Big Leap

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CFO and half-owner of a full-scale construction company. We do exterior and interior modeling, house building, and everything in between.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Leap?

We had three other companies try to do SEO for us in the past, but they were all very bad. We put a ton of money into those engagements but never climbed the page or saw any keyword improvements.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Big Leap manages all of the SEO for our website. They began by doing a huge deep dive into our industry, although they seemed to be pretty educated about it already. They did research and then sat down with us to discuss what generates money for us and what keywords we were looking for. We helped them develop a keyword set, and we tailor that each month. 

They improved the entire site’s backend for a few months by working on the site speed, design, and coding. They’ve created H1s, title tags, meta descriptions, banners, ads, and copy. The team does blog posting and backlinking. They managed social media posting and engagement for us, but we stopped doing that after nine months because there isn’t much value to it in our industry.

They continue to do design changes and coding on the site. They work on Google and Bing for us, and they always keep our Google My Business page up to date. They host our site through a third-party.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Cassara (Digital Marketing Manager), and she’s the only person I’ve spoken to the entire time.

How did you come to work with Big Leap?

By looking at Clutch and other review sites, we were introduced to Big Leap. Our other marketing company, Disruptive Advertising, also referred them. 

How much have you invested with them?

Their management fee for the first nine months, when they were doing both social media engagement and SEO, was $5,000 a month. Now that they’re just doing SEO, we spend about $4,000 a month. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in August 2019, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s a long set up process in the beginning, but with it comes a lot of benefits. Keyword improvements have been the number one thing we’ve looked at. They only track keywords if they get us on the first page. Outside of rankings, leads generated from them has gone up significantly; we had almost no results from our other three companies.

How did Big Leap perform from a project management standpoint?

They send monthly reports for us to review, and they go through every single keyword we rank. The reports track our progress since our relationship began. We also have monthly calls for 30 minutes to an hour to go over everything. They’re super responsive. If we need something changed, such as updating the copy or moving an ad, they have a whole department that handles that. I send Cassara an email, and it’s usually done within 1–2 days. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Over almost three years with three other companies, we saw zero keyword improvements, and we generated almost no organic leads from our website. In the time we’ve been with Big Leap, we’ve had 4,000–5,000 keyword rank improvements. Within one year, we’ve become number one on the first page for almost every single vertical and keyword that we advertise for. There is probably a handful that we’re not page one for, but we’re dominating our competition, and it’s entirely because of Big Leap’s efforts. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think it’s really expensive, but it’s harder to measure the value of something like this. Since commercial intent of PPC is so good, you’re directly driving traffic that is probably going to covert. It’s harder to measure the value of SEO because people might just be perusing for organic leads and not be converting as often. I think SEO services in general tend to be pricey across the board. I wish it was cheaper, but I realize the value that they bring, and I think it’s been very good.

Any advice for potential customers?

You really have to commit to a long-term relationship with the same group, because it’s going to take a long time to see results.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Operations Manager with direct over site of all online sales initiatives and marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Big Leap?

Big Leap was our partner for SEO, Content, and Marketing Automation.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase our traffic to the web site and drive new revenue.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had been with a different agency previously who we felt were no longer providing value. We went with Big Leap because we felt they could really get us to the next level.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They provided a detailed site audit with recommendations and improvements. They migrated our site from Magento over to Shopify. They provided ongoing search engine optimization, and managed our MailChimp account creating abandoned cart, and nurture campaigns.

What was the team composition?

We worked with an Account Executive, an Account Manager with the Account Managers Director being involved in about 50% of our meetings.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Big Leap helped us drastically increase organic traffic to our web site. They specifically got us ranking for the term "Wind Deflectors" which brought a lot of great traffic with the purchase intent we were looking for.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Great, we had weekly meetings with email correspondence in-between.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We knew they were a proven agency and they lived up to the reputation. We understood that SEO takes time to work, but we had total confidence out the gate with the way they broke things down and explained them. We love their holistic approach and the fact that they really took the time to earn our trust.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We didn't know they offered anything other than SEO until working together for over a year.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and founder of Formyl. I work with great leaders to help them navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship as successfully as possible.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Big Leap?

Big Leap has helped many of my clients and some companies I've invested in with their digital marketing strategy, their organic search presence, optimizing their websites, improving their online reputations, and converting visitors into online buyers.

What were your goals for this project?

Increased visibility and improved conversion rates for digital properties.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I met a few of the leadership team at a business networking event and we immediately connected over several topics. I did some homework on their website, met with them several more times in person and we decided to work together.

Describe the project in detail.

Many of the digital agencies I've worked with in the past would do a bunch for us in the beginning but after several months it would feel like things were on "cruise control" and not progressing.

I wanted to work with an agency, and a team of people, that were as passionate about my success and my goals as I was, and who would keep working and improving and updating the strategies and tactics.

Big Leap has helped many of my clients get sustainable results from their organic digital marketing efforts, and continues to impress with their ability to constantly innovate how they do it.

What was the team composition?

