Lightburn

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Bay View Printing, a letterpress print shop and design studio.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Lightburn?

We had an existing Squarespace website that we built ourselves, but we wanted to take our business to the next level by creating a whole new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Lightburn helped us with web design and development for our Shopify site. We started the process by working together on a mood board to come up with a design for the platform. After that, we went through the functionalities of the existing site to assess the new features we wanted to add.

What was the team composition? 

I worked with around five members of Lightburn’s team, including Kaitlyn (Designer) and Stacey (Project Manager).

How did you come to work with Lightburn?

A friend of mine who works with Lightburn referred them to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $40,000–$50,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February 2021–February 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were delighted with Lightburn's work and always got compliments on our website. The site was easy to use and navigate, and the updates they made fully automated the sign-up process of our platform, which was awesome.

How did Lightburn perform from a project management standpoint?

Lightburn delivered on time and budget.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review? 

Kaitlyn knocked the design out of the park and blew us away with a functional and beautiful look that functioned 100% the way we needed. She did an amazing job.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by Lightburn's team's ability to take the images and ideas we threw at them and make something beautiful, functional, and user-friendly. This was amazing considering we were a tough client due to our design background — they crushed it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I didn't think there was anything they could improve on. Our experience was very positive, and they even inspired us to make cultural changes within our company.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It's always good to work with them with a clear vision of your wants and needs, especially anything above and beyond your current website's functionality.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director at Jones Dairy Farm. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lightburn?

Initially, we hired them to develop our website’s backend. Later, we noticed that our website had lost domain authority, so we engaged Lightburn for SEO and digital marketing. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Lightburn has provided us with backend web development. For our first project together, they developed our WordPress website using another provider’s designs. Before, we had an antiquated CMS, and Lightburn built our new site using WordPress. Since our website’s launch, the team has continued offering ongoing maintenance and enhancements. 

We also use Lightburn for digital marketing and SEO work in a monthly program. I’ve identified the goals, and Lightburn has put together an initial keywords draft. We’ve worked together to refine the keywords, and we provide them with feedback. Lightburn has also put together a landing page; they’ve created a first draft, and we’ve taken over the page and added content.

Additionally, the team has developed a digital marketing campaign centered around recruiting. This campaign involves PPC on Google, Meta, Microsoft, and YouTube. 

What is the team composition?

On the website side, we work with a project manager and a business development manager. As for digital marketing and SEO, we work with a director, an analyst, and a UI specialist from Lightburn. 

How did you come to work with Lightburn?

We were initially introduced to Lightburn through a consulting company that helped design our website. At the time, we had drafted a robust RFP for a website redesign, intending to update our site’s look and feel and UI design and migrate to a new CMS. Initially, we didn’t have contact with Lightburn, but our design provider connected us once the site was live. 

Later, I identified our need for SEO work and brought that to the Lightburn team; they offer SEO services in-house. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $60,000 in 2023, including website maintenance, digital marketing, and the campaign. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Lightburn has met and exceeded expectations. They bring value with their recommendations and understand our company’s goals and limitations. Moreover, the Lightburn team is collaborative. Each month, they adapt their strategy based on the results and are very active in their participation. 

Moreover, Lightburn has helped guide us and has taught us how to use WordPress independently, representing time and cost savings. I’ve also had a good experience with the technical side of the business, which is why I felt comfortable seeking their digital marketing and SEO support.

How did Lightburn perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very transparent, bringing us any issues well in advance, so we don’t have any surprises. They deliver on time, if not sooner. Moreover, Lightburn is very thoughtful about the quality of their work, which makes them reliable. We communicate via email and meetings.

