Axton Finance
First-Rate Finance
For more than a decade, customers have trusted Clinton and his team at Axton Finance to deliver expert assistance for a range of residential and commercial finance solutions. Located in Melbourne’s Hawthorn East, the boutique firm is a far cry from your typical big city, glass tower operation. Instead, this small-but-mighty business has earned a reputation for maintaining an unwavering focus on high-end customer service the big guys can’t compete with.
Unfortunately, Axton’s website neither reflected this accomplishment nor positioned the business for growth. Poorly defined journeys from the homepage meant the site was not optimised for conversion and did not capitalise on SEO opportunities. Although the site itself had visual appeal, its principal function was a validation step for referred customers.
Ready to ramp up marketing efforts and sophisticate their online presence, Axton approached us with two big goals in mind: to extend the business’s presence across multiple channels, and generate more high-quality opportunities.
The data dig.
Measurable ROIs are crucial when focusing on lead generation, and particularly when the industry in question is as competitive as the finance sector. Fortunately, our Strategy team has big love for big data, and knew exactly where to look to find opportunities with great returns. Our first step in this redevelopment project was to analyse all kinds of business and customer information. After combing through existing analytics, undertaking extensive keyword research, and a half-day UX workshop, we crafted user journeys and a site architecture that helped users move through a series of quick, catchy calls to action.
Our shared strategic vision paved the way for a robust search marketing protocol, custom measurement plan and tracking schema that promote data-driven decision making well into the future.
It’s all about trust.
Working with a mortgage broker and commissioning financial services often requires in-depth consideration and a great deal of trust.
Customers who visit Axton’s brick and mortar location know firsthand just how friendly and inviting the team are. To replicate that same customer- and solution-focused attitude online, we gave the website a content facelift and paired that with proven social proofing methods: testimonials, crisp team photography, and prominent displays of recognisable lender logos.
To drive home the difference between Axton and a bank, we incorporated tasteful, interactive elements on both the home and product pages. Our research shed light on customer pain points when dealing with banks (lengthy wait times, offshore call centres), and we were able to leverage these insights, positioning Axton as the superior alternative in the process.
Find. Click. Convert.
Although Axton’s previous website had its shortcomings, there were still services and content that performed extremely well. Through keyword research, we zeroed in on opportunities and market niches where Axton could leverage its SEO wins and retain its position, too.
To get extra eyes on the business, we beefed up Axton’s marketing efforts with a full-bodied PPC campaign and digital advertising. Given the ultra competitive nature of the finance industry, and because Axton is a small fish in a big pond, we knew search marketing would be critical to the business’s success.
When clicking into individual product and service pages, users are presented with fuss-free enquiry forms. These forms were purpose built with minimalism in mind. By keeping the forms and corresponding copy simple, prospective clients need not fork over an abundance of personal information just to get in touch with someone on the Axton team.
To assist Axton with its offline sales efforts, we integrated the site’s various enquiry and contact forms with a user-friendly CRM, allowing the folks at Axton to nurture new leads without hassle or delay.
What the numbers say…
At the end of the day, we designed and developed a fit-for-purpose website with a strong aesthetic that showcases the high-quality service Axton is known for providing all of their customers. In the first three months post-launch, Axton’s new website enjoyed a 50% increase in organic traffic, and an influx of conversions meant customers were responding favourably to changes in content, structure, and style.
The team at Axton also gave us the all-important nod of approval, agreeing that the finished product adequately and accurately captured the spirit of their fun-loving, hard-working crew.
"E7 really function as a first class team to bring your online presence to life. We are really glad to have partnered with them to showcase our online professionalism to new and existing clients. The process of working with them is thorough and well considered. They leave no stone unturned to deliver measurable results." - Clint Waters, Director