Machineland & Hybrid: building a data-driven omnichannel future

Background

Machineland is a well-established name in the sale of garden and agricultural machinery in Belgium.

Geert Eyckerman, owner of Machineland, started the company with a clear mission: “to provide customers with high-quality machines while offering the best service, both in-store and online.”

Over the past years, the company has made significant strides in digitalization, with online sales becoming increasingly important.

In 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Machineland decided to give its digital strategy a new boost with Hybrid.

The challenge

The shift to a more integrated online strategy was driven by the need to continue growing and reach new markets without compromising the quality of the customer experience.

For Machineland, it was crucial that the partner could provide continuity.

Geert emphasizes: “We didn’t want to rely on one person. What appealed to us about Hybrid was that they have a full team in the background, ensuring continuity and expertise at all times.” This was an important decision point for Machineland, which also sought a partner who could think long-term.

Concrete objectives:

• Drive more visitors and sales to physical stores
• Increase online revenue
• Grow sustainably with a proper return on marketing efforts

Why Hybrid Agency?

Over the years, Machineland has built a strong brand awareness around its six physical stores. Although the ambitions for e-commerce were just as high, these sales figures had not yet reached the same level.

Hybrid mapped all available data and transformed e-commerce into a channel that actively contributes to Machineland’s business objectives.

The collaboration

Machineland engaged Hybrid to streamline their online marketing and increase visibility. The Hybrid team began by optimizing the website and search campaigns while also reviewing the SEO structure. The collaboration became increasingly intensive as Machineland’s digital transition progressed.

Geert explains: “It was important for us not only to have someone handling the technical side but also to receive strategic support. With Hybrid, we now have a partner who not only manages our online campaigns but also thinks along with us about the future. They help us stay on track and ensure our marketing efforts deliver measurable results.”

The set objectives were ambitious but achievable with the right focus, which is why a three-pronged approach was implemented.

Analysis phase (early 2021): A comprehensive Performance Audit was conducted. Available data was mapped, focusing on internal and external parameters affecting Machineland’s performance. Competitors were analyzed to identify opportunities and red oceans. Products and categories were mapped, margins calculated, profit forecasts and revenue potentials determined. Based on this, the first strategic direction was set: an omnichannel approach with Search Ads as the primary channel, supported by Facebook and Dynamic Remarketing.

Quick wins implementation (April 2021): The focus was on SEO. Key action points were collected for Machineland’s developers, resulting in a faster website with better organic rankings. This effect was strengthened by implementing a link-building strategy. Simultaneously, a comprehensive shopping campaign was launched, with budgets allocated based on revenue categories, margins, and individual sales potential.

Ongoing collaboration: Focuses on building a solid digital presence and increasing online revenue. Since the start of the collaboration, Machineland’s online revenue has doubled thanks to a combination of performance marketing and customer journey optimization.

“We’ve now reached a point where our webshop generates as much revenue as one of our physical stores,” says Geert. “That was a huge milestone for us. It’s great to see that all the work we’ve done with Hybrid is now paying off.”

The webshop’s success led to strategic decisions, such as a full ERP system restructuring to better integrate digital and physical processes. A key factor in success is the continuous communication between Machineland and Hybrid. Monthly evaluations discussing campaigns, figures, and strategies ensure transparent and effective collaboration. “Every month, our Hybrid team lead comes by to review the numbers and discuss where we can improve. That personal contact and detailed analysis make a big difference,” he adds.

Omnichannel reporting acts as a compass to adjust campaigns based on ROI. This ROI goes beyond online revenue alone; the impact on offline sales is also considered. Customers sometimes visit physical stores tens of kilometers away, even when online campaigns were locally targeted. This insight allows underperforming channels to be minimized and resources focused on the best-performing ones. While Facebook was limited, Google Shopping campaigns were expanded.

SEO is a second key pillar for acquiring new customers. In the second year of collaboration, additional link building was carried out and new SEO content was created for non-branded keywords. While SEO takes time to show results, this effort has produced impressive outcomes in 2024: Machineland now ranks first on nearly all key category pages, whereas four years ago it did not. For certain terms alone, this has generated over 6,000 additional website visits per month.

Results and impact

Thanks to targeted campaigns and webshop optimization, Machineland has significantly increased its online visibility. Particularly impressive is the growth in sales of large products, such as ride-on mowers. “We’ve had great success by filling the gap left by Makro when they went bankrupt. We managed to capture a significant market share in ride-on mowers, giving a nice boost to our revenue,” says Geert.

The collaboration with Hybrid also gave Machineland better control over customer data and sales results. The company now has clear insights into where customers come from, what drives them, and how marketing efforts can be aligned accordingly.

“What is especially valuable to us is that Hybrid helps us see the bigger picture. They provide not only technical support but also strategic guidance for the future. They help us set realistic goals and work toward them. We want to double our webshop revenue, and now we know we have the right partner on board,” Geert adds.

Key figures:

• Revenue growth: +79% since the start
• ROAS improvement: +13.9% (YOY growth)
• Organic traffic improvement: +18.6% (YOY growth)
• Conversion rate: +20% (YOY growth)

The future

With the achieved results as a solid foundation, Machineland and Hybrid look to the future. The focus is on further strengthening the omnichannel ecosystem and leveraging customer data to deliver targeted, personalized marketing campaigns. By integrating digital and physical processes via the ERP system, Machineland can quickly respond to trends and customer needs.

Further development of SEO and content marketing is planned to sustain organic growth in the long term. The Hybrid team continues to provide strategic advice and optimization, allowing new markets to be reached without compromising customer experience quality. The combination of data, performance marketing, and continuous innovation ensures that Machineland is ready for sustainable growth and further expansion across both online and physical channels.

Conclusion

Machineland and Hybrid have successfully built a sustainable collaboration focused on growth and optimization.

The combination of performance marketing, strategic support, and a focus on the customer journey has helped Machineland achieve its digital transformation.

Geert Eyckerman concludes: “Working with Hybrid has not only helped us double our revenue but also prepared us for the future. We now have a solid foundation to build upon, and I am confident that with Hybrid by our side, we will achieve even more.”