About the Customer

Country True Value is a family-owned and operated company located in East Greenbush and North Greenbush, New York. The business offers rental and retail options specializing in home improvement, covering everything from a few nuts and bolts to bulldozer rentals. Country True Value was launched in 1978 by three brothers from North Greenbush, NY, and opened a second location in 1989. In 2004, Country True Value ventured into the equipment rental industry under the Just Ask Rental label. Both stores are now fully operational rental stores within a hardware store. Quality products and high customer service coupled with a family atmosphere have been the cornerstones of the business since its inception and continue to serve as a guiding light as the business grows.

Business Challenges

In some ways, the team behind Country True Value had become victims of their own success. The workload from running the day-to-day operations of the retail and rental aspects of the business left General Manager Mark Gross and his colleagues little time to look after some essential marketing and administration tasks.

They had tried digital marketing in the past, as it was clear that the digital channels could generate new local business. But, each platform required expertise and time to keep up with and execute effectively. The Country True Value team was already busy running the day-to-day operations of the store. They realized a robust website paired with Google Ads could drive sales. But they knew they needed support.

Gross and his team sought out a company that could help support a substantial online presence for his business. His team knew this was critical to the continuing growth of their business in the age of online commerce. They were looking for a company that could handle the day-to-day upkeep and maintenance of the website, social media, and email marketing as well as bolstering their e-commerce site.

“Ultimately, we were so bogged down with everyday tasks within the store, we had zero time to take care of those other aspects of the business,” Gross said. “That’s when we reached out to New Media Retailer (NMR).”

Solution

After consulting with Country True Value, it became clear that the first thing they needed was someone to provide guidance and work with them in implementing this new approach. Lexi from New Media Retailer was there as a sounding board and a source of key industry trends. She helped Gross and his team launch a digital ads program designed to help the business manage its monthly budget to garner the best results month to month.

“What was different for us this time around is we had somebody who was there with us every step of the way,” Gross said. “Lexi was key in helping me stay organized by staying on top of what information she needs from me each month. She is there for anything and everything we need!”

The next step involved improving the e-commerce website by ensuring it is comprehensive and always up to date with accurate information. Lexi makes sure the information on the site is also shared across all their social media channels. Finally, NMR implemented a system that sends promotional email campaigns directly to their customers twice a month.

“Before we started working with NMR, email marketing was almost nonexistent and what we did send just wasn’t relevant information,” Gross said. “We would see customers unsubscribe and put in their trash folder. Under the new system, though, we have gained so many more subscribers, and the content is relevant and organized for our customers!”

Outcome

It didn’t take long after launching this new approach to see the tangible difference in the business. Right away, Gross and his team saw a noticeable increase in sales, foot traffic, and calls to the store.

These observations were backed up by the new analytics data available through the digital marketing campaign. The data for July showed a $500 ad spend that netted more than 7,000 impressions, 601 clicks with a conversion rate of 48.42%. The previous month saw the same ad spend had resulted in just over 6,600 impressions, 600 clicks, and a conversion rate of 55.33%.

“Finding out how hyper-focused and truly refined the information we could access was a real eye-opener for us,” Gross said. “Our traffic has increased every month, and being able to have Lexi break down the analytic reports has been a tremendous help. Being able to see all the actual number breakdown of it all makes every penny of the Digital Ads program worth it!”

Even in the short time since the new system has was put in place, Gross believes the most significant difference from previous attempts at digital marketing is the personal help that has guided them through the process from the very first step.

“I would say the biggest reason that I would recommend NMR is the personal touch from an actual person being there whenever we need them,” Gross said. “Just knowing I have a dedicated specialist who is here for me for anything and everything I need gives me a peace of mind I never had before. Lexi and the team do all the heavy lifting!”

Conclusion

Country True Value was a hardware and building supply business that had built a loyal customer base over the years but needed help expanding that base through digital channels. The company had tried previous digital marketing efforts, but the lack of support left them frustrated and underwhelmed with the results.

Country True Value partnered with New Media Retailer to launch a new system that would increase their digital marketing profile and improve their e-commerce platform.

From both observational and hard data perspectives, this new approach immediately made a massive difference in the business. They saw online conversion rates of approximately 48% and 55% in consecutive months.

The constant support and guidance by the NMR team meant that the burden of maintaining this effort month to month did not fall on the shoulders of the Country True Value team. Continued success is made possible by a true partnership with NMR.