Starward Homes (Ontario, CA) Evaluates Their Marketing Mix
Starward Homes is one of the oldest home builders in Ontario, Canada with more than 100 years of experience passed down through four generations. A key factor in Starward’s success is an ongoing commitment to continuous improvement in design, construction, and service.
Starward Homes approached the Bokka Group to evaluate the effectiveness of their online and offline marketing in attracting, engaging, nurturing and converting prospective buyers.
Challenge
Starward’s existing marketing program was based on a blend of marketing channels including print, television, radio, signage (including billboards), direct mail, and online.
The multi-tiered approach created multiple buyer touch points including phone and web, making true conversion and ROI tracking a challenge. Starward needed a comprehensive analysis of how each channel performed independently as well as in relation to the entire marketing program. Beyond initial buyer touch points, Starward wanted to better understand how prospective buyers were interacting through each stage of the sales funnel to assess their current cost-per-lead and cost-per-sale.
Solution
We conducted an in-depth discovery and analysis of current marketing efforts that incorporated a 360-degree view of online and offline marketing initiatives. The comprehensive analysis included:
- Initial Buyer Contact: Using dedicated URLs and call tracking, we identified which online and offline channels were producing the highest conversion of website visits, calls, and new leads.
- Marketing Performance: We analyzed and ranked the highest and lowest ROI of each marketing category based on branding, lead potential, and accountability.
- Vertical Penetration: Within each category, we rated each channel & message based on effectiveness, placement, trackability, and cost.
- Sales Funnel Tracking: Beyond initial buyer touch points, we developed a detailed user path analysis to track website effectiveness in moving prospective buyers through the sales process. At the end of the assessment, we provided Starward Homes with a detailed report including a comprehensive analysis, KPI’s for each channel, budget reallocation recommendations, and dashboards for reviewing the data.
Results: Better ROI, Cost-Per-Lead With No Additional Budget
Using the data insights from the assessment, we were able to identify opportunities and formulate recommendations that enabled Starward Homes to:
- Improve ROI: With our recommendations, Starward was able to add more effective and measurable marketing initiatives to lower their cost-per-lead without significantly increasing their budget.
- Eliminate Wasteful Spending: Using the data and insights from the assessment, Starward was able to eliminate underperforming media spends and refocus those dollars on a stronger vertical market.
- Make Data-Driven Leadership Decisions: The in-depth analysis and findings enabled the Starward team to take responsive, decisive, and immediate action on recommendations made by the Bokka Group.
- Improve Cost-Per-Lead: By using the data from our assessment, Starward was able to closely measure their ROI in order to reduce cost-per-lead on a channel basis.
- Create Cohesive Marketing Planning: The assessment of both online and offline initiatives empowered Starward Homes with a greater understanding of buyer conversion trends across all channels for better sales tracking.
Using our assessment and strategic recommendations as a blueprint, the Bokka Group, and Starward Homes used the data-driven insight to create a partnership approach for ongoing digital marketing initiatives. This managed marketing approach enabled Starward Homes to identify and respond to marketing opportunities quickly to optimize conversion, increase ROI, and lower marketing costs, something every builder strives to do.