Buy A Beam is a perfect example of a client that came to totalsurf, knowing precisely that we were the right website development and SEO agency for them. The owner had already taken us onboard for SEO and development for their other business and concluded that our solution was so good, it was worth buying twice.
An established steel manufacturing company, Baker Steel Trading, had worked with us for several years. The owner had spotted a gap in the market to provide an online steel purchasing and supplying portal, where multiple buyers and sellers could come together. He had established this new software business around a solution where customers could buy steel online, and had access to a network of steel suppliers based on their location. From the suppliers’ side, they could accept an order, fulfil the order and ship it directly to the buyer. It could all be done through a single-platform application and online shop, known as Buy A Beam.
Due to the work we had done in developing and optimising Baker Steel Trading’s website, the same client, in no uncertain terms, had said, “you tell me what’s needed for Buy A Beam, and I’ll buy it.” The trust was there, as the client had seen first-hand how we had helped them, delivered on our commitments, did things correctly and were not going to screw them over. The client knew this and didn’t even entertain the idea of going elsewhere for a new website.
To get off the ground, the client came to totalsurf with the idea of doing SEO for this business. Initially, we refused because the groundwork was not quite there. At the time, the client had just started the company and, therefore, did not have enough of a substantial supplier network. We recommended that the client spend time building a solid business behind the brand as there was nothing really for us to optimise at the time. He understood that and spent time building all of that up.
While the client spent time building up their supplier network, we built a holding page which, over time, grew. This page went through a handful of changes that reflected where the business was at the time. For example, when the Buy A Beam app was available, we added screenshots, details and download buttons for both the iOS and Android store links.
Once Buy A Beam had built up enough of a structural mass (no pun intended), we knew we could then create some valuable content behind it. We could then start to think about the right strategy for promoting the portal once we understood the types of people that the business needed to attract, from both a buyer’s and supplier’s perspective.
From then, we began our structured process of competitor analysis, keyword research, content strategy, content writing, design and development of the site. Once the site was built, we could then begin to dedicate SEO time to it every month, ensuring it remains secure, fast-loading, functional and well-optimised, as well as provide them with two blogs per month as supporting content.
This was an exciting project because we’ve seen a meteoric rise in their rankings since we built the site and have performed regular SEO. Looking at their Google Search Console results, their clicks and impressions are rising each month, and they are ranking on page 1 for “order steel online”, “steel beam calculator”, and more. We built this site from nothing, and it’s rewarding to see how well it’s performing.
It goes to show that, as what we’ve said before, “work twice as hard to keep a customer, as you do to find a new one” rings true when looking at Buy A Beam.
