WHY MOST DIGITAL MARKETING DOESN'T WORK (AND WHAT WE DO DIFFERENTLY) Here's the most common mistake we see in digital marketing: businesses drive all their traffic—regardless of where that traffic came from or what the person was searching for—to the same page. Usually the homepage. Think about that for a second. Someone who just discovered your brand for the first time lands on the same page as someone who's been researching you for weeks and is ready to request pricing. That's a fundamental mismatch. The person who's ready to buy doesn't need your brand story or an overview of what you do. They need a clear path to take the next step. And the person who just discovered you isn't ready to fill out a quote request—they need to understand what you offer and why it matters to them. At Catch Digital, we solve this by mapping the customer journey and building systems around it. We don't believe in one-size-fits-all marketing because we know that customers at different stages need different things. This case study walks through exactly how we did this for Lumenox, a premium smart exterior lighting brand. We'll share what worked, what didn't, and the specific mechanics behind a 41.3% conversion rate. STRATEGIC ACQUISITION MAPPING (SAM): THE FOUNDATION Before we write a single ad or build a landing page, we map the customer journey using a process we call Strategic Acquisition Mapping (SAM). This isn't revolutionary—good marketers have been thinking about customer journeys for decades. But where most strategies fall apart is in the translation from theory to execution. SAM is our framework for actually building systems around the journey. Here's how it works: STEP 1: MAP THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY We start by mapping the stages customers go through when buying from this specific business. The framework we use is: Awareness → Interest → Consideration → Intent → Purchase → Renewal/Referral/Advocacy For Lumenox, this looked like: * Awareness: Customer first hears about permanent exterior lighting solutions * Interest: Customer explores what Lumenox offers and how it works * Consideration: Customer evaluates if this solution fits their home and budget * Intent: Customer is ready to get pricing for their specific property * Purchase: Customer signs agreement and schedules installation * Advocacy: Customer refers friends, posts on social media, leaves reviews STEP 2: TRANSLATE TO DIGITAL ACTIONS Next, we translate each stage into specific user actions. What does "consideration" look like in digital terms? For Lumenox: * Awareness: Sees an ad, searches for "permanent outdoor lighting," finds them through word of mouth * Interest: Visits homepage, watches product videos, views Instagram posts * Consideration: Visits pricing page, reads FAQs, compares to alternatives * Intent: Visits quote request page, fills out multi-step form * Purchase: Completes site visit, reviews proposal, signs agreement * Advocacy: Posts photos on social media, refers to neighbors, leaves Google review STEP 3: PRIORITIZE ACTIONS Not all user actions are equally common or equally valuable. We identify which actions are: 1. Most likely to happen at each stage 2. Most indicative of progression to the next stage 3. Most valuable to the business For Lumenox, we identified that quote requests were the highest-value, highest-intent action. Someone requesting a custom quote has: * Moved past awareness and interest * Done their research and consideration * Decided this solution could work for them * Taken action to get specific pricing This is fundamentally different from someone downloading a guide or signing up for a newsletter. Quote requests signal buying intent. STEP 4: IDENTIFY CHANNELS Where do these actions happen, and what channels drive them? * Awareness: Facebook Ads, Google Display, organic search * Interest: Homepage, social media, YouTube * Consideration: Product pages, FAQ page, competitor comparison content * Intent: Bottom-funnel landing page with quote request form * Purchase: Email, phone, in-person site visit STEP 5: BUILD PROGRESSION SYSTEMS This is where most marketing falls apart. It's not enough to drive awareness or generate interest—you need to actively move people from one stage to the next. We built systems to push progression: * Awareness → Interest: Retargeting campaigns for website visitors * Interest → Consideration: Email sequences with educational content * Consideration → Intent: High-intent Google campaigns targeting