We are your Shelf Guys for a reason

Shelf Guys

Shelf Guys is a Canadian business based in Oakville, Ontario, specializing in the manufacture of floating shelves. Available in a variety of colors and thicknesses, these shelves are sold exclusively online through their website, as the business operates without a physical storefront.

ShelfGuys specializes in custom shelving solutions, offering bespoke designs tailored to clients' needs.

Team.

Videographer

Sales Team

Business Development Manager

Project Timeline.

2024

Project Overview

The Challenge.

Low Online Traffic

The client’s website was not attracting sufficient visitors, affecting sales. Shelf Guys was missing out on potential customers to competitors because it was not appearing on the first page of search results and was underperforming on social media platforms.

Poor Ad Performance

Previously, the ad setups were inadequate, lacking crucial elements necessary for optimizing performance. The campaigns did not incorporate conversion tracking, making it difficult to measure the success and ROI of each ad.

There was also a lack of a coherent bidding strategy, which is essential for maximizing ad spend efficiency while competing for ad placements. Furthermore, the ad groups were poorly structured, which often resulted in less relevant ad placements and reduced campaign effectiveness.

Additionally, the ads were not optimized to maximize the budget. Important elements were overlooked, including:

Utilization of the most relevant keywords to ensure the ads reached the intended audience.
Bid adjustments to better compete during peak times or in competitive markets.
Inclusion of negative keywords to exclude irrelevant traffic and reduce wasted spend.
Diverse ad copies to test which messages resonated best with different segments of the audience.
Enhanced ad features, such as sitelinks, structured snippets, callout extensions, and call ads, which enrich the ads and improve user engagement by providing additional paths and information.

Lacking Precise Conversion Tracking and Strategic Insights

The absence of tracking codes from Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel prevented the gathering of essential data on user behavior and campaign performance. The Google Ad campaigns lacked crucial conversion tracking for 'Form Submissions' and 'Purchase Events', which are essential for making data-driven decisions and optimizing marketing campaigns for the business.

Deficient User Experience (UX) Design

The website's UX design was not aligned with user expectations, resulting in high bounce rates and an average page view of 1.21, with the average session duration being only 13 seconds. It was necessary to conduct a user behavior analysis to examine user pathways and gather insights that could be used to refine the user journey.

Project Overview

The Goal.

We initiated this project with the following key objectives:

Revamp the Website: Our primary goal was to transform the existing website into a modern, user-friendly eCommerce platform. We focused on incorporating the latest UX/UI best practices to create an engaging and seamless shopping experience.
Optimize Paid Media Advertising: We aimed to strategize and implement highly targeted paid media campaigns on Facebook and Instagram. Our approach involved setting precise Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), including Cost Per Acquisition (CPA), Click-Through Rate (CTR), and Conversion Rate, to ensure we accurately tracked and measured campaign performance. We continuously refined our targeting, creative assets, and bidding strategies to maximize engagement and sales.
Enhance Google Ads Campaigns: We focused on placing The Shelf Guys’ ads at the top of search results, directly competing with major players like IKEA, Wayfair, and Home Depot. This required identifying opportunity gaps to capture market share from these established competitors. By leveraging advanced techniques such as keyword optimization, A/B testing of ad creatives, and utilizing remarketing strategies, we aimed to significantly increase the Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and drive more qualified traffic to the website.

My Role.

I was responsible for strategizing and implementing a comprehensive digital marketing strategy for ShelfGuys. My scope of responsibilities included both growth marketing and performance marketing, with a focus on short-term revenue growth and a robust mid to long-term plan for market domination in custom shelves within the Toronto area and eventually across Canada.

My key responsibilities were:

E-commerce Development

Competitors research
Selecting Shopify platform
Mockup and UX Design
Product catalog creation
Shopping cart and checkout process design
Payment gateway integration
Shipping and logistics setup
Conversion API integration with Google Ads & Meta Ads.
GA4, GSC, GMB setup and integration

Paid Advertising (PPC)

Campaign Setup with Manual CPC Search and Retargeting Display campaigns.
Identified high-performing keywords and long-tail variations.
Created RSAs with variations of position 1, 2, and 3 in ad copies.
Developed callouts, snippets, sitelinks, logos, and other ad assets.
Targeted audiences, including website visitors and GA4 audience imports.
Regular A/B testing of ad copies, adjusting bids, and refining targeting for optimal performance.

