Local Business Success Story: Clenston’s Journey to Getting Noticed
In this local business success story, we explore how Clenston Ltd – a drainage company in Greater Manchester – boosted its online visibility and turned it into real growth.
Clenston’s story shows that even a well-established trades business can thrive by embracing digital tools.
With decades of experience under its belt, this drainage company success story in Manchester demonstrates the power of combining old-fashioned quality service with modern online marketing.
Background of the Business
Clenston Ltd is a family-run drainage contractor based in Whitefield (Bury), serving the wider Manchester area including Prestwich, Salford and beyond.
The company was formed in 1991 by its director, Barry Dickson, with the goal of delivering “first class customer service” to anyone facing drain problems.
Over the past 30+ years, Clenston has built a strong local reputation through honest, efficient work and reliable results.
They assist a wide range of clients – from homeowners to commercial and even industrial premises – tackling everything from minor sink blockages to major sewer repairs.
In fact, Clenston’s team of drainage engineers have helped “hundreds and thousands” of Greater Manchester residents with drainage issues over the years.
Clenston is also known for going above and beyond in service. They offer 24/7 emergency call-outs, knowing that drain disasters can strike at inconvenient times.
Barry and his team pride themselves on transparent, cost-effective solutions – there are no pushy upsells or hidden fees, just prompt and professional fixes.
This customer-centric approach is reflected in their business values: be competitively priced, arrive on time, and do exactly what was promised.
Clients large and small have come to trust Clenston for their quick response and quality workmanship, whether it’s an overflowing kitchen gully or a collapsed outdoor drain.
Clenston’s service van highlights their “£29 drain company” promise, reflecting the company’s commitment to fair, affordable pricing.
They even pledge to unblock basic domestic drains for just £29 + VAT whenever possible, underscoring a focus on honesty and value. This straightforward approach to pricing has helped Clenston build trust and loyalty with local customers over the decades.
Challenges
Like many small trades businesses that started before the digital era, Clenston eventually faced a classic challenge: they were almost invisible online.
For years, most of their work came through word-of-mouth referrals and repeat customers – a testament to their quality, but also a limitation. New homeowners searching on Google for drain services in Manchester simply weren’t finding Clenston.
Their website saw minimal traffic and didn’t show up on the first page of results for queries like “blocked drain in Bury” or “drain clearance Manchester.”
In an age where “even the most trusted local company needs a strong online presence”, Barry realized that relying solely on reputation and traditional ads (like old directory listings) was holding the business back.
“We knew we were great at fixing drains, but if you Googled us, we practically didn’t exist,” Barry admits. With no big budget for flashy ad campaigns or expensive SEO consultants, Clenston needed a cost-effective way to boost their visibility.
The company had to find a solution that would connect them with the growing number of customers who find services online – without breaking the bank.
Solution
The solution came when Clenston decided to join Noticed UK, a UK online business directory focused on helping local services get found. Setting up a Clenston profile on Noticed was straightforward.
The Noticed team helped create and optimize the listing with care: they wrote a clear description of Clenston’s services (drain unblocking, CCTV surveys, repairs, etc.), listed all the areas the company covers, and included their round-the-clock “open 24 hours” availability.
To make the profile pop, they added photos of Clenston’s work and equipment – from high-pressure jetting gear to snapshots of freshly cleared drains – giving potential customers a real feel for the business.
Barry decided to upgrade to a Premium listing on Noticed for maximum exposure, which gave Clenston priority placement in the directory’s search results.
Noticed.uk’s platform also handled the heavy lifting behind the scenes. Upon joining, Clenston was strategically placed into all the relevant categories (e.g. Drainage Contractors) and geographic tags for their service areas.
In other words, when locals searched the directory (or even Google) for terms like “blocked drain help near me”, Clenston’s name would now appear front-and-center.
The directory’s SEO boost meant that someone in Prestwich or Salford looking online for drain clearance would be matched with Clenston’s listing, right when they needed it.
