What Fourward does

Fourward is a Swiss performance marketing boutique agency founded in 2013 by Christoph Ehrler in Unterägeri, Canton Zug, operating as Fourward GmbH (CHE-196.443.451). The firm delivers paid advertising management across Google Ads, Meta (Facebook/Instagram), and LinkedIn, combined with conversion-oriented services including Landing Page Design (built on the Unbounce platform), Website Audits / CRO, Digital Marketing Strategy consulting, and a newer 90-day GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) sprint targeting visibility in large language model search interfaces. Technology stack is built on industry-standard martech — Google Analytics, Meta and LinkedIn ad platforms, Unbounce, HubSpot, Crazy Egg/HotJar, Wistia, and MailChimp — supplemented by the agency's proprietary Ads + Landing Page integration methodology and a heuristic audit framework grounded in 2,000+ conducted website tests and 200+ landing pages built.

Fourward targets four primary verticals: B2B companies, Trades & Services, Education, and Healthcare. The agency operates as a deliberately small, sales-led boutique limiting intake to a maximum of three new clients per month, with founder Christoph Ehrler and partner Mark Mayne personally involved in strategy and audit work. Pricing is quote-based in Swiss Francs: monthly retainer campaign management starts at CHF 590 (Meta) and CHF 890 (LinkedIn), with a 2-month cancellation notice; project services include Website Checkup at CHF 1,500, Full Growth Audit at CHF 6,000, Digital Strategy at CHF 5,000, standalone Landing Pages from CHF 1,990, and Managed Landing Pages at CHF 390/month. Free 30-minute strategy consultations and live campaign expert checks serve as lead magnets.

The business model is professional services with a mix of recurring retainers and project-based consulting revenue. Distribution channels are regional (DACH — Switzerland, Germany, Austria) and include direct website sales with self-service booking, partner-driven inbound (Google Premier Partner directory placement, LinkedIn certification visibility), and referral-based acquisition reinforced by 38+ five-star Google reviews and a stated 90% client retention rate. The agency has served over 80 brands across 10+ years and over 250 companies cumulatively, with named clients including Leica Camera Switzerland, BnB Switzerland, Abo.ch, Handelskammer Beider Basel, and Traumwerk. The firm is privately held, founder- and partner-owned, with no disclosed external investment.

Name

Fourward

Legal name

Fourward GmbH

Website

https://fourward.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fourward GmbH is a Swiss boutique performance marketing agency founded in 2013, offering paid advertising management (Google, Meta, LinkedIn), landing page design, CRO audits, and GEO services primarily to SMB and mid-market clients in the DACH region's B2B, trades, education, and healthcare verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Media Buying Agencies (54183)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B Demand Generation & Lead Nurture Agencies (BPAFAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) & Landing Page Optimization (BPAFACAH)

Keywords

• Performance marketing agency
• Paid advertising management
• Conversion rate optimization
• Landing page design
• B2B lead generation

Headquarters

HQ city

Unterägeri

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Campaign Management (Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads): Ongoing management and optimization of paid advertising campaigns on Google, Meta (Facebook/Instagram), and LinkedIn platforms. Billed as a recurring monthly service.
2. Website Audits & CRO Consulting: One-time and recurring website audit services including heuristic analysis, heatmap setup, and conversion rate optimization consulting. Packages range from quick checkups (CHF 1,500) to full growth audits (CHF 6,000).
3. Landing Page Design & Development: Custom landing page design using Unbounce. Offered as standalone (one-time, from CHF 1,990) or as a managed monthly service (CHF 390/month) with ongoing A/B testing and optimization.
4. Digital Strategy Consulting: Strategy development and consultation service including marketing audits, target audience research, and strategy playbook creation. Priced at CHF 5,000 for initial strategy package.
5. GEO Sprint (Generative Engine Optimization): 90-day sprint for AI visibility optimization in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. Includes positioning analysis, profile optimization, content development, and reputation building.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Fourward is a Swiss performance marketing boutique that manages paid advertising campaigns on Google Ads, Meta (Facebook/Instagram), and LinkedIn Ads, complemented by conversion rate optimization (CRO) website audits and custom landing page design built on Unbounce. The agency delivers an integrated Ads + Landing Page + CRO methodology aimed at producing a predictable, scalable lead generation pipeline for B2B companies, trades/services firms, educational institutions, and healthcare practices in the DACH region.

