Ice Nine Online

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Dir. of Client Services of Bear Icebox Communications

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide PR and communication strategy to B2B brands looking to grow in awareness and thought leadership.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ice Nine Online to accomplish?

• We wanted to freshen up our website to really display our capabilities.
• We wanted to create a place for PR pros to use as a resource.

SOLUTION

How did you find Ice Nine Online?

We've worked with Ice Nine Online previously.

Why did you select Ice Nine Online over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Ice Nine Online were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope of work included full web design, creating all pages with appropriate functionality of our desired end goal--which was to create a resourceful website for PR pros.The SoW also included SEO tools to help our new site generate more leads and multiple revision phases to make sure everything was to our liking.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With the new tools and functions of the site, we will be able to gather more data from visitors which will allow us to better market or adjust to the needs of those visiting our site. We did not have these capabilities before and we're thrilled to have them on the new site.

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

Project management was awesome. Matt and his team were so organized and detailed which made it easy for us to keep ourselves on track with the project--even with our busy schedules. Everything was delivered on time. Matt and Andrew were extremely patient and professional during the entire process. All communication with them was thorough and punctual.

What was your primary form of communication with Ice Nine Online?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Ice Nine Online's approach to the design and functions of web development was very detailed, honest and purposeful. We came in not really knowing much about how things on the back end can really help not just the site but our business in general, and I feel that Matt and his team did a great job teaching and doing. I feel like I learned so much from them and can apply what I've learned to other areas of business development.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Ice Nine Online could have done differently?

We are satisfied with the work that was done.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Strategy, Sales & Marketing of PC Bennett Solutions

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We sell, implement and support small to mid-size businesses with end to end business solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ice Nine Online to accomplish?

• increase traffic to our website
• Manage our SEO strategy

SOLUTION

How did you find Ice Nine Online?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select Ice Nine Online over others?

• Other

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

The team manages our SEO and website. They provide our marketing and executive team with monthly updates including key metrics to gauge success and opportunities. They work strategically and tactically with our content and social marketing teams to ensure we have a high functioning engine for demand generation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have seen growth in lead volume and have tracked specific closed deals to the website and SEO efforts performed by the team. The monthly reports provided by Ice Nine are extremely valuable to help us measure our success and make strategic content decisions for future campaigns.

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

Matt and team have delivered every project on or ahead of deadlines. They provide detailed reporting and metrics on a monthly or at request basis to ensure we are fully aware of the progress of the projects and key metrics.

What was your primary form of communication with Ice Nine Online?

• Virtual Meeting

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

Highly skilled and educated on SEO, google analytics and website design. We rely on their expertise and guidance.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Ice Nine Online could have done differently?

Not one thing I can think of in this area.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of Ocean Tomo. We’re a B2B financial services company. We’re IP focused, so everything from expert testimony to valuation to transactions. Now we’re expanding into the investment banking space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ice Nine Online?

Our main website was aging and it needed to be updated. We had a huge, convoluted website with hundreds of pages and services, so it wasn’t easy to navigate. We needed a partner to come in to move the content to a new site, organize the content, and bring it to 2020 standards.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They came in and looked at everything on our existing site. It was a complete rebuild. We moved from an old Drupal site to WordPress.

They helped identify what we needed to migrate to the new site, and what we could exclude on the new site. They helped us create new media center content and new blog posts.

They also built customizable, searchable landing pages. We wanted the site to be more interactive. Each of our team members has their own page with a video that introduces the team member.

They worked with the marketing team and created a chat function as well.

What is the team composition?

Matt was the main contractor and then we had about two other people on the team.

How did you come to work with Ice Nine Online?

I interviewed a couple of firms, but Ice Nine Online was suggested to me by an acquaintance. We sat down, and they won me over.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent a little over $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2019 and we contract with them to maintain the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve streamlined how we make changes to the website, and it’s easy to revert back if something goes wrong. For the marketing team, it has been a great change. They can pull leads from the site and track how it’s performing. The impact on lead generation has been huge.

How did Ice Nine Online perform from a project management standpoint?