Social Media Marketing

Audience Targeting and Segmentation
Ad Copies and CTAs
Post Scheduling in Meta Business Suite
Three Campaigns with Two Objectives (Traffic and Sales)
10 Creatives per Month (Carousel Ads, Single Image Ads, Catalog Ads)
Dataset Setup and Conversion API Integration

Reporting & Analysis

Creating tags and triggers with GTM and tracking events in GA4, such as scroll depth, bounce rate, button clicks, file downloads, form submissions, add to cart, begin checkout, and most importantly, purchase conversion rate, and presenting these insights using Google Looker Studio.

My Tools.

My Approach.

Understanding the ShelfGuys and Its Goals

Market Position: ShelfGuys holds a competitive position in the local market, known for high-quality, durable shelving solutions.
Short-Term Goals: Increase online sales by 20% in the following month through targeted PPC campaigns.
Long-Term Goals: Expand the business to new regions and become a recognized name in custom shelving across North America.
Brand Identity: ShelfGuys prides itself on superior craftsmanship, Durability, Resistant to warping, bending and cracking, customer satisfaction, and sustainable practices.
Current Marketing Efforts: Limited presence on Facebook and Instagram, a minimalistic website with 0.001% Conversion Rate, and running Smart Campaign in Google Ads, No Email Marketing or Retention strategies.
Customer Insights: The majority of their customers are homeowners aged 25-55 who value high-quality, customizable shelving solutions. Majority of customers are female.

Conducting a SWOT Analysis

Strengths:

High-Quality Products: Use of durable materials ensures customer satisfaction and repeat business.
Customizable Solutions: Modular shelving and storage options cater to diverse customer needs and spaces.
Strong Online Presence: Well-designed website with easy navigation, detailed product descriptions, and positive customer reviews.
DIY Focus: Comprehensive DIY kits with clear instructions appeal to the growing DIY market.

Weaknesses:

Limited Physical Presence: Lack of physical stores may deter customers who prefer to see and feel products before purchasing.
Niche Market: Focus on shelving and storage solutions limits market reach compared to broader home improvement retailers.
Resource Intensive: High-quality materials and customizable options can lead to higher production costs.
Customer Support: Potential gaps in customer support for DIY customers needing assistance with assembly.

Opportunities:

Market Expansion: Entering new geographical markets and expanding product lines to include more home improvement solutions.
Partnerships and Collaborations: Partnering with home decor influencers and collaborating with interior designers to reach new audiences.
E-commerce Growth: Capitalizing on the increasing trend of online shopping by enhancing the e-commerce platform.

Threats:

Competition: Intense competition from established home improvement and furniture retailers like IKEA and Home Depot.
Economic Downturns: Economic instability can reduce consumer spending on non-essential home improvement products.
Supply Chain Disruptions: Potential disruptions in the supply chain could affect product availability and delivery times.
Changing Consumer Preferences: Rapid changes in home decor trends may require continuous product innovation to stay relevant.
Rising Costs: Increasing costs of raw materials and logistics can impact profit margins.

Full Funnel Digital Marketing Strategy

Awareness Stage

Objective: Increase ShelfGuys brand visibility and attract potential customers for floating shelves in order to identify MVPs.

Facebook & Instagram Ads: Use carousel ads and video ads to showcase various shelving products. (Generated more than 50 creatives)

Google Display Ads: Use visually appealing and promotional banner ads on sites related to home decor and DIY to broad audience above age 25 and website visitors

Google Search Ads: Using campaign management and strategies to be placed on top of the page with Absolute Top of The Page Rate of +%50

KPIs and Tracking Metrics:

Impressions: Number of times ads are displayed.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): Percentage of users who click on ads.
Website unique users
Reach and engagement rate
Likes, shares and comments on Social Media

Results:

%475 in started conversation
%667 in new contacts

%224 in Instagram reach

%1.4k in Instagram followers

%45 in Average CPC

Interest & Consideration Stage

Objective: To encourage potential customers to seriously consider purchasing their shelving products. This involves building trust, providing detailed product information, and demonstrating the value and benefits of choosing ShelfGuys over competitors.

