The Station Coffee Shop

Overview

A Seattle coffee shop experienced a sudden 50% decline in sales after misinformation circulating online reduced customer trust and visibility. This project focuses on identifying the root causes of the decline and implementing a data‑driven recovery strategy centered on customer acquisition, local SEO, and social media performance.

The work focuses on three pillars:

• Customer acquisition (how people find the shop)

• Sales patterns (what drives spikes and declines)

• Marketing analysis (SEO, social media, reviews)

Customer Discovery & Behavior

• Google Maps as the Primary Channel

  • 60%+ of new customers arrive through Google Maps.

  • Most common search terms are category‑based, not brand‑based.

  • Customers discover the shop by category, not brand name.

  • Visibility, reviews, and SEO directly influence foot traffic.

Customer Engagement Initiatives

• To understand and influence customer behavior, the following actions were implemented:

  • Designed and promoted a customer feedback survey.

  • Encouraged customers to leave Google Reviews.

  • Updated Google Business Profile (SEO, photos, categories).

  • Improved Instagram posting strategy.

  • Added Facebook marketing to reach older demographics.

  • Introduced physical marketing (in-store signage, flyers)

Marketing Strategy

Google Reviews & SEO

• Reviews increased from 120 → 159 (as of March 2).

• Updated keywords, categories, and business description.

• Added new photos to improve ranking and trust.

• Result: higher visibility for “coffee near me” and “restaurant”.

Instagram Optimization

Two locations were analyzed separately: Beacon Hill and Columbia City.

Actions included:

• Consistent posting schedule

• Food-focused content

• Reels for reach

• Stories for retention

• Clear CTAs to website and directions

Performance Results

Sales Impact

• February 18: Sales spike after posting the sandwich photo.

• February 21: Sales spike after updating the website.

• Columbia City: +11% sales increase.

• Beacon Hill: +3% sales increase.

These spikes correlate directly with marketing actions, showing strong responsiveness to digital updates.

Social Media Analytics

Columbia City Location

Growth(Jan 31 → Mar 1):

• Total views: 29,939

• Accounts reached: 1,643

• External link taps: +285.7%

• Interactions: 789

Beacon Hill Location

Growth (Jan 31 → Mar 1):

• Accounts reached: +52.8%

• Post reach: +48%

• Story reach: +31.7%

• Reel reach: +20.3%

• External link taps: +120%

• Total reach: 53,967

Business Social Media:

Customer Behavior

• Customers rely heavily on Google Maps, not brand recognition.

• Reviews and SEO updates have immediate influence on foot traffic.

• Food‑focused content drives rapid engagement and sales spikes

  .

Marketing Effectiveness

• Instagram reach and engagement increased significantly with consistent posting.

• External link taps (menu, directions, website) grew sharply, indicating higher purchase intent.

• Facebook and physical marketing effectively reached older demographics.

Trust Recovery

• Increasing reviews helped counter misinformation.

• Consistent posting rebuilt credibility and visibility.

• Sales began trending upward within weeks.

Key Insights for Business & Marketing Impact