A shutters and blinds business which started as a man-and-van nine years ago has doubled turnover in the past three years and opened a new store in Cardiff.
M&S Burge Ltd, run by husband-and-wife team Martin and Sue Burge, now encompasses two franchises of national chain Shuttercraft.
The couple have taken on six full-time and three part-time staff across Cardiff and Bristol, with a brand new showroom in Penlline Road in Whitchurch, alongside two others in Bristol.
Mr Burge, who lives near the Celtic Manor golf course in Newport, gives credit for the growth to significant investment in a digital marketing campaign, which has helped annual turnover rise to over £900,000.
Working with Bristol online marketing agency Superb Digital, Mr Burge reckons an overall investment of £83,000 across five years has resulted in around £1.5 million of revenue.
Paul Morris, managing director of Superb Digital, confirmed that the Google advertising campaign had created just under 2,000 leads for the business. With a conversion rate of nearly 50 per cent, each sale was generating around £1,500 of income.
“Even with the setback of Covid, which was a difficult but temporary loss, I’ve been really pleased with the growth we’ve enjoyed over the past few years,” said Mr Burge. “And I’m delighted to be able to open a store in Cardiff, offering employment to local people here, too.”
“Digital marketing is a dark art to me, but the results speak for themselves. Google Ads has become a very important lead generation channel for us and we rely heavily on the leads it generates in order to grow the business.
“Indeed, it’s testament to the effectiveness of the work done by Superb Digital that when our head office recommended a new supplier for online marketing, I stuck with Paul and his team.
“Local partnerships and relationships have always been a key aspect of my business growth so I’m pleased to have found a provider I trust and can work with, even if I don’t fully understand the work they do!”
“We’re pleased to have weathered the Covid-19 storm and are now happily fitting shutters and blinds again. We’re predicting that turnover is going to continue rising and we’ll be leading the way among Shuttercraft franchisees across the UK.”
Superb Digital was set up in 2014 and has a core team of six based at Spike Island in Bristol’s Harbourside, led by Mr Morris who has been working in the digital industry since 2000.
He said: “Every business is different and it’s a source of great pride for me and the team that we’re able to provide bespoke services which suit the diverse needs of each of our clients.
“Martin and Sue’s business is no different in that regard. Shuttercraft provide a quality product and have discerning customers, so our services have needed to reflect the client base. Their aim wasn’t just to increase the volume of leads and enquiries via paid search but also the quality of leads, driving up conversion rate. With a new showroom for potential customers to visit, it was vital that the business increased awareness and footfall.
“We’ve managed a pay-per-click campaign from the ground up for Martin and Sue, creating a significant increase in conversions while reducing their costs by 22 per cent.
“Meanwhile a 40 per cent increase in leads has certainly put their business in a dominant position in the search results when it comes to shutters and blinds in Bristol, as well as Cardiff. We’re delighted with their growth and look forward to future work together.”