bottom-funnel keywords * Intent → Purchase: Automated follow-up sequences and sales team outreach STEP 6: ASSIGN KPIS Every stage gets measured: * Awareness: Impressions, reach, ad engagement * Interest: Website sessions, time on page, pages per session * Consideration: Bounce rate, return visitors, pricing page views * Intent: Conversion rate on quote request page, cost per conversion * Purchase: Close rate, revenue per customer, CAC:LTV ratio BUILDING THE FUNNEL: THREE LANDING PAGES FOR THREE STAGES With the customer journey mapped, we built three distinct landing pages for Lumenox, each serving a specific purpose in the funnel. HOMEPAGE (TOP OF FUNNEL) - THE AWARENESS PAGE Purpose: Introduce the brand and create interest Who lands here: * Cold traffic from awareness campaigns * Organic search visitors * People who heard about Lumenox but don't know much yet What it does: * Hero message: "Elevate Your Home With Permanent Architectural Lighting" * Visual storytelling showing installations on real homes * Simple 4-step process overview * Social proof and testimonials * 5% savings offer to create urgency * General inquiry form for those ready to engage October Results: * 624 sessions * 8 conversions (1.3% conversion rate) * Average session: 1:05 * Bounce rate: 39.9% Why it converts: There's a general inquiry form for people who want to engage but aren't ready for a full quote yet. These tend to be earlier-stage leads who have questions or want more information before committing to the quote process. MIDDLE FUNNEL PAGE (/MOF) - THE CONSIDERATION BRIDGE Purpose: Educate prospects and qualify them for the bottom-funnel offer Who lands here: * People from interest-based Facebook campaigns * Retargeting traffic that visited the site but didn't convert * Users who need more information before requesting a quote What it does: * Product education and feature explanations * Answers common questions and objections * Shows detailed examples and use cases * No conversion form - this page exists to educate and push qualified traffic to the bottom-funnel page October Results: * 543 sessions * 0 conversions (by design - this page funnels to /bof) * Average session: 0:34 * Bounce rate: 51.6% What we learned: The 51.6% bounce rate tells us this page needs work. Ideally, we'd see more of this traffic progressing to the bottom-funnel page. We're testing: * Interactive elements (pricing calculator, project visualizer) * More compelling CTAs to the quote page * Exit-intent popups with value offers * Better internal linking to bottom-funnel page The important thing to understand: This page doesn't need conversions—it needs to move people to the bottom-funnel page. We're optimizing for "users who visit /mof and then visit /bof" rather than direct conversions. BOTTOM FUNNEL PAGE (/BOF) - THE CONVERSION MACHINE Purpose: Convert high-intent visitors into quote requests Who lands here: * High-intent Google search traffic (branded searches, competitor searches) * People from /mof who are now ready to take action * Retargeting campaigns targeting bottom-funnel behavior * Users from Performance Max campaigns What it does: * Streamlined messaging focused on the quote process * Multi-step quote request form (more on this below) * Clear expectations for next steps * Minimal distractions - every element drives toward the form October Results: * 366 sessions * 151 conversions * 41.3% conversion rate * Average session: 2:02 * Bounce rate: 19.4% Why it works: 1. Highly qualified traffic: People landing here have already made it past awareness and interest 2. Message-match: The low bounce rate (19.4%) indicates excellent alignment between what ads promise and what the page delivers 3. Optimized form experience: The multi-step form qualifies leads while making the process feel easy 4. Clear value proposition: Visitors understand exactly what they're getting and what happens next THE MULTI-STEP QUOTE REQUEST FORM: WHY IT CONVERTS AT 41.3% Let's talk about that form, because this is where a lot of the magic happens. Most businesses use a simple contact form: Name, Email, Phone, Message. Done. That approach leaves money on the table. Here's what we learned about quote request forms through years of testing: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MULTI-STEP FORMS When you ask someone to fill out a quote request, you're asking for commitment. For a service like Lumenox (permanent lighting installations ranging from $2,000+), that's a significant decision. A long, intimidating single-page form creates friction. It feels overwhelming. People abandon it. But break that same form into smaller steps, and something interesting happens: 1. Lower perceived friction: "Just tell us about your property type" feels easy. One question at a time reduces overwhelm. 