Adster Creative

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Heritage Law Offices.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Adster Creative?

The firm has been around for about 30 years, and we were running traditional ads in phonebooks. We had a lot of referrals, but not much of a digital presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They do search engine optimization (SEO), looking for dead links and things of that nature. Whenever we had AdWords, they did the organic leads. They also monitor our reputation and write topical blog posts that we approve.

What is the team composition?

Their SEO specialist is our lead, and we’ve also worked with the owner.

How did you come to work with Adster Creative?

The firm met them before I took over it over. They met one of the lawyers for another purpose, they got to talking, and they tried them out. It’s been wildly successful for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We had an AdWords budget and also paid them a couple thousand per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2016 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They always do an incredible job, and we’ve been busier than ever because of them. When you Google the areas of law that we provide, we’re typically at the top of the paid ads. We were the only business in our province to be featured on one of Google's articles about using SEO to improve your business. We’re always the first or second organic ad. They do a great job.

How did Adster Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re always responsive and personal when we need anything. They give us a monthly report about our lead acquisition cost.

We’ve had in-person and Skype meetings. Now that we have a more mature campaign, we mainly communicate by email, but the other options are always available.

They’re all good at what they do. They teach us how to do things and offer valuable feedback to many of our ideas.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I know business owners who’ve run SEO campaigns. Everyone said they were good, but no one had anywhere near the success we’ve had. They make sure that everything works well and that we pop up first in Google. Other businesses have used our advertising as a template.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be cheaper, but we get what we pay for. We get multiple times back what we pay to them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Follow their lead because they’re experts in this area. You can hand it over to them without worrying. The results will speak for themselves.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a chartered public accountant firm. I am one of our tax accountants on staff and also look after administration.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Adster Creative?

We wanted to spread information about the firm and grow our client base.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our mandate to them was to reach more clients, specifically corporate accounts. They helped us fix our website on both the front- and backend. They also help with our AdWords and other links to improve our online search rankings. They manage site performance, blogs, and incoming calls.

What is the team composition?

I regularly speak with Michael (Digital Account Manager, Adster Creative) about our accounts. We usually communicate on a monthly basis, depending on my schedule.

How did you come to work with Adster Creative?

They started as clients of ours. We wanted to work with a client, so the relationship works well.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $90,000 or so.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in about September 2013. We still work with them regularly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We rank high in searches for accountants in our area and we can reach more clients than ever before. Traditionally, we relied heavily on word of mouth referrals. The clients we get through our website more than cover the cost of our investment with Adster. We’ve seen positive gains and are very happy with their work.

How did Adster Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent communicators by phone or email and we meet regularly in person.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very responsive, positive, and quick. I never have to hound them. If anything, they keep the process moving more than I do. They understand what we like and they focus on our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any complaints.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to the reports they present and ask questions. Make sure you understand the analytics they provide and communicate your goals. Be an active participant.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Elite Dance Studio. We offer dance classes in a fun, non-competitive environment for all ages, specializing in ballet, hip-hop, and ballroom dancing. We also work with high-level competitive dancers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Adster Creative?

We wanted to grow our business but had no experience with marketing. We realized that we didn’t understand how to expand nor had the tools we needed to grow. As a result, Adster Creative offered resources to redesign our website and manage our social media channels.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They redesigned our website to be mobile-friendly and worked to increase our search rankings. To help identify our position in the market, they provided a dashboard and educated us about various analytics. This included engagement and bounce rate, site traffic, and customer acquisition costs. Additionally, they’ve helped curate our social media, creating Facebook ads as well as generating SEO-compliant content.

Although we’ve currently decided to take a strategic break from expanding to focus on managing our studios, they continue to track our analytics, generating monthly plans and materials as needed.

What is the team composition?

Initially, we worked with Dave (Owner, Adster Creative) and Andrew (Partner, Adster Creative). But as their company grew, they assigned numerous account managers for our projects. I was apprehensive at first because we had built a business relationship with Dave. However, we’ve only had great experiences with them.

We’re currently working with our fourth account manager who serves as our main point of contact, and the transition between members have been seamless. From what I understand, even though we have a manager, the whole team works on our project.

How did you come to work with Adster Creative?

