LAD Solutions

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of The De La Torre Firm

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Law practice which represents employees

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire LAD Solutions to accomplish?

• Build a website

SOLUTION

How did you find LAD Solutions?

Referral

Why did you select LAD Solutions over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

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

LAD Solutions assisted our law practice with the design of our website. They worked with us and created the preferred color scheme and satisfied our requested general theme. They included all the images, created the basic content as well as the content for each specialty handled by our law practice. 

LAD Solutions allowed us to review and edit the content which led to an amazing website that we were very pleased with. In addition, LAD Solutions assisted us with obtaining professional email addresses and designed impressive professional business cards.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I receive requests for consultations regarding our legal services on a regular basis through our website. In addition, I continue to receive compliments about the appearance of my website from colleagues and friends.

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

LAD Solutions was able to create our website by their estimated deadline. They were also very responsive and I was usually able to communicate with them either by phone or email.

What was your primary form of communication with LAD Solutions?

Email or Messaging App

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

They were able to deliver on my vision for the website and exceeded my expectations.

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

No suggestions for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of Got Game Sports. We are a youth development program offering camps, after school and PE programs in Los Angeles and virtual programming nationwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire LAD Solutions?

We were concerned because we had a major revamping of our website where we were changing platforms. We’ve been around awhile and had good organic SEO (or so we thought) and wanted to stay high and improve our rankings. Often with website overhauls, Seo can take a big hit if not handled properly.

SOLUTION

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

Ali and LAD solutions came highly recommended by fellow entrepreneurs and they have been nothing short of wonderful, everything we could have hoped for and then some!

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

They did an audit of our rankings and oversaw the migration of our website to a new platform.

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

We worked with Ali directly. He has always been super informative and responsive. In the digital world sometimes companies can talk circles and make you feel not so smart. Not the case with Ali. Concise, patient and thorough.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been amazing. As a small business owner, I do not want to learn the intricacies of search engine optimization and Google advertising. I don’t want homework, the whole point is to bring in experts. Our communication is efficient, I am limited only when we need to go over something important and I can relay our needs, and they translate it on the digital side. What I love best is in a super short time period, I could literally see the progress just by searching on Google.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It has been very effective. Phone calls when needed, but emails and messaging have been really responsive. I know I can always have a conversation if I feel like I need to talk about a point of emphasis, and as mentioned earlier, I can literally watch the progress from the user side.

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

The results have been the most impressive! The most unique has been my ability to translate our needs and plain English, and always feeling like we are on the same page and in the best of hands.

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

Nothing!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and president of Pinnacle Consulting, LLC. We provide software and services for electric and gas utilities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LAD Solutions?

We engaged LAD Solutions to build our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LAD Solutions designed our website and took care of front- and backend development. It’s a standard website that lists our products and services, contact information, and other pages. The site doesn’t have a lot of interactions, payment processing, or other functionalities.

They went through our old website and sent us a prototype of the design. Then, they implemented the design after our approval.

What is the team composition?

I just worked with the project manager from their team. He got the work done for me.

How did you come to work with LAD Solutions?

The content writer I was working with referred them to me. I thought that it would be easier if both of them worked together on the site.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost was $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with LAD Solutions around October 2020, and the site was delivered in January 2021. The project is complete, but we’ve gotten a quote from LAD Solutions for adding some content.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site looks really good. Clients are very pleased with the change.

How did LAD Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

The LAD Solutions team was professional, and they were available whenever we needed to talk to them. We were supposed to be done in November, but my availability was very limited. They waited patiently for us.

We had Zoom calls once every two weeks to review the work they’d done and any additional requirements from our side. We didn’t use project management tools.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very professional, polite, and pleasing to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could’ve done a bit more testing on their side.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I wouldn’t change a thing, so I have no comments here.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing consultant for a camera lens stabilization and counterbalance system.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LAD Solutions?

We wanted to build a website that was visually appealing, conveyed our message, accounted for SEO, and served as a strong point of sale.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built the company website and optimized it for SEO. That involved keyword research and undertaking paid search efforts through Google Ads. They were also helpful with product tracking and keeping tabs on conversions through Google and Facebook. 

