.
3. Seasonal Adjustments: Knowing that summer was AGD’s peak sales period, Platform81 adjusted the PPC budget and targeting to focus on high-performing products during this time. The strategy included:
   • Increasing bids on high-converting keywords during the summer months.
   • Creating special summer-themed ad copy to appeal to seasonal buyers.

Optimising for UX and Conversion: Continual Improvement

Building a great website and driving traffic through SEO and PPC is only part of the equation. Platform81 knew that continual UX and conversion rate optimisation (CRO) were necessary to ensure that AGD could maintain and improve its results over time.

Key UX and CRO Improvements:

• A/B Testing: To optimise conversions, Platform81 ran A/B tests on various elements of AGD’s website. This included testing different call-to-action (CTA) buttons, product page layouts, and sample request forms. The data gathered helped identify which elements resonated most with users and resulted in higher conversions.
• Streamlining the Checkout Process: A complicated checkout process can lead to cart abandonment, so Platform81 worked on simplifying AGD’s checkout experience. By reducing the number of steps and ensuring that the process was mobile-friendly, AGD saw a noticeable reduction in cart abandonment rates.
• User Feedback: Based on customer feedback, Platform81 made adjustments to improve the overall user experience, ensuring that the site was intuitive and easy to navigate.

Seasonal Marketing Considerations: Capitalising on Peak Sales Periods

Platform81 knew that AGD’s peak sales period was during the summer months, so they tailored their digital marketing strategy to take advantage of this.

• Seasonal Promotions: During the summer, special promotions were highlighted across the website, in PPC campaigns, and on social media. These promotions were crafted to appeal to customers looking for seasonal products.
• Summer-Themed Content: Platform81 also developed summer-related blog posts and landing pages that drove traffic from customers searching for seasonal solutions. This not only helped boost sales but also contributed to long-term SEO efforts.

The Results: A Significant Boost in Sales and Sample Requests

By the end of 2021, AGD saw remarkable improvements across the board:

• Increased Monthly Clicks: PPC campaigns delivered a 31% increase and resulted in brand visibility rise of 348%, driving traffic during the summer peak.
• Boost in Sample Requests: The focus on sample requests paid off, with more customers engaging with this option, leading to a higher conversion rate.
• Improved Keyword Rankings: Thanks to the SEO efforts, AGD gained an average rank of 6 for 350+ competitive keywords, increasing organic traffic over time. 
• Domain Rating: Outreach campaign boosted the overall website DA by 18%.
• Higher Daily Visitors and Conversion Rates: Continual UX and CRO improvements helped boost daily visits by 25%, leading to a higher return on investment (ROI) from both paid and organic channels.

A Happy Client:

“Platform81 have helped us across the board with our e-commerce. From SEO exposure to optimised PPC campaigns, we have seen a significant increase in online sales thanks to their work. Having high visibility is crucial in our industry, and Platform81 have ensured that we’re always at the top of search results thanks to their targeted campaigns. “

Ben Garner, UK Marketing Manager

A Holistic Digital Marketing Approach

In a competitive market, AGD needed more than just a website update—they needed a full-spectrum digital marketing strategy that could deliver both immediate results and long-term growth. Through a combination of SEO, PPC, UX optimisation, and seasonal marketing, Platform81 successfully helped AGD increase their sales, boost sample requests, and improve their online visibility.

If your business is looking for a digital marketing partner to help you navigate the complexities of eCommerce growth, reach out to Platform81 today!