The way they lay out the project is a little different than how I’ve worked in the past, and it was much better. Their project management was great. It streamlined the process. We had several teams on our end invested in the project, and they ensured we all had input without slowing down the project.

We met in person because their office is very close to ours. For all the milestone meetings, they came to us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The project management was impressive. For the size of the project, the scope, and how complex our marketing team’s needs are, Ince Nine Online handled it extremely well. They always communicated well and delivered on time and on budget.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think they need to improve on anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be straightforward and honest about what you want. They’ll be able to lay out their ideas so they can help you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager at 2XL. We’re a manufacturer and supplier of cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfectant products, including wipes and sanitizers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ice Nine Online?

Previously, we worked with a paid search firm but weren’t seeing results. Our impressions and conversions were relatively low. For the amount we paid, the data didn’t add up. We needed to make a change to see success in our paid search and SEO campaigns.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ice Nine properly set up our Google Analytics and Google AdWords accounts, which had minor mistakes that interfered with the accuracy of our reports. Their team then assessed all of our initiatives to pinpoint our challenges. They found that we bid on the wrong keywords and ranked for the wrong keywords. That meant we didn’t get enough traffic to our site. Their team then rebuilt our keyword strategy.

From an e-commerce standpoint, Ice Nine realized that our domain was actually on an entirely separate domain. That interfered with our ability to get conversions from Google. Their team then led the integration of our website with WooCommerce. They also helped us with quite a few social media campaigns.

What is the team composition?

I mainly work with Matt (CEO). From time to time, I also work with another teammate on our website.

How did you come to work with Ice Nine Online?

I searched Google for SEO firms in Chicago, and Ice Nine was one of the first results. I called them and liked their energy. I interviewed 10–12 different firms that immediately wanted to discuss our budget. Unlike them, Matt asked about our goals. Before we set up an agreement, he reviewed our campaigns and results, which let me know that Ice Nine wasn’t just about the money.

My director was hesitant to start the engagement, and it took about three months to get approval. During that time, I didn’t feel pressured to move forward with Ice Nine. Their patience, care, and customer service led to our decision to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve probably spent more than $40,000 on their services so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

I discovered them in September 2018, but we didn’t officially onboard with them until January 2019. We definitely still work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The integration with WooCommerce made the website 10-times better. Their social media campaigns have also been successful.

All in all, our performance improved including our site's impressions. We’re now able to track our conversions, which improved as has our revenue. We now rank on the first page of Google for quite a few keywords.

How did Ice Nine Online perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly Zoom calls and have an in-depth review of all of their efforts once a month. Their team’s responsive to e-mails and phone calls. They’re happy to answer any of our questions. If they don’t have an answer right away, their team digs to find one.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their Google Ads, SEO, and SEM efforts have done exceptionally well. We’re most impressed by the improvements to our SEO and paid search strategies. We rank on the first page of Google for several different keywords, which is tough to do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they make their strengths clear. When we go to them for projects related to those specializations, their team executes them well. They’re killing it across the board.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Matt and Andrew can break down SEO in a way that’s understandable. Be transparent because they’re direct. If you have a question, they won’t beat around the bush. Be willing to learn too.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CFO and project manager for the Cancer Wellness Center. We provide free education, wellness, and support services to cancer patients, their families, and to those who have lost someone to cancer within the last five years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ice Nine Online?

We needed a modern website that would be more user-friendly to our participants.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They moved our website from a custom-built site to WordPress so we could edit the site easier. They made our website more modern and made recommendations to help our UX. Since then, they’ve been managing the platform and making larger edits, while we can make smaller edits on our own.

What is the team composition?

We initially started working with the founder. We’ve also worked with a web developer for bigger edits.

How did you come to work with Ice Nine Online?

They were a referral from one of our board members. Ice Nine Online was very highly recommended and we received really good feedback about them. They were very generous and offered a discount because of our nonprofit status, so they were within our budget.  

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $10,000–$15,000 on the website, and we pay for maintenance as needed.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2018 and we still work with them for things we can’t do on our own.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website went live at the end of August 2018 and it is more modern visually. They were able to make adjustments while maintaining our brand.