What is the team composition?

We had one point of contact that handled everything.  She’s VP of client relations.

How did you come to work with LAD Solutions?

We found them on Clutch after doing a search for digital marketing companies in our area. After looking at their profile and reviews, they seemed like a good fit. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $6,000 on their services. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2020, and our collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While it’s still early to draw too many conclusions based on our data, I have noticed that our bounce rates a very low for consumers arriving at our site through ads. Users are navigating through the site and engaging in our videos and how-to content. 

We’ve seen people using the shopping carts and making purchases as well. So, I think they’ve done a great job of organizing the page and prioritizing UX. 

How did LAD Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re super responsive, going above and beyond on everything. Even on topics that our contract didn’t cover, they went out of the way to answer questions. In terms of logistics, they’ve hit all their timelines and stayed on budget. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They approached our project with a true sense of partnership and teamwork. While I don’t have a background in digital marketing, they listened to my ideas and educated me on their practices. They were able to execute my ideas while improving them with their expertise. I know our customers well, and they were great at getting our ideas in front of customers. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. It was easy to communicate about any problems that popped up. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be honest with them from the start about your expectations. They’re open and always explain their reasoning behind actions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a marketing coordinator for a real estate firm. We buy and sell residential property.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire LAD Solutions?

We hired them for SEO initially. After working with them for over a year, we also hired them to redesign our site on a WordPress platform.

What were your goals for this project?

Most of our business was coming from word of mouth or referrals. Our goal was to increase our online marketing presence and try to generate more leads from our website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

LAD Solutions was referred to us by a colleague. We contacted them and I spoke with Ali (Partner and Owner, LAD Solutions) and then had one of our partners speak with him. He explained their services in detail and sent me a proposal which I shared with the partners. We had been in touch with several SEO companies and compared proposals and theirs was very affordable and detailed, explaining everything that would be done on a monthly basis.

Describe the project in detail.

After we decided to go with LAD Solutions, they sent us an in-depth questionnaire that asked about our goals and details of our business. From there, they began keyword research and held discussions with us on keywords and local SEO strategy. Once the services were in motion, they took over everything. We gave them access to our website and analytics and they made the necessary changes on the site. They also did off-page link building.

What was the team composition?

We mainly deal with Ali and their project manager. Ali handles are the strategy calls with us and our project manager communicates the progress and answers any questions we have. The project manager also coordinates our blog writing, which their team handles.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any statistics or metrics that speak to the quality of their work and impact of the engagement?

Our local rankings have improved tremendously since we started working with LAD Solutions. We are in the top three for many of our local keywords and we've noticed the benefits. We get a decent amount of phone calls every month with potential clients that just weren't there before.

How did the LAD Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Every month, they add reports to their client portal, where we can log in and download and view progress. Their keyword ranking reports are very detailed and easy to follow.

They respond quickly to all of our emails and answer our calls when we make them. Our primary form of communication is email and we use that to set up phone calls when needed.

What impresses you about the LAD Solutions?

Their transparency has impressed us. They explain realistic goals and explain the good and the bad with it. They’ve never tried to mislead us or promise results they couldn’t deliver. Also, they really do a lot without charging for it. They have helped us with a lot of complimentary website work that our previous vendors used to charge us for on an hourly basis.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Maybe be more proactive in setting up calls to discuss reports more often.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the managing partner at Victory Tax Lawyers. Our work revolves around tax resolution, controversy, and litigation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LAD Solutions?

We were looking for a company to create a website for us and help us with SEO and Google PPC (pay-per-click) campaigns.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They sent us detailed questionnaires to find our what exactly we were trying to accomplish. Then, they built our website from scratch. They added a live chat feature and guided us throughout the whole process, providing feedback and sharing best practices. It's an iterative process, so we communicate and make adjustments as we go. In addition, they oversee PPC campaigns and manage SEO, working with us on identifying the right keywords.

How did you come to work with them?

