In today’s digital age, even the most sensitive and personal services can benefit from a strong online presence. This case study explores how a leading provider of cremation urns, known for its compassionate approach and unique products, leveraged Google Ads to expand its reach and connect with grieving families during a difficult time.
The client prioritizes exceptional customer service, offering personalized consultations, international shipping options, and a wealth of informative resources. Despite their dedication to customer care, the client’s initial attempts at managing their Google Ads campaigns proved unsuccessful. Recognizing the need for expert guidance, they sought a Google Ads agency with a proven track record.
This is where Solutions 8 entered the picture. The client chose Solutions 8 due to our reputation as a top Google Ads agency. Having experienced limited success managing their campaigns in-house, the client desired the support of qualified professionals. Additionally, with the upcoming transition from Smart Shopping to Performance Max campaigns, the client sought an agency with expertise in navigating this new advertising format.
The Challenge
While Solutions 8 was confident in its ability to optimize the client’s campaigns, there were initial hurdles to overcome.
- Low ROAS (Return On Ad Spend): The client’s existing campaigns weren’t generating enough sales to justify their ad spend.
- Profitability Issues: The ad costs exceeded the revenue generated, making the campaigns unprofitable.
- Limited Scalability: The client could not efficiently expand their reach and acquire new customers to achieve growth.
Our team at Solutions 8 knew that a successful partnership required a deep understanding of the client’s business. We embarked on a comprehensive analysis, which included:
- Collaborative Learning: We dove headfirst into understanding the client’s business operations, their ideal customer profile, and their entire product line. This ongoing process, maintained through weekly meetings (even two years later!), fostered a strong collaborative environment.
- Data-Driven Optimization: We implemented a rigorous data analysis routine to measure campaign effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. This involved reviewing website backend metrics weekly (at a minimum) to track revenue movements directly attributable to Google Ads. Additionally, our team maintained close monitoring of the client’s account to ensure optimal performance
The Solution
Recognizing these challenges, our team implemented a multi-pronged approach to optimize the client’s Google Ads campaigns. Here’s a breakdown of the key solutions:
- Revamped Campaign Structure: The initial account structure relied heavily on Search campaigns, including dynamic search ads, standard search ads, and a smart campaign.
- Prioritized High-Performing Channels: Budget allocation was shifted to favor Performance Max campaigns. This comprehensive shopping solution leveraged the strengths of Smart Shopping (which was being phased out) and offered additional features across various channels (Search, Display, YouTube, etc.). Performance Max had emerged as the client’s most successful channel, driving higher sales and justifying a larger budget allocation (roughly 80% of the total spend).
- Optimized Budget Allocation: Conversely, the budget allocated to Search campaigns was reduced to approximately 20%. While Search campaigns can still be valuable, Solutions 8 prioritized the channel with the highest ROAS.
The Results
The results achieved through our strategic approach were nothing short of transformative. Let’s delve into the data to illustrate the significant improvements:
- Increased ROAS: From the official campaign launch on June 3rd, 2022, to the end of the year (December 31st, 2022), the client’s ROAS skyrocketed to 5.41. This translates to a conversion value of $1,133,212.32 for a spend of $209,611.91. In simpler terms, for every dollar spent on advertising, the client generated over $5 in revenue through Google Ads. Notably, this represents a significant improvement compared to the 314% ROAS achieved in the 5 months before partnering with Solutions 8.
- Sustained Growth: It’s important to consider the long-term impact. Since June 3rd, 2022, the client’s average ROAS has remained consistently high, holding at a remarkable 4.74 (474%) through March 31st, 2024. While scaling the account resulted in a slight decrease in ROAS from the initial 541%, the additional revenue generated was highly profitable and instrumental in growing the business.
Red arrow = where Solutions 8 took over the account
Red line = conversion value/cost (ROAS)
Blue line = ad spend
Client’s conversion value/cost significantly improved after partnering with Solutions 8 and maintained above a 4x the entire time, and over a 4.5x almost all months barring a few slower months toward the end of 2023.
This screenshot shows the differences immediately before and after Solutions 8 took over the ad account. After taking over, the client’s conversion value increased by 95%, and conversion value/cost increased by 87%.
Anna Rose Thomas
