Custom Creatives

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a REALTOR, Investor and I run a team of REALTORS, Wholesalers, and Investors for my brokerage.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Custom Creatives?

I hired Custom Creatives to build and manage my paid Facebook Ad system, including ad copy, audience building, chat bot, and a follow up sequence off of the Facebook platform.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal for this project is to drive transactions through social media marketing. The results I have achieved far exceeded my expectations.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found Custom Creatives through a Facebook Ad for a webinar. I have attended webinars for a variety of vendors, but this was the first webinar I had attended that felt like they were trying to add value, not just sell me a product or service. The quality of the presentation led me to schedule a call with Rahul, and I signed with them during our call.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Total scope for our original agreement was to build and manage Facebook Ads for our Facebook page. Scope creep is a thing, and our scope grew to include: * CRM with Drip Campaign Support * ManyChat Facebook Bot with multiple scripts * An increase in Ad spend that resulted in additional ad types and locations There is probably more that I am not thinking about, but those are the key points.

What was the team composition?

I work primarily with Rahul, although I get emails and status from a few other people. It seems that Rahul is the public face, and the team behind him handles most of the heavy lifting.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the first 45 days from contract signing, I can quantify 2 closed transactions, totaling over $10k in gross commission revenue, plus over 300 leads that were actively being worked by the systems Custom Creatives put in place. In the first 120 days, that number grew from 2 to 5 and closer to $20k in gross commission revenue.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Custom Creatives uses Basecamp to communicate and track deliverables. The team is responsive and helpful in every engagement.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The speed at which they can deliver a quality solution. They had quality ads running within 48 hours of contract signing (and one of those first leads actually became our first closed deal attributed to the platform.)

Are there any areas for improvement?

From my perspective, Custom Creatives handled everything I threw at them quickly, efficiently and with a high degree of quality. I can't speak to their internal processes, but from my perspective it doesn't get any easier to be their client.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m VP of operations at a merchant service provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Custom Creatives?

We were trying to develop a website for a partner that would allow us to drive traffic from that site over to ours. We don’t have development or SEO expertise in-house, so we reached out to an outsourcing firm.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave them a rough sketch of what we wanted, and they did the work. They created all the landing pages, 4-5 regular pages, content, and marketing for the website. A user could click to get over to our site for our applications. They created email marketing campaigns, provided graphic design, and also created some short videos for YouTube.

We have Google Analytics set up on their Hotjar, and they set it all up so that we could monitor how people behaved on the site. Based off their recommendations, we used certain phrases and placed links at specific places on the site.

What is the team dynamic?

We gave them our ideas and their team did what we asked.

How did you come to work with Custom Creatives?

We’re located in Calabasas, and they’re located in Agoura. We liked the work they did for another company we’d worked with in the past, so we asked who helped them with their design, and they referred us to Custom Creatives. We interviewed several other companies, but we liked what we saw in Custom Creatives’ work.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $10,000-$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2016, and the work was completed in March 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re happy with the results. If we need their services in the future, we’d look to hire them again.

How did Custom Creatives perform from a project management standpoint?

We didn’t have any issues. We met with them a couple times in person, but we mostly communicated through email and Basecamp as needed. The developers were constantly updating Basecamp, so we could see exactly what stage the project was in.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They did what they said they would do, and the project was finished within budget. Communicating with them was really easy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We were pleased with their service.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of a real estate company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Custom Creatives?

We are re-branding our company, so we needed an agency to help us create the branding and marketing collateral.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After understanding our marketing goals and needs, they came up with a plan and gave me a couple of different ideas to work with.  

They designed our logo. When we worked on it in-house, we were having a lot of problems. Custom Creatives was able to make it look very professional but also maintain our vision. 

Additionally, they helped with the corporate branding; specifically, my business cards and the marketing collateral. They also made some updates to the website and helped with submission forms and logo placements.

How did you come to work with Custom Creatives?

I was referred to them. I decided to go with them based on my research of their company. They work with a lot of real estate clients. They also seemed very professional and had a good portfolio of different clients.  

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested around $5,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2017, and the collaboration lasted about 2 weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They had a very fast turnaround time. We were able to launch our brand, and it has received fabulous feedback. It has brought us a lot of successful relationships with our clients.

How did Custom Creatives perform from a project management standpoint?