They were referred to me by someone who had worked them. They seemed very reasonable and easy to work with, so we chose them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2017 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is live and gets a lot of traffic. People spend a long time on the website because of its content and design and many visitors use live chat to engage in conversations with us. Our sales went up significantly during the first six months after the website launched. (We're not advertising anywhere but online.)

They're very good at helping us identify what works before we spend more money on it. We're not spending a lot on PPC campaigns, but we're getting a lot of clicks and conversion at a minimal cost.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

Their response time is stellar. We use phone, email, and screen sharing for communication. They're always explaining things to us, which is very helpful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very knowledgeable and willing to go above and beyond.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of operations at AEGIS Services which is a management consultancy company that works primarily with the oil, gas and construction industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LAD Solutions?

We partnered with them to help us build and design our website, as well as assist us with SEO marketing and manage our Google AdWords campaign.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They initially asked us for sample templates to give them an idea of how we’d like our website to look, so we provided them with pictures and images, as well as some background information on our brand. They then built a mock site and sent us a copy for feedback. We went back and forth for a bit, and then settled on a design that they then built for us on WordPress.

For SEO Marketing, they helped us identify keywords that we wanted to target. They’re also assisting us in creating blog content to boost our SEO marketing. 

Along with that, they set up our Google AdWords account and now manage it, monitoring our keywords performance and making changes when necessary.

What is the team composition? 

We had primarily one point of contact from their team.

How did you come to work with LAD Solutions?

We got quotes from a variety of offshore and U.S.-based companies, and ultimately decided on LAD Solutions because their quote provided us with the best value for our money. Their quote was also flexible to potential changes or tweaks we would make later, which was important to us. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began partnering in December 2016 and completed the website in September 2017. They continue to manage our SEO marketing and Google AdWords campaign.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website looks very professional, and that’s what we were aiming for.

As for whether their work has made an impact on our business, clients are able to easily find us on Google. As a result, we’ve seen a significant increase in leads.

How did LAD Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Our point of contact from their team is extremely responsive. They’re willing to look into anything and answer any questions we have, even if its outside of the scope of their initial involvement or not apart of the service they offer us. That’s something we greatly appreciate.

We meet anywhere between once a week to twice a month to map out our goals and find the most efficient solutions to meet them. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their responsiveness and efficiency, along with the quality of their work has been very impressive. Compares to other companies, they offer such a high-quality service at a great price point.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing specific comes to mind.

UPDATED REVIEW

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing specialist and strategist at AEGIS Services. We are a management consultancy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LAD Solutions?

We initially engaged LAD Solutions because we needed a vendor to build our website and manage our SEO and Google Ads campaigns.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The initial relationship was promising because we were extremely happy with their work, and the digital ads strategies appeared to be resulting in leads. They had also performed some website development work for us.

What is the team dynamic?

Ali (Partner/Owner, LAD Solutions) was always our point person. We hadn’t worked with anyone else on their team.

How did you come to work with LAD Solutions?

We searched online and found LAD Solutions on Clutch. We selected them because they had quality reviews and offered a competitive price.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost has been $40,000–$50,000, excluding ad spend.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2016. We have since ended the relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with LAD Solutions evolve?

Our company has grown in the last two years, and we’ve had audits on our SEO and Google Ads activities from 2–3 third parties, which is a standard practice in our industry of resource certifications. It turned out that our Google Ads weren’t managed at an optimal level.

Through those audits, we learned that we had ad budgets assigned to areas we weren’t interested in and that several keywords needed to be optimized but weren’t. Our management team decided that we needed to reevaluate the work with LAD Solutions and either restructure the relationship or discuss it in more detail.  

We’re opening a branch in a new country, and our managing director found that it would make more sense to shift these services to that other country. We wanted to focus on their strengths, based on our positive experience to that point, but a recent conversation never reached that topic. They told our managing director that they couldn’t restructure the agreement during a two-minute call. We found the brevity of the discussion to be extremely unprofessional. Our relationship ended at that time.

Shortly after, we soon started seeing errors on our website, and we realized that our ads had been removed, which we viewed as some sort of retaliation. Our relationship and our account should not have been managed in this way. Even though we decided to stop working with them, we’ve had to pay for their services. This has been a frustrating end to our partnership, and we’re very disappointed.