2. The progress effect: Once someone completes step 1, they're invested. Completing step 2 is easier than starting over elsewhere. By step 3, they're committed to finishing. 3. Automatic qualification: Each question qualifies the lead. "What type of property?" "Which areas need lighting?" "When are you looking to install?" By the time they finish, you know if they're a good fit. 4. Better data for sales: Instead of a vague "I'm interested in exterior lighting" message, sales gets detailed information about property type, project scope, and timeline. This makes follow-up dramatically more effective. 5. Sets professional expectations: The form explains what happens next: "We'll follow up within one business day to schedule a site visit." This positions the quote as a consultative process, not a commodity. WHAT THE LUMENOX FORM DOES The form at get.lumenox.ca/bof walks through: * Property type selection * Areas that need lighting * Project timeline * Contact information * Optional: Additional details or questions Each step feels quick and easy. The visual progress indicator shows you're making headway. The whole experience feels less like "filling out a form" and more like "getting personalized help." WHY THIS MATTERS FOR HIGH-INTENT TRAFFIC Here's the key insight: this form only works because the traffic is already qualified. If we drove cold traffic directly to this page, the conversion rate would crater. People would feel pressured. They'd bounce. But because visitors to /bof have either: * Searched for high-intent keywords like "permanent exterior lighting cost" or "Lumenox quote" * Progressed through the /mof page and decided they're interested * Been retargeted after showing intent behaviors on the site ...they're ready for this form. They want to get a quote. The multi-step format just makes it feel easier and more guided. The 41.3% conversion rate isn't about form design trickery. It's about serving the right experience to the right person at the right time. THE RESULTS: OCTOBER 2025 PERFORMANCE Seven months after launching this system, here's what happened in October 2025: AD SPEND & EFFICIENCY * Total ad spend: $1,873.57 * Total conversions: 225 * Cost per conversion: $8.33 * Overall CTR: 2.71% CHANNEL PERFORMANCE Facebook Ads ($936.28 spend): * Focus: Top and middle-of-funnel awareness * 40,836 impressions * 1,015 clicks * 2.48% CTR * Primary role: Brand awareness and feeding retargeting audiences Google Ads ($937.29 spend): * Focus: Bottom-funnel intent capture * 17,896 impressions * 577 clicks * 3.22% CTR * 66 tracked conversions * Primary role: Capturing high-intent search traffic TOP PERFORMING CAMPAIGNS 1. Google Performance Max: $325.23 spend → 48 conversions at $6.78 CPA 2. Google Branded Campaign: 21% CTR, 5.5 conversions (protects brand searches) 3. Facebook MOF Interest Campaign: 852 clicks at 2.44% CTR (feeds funnel) 4. Facebook BOF Retargeting: 2.76% CTR (captures warm traffic) LANDING PAGE PERFORMANCE Homepage (/): * 624 sessions → 8 conversions (1.3% CR) * Role: Brand introduction and awareness * General inquiry form for early-stage leads Middle Funnel (/mof): * 543 sessions → 0 conversions (by design) * Role: Education and qualification for bottom-funnel * 51.6% bounce rate (needs optimization to push more traffic to /bof) Bottom Funnel (/bof): * 366 sessions → 151 conversions * 41.3% conversion rate * 2:02 average session duration * 19.4% bounce rate Thank You Page: * 161 sessions * 7.5% bounce rate (strong completion indicator) CONVERSION QUALITY: QUOTE REQUESTS VS. GENERAL INQUIRIES 159 of the 225 conversions (85.9%) were quote requests from the /bof page. This matters because quote requests are fundamentally different from general inquiries: Quote requests signal: * High purchase intent * Willingness to provide detailed property information * Openness to scheduling a site visit * Readiness to receive specific pricing General inquiries typically signal: * Earlier-stage interest * Questions that need answering first * Researching but not ready to commit For sales teams, quote requests are far more valuable. The information collected through the multi-step form allows for personalized, relevant follow-up. The close rate on quote requests