David Holmes, founder of Holmes Media.
Holmes Media helps tradespeople across the UK to access a supply of customers who are looking to replace or repair boilers through its website Boiler Guide. It also helps homeowners to access solar technology and energy-efficient windows through its sister sites: Solar Guide and Windows Guide.
In addition to the increase in revenue, the company has also been able to maintain the size of its staff, which, David Holmes, company founder, puts down to improved efficiency across the business.
Mr Holmes said: “Last year we made a strategic decision to focus our efforts into the heating and renewables side of the business as opposed to diversifying across further industries as we had done previously.
“This has proven dividends with traffic to Boiler Guide alone increasing by 30 per cent over the last 12 months, with a marked improvement in the quality of leads – 80 per cent of leads over the past year went on to purchase a new boiler. We also decided to focus more on the private sector given the recent uncertainty surrounding government-funded work.
“Additionally, with more homeowners now recognising the importance of green energy, we have also seen a marked increase in demand for renewable heating solutions such as heat pumps and solar technology and this has been reflected in the types of enquiries we receive on a daily basis.”
To support its digital growth efforts, much of Holmes Media’s recruitment drive over the past year has been focused on digital marketing and development roles as well as customer service roles to manage the increased levels of enquiries and traffic through its sites. The company plans to maintain this approach as it moves towards 2020 given the shift in market place.
Mr Holmes added: “Generally, there continues to be an increase in demand for online platforms which quickly offer prices and quotes as consumers have a more immediate need, and a continuing increase in the use of mobile devices to access these services via the internet has led to a shift in our digital strategy.
“We have ambitious plans to maintain momentum as we head into the winter months, a pivotal time for our sector. We want to be competing with the country’s most notorious price comparison websites while providing five-star customer service that continues to gain praise from our clients and suppliers.
“New technology and automation will be crucial to achieving these ambitious targets and with the talent within our team we are confident we can continue acting as a reliable and trusted resources to the thousands of customers we serve each month.”