Challenge

It was the COVID-19 pandemic that finally prompted Fine Line to reevaluate its marketing strategy. Without the benefit of prospective customers walking through the door, FLB had to rely on an outdated website that was never designed to drive business and a local Chamber of Commerce membership to promote the company.

Len’s daughter, Jessie Pool, oversees administrative operations and also serves as a field apprentice for FLB. She says she knew the day would come when they would need to make a strategic investment to boost the company’s online visibility.

“Our previous methods were very traditional, relying on face-to-face interactions or phone calls, word of mouth, that kind of thing. And those will always be useful tools,” she says. “But we were missing that digital connection to anybody curious about our company or curious about the building process. We had to get with the times.

The question now was, where to begin?

Solution

Jessie credits divine intervention for bringing The Cognitive Creative to Fine Line’s door. In the spring of 2024, TCC’s promotions director, KJ Jones, stopped in on personal business, and the two women hit it off. The conversation turned to marketing, and they began brainstorming about how TCC might be able to help.

“It was a ‘right place, right time’ situation,” Jessie recalls. “That conversation just felt so natural and comfortable that it was like, yeah, I definitely want to do this! One hundred percent, we’re going to look into what we need to do here.”

The next step was a discovery conversation with Tess Helmandollar, owner and President of The Cognitive Creative. Jessie says that, from the outset, Tess set their minds at ease by taking the time to understand FLB’s business goals. From there, they mapped out a plan that worked with Fine Line’s budget.

First steps included updating the company’s existing website and optimizing it for SEO, refreshing their logo, and getting new photography and drone footage of Fine Line’s stunning homes. The next phase will focus on configuring a new, automated project management system that will connect with email marketing tools.

Jessie says she very much appreciates this step-by-step approach. “It hasn’t been this overwhelming thing where we have to tackle the whole kit and caboodle in one swoop. Everybody at The Cognitive Creative has done a really good job of walking us through, step by step, on what to expect.”

She goes on to say, “Communication is great! The Cognitive Creative offers a place for us to talk about issues that we are facing with communication or the fluidity of our business and gives us a place to brainstorm for possible solutions.”

Results

Since the website upgrade, FLB has seen significant improvements in leads and website traffic. Jessie reports that they received more leads within the first week of The Cognitive Creative powering their website than they had in the previous 20 years of business. Also, by utilizing TCC’s CCBoost service, their website now appears on the first page of Google searches.

“It’s definitely exciting to actually see our website function,” she says. “People are telling us, ‘Hey, we looked you up on Google and you popped up on the first page!’.

“That was something new, too. We never knew about things like CCBoost.”

Reflecting on the creation of a new logo for FLB, Jessie says, “It was a fun process. Sometimes those things can feel a little tedious, but this felt like fun. We found the right balance of rustic and polished, and Tess was able to incorporate some meaningful elements that we had talked about. We’re very happy with the new logo.”

Future Outlook

Thanks to The Cognitive Creative’s work, Jessie believes Fine Line Builders is well-positioned for future growth. “Once we get our new project management and email marketing tools talking to each other, our day-to-day operations will be much more efficient, which will help us to be more productive.”

She says what she appreciates most about working with The Cognitive Creative is that it’s a one-stop shop:

“In our business, there’s a difference between somebody who does mason labor and a rock mason. The mason laborer just shows up and puts the rock up. He doesn’t even come with his own tools. On the other hand, the rock mason will go and pick up all the materials. He’ll come to the job with everything he needs. He’s the whole package.

“We don’t want to have to deal with a photographer and a drone pilot and the website person and the logo. We want a one-stop shop. For a small company like us, that’s what we’re looking for and that’s what The Cognitive Creative provides.”

On a personal note, Jessie especially values Tess’s experience and perspectives on small business development and family legacy.

“We’ve had a lot of conversation around her book, The Legacy Link, because my dad is the owner of Fine Line Builders, and I want to keep it going when the time comes. So I’m trying to learn everything I can about our business and am preparing to take my contractor’s license exam.

“It’s like I said: it really is divine timing. Right place, right time.”

If Jessie and Fine Line Builder’s story resonates with you, contact us to see how The Cognitive Creative can bring your brand to life. We work hand-in-hand with service-based businesses across the country to create intuitive, user-friendly brand experiences that bring new customers through the door and give existing customers great reasons to stick around.

Our mission is simple: to equip businesses with the tools, strategies, and creative flair needed to thrive in the digital age. Whether we’re building a website that’s as functional as it is beautiful or crafting a marketing strategy that will level up your leads, we’re here to help you achieve your goals. Contact us today for more information.