How Bloom Enrollment Cut Cost Per Registration by 57% and Improved Lead Quality in 90 Days

Results Summary

In a 90-day engagement, GoElite — a Pasadena-based education consultancy helping U.S. institutions recruit international students — achieved the following:

• Cut cost per registration by 57% (from $13 to $5.59)
• Increased lead-to-qualified conversion rate from 53% to 61%
• Built a pre-qualification quiz with a 7.6% submit rate
• Launched a VWO testing program resulting in an 80.7% lift in one form variation
• Aligned 12-person marketing team around weekly SMART goals across Paid, Organic, CRO, SEO, and Social

Step 1: Diagnose Funnel Bottlenecks and Plateaus

What we found:

• Organic search performance had plateaued despite strong rankings
• Paid lead quality was inconsistent and expensive
• The sales team was spending time on unqualified leads

What we did:

• Conducted a funnel-wide audit, from impression to enrollment
• Mapped conversion rates by source and form type
• Interviewed sales staff to identify patterns in low-quality leads

Step 2: Launch Segmented Paid Media with Creative Testing

Strategy:

• Developed audience-specific creative targeting Indian and Chinese international students
• Emphasized urgency and curiosity: questions like “Are you eligible for Day 1 CPT?” and messages such as “Enrollment closing soon”
• Ran rapid tests with static images and short-form videos

Execution:

• Killed underperformers weekly
• Scaled top performers based on cost per registration and click-to-lead rate

Outcome:

• Cost per registration dropped from $13 to $5.59

Step 3: Build a Pre-Qualification Quiz to Filter Leads

Objective: Reduce sales time spent on unqualified leads and route based on intent.

Quiz Logic Included:

• Visa status and expiration
• U.S. degree history
• Employment situation
• Intent to work while studying
• Tuition budget

Lead Routing:

• High scorers routed to Apply Now
• Others sent to long-term nurture flows

Result:

• Achieved 7.6% quiz submit rate
• Decreased unqualified lead volume

Step 4: Deploy CRO Testing Program Using VWO

What we launched:

• A/B testing program across top 15 landing pages
• Focused on headline clarity, form placement, trust signals

Key Result:

• “Top-Aligned Form” variant lifted conversions by 80.7% over control (7.31% vs. 4.04%)

Cadence:

• 6 tests launched in 60 days
• Weekly reporting with action items

Step 5: Align 12-Person Team with Weekly SMART Goals

Structure:

• Weekly sprints across Paid, SEO, CRO, Organic Social
• Each team set and reported progress on SMART goals
• Fractional CMO (author) managed alignment and execution

Outcome:

• Strategy execution was consistent across functions
• Reporting loop shortened; decisions made weekly

 

Step 6: Use Sales Feedback to Improve Qualification

Feedback Loop:

• Weekly check-ins with admissions team
• Common issues (redundant questions, low-fit applicants) informed quiz and form updates
• Led to smarter disqualification and routing

Impact:

• Improved lead quality
• Reduced time-to-decision for admissions

 

Final Notes

This engagement shows how aligning strategy, segmentation, and qualification can radically improve both cost efficiency and lead quality. All core changes were scoped and executed in under 90 days, using existing team resources and a focused feedback loop.

The key was not bigger budgets, but better structure and sharper insights.

Want this implemented for your team? Let’s talk.