Gunstar boast record-breaking year, securing their market-leading position

As the 2017 financial year draws to a close, Gunstar has released unbeatable figures, yet again securing their place as the UK’s leading marketplace for the buying and selling of guns.

Owned by global organisation Friday Media Group, Gunstar has seen phenomenal growth throughout 2017, not just in traffic volume but also in the level of response generated for its advertisers.

Speaking about these record-breaking figures, Marketing Director Joe Kidger said: “Our analytics team have researched our performance extensively. In 2017 our nearest competitor quoted that they generated 14,600 monthly enquiries, but from our research Gunstar has generated 21,300 monthly enquiries in that same time frame. This means that overall we provided an extra 6,700 enquiries to our customers.”

"In black and white, we drove a 45.9% higher response rate than our nearest competitor. If you break that down per advert, using our average monthly content levels, with Gunstar you are 30.8% more likely to sell.”

Gunstar have dominated the market in terms of traffic share for a long time, however, the brand is focusing on driving a quality response for customers throughout 2018.

“We’ve invested huge sums into the functionality of the platform, ensuring that placing adverts is a streamline process, and that it is easy for potential buyers to start a conversation with the advertiser” Joe Kidger explains.

“We have also invested heavily in digital marketing, particularly in Search Engine Optimisation, to ensure that Gunstar is placed highly on Google. Therefore, anyone looking to buy a gun via a search engine will be more likely to visit our site than any other, making it a strong platform for dealers.”

2017 also saw Gunstar become an official business partner of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC); a partnership which is set to improve the online exposure for both Gunstar customers and BASC trade members.

Matthew Hollington, Gunstar’s Brand Manager, has reported impressive levels of customer acquisition with an average of five gun dealers joining Gunstar to list their stock every month, which is testament to the level of response and service that the marketplace delivers.

“Over 70% of people looking to buy a firearm start by searching online, which is why it’s more important than ever for gun dealers to have their stock on platforms such as Gunstar and the BASC classifieds as this is where the buyers are,” explains Matthew. “We are also excited to join forces with Spidersnet Firearms this year - a web provider owned by our parent company - who have over 20 years’ experience in creating award-winning websites. Gun dealers with a Spidersnet Firearms website will be able to place adverts on their own site, Gunstar and BASC with just one click, saving them time and money whilst driving sales.”

With these new partnerships and record-breaking figures, Gunstar has secured its place as the UK’s leading firearms marketplace, offering the largest audience of gun enthusiasts, as well as an unrivalled website solution. 2018 is sure to be an exciting year for gun dealers up and down the UK.