Google Case Study: The Made Simple Group
“I met a guy…” begins Howard Graham, founder and CEO of The Made Simple Group, when asked how a partner in a City accountancy firm moves into PPC and online company formation. He recounts how a simple conversation opened his eyes to how PPC is a measurable and strategic method of promoting a business. “I had already realised”, he says, “The importance of appearing on the Google homepage”. And from these beginnings his company formation business has expanded dramatically moving into insurance solutions, website creation, virtual offices and a host of other services tailored to the SME sector under the umbrella of The Made Simple Group. Companies Made Simple, the company formation arm of the business, won the Accountancy Age Awards’ “Best Use of Internet in Business” in 2006.
For Graham, the appeal of AdWords to a practicing chartered accountant was obvious. “I’m a numbers person”, he says, “So the whole campaign management, Google Analytics is like manna from heaven for me. I sometimes have to stop myself playing with it”. The measurability and analytical data available with AdWords ensured that it was a key tool in the marketing strategy of The Made Simple Group. Graham says “Everything else about my marketing expenditure historically had been almost impossible to measure and very untargeted.” AdWords changed that, allowing both measurability and refined targeting. “I could measure for every pound I spent how much revenue it was generating.”
The Made Simple Group joined AdWords as a co-marketing partner in 2007. Graham says “I realised we had a good relationship with Google and we decided we wanted to pursue it.” The Made Simple Group would combine its passion for AdWords with its services for small and medium sized businesses. As a one-stop-shop for new companies, The Made Simple Group recognised the benefits of providing AdWords assistance along with their other start-up services. With Companies Made Simple, every new company formed is offered a free AdWords voucher. These can be bronze, silver or gold in the amount of £30, £40 or £50 to spend with Google AdWords depending on the company formed. Also BusinessMadeSimple.co.uk, a business portal for the Group’s customers, allows users to access a ‘Google-zone’. This area provides information and tutorials on the benefits and functionalities of AdWords. Using the vouchers and information provided, businesses can gain a foothold in AdWords advertising and promote their new businesses online. The AdWords vouchers are a popular element of the Companies Made Simple offering.
For Graham, a key factor in The Made Simple Group’s success is the range of services they provide. He says “There are loads of people doing what we do, but they are not doing all of what we do.” Partnership with Google has allowed The Made Simple Group to diversify into online advertising, to provide another soughtafter service to the SME sector. Graham is in no doubt the co-marketing deal with Google has added to their offering and is benefiting the company. “For me it’s an absolute no-brainer…” he says. The Made Simple Group continues to grow rapidly both in terms staff sizes and revenue. Graham says, “Each month we trade we do better than the previous month and year on year we’re up all the time. Our business is doing well.” Furthermore, Graham believes the partnership with Google can be developed even further; “I believe there is a lot more we can do together, and I look forward to expanding the Google AdWords vouchers into other services throughout our sites in the near future.”
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