I've worked directly with Bryan, the CEO, as well as Dan, their head of Sales, and various other members of their teams. When needed, they bring as many of their talented specialists in to help us get the best results in different areas of our marketing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Improved positioning in organic search results, higher conversion rates from our website, improved online reputation and a more consistent and higher quality content plan than anything we could have done on our own.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Fantastic. They are very proactive in their outreach, they provide clear reporting and timelines for improvement and are very helpful.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The people. They believe in what they're doing and the way they're doing it and are passionately committed to helping us be successful.

Are there any areas for improvement?

SEO is definitely their core strength but they are growing and investing in their other services and are getting better in other areas of digital marketing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Web Operations for a retail eCommerce company in the home & kitchen sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Big Leap?

We hired Big Leap to be an extension of our team and to continue SEO on the website.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to improve rankings for existing search terms as well as new terms.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After interviewing several agencies we decided they best fit what we were looking for from their past experience in our industry.

Describe the project in detail.

We started off helping them get familiar with our brand and SEO goals. Along with SEO services, the team assisted with content creation through blog posts.

What was the team composition?

We had a team of 4. Team lead was Ryan, and our main contact was Whitney/Taylor.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our rankings steadily increased even after the major updates that Google pushed out in 2019. Our organic traffic improved 10% from 2018 > 2019 in such a competitive space we are in.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team has always been well prepared and the communication is excellent. They respond in a timely manner via email or about to jump on a phone call if needed. We used zoom for conference calls to review reports, discuss strategy, etc.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team did a great job handling our changes at any time in stride. They even stepped out of their responsibility at times to help us in other areas not related to SEO.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I believe this will be different for each client they work with, but for us I could not ask for much more. Hopefully, I will get to work with them again in the future.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Venafi is a leading cybersecurity company that specializes in machine identity protection solutions for the Global 5000. I share responsibilities on the Digital Marketing and Web team, and have worked with Big Leap for over a year.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Big Leap?

Big Leap was brought on to help us increase engagement and traffic to our site, which had gone through a few massive changes, structural and otherwise. We were in a recovery zone, and needed to get back to par - and above.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to show healthy growth in website traffic, and begin to rank for articles within our industry.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We did some shopping, and decided Big Leap seemed a concrete bet for our investment. We honestly didn't know a lot about them when we started, but in the selection process, they distinguished themselves.

Describe the project in detail.

They are aggressive in their attack, constantly refining their strategy and giving us new ideas.

What was the team composition?

We had a Project Manager and a separate team leader for more specific inquiries like SEO. Later, the team evolved to include a YouTube expert when the need required it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We have consistently seen astronomical figures in our improvement rates. Organic traffic growth has increased by nearly double in the past year, and we continue to increase in rank for targeted keywords, topics and conversions based on strategic direction from Big Leap. They know their stuff, and the results have been amazing.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was seamless, so long as we could keep up with them. There was no lack of initiative - we really felt as if they were just off-site branches of our team, as committed, or more, to our goals as we were.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Big Leap's diligence, specificity and granularity towards our goals blew me away. We often have 45 minute meetings packed full of relevant metrics that they have consistently over-achieved on. We have had to readjust our goals on our side because they were making us look so good - the amount of growth was unreal, and they really zeroed in to some untapped potential.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nope. Just making sure we can keep up with them and keep a clear line to objectives, responsibilities and next steps. The only thing we need help with is organizing all their good suggestions so we can implement, and accomplish out game plan by next time! They are great.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Develop Bright is a website development and PPC agency. We host, manage, and maintain a number of clients that span industry. I'm a Co-Founder and Owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Big Leap?

Big Leap assists with our overflow SEO work and Content Creation (blogs).

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was simple; to find a strategic SEO partner so we could focus on what we do best while still giving some of our customers the option of a more defined SEO approach.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We met Big Leap through another partner and did our research. Big Leap and Develop Bright met a few times and they ultimately beat out about 5 other companies.

Describe the project in detail.

Big Leap is who we leverage for our overflow of SEO. Because we have such expertise in PPC and Websites, we made a conscious decision to focus on these aspects. As such it was pivotal we find someone familiar with SEO that would enable our customers for growth; Big Leap has been that partner.

Before recommending them to our customers, we wanted to see their skill. For this reason we've been having Big Leap perform SEO for us for the last couple of months, and as someone with deep experience in the marketing world I can tell already that they know what they're doing.

What was the team composition?

They've had about 4 people involved the majority of the time, with our main contacts being Dustin and Matt.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Their approach is what has mostly been a success metric so far. It's early for us to be ranking to where we'd like to be, but the plan they've laid out has been great and they've executed it exactly as they said they would.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their team has been super collaborative, with weekly calls and emails. We use Zoom, phone calls and email to engage back and forth. Both of our contacts are absolute rockstars. Their leadership is always willing to talk and they've been very responsive to concerns.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I find them to be good stewards, not just good vendors. We've already had people reach out to us because Big Leap takes care of their own. Just through conversation they continue to keep us in mind, as well as their other customers, to see how we can all help their great big ecosystem.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None come to mind at this point in time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing partner of a small law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Leap?

We wanted to bring in more criminal defense clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us exclusively through SEO and website development. So basically, we had an existing Web site that was good as a secondary source, but no one is finding us organically. Big Leap helped us restructure to attract more clients. I’ve since been a customer of theirs for many years.