They helped reestablish Google Analytics, making it easy to track traffic. We’ve seen an increase in the number of people that go to our website and the amount of time they spend on the site. We’ve only received positive feedback from participants.

How did Ice Nine Online perform from a project management standpoint?

They respond within one business day or sooner. If we have a question, they’re willing to help. The team is very courteous and professional.

We communicate predominately over email, but sometimes hold larger conversations on the phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We really appreciate their responsiveness. Other vendors we’ve worked with were hard to get ahold of when we needed to make changes.

We also love the look and feel of our website. It’s very clean and user-friendly. That was an important aspect of the project, and they did that very well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re training us now, but it would have been helpful if we started doing that at the beginning of our engagement. We hoped they could record trainings to help us onboard new staff members.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate your expectations at the beginning. The team is very understanding and are willing to work on whatever your goals are.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Head of Creative, Partner at Jackson Dearborn Partners. Responsible for all marketing, design, and advertising efforts at the corporate and property level. JDP is a multi-family and student housing investment & development company with a diverse portfolio of assets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ice Nine Online?

To build our new website.

What were your goals for this project?

The main goal was to create/build a simple easy to use website that shows off our current portfolio and allows users to directly invest in our active funds or contact us to learn more. Another goal was to showcase our brand and get our name out there.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I attended Matt Chiera's digital marketing seminar at Cushing around the time JDP started discussing creating a new website. Matt's seminar was impressive and I quickly added Ice Nine Online to our short list. I met with Matt and his team a couple months later to explain what we were looking for and found the team to be personable and professional. In our next meeting we set up a game plan & project timeline.

Describe the project in detail.

We had a couple introduction meetings so Ice Nine could better understand JDP. From there we set up an overall timeline for the project with 3 revision meetings along with a final review. I sent them the basic design of what we were looking for and they built the site out.

What was the team composition?

I mostly communicated with Matt, which made the entire process very easy. After revision meeting 3 I was in contact with their developer Andrew to go over back end details and such.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just launched the website this week and the Ice Nine team has been very responsive and helpful. Before launch they set up a back end training session along with sending over a tutorial video. This has been extremely helpful in managing the site.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The overall workflow was pretty seamless. Their team was very easy to communicate with, always responsive and clear. They were true professionals, but also very personable.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are very knowledgeable about user experience and site optimization. Very strong digital marketing background.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Although there is always room for improvement, at this moment I can't think of anything specific.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The Written Word Center for Dyslexia and Learning is an organization founded by my wife and me. We’re focused on the remediation of dyslexia in students as well as educating the community on the matter. We also work on training other teachers to become academic language therapists so that they can help kids in need of dyslexia intervention.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ice Nine Online?

We wanted to provide a web platform that could not only educate people on our subject matter but also engage people looking to hear more about our services, as well as become a resource for book recommendations and community networks. Another part of our business involves renting an office/meeting space within a building we own, so we also wanted to attract professionals in the education field for this service.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we went through a general consultation session to discuss what we were looking for, who we are, and what we were looking to achieve as a business, as well as how the website would fit into that. We set up the basics of the proposal, including what Ice Nine Online would build and their price. The next step involved setting up a timeline and meetings for each milestone, both virtual and in-person.

The website was built on WordPress. Some of the features we requested include a community calendar for displaying events on the website and a blog for organization announcements. We wanted to tell our story through the homepage, explaining who we are and what we do in a succinct, simple way. This was important to do, given that our business covers a lot of different angles, from students to training and office space.

Another goal was creating contact forms throughout the website, making it easy for people to engage with us whenever they were ready to. Ice Nine Online also worked on SEO and SEM.

What is the team composition?

Their president was our single point of contact, which simplified the execution process. I didn’t meet the rest of the team.

How did you come to work with Ice Nine Online?

I took the digital marketing class taught by Matt Chiera (Founder, Ice Nine Online) in downtown Chicago. I remained in contact with him, and after my business started to grow and required a website, I reached out to him. I didn’t consider any other companies; I knew that he would build the best website possible and find the time to educate us on the process so that we could make changes ourselves.

