Kevan Hunt loves going to work each day knowing he’s helping make Kiwis warmer, healthier and happier. His company insulates existing homes, a niche market that was one of the drivers for Kevan buying the business six years ago.
Previously working in a corporate role, Kevan wanted a business with a good reputation, a strong brand and a high-quality product or service – and The Insulation Warehouse ticked all the boxes. His 15 staff members supply and install insulation to homes in the wider Auckland area, Waikato and Bay of Plenty. Head office is in Penrose, Auckland, and Kevan’s brother Dave runs a branch in Tauranga.
With more than 15,000 installs under their belt, the team knows their way round older houses. And because they deal in products designed to be retrofitted, they have some unique and innovative solutions at their disposal and can offer homeowners the most cost-effective way to achieve a more comfortable home.
While they’re on site checking insulation requirements, The Insulation Warehouse team will also check for damp or borer as part of a free assessment and same-day quote.
Background
Kevan insists that the money he spends on marketing should produce at least a tenfold return and his old marketing company failed the test, badly.
“There was no engagement or regular review, and they were making a lot of mistakes,” he says. “I was unsatisfied to say the least.”
Kevan knew Chris Price through BNI (Business Network International) and was impressed with the number of raps, or recommendations, Chris was getting at each meeting. It was an easy decision to move his company’s marketing spend to Ark Advance.
The Insulation Warehouse had previously been marketing through Google Ad Words and the occasional print advertisement. Chris added SEO and Facebook ads across multiple campaigns, designed to increase the company’s reach online.
Having moved to Ark Advance on the back of a boom year in 2019, when the work was pouring in without any advertising, Kevan wasn’t surprised that sales dipped at first. After less than two years, however, he credits the new marketing strategy with a 20 percent improvement in lead conversions.
Working with Ark Advance
“Ark Advance is exceptional to work with,” Kevan says. “I had previously dealt with two Ad Word services and there was virtually no engagement and no monthly updates.”
Chris provides monthly reports on actions taken and the return not only on the cost of the advertising but also on the cost of marketing fees.
“We meet face to face or online and go through the campaigns, look at what’s performing and what’s not, and do a deep dive on something that’s influencing our marketing to see where we can improve.”
Chris suggested reviewing the website content to improve SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Overseen by Chris, Ark Advance team member Sianthi worked on the website for several weeks, ensuring the copy was hitting all the right notes with key words that would show up in Google searches.
Kevan found it helpful that Sianthi worked directly with the copywriter and only involved him at the review stage.
The results
Chris introduced Kevan to software that links with data from The Insulation Warehouse’s CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system and tracks a customer’s journey from an advertisement right through to a sale. The software allows Kevan to measure true results and has delivered significant improvement in the company’s revenue growth.
“It’s given us a really good platform to launch a new product range, which we began around six months ago using Google campaigns and SEO to create a good position in search engines.”
As well as the numbers telling him the marketing is working, Kevan has anecdotal evidence from the people he talks to.
“There’s a greater awareness of our brand which suggests we’re reaching more people. Remarketing is helping with that, keeping our brand in front of people who are looking for the kinds of products we sell.”
The company used to have very good organic search results but now it’s more balanced between organic and paid, so the lead base isn’t relying on the quality of the website alone.
“It’s all very well having a good website but people need to be able to find it, and that’s where Chris delivers.
“I wanted to get us on Google Shop which shows people product options, prices and brands without them having to go on the website, and Chris’s team had the skills to implement it.”
Looking ahead
The focus for this year is on continuously reviewing campaigns and adjusting as needed to achieve maximum benefit.
“Google changes the rules all the time and it would be like herding cats trying to do it yourself,” Kevan says. “It’s better for me to spend my time managing the leads and letting Ark Advance provide the specialty knowledge. They’re a significant part of my marketing team.”