Product overview

Fourward is a performance marketing agency offering a portfolio of interconnected digital advertising and optimization services. The core offering centers on paid advertising management across Google Ads, Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram), and LinkedIn Ads, complemented by Digital Marketing Strategy consulting and Website Audits with CRO expertise. The service architecture includes a 90-day GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) sprint for AI visibility and a structured Landing Page Design service utilizing Unbounce, available as standalone packages (starting at CHF 1,990) or managed tiers with ongoing A/B testing (CHF 390/month). Website Audits are offered at two tiers: the Website Checkup (CHF 1,500) for quick wins and the Full Growth Audit (CHF 6,000) including heatmap analysis. The agency specializes in four industry verticals: B2B, Trades & Services, Education, and Healthcare. All services are delivered by senior experts with a focus on measurable lead generation, supported by free strategy consultation calls and live campaign expert checks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Google Ads Management Strategic management and optimization of Google Ads campaigns (Search, Shopping, YouTube, Performance Max) for B2B and B2C clients in the DACH region. Starting at CHF 590/month management fee.
• Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram) Social media advertising on Facebook and Instagram featuring audience targeting, creative design, and continuous optimization for lead generation and brand building.
• LinkedIn Ads B2B-focused LinkedIn advertising campaigns targeting decision-makers, supporting lead generation, employee recruitment, and thought leadership positioning. Starting at CHF 890/month.
• Landing Page Design Custom-designed landing pages built on Unbounce for campaign-specific use, featuring A/B testing, user behavior analysis, and continuous optimization to maximize conversion rates. Available standalone or as managed monthly service.
• Website Audits (CRO) Conversion rate optimization audits identifying barriers in customer purchase processes, combining data analysis, heatmap tracking, and heuristic evaluation. Offered as Website Checkup (CHF 1,500) or Full Growth Audit (CHF 6,000).
• Digital Marketing Strategy Comprehensive digital advertising strategy development including asset evaluation, target audience research, and strategic roadmap creation. Priced at CHF 5,000 for the initial strategy package.
• GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) Generative Engine Optimization service optimizing brands for visibility in AI systems through a structured 90-day sprint including positioning analysis, profile optimization, on-page SEO for LLMs, content development, and reputation building.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4x more bookings for BnB Switzerland
• +13 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• UnbouncecoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial Unbounce partner for landing page design and hosting. Fourward uses Unbounce as the platform for all custom landing pages they create for clients, offering both standalone and managed (monthly) landing page services.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Webrepublic: Zürich-based performance marketing agency offering Google Ads, social media advertising, and SEO services. Direct peer given the closely aligned Swiss boutique positioning, similar service portfolio, and shared DACH focus.
• Pulpmedia: German performance marketing agency specializing in paid media, social advertising, and conversion optimization for B2B clients. Direct peer on services, with a German (rather than Swiss) market focus.

Broad incumbents

• GroupM: World's largest media investment group operating agencies across paid search, social, and programmatic. Overlaps on paid media management and planning at enterprise scale, but is a holding-company-style incumbent rather than a boutique.
• Dept Agency: Global digital agency offering performance marketing, creative, and technology services across Europe. Overlap on paid media and CRO capabilities, but operates as a much larger multi-disciplinary incumbent.
• Publicis Groupe: Global advertising holding company with performance marketing capabilities across paid search, social, and digital media. Comparable at the service-category level, with vastly greater resources and enterprise reach.
• iProspect: Global digital performance marketing agency within the Dentsu network, focused on media buying, paid search, and paid social. Comparable on core performance media services, with substantially broader scale and geographic reach.
• Jellyfish: Global digital marketing agency with a dedicated performance media practice spanning Google, Meta, and LinkedIn ads. Comparable on service line, but significantly larger and broader in scope than a boutique like Fourward.

Regional players

• Admeira: Swiss marketing services joint venture providing digital and TV advertising solutions to Swiss advertisers. Regional peer operating in the same Swiss market, with broader media capabilities but a less specialist performance focus.
• Goldbach Group: Swiss and Austrian marketing services group providing digital advertising, media, and cross-channel campaign execution. Regional peer serving the same DACH market, but operating as a media group rather than a boutique.
• Audienzz: Swiss performance marketing agency focused on Google Ads, programmatic, and data-driven advertising. Regional peer with comparable performance media services, positioned slightly larger than a true boutique.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fourward