Google Ads helped us get a quick start and a leg up right off the bat.
Tonya Perry
Owner
Tonya Perry and her partner, Jerry Lawson, opened Tickers & Timbers in November 2020, offering escape rooms and axe throwing to active West Virginians. Tonya had worked as a developmental therapist for over 20 years, but COVID-19 brought a swift end to her home visits. “As a single mom, I really had no other income coming in, and it was very scary,” Tonya recalls. “So, I took matters into my own hands and switched gears.” Tickers & Timbers has since added rage rooms and paint splatter rooms to the mix, and they opened a second location in downtown Charleston in 2022. The two family entertainment venues serve about 26,000 customers per year, playing host to birthday parties, date nights, and team-building events.
Tickers & Timbers began running Google Ads right away. “I think that has really let the community know what we have to offer,” Tonya says. “I’ve utilized Google Ads every single month since we’ve been open.” She estimates that 30 percent of Tickers & Timbers’ bookings come directly through Google Ads, with another 30 percent of revenue derived from customers who’ve seen Google Ads and returned to their site later. She also credits Google Ads with building buzz around their Charleston opening, helping the venue quickly achieve the same success as their original location. Tonya uses Google Analytics to keep track of click-through rates and adjust ads accordingly. Google Drive, meanwhile, helps Tonya collaborate with her 12 employees as they share plans and ideas for new escape rooms. Creating new escape rooms is one of the best parts of running Tickers & Timbers, according to Tonya, and she sees new rooms and new locations on the horizon. “Obviously, owning a small business isn't an easy choice,” she says, “but it's great to know that we are providing something to the community that we never had before.”