As part of the contract, Matt allowed additional hours during which we could go over any questions about the website’s maintenance. I plan to remain in contact with him as my website evolves and I start to make changes to it.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work was above $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Ice Nine Online in January 2018 and the site was launched in February.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since launching the site this year, we’ve had at least 12 inquiries from students needing help to teachers needing training or office space. These are people who are truly interested in engaging with our company. We only received 12 inquiries across 2017, so the results have been amazing and the site has truly served the goal we were trying to accomplish.

How did Ice Nine Online perform from a project management standpoint?

We met once or twice per week during the project. I appreciated the cadence, planning, follow-ups, and documentation process from their team. Ice Nine Online guided us through the work well and delivered on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Matt made it easy for us to engage with him. He listened and helped us become better marketers, providing training on the platform being built. We had a level of comfort knowing that he would be there to guide us and grow with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They accomplished our goal in a timely manner and delivered a working website. I have no negative comments.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

The advice I would give any client is to prepare goals for what they want to accomplish as a business, beyond building a website. Matt will ask about strategic business goals, in order to know how those can be supported by a website.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the Senior Marketing Communications Specialist for V3 Companies. We're a civil engineering, construction, and ecological restoration firm headquartered in Woodridge, Illinois, with 300 employees across multiple offices.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ice Nine Online?

We’ve used a number of intranet systems over the years. We hired Ice Nine to create a new iteration that would serve as a central hub for company-wide documents and help streamline internal communications.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built a secure web platform that connects our internal staff without individual users having to VPN into our network. Easily accessible to our various offices and offsite workers, the system hosts our company’s common forms and policy manuals.

The intranet will serve as a space to share information about internal programs, events, and any company-related news.

It also includes a new social function our previous systems lacked. This allows employees to connect with peers who have common interests and set up events or groups. Joggers can find other employees interested in jogging, for instance.

Ice Nine provides training to ensure our staff is familiar with their system.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with the same project manager, Matt Chiera [CEO, Ice Nine Online] throughout the project. He communicates our needs to their team of developers.

How did you come to work with Ice Nine Online?

We had a mediocre experience with the development firm that built our external-facing website. Their ineffective communication methods forced us to waste internal time by guiding them step-by-step through the development process. We sent out an RFP for the intranet project, with one priority being an ability to work independently.

While they were the most expensive option, we felt confident that Ice Nine could meet our deadlines and help keep us on task in the event of delays on our end. They also demonstrated an ability to think outside the box. The social aspect wasn’t part of our initial scope, but was instead recommended by Ice Nine after they listened to our goals. Their competitors offered more generic solutions.

How much have you invested with them?

Around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2017 and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While we haven’t yet launched the system company-wide, the employees we’ve shown it to are very excited. They think it's going to be a huge asset, and people have been pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of the social aspects. We hope this will also help us recruit Millennials.

Once fully implemented, we expect the system to dramatically cut down on email clutter. Having our corporate documents readily available will reduce inquiries to our human resources department. The clean, easy-to-use layout will also make it easy for multiple individuals to make updates as needed.

How did Ice Nine Online perform from a project management standpoint?

Effective project management is one of their key strengths. Unlike our previous vendor, they listened to our needs and took our priorities into consideration when designing the platform. They worked alongside us and gave honest input if they thought our requests would delay the project or lower the overall quality. Their expertise helped steer us in the right direction.

We had a couple of initial meetings to discuss schedules and milestones, and Matt’s thoroughness ensured we hit ever deadline. He also provided a detailed timeline for our end which helped us stay on task and provide necessary documents in a timely fashion.

Ice Nine is highly responsive, even over the holidays. We also made a few change requests outside of the initial scope, but Ice Nine was able to accommodate us without affecting our budget or schedule. They really went above and beyond.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication is highly effective compared to our previous vendor. They’re able to seamlessly execute our priorities and we never have to follow up or repeat ourselves. Working with a firm that was able to operate independently made our lives a lot easier.