We have ongoing biweekly meetings with our project manager. She puts together an agenda, and we discuss goals, prioritize the backlog and our features wishlist, and scope the work. As for the SEO side, we have monthly meetings about priorities, goals, and KPIs. The SEO team provides updates, training, and relevant insight. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Amy (Senior Project Digital Manager) has been a great asset and a pleasure to work with. I trust her input, and she’s been highly collaborative and focused on our business. Clay (Director of Digital Marketing) has also been an insightful advisor and added value, helping us understand SEO. Lastly, Taylor (Content Strategist) has given my team valuable information and guided us on SEO basics. Her contribution has enhanced our business and team.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

We trust Lightburn’s work and see them as advisors. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There isn’t really anything I’d have them improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You should have a clear goal. With our SEO project, I have a very defined goal, which helps develop a focused strategy and put together measurable action items. However, I trust that Lightburn can also help you define a plan. 

Additionally, bringing the team examples is helpful. Look at other websites and bring Lightburn examples of what you like and things you’d like to replicate and why. From there, Lightburn can help mirror enhancements by looking at examples. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a communication specialist at Marquette University, a higher education institution in Wisconsin. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lightburn?

We hired Lightburn for their website design and development services. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially had to lay out our expectations based on our existing websites. After that, we began building the site with Lightburn. Starting with the wireframes, we ensured that our site map made sense. Our teams worked on the site’s Figma designs, and once we were happy with those designs, we went into coding and building the actual site. The review period lasted for two and a half weeks, and then we launched the beta version of the website in August 2023. 

At present, we’re on a six-month maintenance contract with Lightburn. We work for around 10 hours per month with them. 

For features and functionality, the website is a custom WordPress one that serves as a news hub for everything that’s happening in the university. It’s built like a newspaper with different landing pages based on various topics and colleges. It gives people plenty of options when it comes to finding specific content types. Additionally, it has a dynamic home page that displays a great deal of news items. Users can also check out feature videos and some of our photo galleries. 

The website is an all-encompassing base for the messaging that we want to deliver to our internal audience. It’s a newsletter that gets sent to each student. However, it’s also externally facing, so we have to balance these two aspects. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 7–8 teammates from Lightburn from beginning to end. Jenna (Content Manager) serves as the project manager, and we’ve worked with them most consistently. However, we’ve also interfaced with other teammates from the design and development teams. 

How did you come to work with Lightburn?

We received proposals from four different vendors before choosing Lightburn. I came along after they were chosen, but our company picked them from that group of four vendors. They were also within my city, so I had a pre-existing awareness of their team. 

How much have you invested with them?

Our investment has been around $44,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in October 2022, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Anecdotally, we’ve received strong responses from people after the site’s rollout. In terms of numbers, there has been an 80% increase in new visitors to our website, a 63% increase in sessions, and a 32% increase in engagement. In terms of work quality, we’re happy with the end results, which align with our expectations. 

How did Lightburn perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve been able to stay on target when it comes to time and close to being on target when it comes to finances. Overall, Lightburn’s process has been solid. I’m truly happy with Jenna. They've done a great job during this project and consistently displayed technical knowledge, which is important to us when it comes to a project of this scale. To communicate, we have weekly Zoom meetings on top of various emails throughout the week. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Lightburn’s designs match what we’re looking for, and they’ve brought our ideas to life. We’ve done a couple of alterations, but the team has done a good job overall.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The initial proposal and design process took a bit longer than we were expecting, though we’ve been able to work through it. During the design process, whenever we wanted to get something changed, our requests further ate into our budget. As a result, it felt that there wasn’t a lot of wiggle room for experimentation or exploration during the process.

For example, when they presented the initial look of the website to us, they used the same photos and headlines over and over again. The presentation was more in line with their other clients that needed static websites as opposed to a news website. As a result, the presentation didn’t give us a full idea of what the end product would actually look like. 

We went into the coding process as soon as the design phase was over. There should be a step in between the first draft and the coding part. This way, we could explore more in terms of what aspects might and might not work in actual practice. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear idea of what you’re looking for, and be responsive. Our partnership with Lightburn has been helped by the fact that our team has plenty of experienced people. As a result, we have a truly clear idea of our goals. This has made the process smoother and put us all on the same page from the beginning. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the senior manager of development operations for a brand-new nonprofit. We specialize in medically tailored meals for low-income individuals with diet-related diseases. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lightburn?