Fantastic. They have a great system, called Basecamp. Anytime I would post anything or have any revisions made, they would almost immediately respond. So, in that respect, they were very organized and professional.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their client relations. They are fast to respond. They’re also very unique in the sense that they don’t provide a one size fits all design or template for every client. They really listen to what you’re looking for and come up with something very creative and specific for your marketing needs and goals.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I just wish I had done my whole website with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I run an online fitness and lifestyle brand through which I offer nutrition, supplement, and transformation programs for people who want to lose weight, transform their bodies, or just need coaching and motivation for new workouts. It’s an all-online membership platform called Jaynarylee.com.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Custom Creatives?

The aim was to create a user-friendly portal for people who need an online trainer or coach as opposed to training in a gym. The site needed to be mobile-friendly so that I could be someone’s pocket trainer and have them use the site wherever they went. The ultimate aim was to find the right company that could build this dynamic web portal from the backend and create the logo and all other branding collateral for my business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Custom Creatives built my WordPress website from the ground up. It all started with a consultation around creating my brand. We discussed what I was trying to accomplish as a business, starting with branding and moving on to marketing strategy and the frontend of the website.

I came in with an idea, a color scheme, the general feel I wanted for the site, and some sample sites, which I felt were great in terms of both frontend and backend. Custom Creatives took all of those pieces and created an outstanding result. Navigation from a mobile standpoint was important. I wanted to have this capability on-point, and the site navigates well from a user standpoint.

They’re also helping me with video production. Given the nature of my business, people need to see how the techniques are performed. Custom Creatives has also been involved with behind-the-scenes photo shoots.

The backend membership side is currently in progress. We also plan to start content creation, infographics, social media work (including Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram). There is also an e-commerce section of my website.

I have appreciated the fact that I don’t have to go to 3-4 agencies in order to get the job done. I have an assigned project manager and talking to a single person is great.

How did you come to work with Custom Creatives?

I live in Los Angeles, and I wanted a local firm. Custom Creatives is not that close, but they’re close enough to drop by the office when required. I also wanted to find a seasoned company that had worked with e-commerce and membership-style websites, and that had an outstanding, aesthetically-pleasing website. The customer service from Custom Creatives’ side was outstanding from the beginning, and I felt we’d have a good relationship from the first call.

How much have you invested with Custom Creatives?

The cost of their work has been north of $35,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with Custom Creatives in December 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Because my program is still being built on the membership side, I haven’t started driving campaigns to the website. The site is strictly an informational landing page at the moment, but the feedback I’ve gotten on a regular basis is that it’s an outstanding page.

How did Custom Creatives perform from a project management standpoint?

Between working on the project management portal online, and calling the Custom Creatives team, the tasks have been completed within the timelines given to me, most of the time within the same day or within 24-48 hours. This is phenomenal for that type of work.

I had a constant line of communication open, which was really important to me. We have been talking on a regular basis, with check-ins at least once a week. I had access to their web portal, so I knew when something was being done on my account. The communication could also be daily, depending on what we were working on.

What did you find most impressive about Custom Creatives?

After setting up the plan in the beginning, I felt comfortable handing over my baby to Custom Creatives’ team and letting them do their thing. This was a huge point for me. When building a business, you want to keep your hands on everything, but there are things I’m not good at, so I feel comfortable knowing that the digital side is being taken care of. I am impressed with Custom Creatives’ skills in this regard.

Are there any areas Custom Creatives could improve?

Honestly, I don’t have anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a $30 million media buying agency with a multitude of B2C [business-to-consumer] and B2B [business-to- business] clients. 

What is your role at the company?

I am the vice president of business development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Custom Creatives?

Our initial challenge was to take an unsophisticated business and develop strategy and tactics that would be competitive in a very saturated market.

What were your company's business goals for the project?

Literally, this was a build from the ground up situation. Our goal, like every client, is to maximize investment, grow business and, ultimately, build trust to ensure long-term success.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Initially, we started with web design. Once completed, we quickly moved into marketing projects, graphic design, and display marketing.

How did you come to work with Custom Creatives?

We interviewed a number of companies. Custom Creatives was not only experienced in many B2C businesses, but also extremely responsive and willing to help manage and grow our initial client for a period of time.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

That's the beauty of this client and Custom Creatives's expertise. They started with a $20,000 design budget and are now close to a $250,000 per year account in just the digital space. 

