Increasing Leads, Not Spend. A look at how we increased lead volume for a national mortgage lender.

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1 CASE STUDY / FIRST OPTION MORTGAGE Increasing Leads, Not Spend A look at how we increased lead volume for a national mortgage lender. The Challenge National mortgage lender, First Option, had recently expanded its sales force and needed a significant increase in its inbound lead volume to support this growth. They needed immediate results without increasing their marketing budget during their fiscal year. The Results A nationally recognized mortgage lender based in Atlanta, First Option provides lending services in residential home loan products. First Option has physical branch locations across the U.S. and is licensed in over 40 states. 63 % LEAD VOLUME Increase 38 % COST PER LEAD Decrease firstoptiononline.com SERVICES PROVIDED Within the first month of launching a new interactive landing page for First Option, Only Sky was able to decrease the cost-per-lead by 48% and drive 2x the lead volume from the same period in the prior year. After a year of managing First Option s digital advertising campaigns, we achieved a 63% increase in qualified lead volume at an average cost-per-lead of $ Search engine ad campaign management Landing page design and development Web analytics CRM integration All of this was achieved without increasing the organization s overall marketing budget. 1

2 Working with Salar on our marketing efforts at First Option provided significant increases in our paid advertising lead volume, and gave us a higher level of control and insight over our performance metrics. LORI IMHOFF VP of Communications, First Option STRATEGY ONE Choose quality keywords. Only Sky optimized First Option s AdWords and Bing Ads platforms to improve Keyword Quality Scores and drive a lower cost-per-click. The accounts were reorganized into more tightly-themed ad groups with refined ad copy to improve efficiency. We scrubbed negative keywords, updated sitelinks, and implemented automated bid management tactics to control the cost-per-click and improve click-through rates. These updates improved the Keyword Quality Scores, which reduced the cost-per-click across highly competitive keywords. AVERAGE ADWORDS KEYWORD QUALITY SCORE 3/10 BEFORE 7/10 AFTER 2

3 STRATEGY TWO Make a good first impression. With a refined collection of high-quality keywords driving new traffic, we reviewed the landing page experience. Historically, First Option was sending paid traffic to typical landing pages with a headline, contact form, marketing copy, and testimonials. In a highly competitive environment where online mortgage underwriters like Quicken Loans are dominating the market and providing real-time quotes, a new approach was necessary. We designed a landing page experience that engaged the visitor in a multi-step interactive form. We built a logic engine that calculated default risk and other mortgage-related data based on the user s inputs. After completing the form, a highly-relevant message was presented to the visitor with an invitation to input their personal information and speak to a specialist to receive their official quote. 3

4 For each of First Option s twelve markets, we launched a regionally-specific landing page that connected with the culture and people of that region. Using targeted copy and visuals, we were able to build trust with visitors and keep them engaged on the page, thereby increasing conversions. 4

5 STRATEGY THREE Define success through real numbers. In order to track and measure our performance with First Option s sales data, we implemented custom conversion tracking software. Web analytics and campaign details were passed through each form submission directly into First Option s CRM. All new leads were validated by First Option. Each month during the campaign, we reviewed the lead stats with their marketing team to discover tweaks and improvements that would drive higher-quality leads. This ongoing dialogue allows us to intimately understand our clients needs and define our success in direct parallel to their own success. Only Sky is a close-knit team of thinkers, artists, and explorers who are driven to find solutions for the unique challenges of your business. Digital marketing is the complex landscape we work in. As partners in your mission, we won t pull you into our world, we ll help you take flight in yours. Start your success story ONLY SKY onlysky.com 5