We were able to stay on task thanks to their gentle nudging, while their candor and technical expertise ensured a quality end result.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, which is really rare. I’ve spoken to multiple people in our company about Ice Nine’s results and received nothing but glowing reviews across the board.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don't make a decision based on money alone. Ice Nine presented the highest quote of the firms we considered, but the time saved by having a proper company manage the project ended up saving us money in the long run.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The Well Advertising is a full-service advertising and marketing firm doing creative media buying and planning and digital and web development. I’m the owner/CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ice Nine?

We were looking for a good digital marketing partner who could specifically do Google AdWords and analytics.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They manage all our clients' AdWords campaigns, budgets, and creative development. They'll give suggestions and recommendations for SEO or social media marketing, but they don’t execute those.

What is the team dynamic?

I mostly work with Matt [Founder, Ice Nine Online], and there are 2–3 working under him, I believe.

How did you come to work with Ice Nine?

They were a referral from a friend of mine.

How much have you invested with them?

$30,000–$40,000/year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2015, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The campaigns are running really well, and the clients are happy with them. Our return on investment has been good. Everything has been positive.

How did Ice Nine perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re top notch and very responsive. We usually communicate through email. We are in contact a couple times a week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They never miss a deadline and are very much on top of things. Matt makes a great effort at keeping up on changes and innovations in the industry and bringing us new ideas, which I appreciate.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re doing a terrific job.

Any advice for future clients of theirs?

They do their best work when you use all the pieces and parts of their deliverable. You get the best results when you follow their protocol, process, and steps. If you’re not ready to do that, I would hold off until you are.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive vice president of Gibraltar Capital Advance, a small business finance company. We're an independent source of capital for businesses. I look after everything that generates revenue for the business such as sales and marketing and associated operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ice Nine?

Most broadly, we wanted new customer acquisition. Specifically, our business has both a direct and an indirect customer origination channel. The direct line involves our in-house sales and marketing efforts, and we contracted Ice Nine to help with that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They first helped with a digital paid search strategy, setting a budget, executing a digital paid search on Google, and then managing all the reporting and progress of those campaigns. We also do unpaid search, which includes traditional SEO and a general optimizing of our online presence. Ice Nine also did a complete teardown and rebuild of our old website for us.

How did you come to work with Ice Nine?

Honestly, it was a referral. We spent some time vetting and interviewing, but we liked Matt [Founder and CEO, Ice Nine] right away.

How much have you invested with Ice Nine?

In fees that we pay directly to the company, we’ll spend about $75,000 by the end of 2017. Matt’s managing a pay-per-click (PPC) budget of $300,000 for us, even though it’s not what we pay him. Ice Nine doesn’t take a percentage of that as a management fee; they're getting paid by a scoped contract. But, they perform certain enumerated services for certain fees.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January, and the work is ongoing. Matt will continue to do the program and campaign management and reporting for us on PPC.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m very satisfied with the site’s performance. The work is excellent and has already helped our company grow. Just in the first 6 months of the engagement, we have tangible, measurable results in customer growth. There’s been a 50% increase in our run rate of new customer acquisition, compared to before the engagement with Ice Nine. That growth makes the investment really positive. We'll have positive ROI with Ice Nine in our first 6 months.

People, internally and externally, say they like the website, so that's good news. More to the point, we've also seen a sharp increase in the number of indirect sales firms who want to partner with us, now that we have a new site and improved SEO.

What did you find most impressive about Ice Nine?

Matt takes great care of us as a customer. He isn't just performing the work as scoped under the contract. He thinks about us and generates ideas. When delivering reporting and results, he demonstrates a very high level of customer care. You can tell he actually wants this relationship to work. He's very committed to us being successful. He wants us to derive value, and he makes that very evident through his work and delivery.

Are there any areas Ice Nine could improve?

No, I don't have any suggestions. I’ll keep it all positive.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Ice Nine?

Customers need to have clear objectives. The customer needs to have their own strategy nailed down first. If you can communicate that unambiguously and clearly to Ice Nine, they will execute well.