ECF Marketing

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We're a self-directed personal, professional and financial education platform dedicated to helping our clients to create the life they've always wanted. I am the director of marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ECF Marketing, and what were your goals?

SEO and Reputation Management - We hired ECF Marketing to help our various websites rank better for the keywords related to our products and services. We also wanted to make sure we rank favorably for as many keywords related to our brand as possible.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We considered the professional comptence (by checking out past client work), cost, attitude and communication skills of the various agencies we interviewed. ECF was the best at communicating the project scope, methodologies and managing expectations. Their cost was middle of the road but their leadership team and attitude meshed well with ours from the get-go.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

We needed help with optimizing multiple websites (11 to be exact) for Google search results in all aspects of SEO. We had an internal team of 1 web developer and a couple of part-time writers, but we had no experience with optimizaing websites for search traffic.

The scope of work of our project included keyword research, content production and optimization, link building and rank tracking, and the deliverables included reports covering each aspect of the project as well as article outlines, actual articles published on other sites for link building purposes.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

1 SEO strategist, 1 web developer, 2 writers and 1 project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Every website had increased traffic starting from roughly 2-3 months after we began. The best results were produced on our main website on which we saw our montly traffic exploded from about 600 visitors a month to a whopping 43,000 visitors a month.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We used a mixture of spreadsheets and Basecamp for project management. ECF was quick to respond to messages, requests and questions we post in Basecamp, usually within the day and sometimes within the hour. They were fairly laid back and practical... and allowed us to see data in real-time to minimize the need to produce flashy reports.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

ECF under-promised and over-delivered in professional results. They were very conservative in making promises and told us repeatedly that no SEO results could be guaranteed. The traffic helped us produce 8-figures in additional revenue for our company over the years.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Their reporting style was dry and data-driven, which was very difficult to understand for non-techies. I would recommend that they use better visualizations to help communicate the data.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a Tutor

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a language tutoring company serving both k-12 students and adults locally in Southern California and globally through online tools. We specialize in equipping our students with practical Chinese that is applicable in real-life situations using effective and fun learning skills.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire ECF Marketing to accomplish?

• We hired ECF Marketing to increase our online visibility, improve our search engine rankings, and generate more consistent leads through our website. Specifically, we wanted to rank higher in local search results, attract more qualified customers, and ultimately boost our phone calls and inquiries to keep up with the growing demand in our service area.

SOLUTION

How did you find ECF Marketing?

Referral

Why did you select ECF Marketing over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from ECF Marketing were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

ECF Marketing's scope of work involved a comprehensive digital marketing strategy aimed at improving our online presence and generating more leads. They began with a detailed audit of our website, optimizing it for SEO by targeting relevant keywords, improving content, and enhancing site structure.

They also focused on local SEO, optimizing our Google My Business profile and running targeted local search campaigns to boost our visibility in the Orange County area.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The measurable outcomes from the project were highly impressive. Our website traffic increased by over 60%, and we saw a significant improvement in our Google search rankings, landing on the first page for several key local search terms. The number of phone calls and inquiries from the website nearly doubled, leading to a notable increase in new business. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

ECF Marketing’s project management was excellent. They were highly organized and always delivered items on time, meeting all deadlines we set together. Throughout the project, they maintained clear and open communication, keeping us informed about progress and any adjustments being made. They were very responsive to our needs, quickly addressing any concerns or requests we had. Their team was proactive in providing updates and ensuring that we understood each step of the process. Overall, their attention to detail and responsiveness made the entire experience seamless and stress-free.

What was your primary form of communication with ECF Marketing?

Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What impressed us most about ECF Marketing was their deep expertise in local SEO and lead generation, combined with their personalized approach. They didn’t just apply generic strategies—they took the time to understand our specific business needs and tailored their solutions accordingly. The results were not only fast but also long-lasting, which was unique compared to other agencies we’ve worked with. Their commitment to transparency and proactive communication also stood out, making the entire process smooth and efficient. Their ability to deliver measurable results in such a short time was truly impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement or something ECF Marketing could have done differently?

While our experience with ECF Marketing was overwhelmingly positive, one area for improvement could be their initial onboarding process. While they ultimately delivered exceptional results, we would have appreciated a more detailed kickoff meeting to align our expectations and project goals from the very beginning. This would have further clarified the timeline and specific milestones we could anticipate throughout the project. However, this is a minor observation, as their overall performance and the quality of work far exceeded our expectations.