We hired Lightburn to do a new revamp, including adding brand-new pages. When we had initially created the website, our nonprofit had just been conceptualized, and we needed to get a website up and running to check that off. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

My interaction with Lightburn was a little more unique. The team had initially designed and developed the website. As our brand-new nonprofit developed, we needed to enhance it to include several sections. I worked with Lightburn on my concept and ideas, and then they implemented those. I gave them feedback on what I was looking for and what I needed it to be, and they did a great job of coming up with options. 

We needed a page where volunteers, corporations, and individuals could participate in our mission. Additionally, we needed a donation page where folks could go and identify all the different ways to donate. We wanted to enhance the menu options for the home page, and we added a recipe platform. It was an extensive project, almost creating an entirely new website utilizing Umbraco. Additionally, maintenance and hosting services are something they provide us with. 

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Stacy (Director of Production) and Colleen (Director of Client Strategy).

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I want to give a shout-out to Stacy. We collaborated on the look and feel, and she was outstanding. She made sure the project was moving along. Colleen got us a reduced nonprofit rate, which we greatly appreciate.

How did you come to work with Lightburn?

The Lightburn team has been working with our agency for quite some time. They were involved before I joined the team. 

How much have you invested in them?

We invested $15,000 in this enhancement project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them on this project from March–May 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website has received positive feedback from everyone, from its first iteration to the second. It fulfills all of our requirements and operates efficiently. Our agency is looking forward to further growth. In our latest newsletter, 140 individuals clicked on the website link, which is a testament to its fantastic performance.

Lightburn did a fantastic job of sticking to the escalated timeframe. They said it would typically take three months for a project like this, but they completed it within five weeks. It was awesome. 

As a nonprofit, the budget was a concern. The team did an outstanding job of ensuring our internal staff could make updates ourselves. That way, we didn't have to contact the Lightburn team whenever we needed a change. It's saved our agency a lot of time and money, which we appreciate being a new nonprofit organization. 

The team was a lot of fun to work with. Although it was a challenging project because of the tight timeline and fast pace, I had a blast and would work with them repeatedly. 

How did Lightburn perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a weekly check-in meeting, and they also provided a status update. Stacy did an outstanding job of always keeping me in the loop. She also provided me with clear expectations to keep us on track. It was a dual effort; we could only move forward if I completed my part.

We typically communicated via phone calls, emails, virtual meetings, and Figma. We could visually test it, add remarks, and approve it before they spend all the time and effort to implement it on the design and programming side. It was a fantastic tool to utilize.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They took my feedback and made the product even better than I thought. It was more than I could ask for. They were highly responsive; Stacy responded within five minutes. 

In addition to this project, Stacy and Colleen volunteered for a significant event and put in a 6-hour volunteer shift. The team exceeded our expectations and their positive attitude contributed greatly to the wonderful experience our guests had. I couldn't have asked for a better group to handle the task. They're a dependable team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

During the initial phase, we had to remain consistent with our brand. Though we thought we could deviate from our brand guidelines, the president and CEO insisted on sticking to them. We made several iterations, but ultimately, the outcome was exceptional.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As a client, the more precise you can be about your needs and preferences, the better chance you have of staying ahead of the schedule for project planning. With that, Lightburn will knock it out of the park for you. If you need clarification, the Lightburn team will provide examples and ideas to help guide you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Respondent 1: I'm a co-owner and executive producer at Ski Team. We’re a video agency that produces content for brands and agencies, including broadcast, TV commercials, social media content, documentaries, and more.

Respondent 2: I’m a co-owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lightburn?

R1: We needed to develop our company’s website. We had a Squarespace site and needed to update it in order to meet our company’s growth. We were looking for a more professional site optimized for SEO.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

R1: Lightburn designed our company’s branding and offered us a brand package. They created our logo, color scheme, and brand guidelines. We had a discovery session where we exchanged notes and shared our project’s goals. Lightburn helped us explore the different branding options that could show our personalities as business owners and as a brand.

