Investment in SEO content drives growth for Birkenhead manufacturer
2012 was a great year for H & O Plastics, a manufacturer of standard and tamper evident plastic buckets. New product development and major investment in new machinery and tools boosted productivity and revenue at this well-established firm, aided by a solid SEO content strategy.
They serve a niche in the plastic buckets market, focusing on buckets for industrial use. By offering flexibility on order volume and colours, and short response times, they compete successfully against companies both in the UK and abroad.
Not all plain sailing
H & O Plastics faced some significant challenges this year. Finding the funding for the new machinery was difficult. Bob Lavender, the company’s Managing Director, explains: “The machinery was needed so that we could roll out a new product, a container for hazardous goods. We had some difficulties with securing finance but thanks to the intervention of Wirral Business we were eventually successful.”
Raw material prices have also been an issue, “these costs are not easily passed on to customers, so this has caused concern. Prices remain high but at least they have now steadied”.
The bit where the Artlab comes in
A customer visit triggered a re-vamp of H & O Plastics’ website. “From the look of the customer’s website I had the impression that it was a big player in the industry. When I visited, it turned out to be a very small outfit in the middle of nowhere. This and research on competitor websites convinced me that we had to take a serious look at what we had in place.”
A simple, yet effective new website, built and optimised by the Artlab, went live in 2011. A SEO content marketing campaign followed, leading to traffic to the site tripling between January and October this year and also the quality of traffic improving, with longer spent on the site by each visitor.
“We’re mad busy handling enquiries – we’ve been inundated” said Bob. “We now also have a new shopping cart site so customers can place orders with us online. We’ve seen a 10% increase in sales as a result of all these activities”.
Looking to the future
New product development will remain a key focus for the business in 2013, “as a result of web enquiries we’re now working on a product for launch next year to meet this new demand. I’m now also convinced that web marketing must remain a key activity so that we can continue to generate relevant enquiries and sales” said Bob.
What would Bob like to share with others?
“No business can make progress without a decent website, and every website needs a solid SEO content strategy. It’s the cornerstone of any marketing activity and crucial to making a positive impression of your company on potential customers.”
What could we achieve for your business? Whether it’s a new website, creating relevant content or search marketing, we can help. Call us on 0161 875 2528.