What is the team composition?

For this project, I worked with two people, but over the years, I’ve worked with many others.

How did you come to work with Big Leap?

I was Googling other businesses that were having positive results, but they weren’t competitors of mine because they’re based in other cities. When I found some people that were ranked high, I was able to convince them to tell me who they were using and they were using Big Leap.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $197,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2013 and have continued to work with them since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our rankings on Google have substantially improved. Of course, this fluctuates as Google changes its algorithm. We’ve been with Big Leap for a long time and they deliver results.

How did Big Leap perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve performed well. Like any long-term relationship, there have been a few hiccups, but they’ve always resolved issues in a timely fashion. They told us when we should expect results, and they delivered ahead of that timeline.

We communicate via email and phone. We have a conference call about once a month and email between meetings.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They deliver great results.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’ve has several different account managers over the years, and it would be easier if they improved their employee retention.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Define what you’re trying to accomplish, set realistic expectations, and determine a timeline. By doing so, you can monitor progress within that timeframe.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a digital marketing agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Leap?

We wanted a collaborative and strategic partnership.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Big Leap does some of the execution work for our clients. They provide content and copywriting services, and they do onsite SEO.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with four people, mostly Cassara (Digital Marketing Manager, Big Leap) and Rachel (Digital Marketing Director, Big Leap).

How did you come to work with Big Leap?

We’ve worked with them for a long time. We started our partnership again last year.

How much have you invested with them?

Since we began working together last year, my company has spent $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them for the first time in 2014, and then again in December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They deliver high-quality content that performs. We continue to see month-over-month increases for all content creation. They’ve delivered skyscraper content that has performed well and gotten us in Google’s answer box section.

How did Big Leap perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management perspective, they’re getting the work done. Communication and strategy planning is good. They have their systems and processes built out, and their deliverables are high-quality. We typically communicate via phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been impressed by how performance-focused they are. They also have a strong approach to digital marketing and communicate well.

Any advice for potential customers?

Ask to meet your account manager so that you have a feel for their communication style and overall approach. Their account management is strong.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of sales and marketing at a leadership training & consulting firm that offers business training programs and learning & development solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Leap?

We were looking for a provider to help with our online marketing through social media, SEO, and internal content. We hired Big Leap to make our content more digestible, appealing, and engaging from a web perspective.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Right now, the team at Big Leap is focusing on our SEO through keyword strategy. We’ve previously done PPC and social media marketing with them. They worked on LinkedIn, Facebook, and the overall social shareability of resources.

What is the team composition?

Shemmah (Digital Marketing Manager, Big Leap) is our project manager.

How did you come to work with Big Leap?

They were a reference from a colleague that worked in their space. I reached out to Big Leap and expressed interest in their services.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $50,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Big Leap started in June 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their team is easy to work with. They’re excellent at communicating while remaining thorough in their work. Big Leap focuses on the customer. Their account management team has excellent customer-centricity.

How did Big Leap perform from a project management standpoint?

For communication, we primarily use email and phone calls. They’ve given us access to other project management tools, and we’ve used tools like Basecamp, which we’ve put them onto. We’ve worked across multiple platforms.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In their working environment, they’ve adapted more than other providers we’ve worked with. Their team strives to stay updated in a highly-changing industry.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not at this point.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate your desires and objectives with the project management team. Make sure Big Leap outlined your plan effectively. I believe that their organization does that already, but my overall advice would be communicating your objectives and desired outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the marketing director for a pest control company location in Hanna City, Illinois. We are a family run business, with 75 employees, and over 65 years of pest control experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Big Leap?

We were very unhappy with our former SEO company and wanted a change. Our company went fully paperless a year ago and we wanted to improve our online presence. We felt like we were overpaying and our former SEO company was underdelivering. We needed help with creating content with our website and improving our gooogle ranking.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to have Big Leap help us create content for our website and improve our Google ranking. We are one of the largest pest control companies in the state of Illinois and you would not know that by our small online presence.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were referred to us by the company that runs our pest control software. They looked at our website and told us what they were going to do for us and how they were going to do it. We jumped on a call with them and after a couple minutes, we knew that they were going to be better than our former SEO company. They were honest about their price and they did not and have not tried to up sale us.

Describe the project in detail.

We started off with weekly meetings with a team of people. They did a complete audit of our website. We gave them control of our GMB pages and our website. After about a month we then went to monthly meetings with an account manager. From there, they have created numerous blogs for us and have created service pages for our website. With this we have seen a large increase in our keyword rankings.

What was the team composition?

We communicate with an account manager. She is very friendly and always goes into detail in her report during our monthly meetings. I am never afraid to ask questions. She is very clear on what she needs from us each month.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We have seen a large increase in our keyword rankings and have had over 10 great pieces of content created for our website.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team and account manager have been awesome to work with. We have learned a lot about SEO since hiring them. They are quick to respond to emails and have a flexible schedule if we have to change the time of a meeting.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They deliver on what they promised. They understand our industry and so they know what is best for our company. They also have been great at explaining the complicated process of SEO.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, they have met or exceeded our expectations