How a Multi-tasking Manager Increased New Customer Acquisition on the Side
Established over 170 years ago, Leica Microsystems has been committed to its vision “From Eye to Insight,” focusing on the manufacturing and sales of optical microscopes. Unique among foreign-affiliated companies, Leica Microsystems operates its own website as a Japanese corporation, putting a significant emphasis on online marketing.
However, Yakura, who held the position of Sales Manager, also had to juggle marketing responsibilities. This dual role left little room for developing an adequate Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy, leading to the stagnation of web traffic growth.
Even with his dual responsibilities, Yakura was determined to increase website traffic and acquire new customers. The decision to implement Metoree, known for its ease of use and strong SEO, was a step towards resolving the traffic growth challenge. We spoke to Yakura about what led to this decision, the hurdles faced during integration, and the changes observed afterward.
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Delivering High-Quality Optical Microscopes for Over 170 Years
– First, could you tell us about your company’s business?
Yakura: Though the name “Leica” is strongly associated with cameras in the public mind, that’s the business of our affiliate, Leica Camera. Leica Microsystems, on the other hand, embraces the vision “From Eye to Insight,” and has been engaged in the manufacturing and sales of optical microscopes for over 170 years. We provide a wide range of microscopes, from units utilized in general business settings to advanced models used in universities and hospitals.
– Could you also share about your role within the company?
Yakura: I serve as the sales manager for the industrial business division, primarily handling sales to manufacturing companies, and also handling marketing tasks on the side. As the main sales manager, my responsibilities include managing the sales team, overseeing key performance indicators (KPIs), and fostering a conducive team environment. Since there isn’t a dedicated marketing role, I also handle a variety of marketing tasks, such as advertising and content creation.
Choosing Metoree to Boost Website Traffic
– Before listing on Metoree, how did you generate inquiries?
Yakura: Before the pandemic, we used to obtain leads through offline events and exhibitions, and we also placed ads both offline and online. Being unable to hold events due to the pandemic was also a major factor, but considering the return on investment, the company decided to try focusing on online lead acquisition.
We are uniquely operating our own website as a Japanese corporation among foreign-affiliated companies. Although I handle marketing tasks alongside my primary responsibilities since we don’t have dedicated marketing personnel, we tried to increase traffic and generate leads by enhancing the content on our website.
– What challenges did you face?
Yakura: There were two main challenges. The first was the lack of resources for continuous content creation. As I mentioned earlier, I was handling marketing in addition to my primary role, with no dedicated personnel for marketing. This made it difficult to consistently create appealing content.
The second challenge was the inability to increase traffic. Although running our own website gave us the freedom to expand our content, the lack of resources prevented us from implementing SEO strategies. So despite putting out more content, we were unable to boost traffic to our site.
– How did the decision to advertise come about?
Yakura: We had been placing ads both offline and through Google’s ad listings. However, resource constraints were affecting operations and we weren’t acquiring new customers. It was around this time we were introduced to Metoree by an affiliate.
Metoree has a strong standing in SEO, and even then, was already ranking high on search engines like Google for keywords related to optical microscopes. Since increasing website traffic was a major challenge, we decided to list on Metoree to try to boost traffic.
Acquiring 10% of Monthly Inquiries Through Metoree
– With other advertising options available, why did you choose Metoree?
Yakura: While we did consider advertising on other platforms, the biggest deciding factors were the ease and speed of listing on Metoree. Given that I am handling marketing tasks on top of my main responsibilities, creating and continuously updating content is both time-consuming and labor-intensive. Generally, it takes several months to get an article published and verified.
Metoree stood out as a platform where all we needed to do was prepare a link, a banner, and text describing the product, and we could easily run the listing within one to three days of making the decision. Additionally, Metoree itself is well-optimized for SEO, with many product pages ranking high on Google. This meant that we didn’t have to create content ourselves, making it manageable even for someone with dual responsibilities like me. So, we decided to go with Metoree.
– What changes did you see after listing?
Yakura: After listing on Metoree, traffic to our homepage increased and, now, 10% of our monthly inquiries come from Metoree. Compared to listing ads, more of the inquiries seem to be from our target customers.
Listing ads didn’t seem to do a great job of reaching our target demographic. Since Metoree is a specialized comparison platform for industrial products, it provides a certain level of filtering, so more of the inquiries are from our target customers.
Yakura: There were two main challenges. The first was the lack of resources for continuous content creation. As I mentioned earlier, I was handling marketing in addition to my primary role, with no dedicated personnel for marketing. This made it difficult to consistently create appealing content.
The second challenge was the inability to increase traffic. Although running our own website gave us the freedom to expand our content, the lack of resources prevented us from implementing SEO strategies. So despite putting out more content, we were unable to boost traffic to our site.
The Benefit of an Easy Start
– For those considering listing on Metoree, what type of challenges is it a good fit for?
Yakura: I believe the number one benefit of Metoree is how easy it is to get started and get a significant boost in inbound traffic. I have been able to manage it for about two years while juggling marketing tasks alongside my main responsibilities. So I would recommend it for anyone who is handling multiple roles and cannot dedicate all of their time to their company’s SEO strategy, or for those who are managing marketing tasks in addition to other duties.
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