After Lightburn created our branding, they designed and developed our site according to the brand guidelines. We had a similar process where we discussed our goals and asked Lightburn to integrate the site with Vimeo to showcase our work and to be easy to use. 

Lightburn used Figma for web design and customized a WordPress template to develop the site, integrating different plug-ins that were important to us. 

Additionally, Lightburn designed collateral marketing materials.

What is the team composition?

R1: The team size would vary from 3–5 teammates depending on the phase of the project.

R2: We worked with Betsy (UX/UI Designer), Kate (Project Coordinator), and Jenna (Digital Project Manager). 

How did you come to work with Lightburn?

R2: We had a personal relationship with Lightburn.

R1: We’ve been friends for a long time. 

How much have you invested with them?

R2: We spent $25,000 with Lightburn.

What is the status of this engagement?

R2: We worked with Lightburn from September–December 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

R1: We received positive feedback for the site’s design, although it’s soon to have quantitative metrics. Lightburn shared their experience of 25 years as a company, and I really appreciated this as a new business owner. 

Lightburn helped us explore our brand identity and gave us feedback throughout the process.

R2: Lightburn met our expectations, and our site has more traffic now. 

How did Lightburn perform from a project management standpoint

R2: Lightburn delivered everything on time and stayed on budget. 

R1: Lightburn was good at keeping us on task, and the workflow was fluid. We learned a lot about project management by watching Lightburn’s team work. They were really responsive.

R2: We used Airtable and Google Workspace to share documents and collaborate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

R1: I was most impressed with Lightburn’s generosity. They made sure we felt heard and seen. After we launched the site, Lightburn still answered our questions even if they couldn’t address the issue. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

R1: Lightburn educated us about web development, but they could’ve been more upfront about the process and decisions. Sometimes, we felt frustrated because we didn’t understand certain milestones and decisions they made. There were a handful of times when we were surprised we couldn’t change something from the site. 

R2: The biggest disconnect for me was that Lightburn showed us the designs on Figma, and they looked good. However, when Lightburn transferred those designs to the functioning website, some things didn’t look right, and we couldn’t change them anymore because we had already approved them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

R1: Lightburn has a broader service offer than I had expected. Even as someone that has known them for a long time, I didn’t know Lightburn offers branding design, and they did a great job. They’re known for their website development work, but I recommend customers explore the other services Lightburn offers. 

R2: I recommend you stay engaged with Lightburn’s team and ask a lot of questions — make sure you understand every part of the process. I definitely recommend working with Lightburn; your team will be in good hands.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and owner of namebadges.com, an online site where businesses and individuals can order customized name badges. namebadges.com is a subsidiary of The Cawley Company, which produces name badges for chain customers worldwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lightburn?

We saw the opportunity to reach customers through a website many years ago. At the time, we started working with a different company. However, our business is complex because every single name badge is custom, and that company struggled with the challenge. Thus, we decided to hire Lightburn to help us out.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Lightburn has helped us design and develop a custom website and online store for our business from scratch, only using an existing template from a site-building platform. Throughout the process, they made recommendations and guided us on where to host our website. Now, they help us with maintenance and updates whenever we want to add products, change products, or change our special offers.

On our site, users can easily customize and design their name badge template, import graphics, and add their names. They can either add names individually or import a large group of names at once into the website.

In addition to website development and maintenance, Lightburn helps us with our SEO and marketing strategy. This includes performing keyword research, sharing their findings, and giving us suggestions. Additionally, they collaborate with us to develop our seasonal promotions and schedule them.

As part of this marketing strategy, Lightburn is in charge of our email marketing. They use MailChimp to develop and automate email campaigns for contacting customers periodically to let them know about our special offers. Although we provide them with some graphics, their team is also in charge of designing the templates for said campaigns.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with around six people from Lightburn, including Andrew (Partner), Clay (Director of Digital Marketing), Nick (Senior Digital Marketing Analyst), and Stacy (Lead Digital Project Manager).