My business partner knew the owners personally, so he organized a meeting with Dave and Andrew. To be honest, I didn’t have a high opinion of marketing agencies because I’d always felt that they didn’t have my best intentions at heart. However, within 15 minutes of our first meeting, they understood our business concerns as a small company with a limited budget. They talked to us like they were part of our company and, more importantly, got us excited about our growth prospects. We trusted them immediately and have been with them ever since.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $1,000 CAD ($777 USD) per month on their base services in addition to our advertising fees. However, the price fluctuates depending on the season. If we want to focus more on summer wedding dances or open a new location, we’ll spend more to be more competitive.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work began in January 2007 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our business grew by 42% in 2016 and has continued to grow ever since, which we attribute to their guidance and efforts. Since then, we’ve retained the top positions for our relevant search results, including a highly-ranked Facebook post. We’ve also grown must larger and faster than we anticipated. Over the course of the engagement, we went from one studio to four studios.

Their dashboard, in particular, has been crucial to providing statistical insights and helping us grow. Looking at the dashboard’s numbers, we were able to realize that one of our locations wasn’t profitable. The traffic was low, and the area simply wasn’t a good fit for us. So we closed the studio and reopened somewhere else within a year, which is now doing great. The dashboard gave us information that we would’ve missed if we only monitored our profits.

More than providing a service, they’ve really taken the time to answer our questions, listen to our ideas, and really help us with their expertise. We never feel like just a number to them. Their friendly yet professional approach reminds us of doing business with family. I appreciate their values and feel like it aligns with my own. They’ve helped us understand our market and have given us the confidence to move forward and expand.

How did Adster Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They've complete everything in a timely, comprehensible manner. We communicate mainly by email because it’s my preferred method. We also have meetings every month or so to review our analytics, but I personally choose not to have them; I’m comfortable with them sending the report by email. This helps keep everyone informed.

They always check in with us to see if we’re doing a new service or trying anything new so that they can help us market it. If I have questions or need to change anything, then everyone needs to understand where we are and what we’re doing. At this point, we’ll meet with our account manager at their office.

In terms of the budget, they never assume they know how much we want to spend, so we always have control over our expenses. Their estimates are remarkably accurate. For a given project, they might predict how much our traffic would increase if we invest a certain amount more. Despite how unpredictable this can be, I trust their judgment.

What did you find most impressive about them?

As I’ve mentioned before, beyond their all-inclusive digital marketing package, they’ve really given us a comprehensive understanding of our market and our position within it. Their dashboard allows us to see all of our statistics (e.g., traffic, customer acquisition spending, projected profits) in a clear, easy-to-understand way. It provides a greater perspective of our business. If anything, I don’t use the dashboard enough because there’s so much more that I could do with it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

While they do help us manage our Facebook account, we would appreciate it if they could help us with other channels such as Instagram and Twitter. They currently don’t offer this option, but it would be helpful. Honestly, I would be interested to buy any additional services they offer.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Leverage the resources to their fullest potential; the team is much more than just the account manager. Additionally, don’t hesitate to reach out when you don’t understand something or when the results don’t match your expectations because you will become frustrated, and it’ll be too late. Their team is more than happy to explain everything to you and make sure that you understand.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a registered psychologist and CEO of Insight Psychological Inc. We are a psychological practice that offers counseling and psychological assessment services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Adster Creative?

I was originally doing my own marketing and management of my website but wasn’t seeing the results I wanted. So, I reached out to Adster to help me increase marketing and SEO.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Adster took a look at my site and found a lot of areas I could improve to help Google recognize the website in a more effective manner. They initially made a few recommendations and that made a significant difference in just a few months. Based off of their initial work I had them take over everything having to do with SEO, SEM, AdWords, and our social media presence.

What is the team composition?

I have worked most closely with their president and CEO, but in the last year, I have begun interfacing with more members of their team, particularly their senior software architect.

How did you come to work with Adster Creative?

My brother was actually in a band with their CEO and we began working together before he founded Adster.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent around $250,000 CAD ($196,493 USD)

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working together since January 2009.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

In the first few years I worked with Adster we saw close to a 20%­–30% increase in business. In 2012 we had 58% growth and were featured on Google and Google Canada. Since then we have seen an average of 15% growth depending on the year. I don’t think I could have gotten my company where it is today without them.