How was project management handled?

We planned to have a conference call at least once a month while we sorted through matters. Those calls took place, but we always got the feeling that we’d have to be proactive and check on their tasks lest they get dropped. We understand they have other clients, but we didn’t appreciate all of the hand-holding we had to do.

We would typically message Ali on WhatsApp to ask when he was free, and he’d give us some time slots. They were OK with having calls with us, but it’s more a matter of what we covered on those calls.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

Ali was generally responsive by email and phone, and the team was supportive when we had a general question.

In what specific areas can they improve?

I'd like for them to be more proactive. People go to them because they know more about the subject matter, and there’s an ethical responsibility for LAD Solutions to act appropriately and perform the services they are paid for.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

Clients should know the subject matter. I know it’s easier to delegate the work to an expert, but this can expose the client to being exploited. We may have thought they were performing well because we didn’t know that much about digital marketing when we started.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of a global online fashion marketplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LAD Solutions?

We were looking for a composition marketing strategy; SEO was on top of our list. We were looking for a good agency who could help us get to the top of the page on Google. I had started the process already before hiring LAD Solutions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In the beginning, our goal was to be on the first page for all of our relevant keywords. We reached that goal, so we are now expanding those keywords. They also did PPC management for us and wrote 2 blogs per month with a focus on SEO.

What is the team dynamic? 

I worked with Ali [Founder, LAD Solutions] for the technical SEO parts and also Google ads. I also worked with Nicki, who was the blog project manager.

How did you come to work with LAD Solutions?

I searched on Google, and they were ranked among the top SEO firms in California. Their price was fair.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent between $30,000 and $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2015, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re now in the top 5 for the most important keywords we were targeting. The secondary keywords are ranked on the first or second page. We are continuing our work to drive all of our keywords higher.

How did LAD Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

I wouldn’t say they’re perfect, but they’re good. There were times when there were communication gaps, but I think that’s normal. We communicated primarily by phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven’t worked directly with other agencies comparable to their size. I think they’re on the smaller side, and I’ve worked with larger agencies. I like that I’ve worked with the same people for the past 2 years; they already know what I’m talking about, so little is lost in translation. They provide a consistent team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve on project management. That comes from being a smaller agency. It’s hard to manage clients when you’re a small agency, that's something that will come naturally as they grow.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a law firm that specializes in probate litigation in Los Angeles and San Francisco. I am the Operations Manager for the firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LAD Solutions?

Our overall objective was to try and increase our online visibility and identify our firm as a specialist in this field that we focus on. We have worked with another provider previously.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provide a variety of search engine optimization services; specifically, with Google, Yahoo, and Bing. They also work on blogs and newsletters in collaboration with our attorneys, since they involve more in-depth legal content. We provide them with a list of topics at the beginning of the year and then they usually do one or two blogs per month. They will do the initial draft and then one of our attorneys will edit it.

They also monitor our AdWords and pay per click accounts. We already had a lot of keywords set up, based on our practice area. The partner of our firm is very hands on. At the beginning, he used to oversee these things, but as we grew, we needed an expert to take over our campaigns. We already had some set up, and then LAD Solutions gave us suggestions on what to update, change, and exclude, including negative keywords.

For our website, LAD Solutions has helped us reorganize and update certain information, including our attorney profiles, biographies, and any necessary content changes as needed. For instance, when we added the San Francisco office recently, they helped us add that location and revise the keywords. Our website used to always say 'Los Angeles probate attorneys,' and we had to change everything to say 'California,' since we had a San Francisco presence as well. They were helpful with that.

How did you come to work with LAD Solutions?

They were referred by an acquaintance of ours and he had great things to say about them. He was very happy with the work they had done, which is why we decided to partner with them. We then met with Ali [Partner and Owner of LAD Solutions] in person. He was impressive and was on the same page with us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2015 and the work is ongoing.

How much have you invested with them?

We invest $18,000 annually with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They send us reports every month, and we have definitely seen an increase in our rankings. The things that they have done have already shown to help pretty quickly. We're also currently implementing a CRM system that LAD Solutions will help with. We're going to implement some call tracking and once we do that, we'll have a better understanding of where our leads are coming from and overall ROI.