What is the status of this engagement?

It is ongoing and has been for more than three years [since 2013].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Year over year, business has more than tripled. The client opened a second location and is now looking at a third.

How did Custom Creatives perform?

Custom Creatives's digital marketing and display have grown each year. This is a true testament to Custom Creatives's performance.

What distinguishes Custom Creatives from other providers?

They are responsive and a true partner, creating a seamless experience for our customers. I say customers because there are others besides the one mentioned above.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve or things you might do differently?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

One of the companies I run is a high-end catering business called Beverly Hills Premiere Catering. We specialize in luxurious modern cuisines. Another company is called Honey Bare Cheesecake. We make high-end desserts within the health niche, catering to luxury boutiques, restaurants, and hotels.

What is your position?

I am the Chief Executive Officer of both companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Custom Creatives?

I needed help with branding work for both of my companies.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Custom Creatives provided A-to-Z services for my companies. This includes packaging designs, marketing collateral, and web design. I haven't gotten SEO and online marketing services from them. We discussed the topic, and I am going to engage in it soon.

How did you come to work with Custom Creatives?

I'd previously met their owner and talked about their company. I also met some of the team members from Custom Creatives. I found them to be extremely helpful. Every time I called them, they gave me support and creative ideas. I fell in love with how we worked together.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The initial development cost was around $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in 2011. The relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I've received a lot of positive feedback from my clients about how good my website looks. Everything works well on it, and my branding material looks great, from the cheesecake packaging to the marketing material I use at conventions.

How did Custom Creatives perform from a project management standpoint?

The working experience has been amazing. Custom Creatives is helpful with my questions, and they're very communicative.

What distinguishes Custom Creatives from other providers?

Their advice and authenticity make them stand out. I sometimes can't get the best idea of what I'm looking to do, so I have phone calls with their team. They figure out what I'm looking for, taking my vision and presenting various options.

Is there anything Custom Creatives could have improved or done differently?

No, they're amazing. I couldn't find one flaw with what Custom Creatives have done.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Kuzyk Law is a personal injury law firm located in Lancaster, California.

What is your position?

I am one of the attorneys.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Custom Creatives?

Our site hadn't been updated for years and was in need of a redesign.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Custom Creatives developed our website. They also provided SEO [search engine optimization] and pay-per-click services for us. This includes creating blog posts and entering my website into various directories. The work is extensive. They're my go-to Internet team. Any problems with the website, regarding its security certificates or any questions I may have, are addressed by them.

How did you come to work with Custom Creatives?

Their owner's father is a person whom I know and respect. I initially used Custom Creatives for a previous company, which I've since sold.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The annual cost of their ongoing services is around $120,000, but it can vary. The total cost of the web design work itself was $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together two or three years ago. The relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The quality of the website is fantastic. Everyone in my office has commented on it. I bought my company from people who hadn't updated their website in years. They didn't believe in Internet marketing for personal injury work. When we started, before Custom Creatives got involved, we were handling 80 to 90 cases per month. We've gone up to 120 cases per month. This is meaningful to my firm. The previous owner has completely turned around and has seen the benefits of Internet advertising.

What distinguishes Custom Creatives from other providers?

Their CEO is a pleasure to do business with. He's honorable, ethical, and I trust him completely. When he promises something, he does it.

Is there anything Custom Creatives could have improved or done differently?

Yes. They need to clone themselves.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I am a real estate attorney located in Boston, Massachusetts. I specialize in real estate closings, representing lenders, buyers, and sellers. I own a real estate brokerage firm through which I provide these services.

What is your position?

I am the owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Custom Creatives?

Prior to working with their firm, I was working within a civil litigation law office. I decided to shift the focus of the firm to transactional real estate services. I wanted to have a website that only advertised this focus, and needed a company that could build it for me and also provide marketing services.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Custom Creatives not only built my real estate website, but they also provided social media and search engine optimization [SEO] work. I am grateful that they sold themselves for all of these services because I had little understanding of this field before speaking to them.

How did you come to work with Custom Creatives?

