Merlin Frame Maker

Opportunity

Merlin Frame Maker may well be the oldest and largest custom framing company in Singapore. Established in 1942 they have organically grown over the years and now boast 3 outlets in Paragon Orchard, Waterloo Centre, and River Valley Road.

When they first engaged Digitize they were looking to revamp their ageing website and increase visibility in organic search results. The owner understood the opportunity available from digital channels to ensure his business would continue to thrive.

What we did

We performed keyword research to identify the search opportunity that existed across the products and services offered by the business. This included key areas such as framing, canvas stretching, conservation framing, and picture hanging systems. Armed with this data we then designed and launched a new website, which has consistently been enhanced over the years.

We developed key lead generation funnels including request a quote and visual frame builder solutions. The latter involved taking photos of the various frame moulds and building them into a visualisation system that allows prospects to see how the frame would look with their artwork.

We implemented initiatives like LiveChat to provide the sales staff with new avenues for talking to prospects, and over time we moved across to a Whatsapp only model as customer preferences shifted.

We built a huge repository of framing examples into an “insights” section of the website. This involved photographing hundreds of completed frames, touching them up, and loading them into the website.

We also launched new Google Ads campaigns focusing on an optimal cost per lead. This, coupled with the work to enhance the website and provide multiple options for conversions to occur helped to drastically improve the campaign performance over time.

Results

Visits steadily increased over time and are up over 150% when compared to pre-Digitize times. Prior to our involvement there was no way for a prospect to request a quote via the website, but now prospects have numerous avenues for different products and services. From May 2017 when we were able to start tracking web leads we have seen it grow over 860%.

Through the relaunch of new Google Ads campaigns we were able to reduce their cost per lead from a high of $98 to just $10, making the tactic far more profitable, and giving the business confidence in increasing their investment through this channel.

Most importantly is the feedback from the client directly in terms of the overall impact on the revenue and profitability of the business. They were particularly thankful during the height of COVID where they felt their digital presence and offerings was a key differentiator vs. other framing shops in the market.

At a time when customers couldn’t come to the retail shops, the business was able to weather a difficult period through a strong digital presence that other vendors didn’t have to fall back on.