2x More Leads & 49% Lower CPL with UX-First Paid Search

MannKidwell, a high-end window treatment provider, came to Workshop Digital with a clear goal: generate 12 leads per day through paid search, echoing performance they had seen during the height of the pandemic-era demand. But, with rising ad costs and changing user behavior, replicating past results proved difficult and expensive.

By aligning Google Ads targeting with a conversion-optimized landing page and behavior data insights, we helped MannKidwell transform their paid search campaigns into a high-performing, cost-efficient lead generation engine and managed to exceed their 12 leads per day goal.

The campaign’s early performance made the core issue immediately clear: the client’s legacy website wasn’t designed to convert paid traffic. High-intent searchers were converting less than they could, and MannKidwell was left with expensive clicks and little to show from them, receiving only 3 conversions in the first 60 days of the campaign.

Adding to the complexity, the campaign targeted a premium, narrow audience: affluent homeowners looking for high-end custom window treatments. These users expected a polished, trust-building experience, something that the existing site wasn’t delivering. We needed to build a journey customized to this niche segment, quickly and efficiently.

When we began working with MannKidwell, we launched a Google Search Ads campaign to increase visibility and connect with high-intent audiences searching for custom window treatments. But we quickly identified a key barrier… The client’s existing website wasn’t built to convert.

From the outset, we knew the campaign would only succeed with a dedicated landing page designed specifically for conversions.

Therefore, we developed a custom wireframe optimized for:

• Above-the-fold conversions with prominently placed CTAs and lead capture

• Luxury appeal through polished visuals and trust-building content that aligned with MannKidwell’s premium branding

• User behavior flow by structuring content based on scroll depth and heatmap data

• Mobile usability to reduce friction and support click-to-call engagement

• Sales alignment, prioritizing form fills and phone calls as primary lead types

Once the initial version of the landing page went live, we saw an immediate improvement in lead volume. To build on that momentum, we installed Microsoft Clarity to analyze user behavior, tracking scroll depth, click patterns, and engagement. These insights helped us restructure content, prioritize key information, and refine the mobile experience to reduce friction further and improve conversion rates.

Our approach was simple but powerful: rebuild the funnel around how real users behave. Instead of treating paid search and UX as separate tactics, we unified them into one performance system.

Here’s how we brought it to life:

Discovery and Research

• Conducted a deep dive into MannKidwell’s ideal audience, sales process, and customer motivations

• Researched the custom window treatment market to understand buying behavior and competitive positioning

Conversion-Optimized Landing Page

• Built a high-performing landing page with credibility markers, scannable messaging, and prominent CTAs

• Collaborated with the client’s designer to bring the wireframe to life

• Used behavioral data to guide ongoing UX enhancements, like shifting mobile CTA placement and improving content flow

Behavioral UX Updates

• Replaced a full-screen mobile form with a CTA button that smoothly scrolled users to the form section

• Increased visibility of the phone number and enabled click-to-call functionality, aligning with how MannKidwell closes most leads

• Reorganized page elements based on heatmap and session replay data to highlight the most persuasive content

Paid Media Optimization

• Focused on high-intent keywords (e.g., “custom blinds showroom”) to capture commercial search demand

• Layered audience targeting with:

  • In-market segments (home improvement, luxury shoppers)

  • Affinity audiences (home decor, business professionals)

  • Demographics (ages 25+ and upper income)

  • Geo-targeting within 65 miles of the showroom

• Continuously refined keyword lists, ad copy, and bid strategies to align search intent with the optimized landing page experience

Analytics

• Implemented Google Tag Manager to track form submissions and click-to-call actions
• Set up custom conversion actions in Google Ads to feed accurate data into the algorithm for performance optimization
• Installed Microsoft Clarity to analyze session recordings, scroll depth and engagement tracking, heatmaps, and dead clicks for ongoing UX improvements
• Used tracking insights to guide CRO decisions and improve lead quality with increasing ad spend

By combining paid media strategy with UX design and behavioral analytics, we transformed a campaign that started with just one lead into a scalable system that consistently delivered qualified opportunities, without increasing budget.

After the initial launch of the landing page, performance shifted quickly and decisively. Weekly conversions immediately quadrupled—from just 1 to 4 per week. And as we layered in CRO enhancements based on behavioral insights, results continued to climb.

Over a 90-day period post-launch, conversions jumped from 43 to 87—a 102% increase—while staying within the client’s original $3K/month media budget.

But it wasn’t just volume; we also improved lead quality and on-site engagement:

Campaign Performance (First 90 Days vs. Next 90 Days)

• Leads: +102% (43 > 87)
• Cost per Lead (CPL): –49% ($194 > $98)
• Conversion Rate: +117% (5.44% > 11.85%)
• Lead Qualification Rate: ~75–80%

Landing Page Engagement

• Dead clicks: –13%
• Pages per session: +12% (1.74 > 1.95)
• Active time on page: +22% (2.7 > 3.3 minutes)

Since the start of our partnership on June 10, 2024, through June 10, 2025, Workshop Digital has generated 283 total leads at an average cost per lead of $118.57, with approximately 80% classified as sales-ready opportunities.

This campaign proves that you don’t always need more budget—just a better experience. By aligning paid media, UX, and user behavior data, we turned a campaign with zero early traction into a sustainable, scalable engine for growth.

The next step? A new showroom-specific landing page, designed to capture even more local intent and continue building on this success.

If your site looks great but it isn’t converting, you’re not alone. By aligning UX with search intent, we can increase the right leads without increasing spend. Let’s talk about how UX and paid search can work better together.