Retargeting Campaigns: Created retargeting ads on Google, Facebook and Instagram to reach users who have visited the website but haven’t made a purchase.

Used dynamic ads to show personalized product recommendations based on the user's browsing history.

Customer Testimonials and Reviews: Developed social media ads highlighting customer testimonials and reviews to build trust and credibility.

Product Demonstration Videos: Created and promoted video ads demonstrating the installation, features, and benefits of ShelfGuys products.

Used Instagram Stories and Facebook Video Ads to engage potential customers with visual content.

Promotional Offers: Running ads promoting special offers, discounts, or limited-time deals to encourage users to consider making a purchase. (retargeting card abandonment users)

We Used eye-catching visuals and clear call-to-actions to drive engagement.

Interactive Ads: Created more than 50 interactive ads, such that help users find the right shelving solutions for their needs.

Use the results to guide users toward specific products and offers.

Results:

Retargeting Conversion Ratio:

Google Ads: 12%
Facebook Ads: 10%
Instagram Ads: 9%

Cost Per Acquisition (CPA):

Google Ads: $15
Facebook Ads: $12
Instagram Ads: $13

Qualified Lead Generation: +50 monthly

Conversion & Retention Stage

Objective: Optimize conversion rates on Shopify by analyzing user behavior and monitoring actions on the e-commerce site. Turn leads into purchasers by retargeting users from the awareness and consideration stages with limited-time offers across Google, Facebook, and Instagram.

Limited-Time Offers: Created urgency with ads promoting limited-time offers, flash sales, and exclusive discounts. The promotions highlighted the Free Shipping and Discount on 3 purchase or more.

Abandoned Cart Retargeting: Running retargeting ads on Facebook and Instagram targeting users who added products to their cart but didn’t complete the purchase via ads and email marketing within Shopify.

Included a reminder of the items left in their cart and offer an incentive like a discount code to complete the purchase.

Personalized Product Recommendations: Implemented dynamic ads to show personalized product recommendations based on users' browsing and purchase history. For example, users who visited the White Oak shelves page are targeted with ads highlighting the benefits of White Oak wood, featuring interactive content that showcases products built with this wood type.

Results:

Increased Conversion Rate: Conversion rates increased by 25% due to targeted ads and personalized incentives.

Higher Average Order Value (AOV): Average order value rose by 15% with promotions like discounts on purchases of three or more items and free shipping.

Reduced Cart Abandonment Rate: Cart abandonment rate decreased by 30% through effective retargeting ads and abandoned cart emails with discount offers.

Improved Customer Engagement: Engagement with retargeting ads saw a 40% increase, with users interacting more with personalized content and recommendations.

Monthly Report Using Google Looke Studio

This monthly report, using data from Google Looker Studio, helps ShelfGuys understand user engagement, traffic sources, and conversion performance to optimize the buyer journey.

Key Insights:

User Metrics: Assess total and new users to gauge the effectiveness of marketing campaigns in attracting and retaining visitors.

Engagement: Evaluate engagement rate and sessions to improve website content and user experience.

Traffic Sources: Identify the most effective channels for driving traffic and allocate marketing resources accordingly.

Geographic Focus: Target marketing efforts on top-performing cities to maximize engagement and conversions.

Conversion Analysis: Analyze key events and performance across channels to enhance successful strategies and improve underperforming ones.

Items Added to Cart and Began Checkout: Identifying products that users frequently add to their carts and begin checkout processes for. Focus on promoting these items in paid media campaigns to drive conversions.

Most Viewed Items: Determine the most viewed products to understand customer interest. Used this data to highlight these products in ads and promotions, capturing user attention and increasing sales.