How did you come to work with Lightburn?

We researched online and found several different companies that could help us build our website. We received proposals from all those companies, but Lightburn’s proposal and understanding of our business were the best, so we engaged with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $100,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2019 and launched the site in July 2020. Still, our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Lightburn, we’ve gone from 10 orders per month to close to 300 orders per week. Moreover, our site’s key feature allows our clients to configure their name badges very easily, and it’s so well-organized that it helps them decide the kind of name badges they want.

How did Lightburn perform from a project management standpoint?

Lightburn’s project management is excellent. We meet with them every other week via Zoom, and we use Airtable to manage projects and tasks in order of priority to ensure we’re always tackling high-priority projects first. Their team is very organized, helping us keep our priorities aligned with what we need to do. They give us such good guidance that they feel as if they’re part of our company, which is truly amazing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Lightburn has completely understood our business, practically as well as we understand it. It is impressive how well they’ve taken who we are and presented it to the public.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have any constructive feedback.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate effectively with Lightburn so that they can gain as much understanding of your business as possible. If you do so, they’ll able to take that information and communicate it to the public online.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the advertising manager for Douglas Dynamics; we’re a machine manufacturing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lightburn?

We were working with a company and saw some performance lags, and things were happening slower than they should have been. We hired Lightburn for SEO, UX/UI, and web design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially thought they would only do minor updates to the three websites we brought with us and focus on new functionality. The first thing they did was go in and understand what we were bringing in from an asset standpoint. They did audits and looked at performance and ADA. 

After Lightburn looked through everything, they recommended that we start from scratch and build brand-new websites for our three main brands. We moved forward with Lightburn and the redesign; the website now provides a much better backend experience for our internal team managing the content. The process is the same regardless of the brand they’re working in, and the structure on the backend is all the same, which makes it simpler.

From the UI/UX perspective, Lightburn brought elements that differentiated each site from the others and stayed within our branding guidelines. We just launched the third website and are now working on adding new functionality and projects. Lightburn built SEO into the website, but we’re looking forward to refining it and ramping it up in the future. 

The UI/UX team from Lightburn helped us with content using our navigation and creating guided selling opportunities. They helped us create mock-ups and visualize ways to present information in a way that aligned with how a dealer would walk somebody through the sales process. 

The website is a WordPress Multisite, and internally, we’ve invested in a digital asset management system. 

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Amy (Senior Project Digital Manager); we also work with a UI/UX person, and we’re about to start working with their SEO team. 

How did you come to work with Lightburn?

We sent out an RFP to a couple of companies, and Lightburn stood out the most. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2021, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen a significant jump from where we started regarding website speed and load speed. They’ve delivered everything that they promised, and they’ve been exceeding our expectations. We’re looking forward to a long-term relationship with Lightburn. 

How did Lightburn perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a deadline that we were looking to hit, and we hit a few roadblocks, but we were able to deliver everything within a month of when we initially mapped everything out. We went out of budget on the first project, but Amy was watching the process very closely and was able to make some changes to our processes and procedures. We were able to re-rack priorities for the year and get back within the budget that we wanted to be in. 

We’ve been incredibly impressed with Amy; she can move through conversations with different people on our team seamlessly and convey technical information, which we’ve not always had in the past. We use Asana for project management and Slack, Google Meet, Zoom, Skype, text messages, and phone calls to communicate. We have a weekly meeting to look at the status of everything, and then we have a semi-annual strategy check-in. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Lightburn always ensures that we get our information from the right people and that nothing gets lost in translation. We get to speak with people across their teams so that everything is aligned and we’re all on the same page. They’re also transparent and honest with us, and they’re not scared to tell us what we need to hear to point us in the right direction. They’re very collaborative, and they want to work with us. We were looking for an agency that put digital first, and Lightburn continuously brings the best practices within the digital industry to lay a solid foundation for our company.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s hard for us to critique them because they’re so transparent with us and we deal with any issues that come up immediately. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come into the relationship with an open mind. Explain where you’re coming from and lay that all down so they can use their knowledge and help you flesh out your specific digital strategy.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for a mid-sized architecture firm. We serve the public sector with education and civic buildings.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lightburn?

