The Challenge: Why Inbound Marketing Was Essential
If you’re in Fire & Security and your phone isn’t ringing, your website might be to blame.
In a crowded local market, even a solid reputation can’t carry you anymore — not when you’re up against 20+ other firms, national players with big budgets and clients who just Google the first name they think of.
That was the case for Blake Fire & Security in Southend, Essex. They had loyal clients, respected accreditations and certifications and a solid offline reputation… but online? They were invisible.
Here’s an Inbound Marketing case study for a Fire & Security company. It shows how we helped Blake’s go from “word of mouth only” to winning a £1 million contract through inbound marketing.
The Visibility Problem: Great Reputation, No Online Presence
Blake Fire & Security had spent decades building trust in the real world: working with schools, councils and businesses across Southend-on-Sea. Their vans were well known. Their bell boxes were on buildings everywhere. And their team had a book full of third-party accreditations: NSI Gold, BAFE, SSAIB.
But online? Nothing. Their website was outdated, unclear and completely invisible in search. Even loyal clients didn’t realise the full range of services Blake’s offered.
“We didn’t realise you did that as well…”
With over 20 local Fire & Security providers — and the big nationals dominating Google — they had a visibility problem that word of mouth alone couldn’t solve.
The Shift: From Networking Burnout to a Scalable Marketing System
By 2016, Ian Blake had had enough. Every new cold lead relied on hours of exhausting real-world networking.
What he wanted wasn’t just a prettier website — but a smarter, scalable marketing system that would:
- Prove the firm’s qualifications and trust online
- Generate consistent leads, without burning out the MD
- Show up in Google where clients were actually searching
- Help clients understand Blake’s full range of services
And without him having to get up at stupid o’clock for a soggy networking breakfast.
He talked to some other agencies. But they were generic and not focused on lead generation. So he reached out to the Lollies.
As Fire & Security lead gen specialists, we built a full inbound marketing engine to do just what he had ordered.
The Inbound Marketing Strategy: Building Trust That Converts
We focused on four key areas to turn Blake’s reputation into a reliable online lead machine:
1. Brand Clarity & Messaging
- One Stop Shop for Fire & Security (and electrical and building contracting through Blake Contractors)
- Dedication to Accreditation
- Big Enough to Cope, Small Enough to Care
This became the foundation for their website copy, blog content and email strategy – so clients knew what made them different at a glance.
2. Two Targeted Websites
To avoid confusing clients, we split their services:
- Blake Fire & Security for commercial and domestic clients (on HubSpot)
- Blake Contractors for construction and electrical work (on WordPress)
3. Local SEO & Google Visibility
- Optimised their Google Business Profiles
- Created geo-targeted content for “Near Me” search visibility
- Used a dedicated phone number to track enquiries through the website.
4. Content Funnels & CRM Setup
- Lead magnets and blog content for each service
- Email nurture sequences using HubSpot automations
- CRM setup and sales training for Blake’s team
The Results: From Website Ghost Town to £1M Enquiry
Ian invested £40,000 in the first year — and saw:
- 🔼 +800% increase in organic traffic
- 🔼 390% more Google keyword rankings
- ✅ 63 tracked website enquiries (not including calls or emails for Fire & Security on the regular Blake Contractors number/email)
- 💰 £211,702 pipeline from those enquiries
- 💼 500% increase in referrals
- 🏆 £1M contract secured from a single inbound lead
Not Every Lead Looks Big At First: Lifetime Value of a Customer
When Ian saw the stats, he enthused:
“And that’s only the first year.”
Because Ian saw the bigger picture straight away. Inbound leads don’t just bring one job — they open the door to ongoing work, long-term contracts and lifetime value.
Visibility isn’t just about clicks or traffic. It’s about being found by the right kind of clients — the ones who come back, spend more and stick around.
“If we can just get our foot in the door, there’s the opportunity for all the maintenance, upsells and upgrades from that customer. You’ve given us access to all of that.”
For example, one quiet enquiry — just a few lines sent through the website contact form — led to an initial job. Blake’s delivered. The client was so impressed with their attention to detail. So that small first win grew into a £1 million+ contract.
“Without the website, that door might never have opened.”
Still Delivering Inbound Marketing Leads Today
Blake’s didn’t just get a new website. They got a marketing engine that delivers consistent, high-quality leads and a scalable system to grow with.
And most importantly, they got their down-time back — no more morning networking marathons focused on lead gen – just real results.
And nearly a decade later? Blake’s are still with us. From that first £211k pipeline to today, we’ve continued to evolve their strategy and content as they grow — building on each success with the next.
In our latest review, Blake’s confirmed that the inbound system is still generating leads and revenue.
The Lollies continue to evolve the strategy to meet the challenges of modern Fire & Security — from rising customer expectations to post-Grenfell compliance standards. It’s one thing to say you’re qualified — it’s another to prove it. Blake’s continue to maintain NSI Gold, SSAIB, BAFE (Search for us using our ID number 300159 and BM Trada certifications — and clients know it because they highlight it all over their website and marketing.
This was never just a web project. It was a complete inbound marketing system — built to grow with the business and turn trust into leads.
What Ian Blake Says About Inbound Marketing and Lollipop
“I’ve been trying to put into words what makes our business special for years — but Lollipop captured it instantly in the website copy.”
“Success was tenfold to what I expected… including a job for £1,000,000.”
Quick Summary
- Problem: No digital leads, poor website, no CRM
- Solution: Full inbound strategy with SEO, funnels, CRM
- Result: £211k pipeline in Year 1, one £1M+ contract
Why Inbound Works for Fire & Security
Inbound marketing isn’t just for tech startups and trendy agencies. It works brilliantly in Fire & Security — especially for firms like Blake’s who:
- Rely on trust and compliance to win business
- Want to stop chasing every lead manually
- Need to educate potential clients on specialist services
- Have accreditations and experience that set them apart — but weren’t showing them off online
For industries where safety, regulation and long-term reliability matter, inbound is a natural fit. It lets you:
- Get found when prospects are searching for help
- Prove your credibility without saying “trust us”
- Nurture interest into action — without nagging
It’s not just about traffic. It’s about attracting the right kind of leads — the ones who value your experience, understand your worth and stick around for years.
Just like Blake’s.
Ready to Turn Trust Into Leads?
Blake’s didn’t just get a website. They got a marketing engine that delivers qualified leads, builds long-term client relationships and proves their credibility online — every single day.
And they’re not the only ones.
If your Fire & Security business has the accreditations, the experience and the team — but you’re still invisible online — let’s fix that.
Let’s build your credibility into your marketing — and turn trust into leads.
Book a free Visibility Call and let’s see what inbound could do for you.
