Bluesky Experiences 

Category: Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Sector: Corporate entertainment 
Size of firm: 3 employees
Location: Perth, Scotland 
Website: www.blueskyexperiences.com


Bluesky Experiences organises outward bound and team building activities on their 700-acre site in Perth. The firm was launched in 2001 by husband and wife Suzie and James England.  
 

Objectives 

In the early days of the organisation and with a limited marketing budget, Bluesky Experiences relied on word-of-mouth advertising to generate business. The company found that other possible options such as press advertising and partnerships with local hotels were too expensive. 

Founders James and Suzie England did however decide to invest in a website as a way of marketing their firm but the initial response was disappointing. The site received only 16 hits a week and the leads were not converting into sales. 

The Englands believed that internet marketing could solve their problem and identified search engines as the key factor in customers finding their site. But the couple lacked the knowledge of how to exploit them. Blue Sky decided to seek the help of experts.

James England approached Ambergreen Internet Marketing and formulated an action plan. The company aimed to increase website traffic by 25% and deliver high conversion rates with a minimum 50% return on profits. 

"We based the whole of our business on the back of selling it through the internet," England admits.


Solution 

Ambergreen carried out market research to identify the most popular keywords and phrases used to find corporate and team building firms on the internet.

The research team found that 'Team building events', for instance, got 38,000 searches per month, whereas 'team building events UK' was receiving only 260 searches. Drawing on the findings, Ambergreen incorporated the keywords into the pages, frames and content of Blue Sky's website. Using this search optimisation technique, Blue Sky Experiences hoped users would be driven to their site. 

To generate further traffic, Ambergreen began a pay-per-click advertising campaign. The company advised Blue Sky that the pay-per-click method is much more effective than banner advertising as it is completely accountable and measurable and results come through very quickly. 


Results

The results were instantaneous. Traffic to the Blue Sky website increased from 16 hits to an average 1000 unique users a week. Overall, traffic increased by 1000% and Bluesky enjoyed a 2000% return on investment. For every £1 the company spent on marketing with Ambergreen it has received a return of £22.

England reveals that the internet now accounts for 90% of his company's business and was responsible for generating 50% of turnover during the 2003. Search optimisation has assisted Bluesky in building up an impressive portfolio of clients including Standard Life, BT and Diageo, companies who all approached Bluesky online. The company is also listed on major websites including Yahoo, Ask Jeeves and AOL UK. 

With Ambergreen's help Bluesky Experiences has been able to formulate an effective marketing campaign. 

"We use internet tracking so when people search for us we know which search engines and key words they are using. We can then readjust our keywords and marketing to attract even more visitors."

As a small company, saving money internally is particularly important so Bluesky relies on email as an inexpensive and speedy way of keeping in touch with clients.

"Two years ago I'd never used email. Now, I use it to cheaply and efficiently keep clients up-to-date with new products and services," England says.  


Challenges 

With such a strong reliance on the internet speed of access and delivery is important for Bluesky Experiences but unfortunately, broadband services are not yet available in their area and England admits the company is "desperate to get it." 

We often send large emails with attachments. The fact that many of our customers have broadband is great because they can download information quickly. However, the fact we don't have broadband is annoying and makes things slower for us," he comments. 


The Last Word

James and Suzie England are looking forward to a positive future. The company continuously research their needs and the opportunities for new business and invests in new technology where appropriate. With continued investment in their website they have extensive plans in place for new marketing drives. 

"We will be increasing our marketing to attract new clients while remembering not to forget our existing customers. We are also looking to develop our own software to track customer spending."