Core Digital Expansion

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Teuscher is a boutique Swiss chocolate company, and I’m the owner of a franchise in Beverly hills. We have about 14 stores around the world and we’ve been in operation for 90 years. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Core Digital Expansion?

Our website was absolutely ineffective and I just knew we were losing thousands of dollars on potential sales just from the fact that nobody was really visiting the site. We needed someone to improve the performance of the website and decrease the amount of time for it to load.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Core Digital Expansion came in and provided us with a complete website overhaul.

What is the team composition?

We mainly communicated with Michael and Matt (Co-Founders).

How did you come to work with Core Digital Expansion?

We weren’t actively looking for a vendor, but I believe they approached us. They pitched their scope and their pricing was right, so we brought them on and gave them a chance.

How much have you invested with them?

We probably invested around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February 2019–March 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were wowed by the web design. They made themselves available for us and were very clear in explaining the machinations of the process. We don’t have any coders in our tool belt, but they weren’t patronizing and they didn’t talk down to us — when we had questions, they were quick to answer in a digestible way.

Moreover, they really helped us populate our inventory on Shopify, and were great partners as we were launching the business.

How did Core Digital Expansion perform from a project management standpoint?

They were fantastic. There were times when we would have last-minute campaigns that we wanted to run, but I knew they would be receptive to our requests at any time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with the level of care they put into our partnership, and the face-to-face availability. I wasn’t talking to a large web design company so I wasn’t being bumped around to different designers. They executed what we needed in a timely fashion.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I feel like they can take more control of their projects as they grow. There were times when I could’ve done a bigger ad spend, but they were sensitive to the fact that our company was just starting out. They could’ve given us more options in regards to our budget, and told us about the returns we would be getting.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would say be very clear about your needs, budget, and timeline of what you want to achieve. Whether you need to design a website or increase profitability, just be clear because they’re great listeners and communicators so if they can understand the menu of what is needed, then they’ll be able to execute it perfectly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Dermabeam, which is an innovative LED light therapy mask.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Core Digital Expansion?

We needed help with web development, SEO, and social media advertising.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Core Digital Expansion developed two websites for me. The first one was only a minor project and was completed within two weeks. The team built the other site on WordPress from scratch, and it has integrations with WooCommerce and is optimized for mobile. I provided the information, pictures, and logo, which they implemented into the site. It’s a more significant project that we continue to collaborate on and update frequently.

Furthermore, Core Digital Expansion helps us with SEO, and we plan on working with them on our advertising efforts on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. The team has also provided on-demand consultancy services on various aspects of my business, including pricing and strategy. For example, they connected me to a virtual assistant.

What is the team composition?

We work with about 3–5 teammates. 

How did you come to work with Core Digital Expansion?

I was looking for agencies in Los Angeles and found their website. In addition, I heard about them through word of mouth. I interviewed a few other vendors, but Core Digital Expansion seemed the most professional and experienced, so I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $15,000–$20,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in June 2021 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Core Digital Expansion has been instrumental in building the foundation of our business. We’re thrilled with their services. Their help in finding a virtual assistant has helped us save around $5,000–$10,000 because we didn’t have to go through an agency.

Furthermore, their social media expertise has been extremely helpful. They’ve given me good strategies to increase my engagement by showing me how other influencers are performing. 

How did Core Digital Expansion perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done an excellent job. The team is transparent with their work, which they complete on time. I have access to the backend of the WordPress site, and we’re engaged in dialog every day. We communicate through text, email, and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re incredibly grateful for their work. We love working with Core Digital Expansion because they provide personalized and on-demand services that I’ve never seen from other vendors.

Moreover, they’ve given excellent advice that’s helped us with our business strategy, operations, and so on. They really offer a complete package. Overall, the results have been excellent.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really can’t think of anything — they’ve done everything I’ve asked for and more.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Understand what you need in terms of the website, like if you want something built from scratch or a redesign of an existing website. Furthermore, have documentation and other materials ready to make the process as efficient as possible. I highly recommend looking at their previous projects as well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of marketing at Eclincher, a web-based staff productivity tool targeting social media and brand management. We service marketing agencies and small and medium businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Core Digital Expansion?

Our industry is very saturated and competitive, and we needed a way to stand out among larger companies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Core Digital Expansion delivers brand awareness pieces and manages our paid ads. To start, they reorganized and restructured our Google Ads. They now apply their strategies to help us increase our conversions.

What is the team composition?

We work with two teammates.

How did you come to work with Core Digital Expansion?

Our founder’s friend referred them to us. We did some research on the Core Digital Expansion team and decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent roughly $15,000 each month.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in July 2020 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Core Digital Expansion has developed an effective, well-targeted brand awareness campaign. As a result of the project, we’ve seen a 150% increase in our revenues from monthly subscriptions. The number of users signing up for our monthly trials has also increased by 100%. Furthermore, our average return on ad spend is 400%, which is really great. Due to their outstanding performance, we’ve been investing more heavily in the project. 