They provided us with web development. Our existing solution wasn’t very dynamic, and we had ambitious goals to update our website to make it more user-friendly and focused on our audience's problems. It was a major overhaul of our website. A large part of the project was turning something static into a dynamic property.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Lightburn is working on WordPress to rebuild our site from scratch. We wanted to keep the portfolio aspect of our previous website to tell the story of our clients, projects, and services. We also wanted to offer lots of connection points to keep our users on the website for longer. The goal was to encourage users to dive into the site and navigate around to find out more about us.

Simultaneous to the web development, we were going through a brand refresh, so we had a new logo and color scheme, and other tools that we were trying to implement. Lightburn did a great job of taking our new identity and putting it into practice.

We also wanted to feature a lot of our photography projects, which are strong and bold and really tell our story.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with around 10 people to date, including a main account manager. This person has led the charge as our key point person.

How did you come to work with Lightburn?

I’d worked with them with a previous employer and was impressed with their work. Lightburn came in with the right mix of being a true partner who developed what we needed and pushing us outside what we already had.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $30,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We didn’t measure metrics on the old site, so it’s hard to draw a strong contrast, but we did see an initial uptick when the new site launched. The feedback we’ve received has been very positive, both internally and externally.

How did Lightburn perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re accessible and responsive, as well as responsive in giving weekly updates on deadlines and the budget. They’re very strong with their project management through AirTable.

Communication happened through Microsoft Teams, as well as emails and phone calls. Anytime we’ve needed an ad-hoc check-in, they’ve been very open to meeting with us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve had a true partnership. After coming in with a pretty strong vision of what we wanted, Lightburn didn’t just tick the boxes and go through the motions of what we wanted. They found creative solutions to make our website work well, for us, our budget, and our users. When we had an idea, they brought their own to the table as well, extending our ideas and showcasing their expertise and understanding of who we are as a firm.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not off the top of my head.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You should both know what you’re looking for (and make decisions that drive it) but also be open to Lightburn’s suggestions and best practices. It’s good to come in with a little bit of both. Remain open to their solutions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing manager for Wimmer Communities, which is a multifamily company that owns and operates over 30 communities across the Milwaukee area. We have about 8,000 residents. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lightburn?

We’ve partnered with Lightburn for a few strategic initiatives. Competing in the Milwaukee market, we know that people have a lot of options in terms of renting apartments. We want to beat the competition with Lightburn’s help in implementing SEO strategies, creating informative websites, and managing PPC campaigns optimized for our budgets. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Lightburn has built and hosted our primary website, which showcases all of our properties while giving end users the ability to lease them. The team implements different technologies within our company. They help us with CRM system integrations, along with technologies that help us manage our properties. 

Moreover, the team manages our Google and Microsoft ad campaigns. Their resources provide analytics and tools necessary to know how we’re being successful. To do that, Lightburn has developed a custom dashboard for our ad campaigns within Google Data Studio. They’re also running our social media ad targeting on Facebook and Instagram. They’re constantly looking for opportunities for us to improve. 

Overall, Lightburn serves as our strategic marketing partner. We lean on them for strategy. Once a year, they show us opportunities for improvement in terms of SEO, content creation, website development, and email automation. They give us solutions that we can either implement by ourselves internally or with their help. 

What is the team composition?

I work with 6–7 people from Lightburn, including their SEO strategists and account managers. I also deal with their marketing team and head of development. Graphic designers work on certain projects. 

How did you come to work with Lightburn?

