Case Study
Putting The ‘Eco’ in E-Commerce: How Greenmarket’s Conversions Soared by Almost 700%
Greenmarket was an online marketplace that offered eco-conscious people a platform to find and share sustainable products. Users could browse a range of items from refurbished smartphones and laptops to fashion and plant-based food. Their unique initiative enabled users to calculate, reduce and offset their carbon footprint and offered rewards for making sustainable choices.
Novi provided PPC services for Greenmarket from May 2022 to May 2023, helping create an advertising strategy aligned with their sustainable ethos.
688%
Increase in conversions over twelve months
4,646%
Improvement in return on ad spend over twelve months
8,813%
Increase in conversion value over twelve months
What was the problem?
Greenmarket came to Novi having previously used another agency to run their campaigns. While they had achieved some success, the client felt the agency had been utilising performance max campaigns without carefully considering the website’s current performance. The client also felt there was a lack of communication in terms of understanding Greenmarket and their aims and ambitions, which made it difficult to build trust with ad spend and overall metrics.
The client’s objective for the campaign was to increase sales and revenue, aiming for a five-pound return per one-pound (a return on ad spend of 5). They originally came to us with a monthly budget of £2000, an average sale value of £180, and a conversion rate where the lead turned into a sale of 0.64%, which gave us a good baseline to compare our performance to.
Initially, our main challenge was that our campaigns were limited by budget almost every month, which indicated a potential for an increase in sales if we could rectify this issue. We asked the client if we could increase their budget using data to prove its conversion potential, and they agreed.
How Did We Resolve It?
Whilst the client had requested Novi promote phone cases, we knew the best approach would be to focus on maximising revenue by prioritising high-value products such as phones, laptops, and tablets. Phone cases had lower transaction values and poor ROAS, so we advised integrating them into a “Buy a Phone, Get a Free Case” promotion instead to help drive higher conversion rates without reducing overall profitability. We later tested a 10-15% discount on cases, further improving upsell potential.
To optimise performance further, we launched and refined their Performance Max (Pmax) campaigns, which leveraged Google’s entire network of Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, and Maps to capture high-intent users at multiple touchpoints. Initially, we focused exclusively on promoting phones, segmenting high-performing models into dedicated campaigns to prioritise budget allocation. Interestingly, this approach also boosted sales of lower-performing phones, as separating them allowed for better exposure and bid adjustments.
Additionally, we discontinued low-intent ad campaigns that weren’t generating meaningful results, particularly where static ad extensions were limiting engagement. Looking ahead, we planned to implement dynamic feeds for search and shopping campaigns, enabling real-time ad customisation based on user behaviour and intent.
We decided the campaigns should target all audiences who might buy second-hand electronic devices with the logic that we could increase the revenue potential by broadening the customer base. Second-hand devices can appeal to cost-conscious young buyers, older users looking for simple connectivity, and consumers with varying needs. By tailoring messaging to highlight affordability, reliability, and accessibility, we ensured the campaign resonated with a broad audience while boosting customer loyalty.
Beyond financial benefits, second-hand devices are eco-friendly, reducing electronic waste and minimising carbon footprints. By aligning the brand with sustainability and social responsibility, we reinforced trust and credibility among customers prioritising ethical purchasing.
By restructuring the campaign strategy, reallocating ad spend, and refining audience targeting and messaging, we improved conversion rates and increased overall revenue without increasing costs.
Key Benefits Of Our Services
A total of 304 negative keywords were added by Novi for Greenmarket’s campaign, leveraging our in-house Forager software to refine our Google Ads keyword strategy. We prioritised high-intent search terms while removing underperforming keywords with poor conversion rates, resulting in a significant improvement in click quality while reducing wasted spend; for example, from Jan 2023 to May 2023, conversion value increased by 857%, rising from £2.4K to £23K respectively.
By optimising campaign structures, bid strategies, and search intent targeting, we saw a 191% increase in actual ROAS from April to May, rising from 755% to 946%. At the same time, cost per conversion remained stable at £34.25, demonstrating efficiency in scaling ad spend while maintaining profitability.
Our network performance analysis showed that Google Search delivered the highest value, accounting for 20.6% of total clicks. Cross-network campaigns contributed 74.1% of overall traffic at a cost-effective CPC of £0.43. This allowed us to diversify our approach, maximising return across multiple ad placements.
Our Future Partnership and Strategy
Novi’s expert management of Greenmarket’s account exceeded the client’s initial objectives, with overall conversion data and metrics improving significantly. Not only did they receive growth month-on-month, but they also reduced wasted spend and improved their lead quality. When we began managing their campaigns, the cost per conversion was £203.83, which we reduced to £36, and their ROAS was 14.8%, which we increased to 802.89%.
Thanks to our granular campaign management, we have implemented over 8000 optimisations, significantly outpacing the previous agency’s 1.37K changes with all-time changes of just over 9000. We also outperformed the previous agency with optimisations including 169+ bid adjustments compared to an all-time of 176+, and 140+ ad improvements with an all time of 163+. Whilst the volume of adjustments indeed contributed to the campaign’s long-term success, it was our proprietary in-house technology that ensured the quality of these data-informed changes.
Greenmarket is a Planet Before Profit company, which is why they came to us due to our B Corp certification. Shortly after Novi’s campaign, Greenmarket was acquired by a Private Equity Firm and merged into a new platform.
“They took into account our budget, our medium and long-term goals, and provided us with more than we could have asked for” – Aiden Sharples, CEO Greenmarket.
Ready to get started?
Is your e-commerce campaign struggling with poor sales and visibility? Novi takes a data-driven approach to refine your strategy, optimise keyword targeting, and improve conversion rates, delivering measurable growth for your business. Get in touch to see how we can increase conversions and remove wasted ad spend.
