At TextBlue, we specialize in helping service providers connect directly with their customers using real-time messaging that drives measurable growth. One of our standout success stories comes from a regional plumbing company that was eager to reduce ad spend and increase booking rates by better utilizing their own website traffic. Through a strategic rollout of TextBlue's integrated SMS and email retargeting platform, they did just that—tripling conversions and dramatically improving customer re-engagement.

The Challenge

The plumbing company was generating strong website traffic through paid search and SEO, but the majority of visitors were leaving without scheduling a service. Traditional cookie-based ad retargeting methods were becoming less effective, and the cost of reacquiring those visitors was growing. The team needed a solution that could directly engage potential customers using first-party data—and do so in real time.

The TextBlue Solution

TextBlue deployed a customized retargeting stack tailored to the needs of home service businesses:

• First-party data capture via quote forms and service interest pages

• Behavior-triggered SMS messages for cart (quote) abandonments, service page views, and rebookings

• Coordinated email follow-ups to reinforce messaging without redundancy

• Segmentation by urgency, location, and service type for personalized outreach

• Centralized reporting for full transparency across SMS and email campaigns

For example, if a visitor requested a quote but didn’t book, TextBlue sent an automated SMS within 5 minutes to re-engage them—often with a customized offer. If the user had browsed water heater repair but left without taking action, an email reminder went out the next morning, followed by an SMS only if they didn’t open the message.

This layered, opt-in compliant strategy ensured users received the right message at the right time—without being overwhelmed or overlooked.

The Results

In just 90 days, TextBlue's strategy delivered a major performance leap:

Across the board, retargeting efficiency improved dramatically. Cart (quote) abandonment recovery more than tripled. Click-through rates on browse abandonment campaigns tripled as well. Even more impressively, average conversion time dropped from 8 hours to just 30 minutes, helping the company win business faster and more consistently. By growing their SMS opt-in list by over 300%, the plumbing service also set the foundation for long-term customer relationships and repeat bookings.

A Winning Strategy Without Paid Ads

This campaign didn’t require more ad spend or bigger budgets. It succeeded by doing more with the traffic the company already had—converting interest into revenue using smart automation and timely outreach. As one team member shared, “We realized we were losing customers just because we weren’t following up fast enough. TextBlue made it easy to change that.”

Conclusion

For service-based businesses like plumbing, where timing and trust are everything, TextBlue's integrated SMS and email solution proves that real-time retargeting is not only more personal—it’s more profitable. Whether your customers need help fixing a leaky pipe or scheduling an installation, they’re far more likely to respond when you message them directly and quickly.