cadmore auctions had been running traditional live auctions for decades. then covid hit, and suddenly their entire business model needed to pivot to digital - fast.
the challenge
when i first walked into cadmore auctions, i saw a business with incredible expertise in antiques and art, but their digital presence was practically non-existent. they had:
- a basic wordpress site that hadn't been updated in years
- no social media presence whatsoever
- manual processes for everything from cataloguing to invoicing
- no way to reach international buyers
- auction processes that required physical attendance
the pandemic meant they needed to transform from a local, in-person business to a global, digital-first operation. and they needed it done quickly.
what i did
1. emergency website overhaul
first priority was getting a functional website that could actually showcase their auctions online. i completely redesigned their wordpress site using elementor, focusing on:
- mobile-responsive design (most of their traffic was mobile)
- proper seo structure to attract international buyers
- integration with their auction management system
- high-quality image galleries for auction items
result: web traffic increased by 47% within the first three months.
2. social media from zero
they had zero social media presence. i built their entire social strategy from scratch:
- tiktok: focused on behind-the-scenes content showing the auction process
- facebook: targeted ads for specific auction categories
- instagram: high-quality photos of unique pieces
the tiktok account was particularly successful. by creating short, engaging videos about interesting auction items and the stories behind them, we grew from 0 to 10,000 followers.
result: social media became their primary customer acquisition channel.
3. automation that saved £9,321 annually
the amount of manual work they were doing was staggering. i created google apps scripts that automated:
- inventory cataloguing: automatic item descriptions from photos
- customer communications: follow-up emails after auctions
- financial reporting: automated invoicing and payment tracking
- international shipping: customs forms and tracking
result: saved £9,321 in annual labor costs and eliminated human errors in invoicing.
4. international expansion
before, they could only reach buyers who physically attended auctions. i helped them:
- set up international shipping processes
- create multilingual auction descriptions
- establish payment systems for international buyers
- coordinate with overseas partners
result: monthly sales increased by £160,000, mostly from new international customers.
the numbers
- 12 international auctions executed successfully
- £160k increase in monthly sales
- 47% growth in web traffic
- 10,000 tiktok followers from zero
- £9,321 annual savings from automation
what i learned
this project taught me that digital transformation isn't just about technology - it's about completely rethinking how a business operates. the auction house didn't just need a website; they needed to reimagine their entire customer journey for the digital age.
the most successful part wasn't the fancy automation - it was the social media strategy. people are fascinated by the stories behind antiques, and social media gave us a way to share those stories with a global audience.
the technology stack
- wordpress + elementor for the main website
- google apps script for automation
- facebook ads manager for targeted advertising
- tiktok business tools for content strategy
- various shipping apis for international logistics
the beauty of this solution was its simplicity. we didn't build anything from scratch - we just connected existing tools in smart ways.
aftermath
cadmore auctions is now a digitally-native auction house that happens to also run physical auctions, rather than the other way around. they've maintained their traditional expertise while embracing digital opportunities.
they still call me occasionally when they want to add new features or expand into new markets. but mostly, the systems run themselves now - which was always the goal.
interested in digital transformation for traditional businesses? let's talk about your project.