Blinds by Mark case study: cutting the cost per leadHalf the cost per lead.
Blinds by Mark came to us through a referral. Their ads couldn't be scaled: every attempt to spend more pushed the cost per lead up. We took on their advertising (mainly Google Ads, with Meta ads alongside), updated their landing pages, sped up their websites and made sure every new lead reaches them by SMS. In 2025 the cost per lead was 50% lower on average than in 2024.
The results, at a glance.
Campaign reporting, 2024 compared with 2025, for each business.
Who they are
About Blinds by Mark.
Blinds by Mark is run by Mark Eastlake and supplies and fits blinds, shutters and curtains across Bristol, Bath and the surrounding areas. That covers vertical, venetian, roller, roman, pleated and motorised blinds, plus ranges such as Duette, Perfect Fit, Intu, Vision and Visage.
Every job starts with a design consultation and survey. Fitting is free, appointments are available in the evenings and at weekends, and most orders are fitted about two weeks after ordering. The business is a Which? Trusted Trader and offers a three-year money-back guarantee.
Summarised from their own website (opens in a new tab), October 2026.
The problem
Spending more just made leads dearer.
Blinds by Mark operates in blind-fitting franchising and owns two businesses, Blinds With Style and Blinds by Luxton. For a blinds company, every enquiry is the start of a conversation about someone's home, so what each lead costs is the number that decides whether advertising pays.
By the time they were referred to us, their ads had hit a ceiling. Increasing the budget didn't bring in proportionally more enquiries; it pushed the cost per lead up, so the campaigns couldn't be scaled.
What we did.
Google Ads (with Meta ads alongside) refocused on enquiries, updated and faster landing pages and websites, and a lead system that sends every new enquiry by SMS, reviewed monthly for each business.
- 1. FindWhere the budget leakedWe looked at each business on its own: where the spend was going, and what each enquiry was really costing.
- 2. TargetGoogle Ads first, Meta alongsideCampaigns refocused on what actually produced enquiries, mainly on Google Ads, with Meta ads supporting.
- 3. LandFaster, clearer landing pagesWe updated the landing pages and sped up the websites, so more of the people who clicked went on to enquire.
- 4. ReplyLeads straight to their phoneWe improved their lead system so every new enquiry is sent to them directly by SMS, for quicker contact times.
- 5. ReviewCost per lead, monthlyEach business's cost per lead reviewed every month, so changes are judged on results.
Fix first, then scale.
When cost per lead balloons, putting more money in usually makes it worse. So we fixed the whole path from ad to phone call: better-targeted campaigns, faster landing pages, and leads that reach the team by SMS straight away. Only then does extra budget buy more leads rather than dearer ones.
The result, business by business
Both businesses, lower cost per lead.
We report each business separately, because two different businesses shouldn't be blended into one flattering number. Both recorded a lower cost per lead in 2025 than in 2024.
| Blinds With Style Cost per lead, 2025 vs 2024 | Lower |
|---|---|
| Blinds by Luxton Cost per lead, 2025 vs 2024 | Lower |
| Equal-weight average Shown as 50% elsewhere on the site | −49.75% |
Why it matters.
A lower cost per lead is what makes growth possible: the same budget brings in more enquiries, and a bigger budget no longer means paying over the odds for each one. Getting each lead to the team by SMS means they can call back while the customer is still keen.
About these numbers: Figures compare 2024 with 2025 for each business. The 50% is an equal-weight average of the two businesses' percentage reductions (49.75%, rounded), not a combined, lead-weighted cost per lead. Cost per lead also depends on budget, season and competition, not just campaign changes.
Questions we get asked.
Related: Trades & home services · Google Ads · Web design
Why does cost per lead rise when you spend more?
Extra budget usually goes into searches and audiences that are less likely to enquire, so each lead costs more. The fix is to tighten what you're paying for, and make sure the landing page converts, before scaling up.
Why do landing page speed and SMS alerts matter for cost per lead?
Ads only pay for the click. A faster, clearer landing page turns more of those clicks into enquiries, and an SMS for every new lead means the team can reply quickly, while the customer is still comparing quotes.
Google Ads or Meta ads for a trades business?
For Blinds by Mark it was mainly Google Ads, because people searching for blinds are already looking to buy, with Meta ads alongside. The right mix depends on how your customers find you.
Why an equal-weight average?
Blinds With Style and Blinds by Luxton are separate businesses. We average their two percentage reductions equally, rather than blending their leads into one figure, so neither business hides the other.
Ads getting more expensive every month?
If spending more only makes each lead dearer, let's find out why before you spend another penny.