is typically much higher than on general inquiries. REVENUE PROJECTION With conservative assumptions: * 225 conversions * 25% lead-to-sale conversion rate (conservative for permanent lighting installations) * $2,000 average sale value (conservative—many installations are $3,000-5,000+) = 56 sales = $112,000 in revenue = 59.77x ROI on ad spend Even with these conservative numbers, the system generated significant revenue from a modest ad investment. In a more moderate scenario (30% close rate, $2,500 average sale), that's $170,000 in revenue from the same ad spend. WHAT WE LEARNED: KEY INSIGHTS 1. JOURNEY MAPPING ISN'T OPTIONAL You can't optimize what you don't understand. Mapping the customer journey first gave us a framework for everything else: * Which campaigns to run * What ad copy to write * Which landing pages to build * Where to invest budget Without this foundation, we'd be guessing. 2. BOTTOM-FUNNEL TRAFFIC CONVERTS DIFFERENTLY The 41.3% conversion rate on /bof only works because the traffic is highly qualified. Compare this to the 1.3% on the homepage—10x higher for a reason. Lesson: Don't drive all traffic to the same page. Match the page to the traffic source and intent level. 3. MIDDLE-FUNNEL PAGES DON'T NEED TO CONVERT We initially worried about the 0% conversion rate on /mof. But that's not the page's job. Its job is to educate and push qualified traffic to /bof. The metric that matters for /mof is: "What percentage of /mof visitors go on to visit /bof?" (We're working on improving this.) Lesson: Not every page needs a conversion form. Some pages exist to move people forward in the journey. 4. MULTI-STEP FORMS WORK FOR HIGH-TICKET SERVICES For low-ticket or impulse purchases, simple forms probably win. But for considered purchases like permanent lighting installations, the multi-step format: * Reduces perceived friction * Qualifies leads automatically * Provides better data for sales * Increases completion rates Lesson: Match your form complexity to your offer complexity. High-ticket services can support (and benefit from) more detailed qualification. 5. MULTI-CHANNEL STRATEGIES REQUIRE INTEGRATION Facebook and Google weren't competing—they were working together: * Facebook built awareness and fed retargeting pools * Google captured high-intent search traffic * Landing pages converted both into quote requests * Email nurturing handled leads not ready to convert yet Lesson: Channels should complement each other, not compete. Think about how each channel moves people through the journey. 6. THE 80/20 OF PERFORMANCE Two campaigns drove the majority of bottom-funnel conversions: * Google Performance Max (48 conversions at $6.78 CPA) * Google Branded Campaign (5.5 conversions at 21% CTR) Lesson: Once you identify what works, double down on it. We're increasing budget on Performance Max by 20-30% to capture more high-intent traffic. WHAT'S NEXT: CONTINUOUS OPTIMIZATION The system is working, but there's room for improvement: IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES 1. Fix the Middle-Funnel Bounce Rate (51.6%) We need more /mof traffic progressing to /bof. Testing: * Interactive project visualizer tool * Pricing calculator to help visitors self-qualify * More prominent CTAs to the quote page * Exit-intent offers for bouncing visitors 2. Scale What's Working Performance Max is delivering conversions at $6.78 CPA. We're increasing the budget by 20-30% to capture more volume while monitoring CPA. 3. Implement Enhanced Facebook Tracking Facebook currently shows "N/A" for conversions. We know 159 quote requests came from somewhere—we need better attribution to understand Facebook's contribution and optimize accordingly. 4. Expand Branded Campaign Coverage With a 21% CTR, the branded campaign is protecting against competitor poaching and capturing high-intent brand searches. We're expanding keyword coverage to capture more variations. MEDIUM-TERM INITIATIVES 1. Q4 Holiday Campaign Permanent exterior lighting has a seasonal component. November-December is peak installation season (people want lighting up before the holidays). We're developing holiday-specific creative and campaigns. 