with Paul Hansen
At our latest MoPed event, Paul Hansen from SwipedOn shared how a simple idea turned into a global success story.
SwipedOn started as a digital replacement for the old paper visitor book, and grew into a full visitor management platform used worldwide. With strong growth and a clear market position, the company was eventually acquired for $11m by UK-based Smartspace Software PLC.
Paul, who brought nearly 20 years of international marketing and product experience, talked about the power of focusing on a purely digital strategy. By targeting small to medium businesses and owning that niche, SwipedOn was able to scale efficiently and stand out in a crowded space.
A key theme from Paul’s talk was the importance of data. His love of spreadsheets paid off, giving the team deep insight into customer acquisition, ROI by channel, and global performance. Tools like Google Data Studio made it easy to visualise trends and optimise campaigns before moving on to new ones.
Paul also highlighted how refreshing the brand helped differentiate SwipedOn. A bold orange logo, emoji rich comms, and a strong values led approach, including planting a tree for every new customer through Trees That Count, helped strengthen their identity and connection with users.
Finally, Paul emphasised the value of customer reviews. Using Ask Nicely to trigger automated review requests when users were already engaged helped boost testimonials and brand trust. By capturing feedback at the right moment, they consistently grew both credibility and reach.
Overall, Paul’s session was packed with practical takeaways: trust your data, know your brand, stand out when you can, and never underestimate the power of happy customers.