How did Core Digital Expansion perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done a great job. The team’s reports are always really interactive and detailed. We use Trello for project management and Skype to communicate. Additionally, we sometimes use email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Core Digital Expansion team has really become a valued extension of our team. In fact, we feel like we’re their only client because of how tailored their services are and how dedicated the team is. For such a small firm, they’ve delivered highly impressive results.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could make their reports a bit easier to understand. However, it’s not such a big deal.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Understand what you’re looking for so you can ask the right questions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a musician who makes pop music and parodies on YouTube.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Core Digital Expansion?

I was mildly successful, but I needed help expanding my brand’s reach and growing my audience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Core Digital helps me strategize the content I put out on the internet, especially on YouTube. They’ve implemented various best practices and guided me on what kind of content I should be producing to achieve organic growth. Furthermore, the team edits my videos for me while I make the audio on my own. Additionally, they’ve helped me advertise my Spotify through Instagram.

What is the team composition?

I work with four teammates, including Matt and Michael (Co-Founders).

How did you come to work with Core Digital Expansion?

I had a personal relationship with Matt and Michael.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent $80,000–$100,000 annually. I pay them based on a revenue sharing model.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in April 2019, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Core Digital has done a remarkable job — I went from having 100 YouTube subscribers to a whopping 430,000. As a result, the partnership has been highly profitable for us. The team is excellent at attaining organic growth on the internet, despite it being pretty saturated.

Furthermore, they’ve propelled me closer to my goal of making music as my full-time job. My Spotify has grown tenfold in terms of monthly listeners, which is really special to me.

How did Core Digital Expansion perform from a project management standpoint?

Core Digital is exceptional from a project management standpoint. They’re agile and able to juggle multiple platforms and types of content. Furthermore, we’re always on the same page — I know what everyone’s working on and what’s coming next. We use a project management platform that details our step-by-step processes. In terms of communication, they’re extremely attentive. We have a group chat where we interface pretty much daily.

What did you find most impressive about them?

No other vendor has ever gotten me this much organic results. Whatever I’ve paid Core Digital, it’s been surpassed by how much I’ve gotten profit-wise. The partnership has been more than worth it.

Furthermore, one of the advantages of working with them is they’re a small firm, so they’re easy to get ahold of. They’re also impressively responsive and agile. Overall, they’ve been a crucial part of my brand.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I honestly can’t name a single thing that they could improve upon.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to their suggestions, and they’ll help you get ahead.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a mobile app startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Core Digital Expansion?

We needed help with our digital marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Core Digital Expansion (CDE) creates ad campaigns for us on a variety of platforms, including Facebook and Google. They do some research to find out what kind of ads would be more effective for us, and we review the information together in a collaborative effort.

What is the team composition?

Matt (Partner & Co-Founder) is my only point of contact.

How did you come to work with Core Digital Expansion?

I met Matt a few years ago. He did a little consulting work for us, so I went back to him because he was very knowledgeable.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around April 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The advertising that CDE does is very effective, and we’ve seen an increase in our downloads. I wouldn’t continue to work with them if they weren’t good at their job.

How did Core Digital Expansion perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is great, and we communicate via Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

CDE is very trustworthy. They do their job well and complete tasks in a timely fashion. Matt’s involvement is very hands-on, and he’s very good at what he does.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re fine.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them do their job — that’s why you hire marketing partners.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own a startup called Zeitlin’s Delicatessen.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Core Digital Expansion?

I didn’t have time to think about copywriting, and customer journey flows, so I needed someone to help me.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Core Digital Expansion handles our marketing strategy for us. We had the idea to sell bagels, and the team helped us turn it into a solid business idea. They’ve helped us describe our products and package them. They also create copy and clarify the customer journey flow by tweaking our UX design.

What is the team composition?

I work closely with Michael (Digital Marketer & Co-Founder) and Matt (Business Development Representative).

How did you come to work with Core Digital Expansion?

I worked with Matt in my previous job. I knew he was talented at copywriting and that he gets things done the way I want them. He’s already proven himself, so it made Core Digital Expansion the best choice. I was stoked to take some things off my plate and hand them off to him.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost so far is $3,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2021, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re now in the middle of planning our Kickstarter campaign, so we’re planning a big launch. Their work has helped me effectively show people how the project will work. The copy they created allows me to describe the product well.

How did Core Digital Expansion perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Slack for the most part, but we also have the occasional Zoom call. We have a set amount of iterations and rounds. After each of them, we discuss their tasks, so it’s all clear by the end of the call. We also talk about their progress so far.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Core Digital Expansion just comprehends things quickly. They’re very business savvy, and they understand the importance of marketing strategies. One of the best things about working with them is we’re getting to know the experts themselves because they’re not too big a company. Core Digital Expansion is precisely the kind of agency I prefer to work with. They give suggestions rooted in marketing best practices, but they also know their place and don’t overstep.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We have an established scope that we’ve stayed in, but they could’ve proposed other opportunities that we could’ve worked on together.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come in with an open mind and be clear with what you want.