2. Retargeting Expansion The bottom-funnel retargeting campaign shows 2.76% CTR. We're expanding: * Audience segments (time on site, pages viewed, cart abandonment) * Creative variety (testing video ads, carousel ads, testimonial ads) * Cross-platform retargeting (showing Facebook ads to Google visitors and vice versa) 3. Email Nurturing Optimization Not everyone who visits /bof converts immediately. We're building email sequences to nurture these leads and bring them back when they're ready. LONG-TERM STRATEGY 1. Annual Projection Modeling If October performance holds for 12 months: * 2,700 annual conversions * 675 sales (at 25% close rate) * $1,350,000 in annual revenue * From ~$22,500 in annual ad spend * Plus $36,000 in retainer fees = $58,500 total investment * Net revenue: $1,291,500 2. Geographic Expansion Once we've fully optimized the core market, this playbook can be replicated in new geographic areas. The same system should work wherever there's demand for permanent exterior lighting. 3. Customer Lifetime Value Optimization Current focus is acquisition. Future focus will shift to: * Referral program development * Repeat customer campaigns (seasonal updates, additional zones) * Review generation and testimonial content KEY TAKEAWAYS: WHAT YOU CAN APPLY TO YOUR BUSINESS 1. Map your customer journey before you do anything else. Don't just run ads and hope. Understand the stages customers go through and what they need at each stage. 2. Build different landing pages for different stages. Stop sending all traffic to your homepage. Create pages that match visitor intent: * Awareness pages for cold traffic * Consideration pages for research-phase visitors * High-intent pages for ready-to-buy traffic 3. Optimize for progression, not just conversions. Not every page needs a conversion form. Some pages exist to educate and move people forward. Measure success by progression to the next stage. 4. Multi-step forms can increase conversions for high-ticket offers. For considered purchases, the multi-step format: * Reduces perceived friction * Qualifies leads automatically * Provides better sales data * Builds momentum through micro-commitments 5. Quote requests > General inquiries For service-based businesses, optimize your funnel to drive quote requests specifically. They signal higher intent and convert at higher rates than general contact forms. 6. Multi-channel strategies need integration. Different channels serve different purposes. Think about how each channel moves people through the journey rather than treating them as independent campaigns. 7. Measure what matters at each stage. Don't obsess over one metric. Different stages have different success criteria: * Top of funnel: Reach and engagement * Middle of funnel: Progression rate * Bottom of funnel: Conversion rate and cost per acquisition * Post-purchase: Close rate, LTV, referral rate WRAPPING UP: SYSTEMS > TACTICS The 41.3% conversion rate is impressive, but it's not the main point. The main point is that we built a system. A system that: * Maps to how customers actually buy * Delivers the right message at the right time * Moves people predictably through the journey * Generates qualified leads consistently * Scales as budget increases Tactics come and go. Ad platforms change. Creative trends shift. But understanding your customer's journey and building systems around it—that's timeless. If you're running ads without this foundation, you're probably leaving money on the table. Not because your ads are bad or your offer is weak, but because you're treating all traffic the same when different stages of awareness need fundamentally different experiences. Start with the journey. Map it out. Identify the key stages and transitions. Then build your campaigns, landing pages, and follow-up systems around that map. That's how you go from "running ads" to "building a predictable growth system." HOW WE CAN HELP At Catch Digital, we build these systems for ambitious brands. Our Strategic Acquisition Mapping process helps companies move beyond one-off campaigns and build comprehensive growth systems. We work with clients across industries—from SaaS and professional services to ecommerce and home services. The specifics change, but the framework stays the same: understand the journey, build systems around it, optimize for progression. If you want to learn more about how we approach growth marketing, check out our other case studies and resources. We try to be as transparent as possible about what works, what doesn't, and what we're learning along the way. This case study is based on real performance data from October 2025. Results shown are specific to Lumenox and their market. Your results will vary based on your industry, offer, competitive landscape, and execution quality. We share this to teach, not to promise outcomes. ‍