Getting Under the Hood: How Funnel Fixes Drove a 70% Uplift in Bookings Without Increasing Budget
Lead generation metrics can look healthy on the surface, with clicks, impressions, and enquiries coming through regularly. But you're missing the whole picture unless you track what happens after that initial contact. Conversion rates, CAC, LTV, and return on ad spend are the numbers that show whether your marketing is delivering. By paying attention to those metrics, we helped Novello Chartered Surveyors increase monthly bookings by 70% year-on-year while also reducing acquisition costs.
During our regular reporting with Novello, we noticed something: while referral leads were converting reliably, paid and organic search leads weren't performing as well. So we looked closer.
Firstly, internally, the team were tasked with getting better at recording objections from non-converting leads. The most common issues? Novello appeared too expensive, and other competitors were getting there first.
At the same time, we analysed follow-up timing and looked more closely at where potential customers were dropping off in the journey. One pattern quickly emerged: many prospects were browsing and enquiring after hours when no one was available to respond.
To get a better view of what potential customers were experiencing elsewhere, we conducted secret shopping. We looked at who else appeared in search, how quickly they responded, what they sent, and what channels they used.
But Novello was clear on the kind of business they wanted to run. They'd built their brand on professionalism and quality; part of that was protecting their team from burnout. Surveyors weren't overloaded, and office staff worked sensible hours. The challenge was; how could we deliver that same high standard of service while also creating a smoother experience for customers outside 9 to 5?
The answer wasn't longer hours; It was a better process. We rewrote follow-up emails, clarified the next steps, and introduced an example survey to show the quality that Novello delivered - so that even if someone enquired at 8 pm, they still got a clear, confident experience straight away.
This approach allowed Novello to maintain their internal commitments while offering new leads a better experience. Bookings rose, conversion costs dropped, and customer acquisition became more efficient overall.
The results:
Average monthly bookings jumped by nearly 70% year-on-year
Cost-per-conversion dropped by 23%
Customer acquisition cost fell by 31%
These kinds of improvements don't come from focusing on one area alone. It's not just about automation, better sales processes, or competitor research; it's about the visibility of how all the parts fit together and knowing where to act. That's why working with a marketing partner who can step back and assess the whole picture matters. A siloed agency tasked only with paid performance might spot a drop in conversions but not have the visibility or the remit to do anything about it. Getting under the hood, identifying where momentum is lost, and delivering improvements across the funnel take a more integrated approach.