How did LAD Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very responsive. They usually get back to us quickly and if it's something they can't do right away they will usually tell us when they can complete it. Our communication is on an as needed basis. If we're trying to do a new project or if we want to have a check-in, we will do that. We have had only good experiences with them on that front.

What do you find most impressive about them?

Definitely their responsiveness. Their ownership really cares, which is not always easy to find. They seem to have a good grasp of everything that they do. When we need something, we don't have to explain things multiple times. They understand, and we're on the same page. I'm much more impressed with them than the company we used in the past.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be more timely with their reports or take more initiative to do check ins with us to see how everything is doing or if there is anything we need. Other than that, no.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We sell sterling silver jewelry online. I am the Owner and President. The jewelry industry has a very high-profit margin. In this industry, eight to ten times markups are not uncommon. Basically, our business brings in very low markups and very high quality to the market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LAD Solutions?

With marketing, it's how many conversions you can bring in and at what cost. That's always the challenge with any E-commerce company if you want to bring in new customers and orders at a profitable price point. One option is pay per click advertising. Where we pay for clicks and our average order is around 30 or so dollars, we need to bring in conversions that are 15 dollars or less.

It's always a challenge to bring them in not only at a profitable level but bring in as many as possible. There's a cost to doing SEO, which can be very profitable but it's also hard to get first page rankings. So, the overall goal is to bring in as many conversions and orders for as low a cost as possible. As far as paid advertising goes, you can lower your costs if you’re more efficient. 

I had worked with other providers before and I also managed our campaign myself for a while.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They manage my SEO and PPC, as well as search marketing and social media.

When I brought them onboard, we had some campaigns set up, but LAD Solutions started from scratch, because they had a better way for setting them up. They made all brand-new campaigns, structured them differently, and broke it down a lot more. If all of the keywords are in one ad, it's hard to target specific ads for specific keywords. It took a lot of work, but it set the foundation for years and years of good performance. And from there, monthly optimization made it increasingly better.

It's really important to have the right campaign and ad groups and be able to separate and optimize each one. With online marketing, the optimization process takes time. They communicated with me over time to get information they wouldn’t necessarily know, including what customers are looking for, what product lines are doing well, and current trends.

It’s really important for the purpose of tailoring keywords in ads to understand the customers and industry. If you don't know the industry, it's hard to write an effective ad or target an effective keyword. That said, they listened to what I had to provide them and did a really good job of setting up the technical structure.

How did you come to work with LAD Solutions?

Through a friend that was working with them. My friend received great results with them, but honestly, there's no way to know. Nobody knows how great they're going to be until you try them out. So, I tested them out, and already in the second month, the results were amazing. I started just with SEO and from there, I added on other services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2011 and the work is ongoing.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested $100,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Once they started managing our pay per click with Google, our cost per conversion decreased by half, which is just amazing. Our campaigns were optimized and already pretty good, but when they started managing them, we saw results immediately. It took probably six months for full results, because again, with internet advertisements, you're creating and running monthly campaigns, collecting data, and based on that data, you're taking a series of action. But even in that amount of time, we were getting double the number of conversions for the same amount of money. Not only did this save us a lot of money on advertising, but because we were getting more conversions, our sales and profits increased. It was just a huge difference.

How did LAD Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

There are not a lot of people being switched around. In other words, I'm not talking to a person who then has to go through two other individuals. They are very quick to answer the phone, and they know what questions to ask. Communication has been very easy and direct. 

In the beginning, we would speak every week, sometimes twice a week, through the set-up and to the optimization phase. These days, we don't need to talk as often, because the campaigns are set up and they just continue to work on optimization. If we have a new product line that comes in, we will schedule a call with them to inform them about the details of the product line and help set up the campaigns.

What did you find most impressive about them?

By far, the performance. They cut our cost per conversion literally in half. The savings are enormous, and even more importantly, the additional sales and profits. And then, the communication is good and their fees are reasonable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Results are number one, and the results have been phenomenal. Everything has been great.