How did Adster Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

I have been very happy with their project management style and responsiveness. They have a platform that tracks all of the analytics within their system that gives you a really nice picture of where things stand.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The personal relationship and attention I have received has been great. Before Adster I had worked with another SEO company that was very restrictive about what they would let me see and the information I was allowed to handle and modify. Adster, on the other hand, has been open and collaborative.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think it is something they can improve, but I would like a better handle on the social media aspect of our marketing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I was a very cautious investor at first, but building that trust with them has definitely been worth it. So I would say that this is not a fast process, but if you keep at it and trust them it will pay off.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of operations at an insurance brokerage.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Adster Creative?

We worked with another SEO firm that didn’t perform well and hired Adster to replace that company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They do SEO and PPC for multiple websites. Overall digital strategies focus on lead generation and acquisition cost. In addition, they track changes in the search engine industry.

What is the team composition?

The team includes an account manager and senior developer. We’ve had a few different account managers since the engagement started. Also, we interact occasionally with the owners.

How did you come to work with Adster Creative?

Another developer – who we engaged – referred them. I reached out and liked what they had to offer.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $20,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work started in July 2014 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Adster’s performance meets all our expectations. They’ve expanded our online presence, which increased client-driven leads. They’re experienced and knowledgeable; the team is current with online marketing and client behavior trends.

How did Adster Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They handle management turnovers professionally; we’ve never had an issue. Given the team’s competence, we’ve only needed minimal communication with the owners. They have quick turnarounds and will work after hours to ensure promptness. The team is responsive via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provide clear in-depth technical explanations. Their rationales helped us identify the most consequential aspects of online marketing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’d be nice if they had more development resources for low-level priorities. While their services are great, we’d like more design and marketing offerings. We want to engage Adster solely instead of multiple vendors. However, that preference reflects our approach, not their performance. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what you want, listen, and ask a lot of questions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the business development manager for Smoky Trout Farms. We’re a family-run fish farm and water management company, and we’ve been in business for over 20 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Adster Creative?

We wanted to stretch our advertising dollars as far as possible. Prior to hiring them, we’d relied on word of mouth and we recognized that we were leaving money on the table.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first brand they helped us with is a geese-deterrent product from the U.S. As Google made their SEO requirements more stringent over time, we recognized that our PageRank was falling and that adding keywords ourselves wasn’t solving the problem. At that point, we had a choice between investing lots of money on SEO or investing directly into advertising. Since that particular product is a retail item that people decide upon very quickly, it made sense to focus on advertising and ensure that more people find it efficiently.

In order to achieve that goal, Adster helped us target our various products using Google AdWords. They ensure that our brand shows up when people are looking for products like to ours and they generate leads for us. People will phone in or fill out one of our forms, and that initial contact creates an opportunity for us to make a sale.

Based on the success of that first project, we then asked them to take on our water management brand as well. They built and now oversee our entire website in addition to handling its SEO and advertising.

What is the team composition?

Initially, we dealt with the owner of the company, and then as we got further into the project I worked with our account manager.

How did you come to work with Adster Creative?

My wife was invited to a presentation that they did and thought we might be interested in their services. Our company had already recognized that traditional advertising was no longer working well for us, so I attended an info session of theirs and felt like it made sense to bring them onboard. The fact that they were local and available in person was a big plus.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $20,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2015 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They’ve given us a greater presence and they’ve yielded an excellent ROI for our sales. On the goose-deterrent brand, we haven’t invested much in SEO and we don’t require much customer service overhead, so we’re simply looking at web sales for results. Based on our analytics reporting, Adster’s work has created a steady flow of traffic and driven those numbers up.

The other brand they help us with is more comprehensive and the website they built for us has yielded better-quality calls from prospective clients. With that product, we’re more interested in building long-term relationships with clients, so the design work and the ad campaign that Adster’s used has definitely helped us target people more accurately.

How did Adster Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re incredibly responsive. We’ve gone through a few account managers over time but they’ve all been quick to reply to emails and address concerns. They’re constantly on top of everything, to the point that they’ll have to nudge me to log in for our quarterly account meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s funny, my initial interaction with their sales representative wasn’t entirely positive. The rep didn’t give my questions enough attention, but then the owner came over and took a personal interest. That’s what helped sell me on their team because every relationship I’ve had with a member of their staff has been strong and responsive. Aside from that, they’re simply very good at what they do, especially when it comes to the AdWords management. I don’t know of any competitors who can generate the same kind of results.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend being blunt about what your needs and expectations are. We ran into one staff member who was, I think, initially skeptical about our potential as a long-term client. It’s also good to be clear from the start about your budget and what you’re willing to spend money on.