Best of all, Barry and his team didn’t have to become tech experts to make this happen – the Noticed team took care of optimising Clenston’s online presence, connecting them with clients who genuinely needed their services.
For a business that had long relied on word-of-mouth, this was a welcome helping hand into the digital world.
Results
The impact of getting “noticed” was almost immediate. Clenston soon saw a surge in new enquiries coming through thanks to their improved online visibility. Jobs that previously might have gone to larger competitors or national chains were now coming Clenston’s way.
In the weeks after the Noticed profile went live, the phone started ringing more than ever – and not just with regular customers, but with new callers who had discovered Clenston via the web.
“For the first time in years, we’re getting calls from people we’ve never met – locals who found us online. It’s been a game-changer for us,” Barry says, highlighting how much their reach has expanded.
Clenston’s team attending to a customer’s blocked drain. After boosting their online presence, they saw a significant uptick in call-outs like this across their service areas.
The surge in new business meant visiting clients in neighborhoods that previously hadn’t heard of Clenston – effectively expanding the company’s customer base overnight. By reaching these new customers, Clenston has been able to grow beyond its traditional referral network and serve the wider community.
Crucially, the quality of leads improved as well. Homeowners contacting Clenston through the Noticed directory often mentioned they chose the company based on its positive profile and long track record. In other words, many new clients already felt a sense of trust before the first visit.
Being featured on a reputable platform – with clear information and even reviews – gave Clenston instant credibility in the eyes of customers. It’s as if the company’s word-of-mouth reputation was amplified across the entire region.
People now see Clenston listed as a vetted, well-regarded local service, which makes them confident about picking up the phone.
The enhanced online exposure also provided a nice bonus: it boosted Clenston’s overall search engine rankings. The company’s own website, which once languished on page 2 or 3 of Google results, began moving up thanks to the additional traffic and the high-quality backlink from their Noticed.uk listing.
In short, joining the directory not only drove direct referrals, but also improved Clenston’s visibility on Google – a win-win for their digital presence.
Q&A with the Owner
Q: What made you decide to create a Noticed.uk profile for Clenston?
A: Honestly, our online visibility was pretty much non-existent, and we knew that was hurting us. Most people search online for services now. A fellow tradesperson mentioned Noticed, and we also got a call from the Noticed team, so I thought, why not give it a go? It was simple to set up the profile. I figured there was nothing to lose – and it turned out to be one of the best decisions we’ve made to get our name out there!
Q: What results have you seen since getting listed on Noticed?
A: The biggest change is that the phone is ringing a lot more with new enquiries. We’re hearing “I found you on Noticed” from customers, which never happened before. It feels like we’ve finally caught up to the digital age. We’ve expanded our client base for sure – reaching people who wouldn’t have known us otherwise. Plus, I’ve noticed our own website is showing up higher on Google now than it used to. All in all, we’re far more visible to the community online, and that’s bringing in steady work.
Q: What would you say to other business owners thinking about using Noticed.uk?
A: I’d say absolutely go for it. For one, it’s either free or very affordable marketing, and it actually works. But make sure you put the effort into your profile: add some good photos, describe your services clearly, list your hours, all that stuff. Also, encourage a few happy customers to leave a review on your listing – it helps build trust when new people see it. In short, get yourself “noticed”! It doesn’t take much time, and the payoff for us has been fantastic.
Get Your Business Found Locally
Clenston’s journey demonstrates how embracing a local online platform can transform a business’s fortunes. What started as a decades-old company with virtually no web presence is now connecting with a new generation of customers – thanks to a partnership with Noticed.uk.
The story feels personal and authentic because it is – it’s about a hardworking local business leveraging new tools to serve the community even better. And the best part? There are many more success stories waiting to be written.
Want to be our next success story? Create your Noticed.uk business profile and start your journey.
Already on Noticed? Reach out to us – your business could be featured next!