New business model and 5x revenue for a bespoke furniture maker
A Yorkshire handmade wooden furniture maker who was relying on marketplaces such as eBay for enquiries benefited from a Webflow website, nationwide search visibility and an audience the business owns to create a new way to sell, and 5x revenue in two years.
Revenue growth over 24 months.
Rankings across multiple products.
About NB Rhodes Furniture
NB Rhodes Furniture makes handmade wooden furniture in its workshop in Driffield, East Yorkshire. Founder Nick Rhodes started out as a maintenance gardener, and the range now covers workbenches, potting benches, Adirondack chairs, and garden and home furniture.
Every piece is made to order in the size and finish the customer chooses, then delivered fully assembled across mainland UK. Customers include home workshops, gardeners, schools and businesses.
Handmade in Yorkshire
In the workshop in Driffield, East Yorkshire.
100+ five-star reviews
From customers on Google.
Made to order
In the size and finish each customer chooses.
Delivered assembled
Across mainland UK.
Selling custom furniture without the guesswork
As a growing maker of custom furniture, NB Rhodes needed customers to find it directly and to understand what it could make for them.
Most enquiries came through third-party marketplaces and listings such as eBay. The website was built on a basic visual editor, had little organic visibility, and asked customers to call or email to make an enquiry.
With so many options on each product, customers were often unsure what was available or how to spec their furniture. Some didn't get in touch at all, and others needed a lot of Nick's time to guide them through their purchase.
Our old website wasn't bringing anyone in. People didn't know what options we offered so they didn't ask or I spent hours talking them through it.
Nick Rhodes, Founder, NB Rhodes Furniture
A website and audience built for direct sales
Three ways I helped NB Rhodes Furniture sell directly to more customers
A website built for a new business model
I rebuilt the website from the ground up on Webflow, around the way NB Rhodes sells. Every product page shows the custom options available, and customers spec their furniture online, from worktop and timber to drawers, vices and finishes, before requesting a quote.
Nick now receives detailed quote requests from customers who understand the products and have made most of their buying decisions before they enquire.
Nationwide search visibility
Before we worked together, nearly all enquiries came from third-party marketplaces and listings such as eBay.
I ran an extensive nationwide SEO campaign across the product range, so people searching for handmade workbenches, potting benches and Adirondack chairs found NB Rhodes directly. A targeted Google Ads campaign for its niche products added more traffic and leads alongside it.
Owned audiences for repeat sales
NB Rhodes started with no customer list. Sign-up points across the website now capture customers and in-market prospects, building a large email list the business owns.
Remarketing campaigns keep that audience engaged, so people come back to buy from the existing range and from new product launches.
Customers come to us now with a better idea of what they want. The quote requests are have more detail and we don't rely on sites like eBay any more.
Nick Rhodes, Founder, NB Rhodes Furniture
From marketplace listings to the UK's no.1
“We're now the go-to name in the UK for handmade workbenches and potting benches, and we've moved into a bigger workshop with a team behind us.”
- Better enquiries. Detailed quote requests from customers who have already made most of their buying decisions.
- Most visible in AI search. For handmade wooden workbenches, potting benches and Adirondack chairs, in Google overviews and LLMs.
- An owned audience. A large email list of customers and in-market prospects, kept engaged with remarketing.
Fantastic service. They have transformed my marketing strategy resulting in massive increase in sales. They listen to your aims and goals and make them happen. Thank you.
Want similar results?
Answers to the questions I hear most from makers and small businesses selling custom products online.
Book a free 30-minute call and I'll talk through what I'd look at first.
Book a discovery callHow can a small furniture maker sell online without relying on marketplaces like eBay?
Build a website that ranks for the products you make and makes it easy to buy or enquire. Marketplaces bring traffic, but they take a share of each sale and the customer relationship stays with them. With your own website, search visibility and an email list, every enquiry comes to you and you can sell to the same customers again.
Should a custom furniture website have a product configurator?
If your products come in many sizes, materials and options, yes. A configurator shows customers what is possible and lets them choose before they get in touch. You receive detailed quote requests from people who understand the product, instead of spending time explaining every option by phone or email.
How do I rank on Google for handmade or made-to-order products?
Give each product its own page, written around the words customers search for, such as the product type, material and use. Add clear photos, specifications, prices or starting prices, and answers to common questions. Reviews and mentions from other websites help Google trust that your business is the right result.
Is Google Ads worth it for niche products?
Often, yes. Niche products tend to have fewer advertisers and clearer search intent, so clicks can be cheaper and closer to a purchase. Keep campaigns focused on the specific products people search for, and track which searches turn into quote requests and sales.
How does email marketing increase repeat sales for a small business?
An email list lets you stay in touch with past customers and people who showed interest but didn't buy. Regular emails about new products, customer projects and seasonal offers bring them back to your website. Because you own the list, you aren't paying for every visit the way you do with ads or marketplaces.
More case studies
All case studies
More leads at a lower cost for a niche local service business.
Inbound traction for an early-stage edtech startup.
A profitable Google Ads foundation for a growth-stage DTC brand.