Our company put out an RFP for marketing and website help, and Lightburn sent us a quote. After meeting with them and comparing their team to several other marketing agencies, we decided that they were the ones that impressed our team the most. As a result, we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $50,000–$100,000 on a yearly basis. Including the ad budget they manage for us, the total per year is around $200,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2013, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen about a 283% increase in signed leases because of our PPC campaign strategies. Anecdotally, Lightburn is an incredible partner. They've gone beyond helping us create a new website. They continue to improve and grow as a company, providing us with more value for our contract. 

In fact, they’ve recently hired an SEO strategist without any additional cost on our end. That person does quarterly check-ins with us on how we’re doing from an SEO and organic search standpoint. On top of that, the team constantly manages and improves our ad strategies while taking into consideration the changes in Google’s algorithm. They’re on top of such changes, and they address them proactively. 

How did Lightburn perform from a project management standpoint?

Lightburn’s project management is good. We have biweekly check-ins with their development, SEO, and PPC management teams. They have ongoing task boards on Asana, which keeps our efforts easy to track. We have a great structure in terms of what tasks are completed, being worked on, or being considered for the future.  

To communicate, we use Microsoft Teams. Lightburn uses Semrush as their main SEO tool. They’ve also created a custom portal for us where we can see how we’re doing and track our performance.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Lightburn is committed to making us the best company we can be. They’re on top of everything that’s changing in the digital marketing world. The team helps us stay on the cutting edge of all technologies, and they have our best interest in mind. As a result, their resources always find ways for us to optimize our ad spend so that we’re getting more returns for the money we’re spending. On top of that, they provide us with additional services that other companies wouldn’t offer us. This shows their commitment to adding value to our relationship. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. They’re great partners and listen to our directions while also providing their feedback and opinions.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Lightburn is the best digital marketing agency in Milwaukee, and they have the team necessary to achieve any digital marketing goals that companies in any industry has. The combination of their SEO, PPC, and website development teams makes every task achievable. They’re the best partner you could ever have in marketing and web development. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing coordinator of Zorn Compressor and Equipment, an industrial distributor and servicer of air compressors, vacuum pumps, and hydraulic equipment. I mainly do internal marketing for our employees and manage our social media presence.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lightburn?

Our initial was looking for a firm to help us redo our website and make it more user-friendly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started our engagement with Lightburn for their web development services, but we’re also working with them for digital marketing and SEO. 

The website serves as a resource to let our customers know more about our company, services, and products. With that in mind, we required Lightburn to clean the website and boost the content that people need to know about.

In terms of digital marketing, they provide us with link building, content writing, and ad management. We have weekly calls with their team to discuss the progress of each ad and work closely with them to identify keywords we can implement. 

They continue to monitor our site’s performance to make sure it’s running smoothly, while also creating ads and maintaining various marketing campaigns to improve our online presence.

What is the team composition?

We work closely with Clay (Digital Marketing Director), Nick (Digital Marketing Analyst), and Taylor (SEO Analyst).

How did you come to work with Lightburn?

We came across Lightburn while researching marketing agencies in the area. I wasn’t here when the company decided to hire them, but what we liked about Lightburn is their dedication to building a long-term relationship with us.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent a little over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While we can’t give exact figures, we’ve seen a major improvement in our web traffic, phone inquiries, and lead generation thanks to our PPC and Google Ads campaigns.

Apart from that, we’ve also increased our positioning in Google search results.

How did Lightburn perform from a project management standpoint?

If they think that raising our budget would be beneficial for our campaigns, they discuss them with us and follow our decision. They’re also very responsive, and have always adhered to our budget and timelines.

We typically communicate through email, Teams, and have meetings every other week on Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Lightburn’s main strength is their communication. We’re very comfortable working with them as they also have a lot of expertise on any topic regarding marketing.

Other than that, they’re quick to adapt to learning about our process and the quality of their work is consistently amazing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any constructive feedback as we’ve had a great experience with them so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise you to keep your communications open with them and take advantage of their vast expertise and knowledge.