I interviewed a number of people and couldn't find someone that I liked. I started looking at my competitors' websites because I also wanted to be better or at least equal to them. I saw Custom Creatives as the designer of one of these websites and decided to give them a call. I ended up hiring them a month or two later.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The development cost of my real estate website, including its marketing work, was above $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April of 2013. We still collaborate. I also hired them recently to update the civil litigation website for my company. That work is almost completed as well. I'm also looking to see if we could tweak the contents of my initial website and improve it generally.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I've gotten a lot of positive feedback with respect to my site's branding and the social media work done for it. I've received compliments from clients as well as competitors. The online marketing provided the results I was looking for. I received more calls as a result of it.

What distinguishes Custom Creatives from other providers?

They were always available for me. I received quick responses to my emails constantly. Custom Creatives gave me feedback from the position of the consumer, with regards to how the logo and general appearance of the site would look to my clients.

Is there anything Custom Creatives could have improved or done differently?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Rochester Homes Inc. is located in Rochester, Indiana, in the heart of the Midwest. We sell pre-built modular homes which are shipped on-site. We build around 200 homes per year and ship up to 500 miles away from us.

What is your position?

I am the owner and director of sales.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Custom Creatives?

We have a unique point of selling through a network of independent builders. We've always had a good sales methodology in our relationship-building with direct builders, but we had very little experience in marketing to end-users. As technology continues to be more and more prevalent, websites became an absolute must for every company. A lot of our competitors were able to get ahead of us and reap the benefits of having a lot of direct retail leads which they pushed out to their builders. They promoted themselves as a better resource for leads as a result. We had a lot of catching-up to do and not a lot of experience with Internet marketing.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

At the beginning, we were already working with another website manager. Since then, we've rolled out this service to Custom Creatives. Their work has been a lot better than his.

How did you come to work with Custom Creatives?

They had worked with one of our builders who improved their ranking using Custom Creatives' services. We didn't undergo an extensive search process. We looked at other firms and continued to take calls from them in order to get information on pricing and services. We've continued to find that we are getting good services from Custom Creatives.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The monthly cost of their services is around $1,000 to $1,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them four years ago. The relationship is ongoing. We plan to kick-off a new website with them soon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

They've done everything that we asked them to do. Custom Creatives has increased our ranking and web traffic to over double of what it previously was. This was our initial goal and things have continued to move north in that area.

We're currently focusing on lead intake, which involves a lot of work on our end. Custom Creatives is helping us with this as well.

What distinguishes Custom Creatives from other providers?

They constantly bring new ideas to the table, and although this can be a bit stressful from a budget-spending perspective, the marketing game in general requires us to stay ahead of the curve. Our problem in the beginning was that we were lagging behind. I like the fact that Custom Creatives brings in new ideas and lets us choose how to spend our marketing budget.

Is there anything Custom Creatives could have improved or done differently?

They use Basecamp as a project tracking system. We've found it to be a bit of a pain. The only constructive criticism I would have for Custom Creatives is to look for a better forum for sharing their work. It's not a huge deal.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are The RTA Store. My company sells ready-to-assemble and pre-assembled kitchen and bathroom cabinetry. We are one of the largest dealers online and sell throughout the country.

What is your role at the company?

I am the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Custom Creatives?

We have faced many challenges that Custom Creatives has helped us overcome – the largest being a complete redesign of our website including turning our site responsive. Custom Creatives worked quickly and efficiently and allowed us to be the first responsive site in our specific field. We continue to use them for both of our websites as well as specific design related initiatives and marketing campaigns. 

The goal was to redesign our website and turn into responsive site with the ultimate goal to raise conversions – that, with the help of Custom Creatives, we succeeded. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We needed a complete redesign, including responsive design. We started out with a call with the Custom Creatives team to brainstorm ideas and for me to let them know what we were looking to accomplish. They came back with several ideas, then wireframes, and finally the final product. 

How did you come to work with Custom Creatives?

Custom Creatives came through a reference from another company I work with. We interviewed them and realized it would be a great fit – which it is. 

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was around $10,000 roughly 

What is the status of this engagement?

This project was completed roughly eight months ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Our conversion rate jumped more than 10 percent, which equates to more than $1 million in revenue for the year.

How did Custom Creatives perform?

Custom Creatives performed exceptionally well. They offered great contact throughout the project with quick turnaround and excellent results.

What distinguishes Custom Creatives from other providers?

I enjoyed the flexibility they offered to me. I am on the East Coast, and they are on the West Coast. They were willing to accommodate my schedule and discuss things on my time.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve or things you might do differently?

No. They did a great job.