Mabbly

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I'm the program manager at EMSL Analytical, a national hazardous material testing firm. We’re one of the largest industrial hygiene testing firms in the nation, particularly known for analyzing asbestos.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mabbly? 

We have all this talent and capability, but we need a better online presence. We reached out to Mabbly to help us with a new website and a new digital platform. We want to move into the 21st century and make things paperless and people-less.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Mabbly is creating an online ordering platform for us. Our clients currently have to call us and place orders so that will be a big change for us. They're creating a shopping cart and an online budgeting and shopping experience. We also engaged them for UX/UI. We showed them our old website and our competitors’ websites. We basically gave them free rein on the UX side of things. Their UX expert has presented us with a lot of options, showing us what they think works best and what's trending in the market right now.

Mabbly is also helping us improve our SEO. They’ve done a lot of research and looking at trends. They're designing the new website to generate good organic search results. We intend to use their SEO service where they continue to help us optimize how users stay on the site and other factors. 

What is the team composition?

I've worked with approximately six people. The CEO has been involved from a relationship standpoint. They assigned a project manager who runs the whole process. She disperses the work to the team, primarily led by the UX expert and the site development engineer. 

How did you come to work with Mabbly? 

They were recommended by a coworker. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Work started in September 2018 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is still in development. Delivery is at least another month out, but we love what we’ve seen so far. Their work is very clean and appealing. The new site will be a game changer for us. It’s ideal for what we need, and they're doing a great job. 

How did Mabbly perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is great. I have absolutely no complaints. We mostly communicate via email or use Zoom. They’re quite punctual and haven't missed any deadlines. When they schedule a one-hour meeting, they always wrap up on time because they're respectful of people's schedules. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

They're so forthcoming and open about what they're doing. They're very positive and have really good energy. You can tell that their team hires on attitude first and aptitude second. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

Not really. We're still in the honeymoon phase. They've been good at communicating and at research, so it's hard for me to say that they should do anything better. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

It's worth it to give them a try. They’d be a great partner for anybody who's looking for a new website, digital platform, or branding. They have an all-in-one package. We just came to them for a site but they offered a more in-depth analysis that I really appreciate. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The Small Business Advocacy Council is a non-profit. We’re a 501(c)(6) in Illinois. We’re a registered lobbying group, and our mission is to revive the economy for the small business community in Illinois.

I am the co-founder. I was on the staff at the time when we hired Mabbly; I was the Interim Executive Director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mabbly?

We needed a new website. At the time, we had a website that we basically put together. We were a startup in the non-profit space, so we had a lot to be desired about a website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

There were six key points. First, Aesthetics, we wanted to capture the essence of our brand. With the aesthetic pleasure of it, they made a video that’s right front and center on the website. The biggest challenge was the amount of content. We had thousands of pages that they were able to archive, so we didn’t lose the SEO [search engine optimization] presence. That was a big concern of ours.

They worked with a new CRM [customer relationship management]. At the same time we made the new website, we didn’t really have a CRM, so they integrated and wrote a bunch of code to the CRM that we used as well. The scope of the project was fairly large. We had 1,000 members. Each one of those members had their own membership page, and they were able to help us not lose any of that data and archive it so we didn’t lose the SEO.

They still work with us on an ongoing basis to help with the maintenance and any changes that we have. For SEO, it was just reworking the old site to make sure we didn’t lose any of that. We didn’t bring them on to do anything, and it wasn’t because they weren’t qualified; it was because we had a very small budget for all of it between the CRM and the website, so we didn’t hire them for any of the social media, pay-per-click, or SEO.

How did you come to work with Mabbly?

We did an RFP [request for proposal] in the fall of 2014 to our membership and a bunch of companies in the Chicagoland area. We had about 30 companies respond, and we narrowed that down to 5. Then we picked three out of those five to interview, and Mabbly won the RFP for the new website.

How much have you invested with Mabbly?

It was just under $10,000. They probably did about $25,000 worth of work. They really won the RFP because they wanted the additional exposure, and we gave them some more exposure at some of our events for the help. They probably didn’t make any money out of this, but they didn’t treat it like a job that they weren’t making money on. They did a great job, and we let them put their logo on the website. I don’t know if that’s standard practice, but it says “powered by Mabbly” on the bottom right-hand corner. Then we gave them some sponsorships at our awards dinner and our golf outing. They did the work just under $10,000, but it was a job for a for-profit company, they did $20,000 to $25,000 worth of work, for sure.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in the fall of 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We got a lot of positive feedback about how much nicer the new site looks. We were able to take everything that they had done and build more of a brand around it. Before we had Mabbly, we basically were what I always called a community potluck dinner, where everybody brought what they brought and it was all volunteer. Now we have marketing materials that span the scope of folders, we have a resource directory, and we use the brand. We use the colors and the fonts in everything now. That was just a bonus.

I don’t think I have anything data-driven that shows if there was an increase in membership. Our membership has been pretty consistent, but I definitely think we get more attention from the people that come to our site. I don’t have the data that shows how many people used to come and leave compared to how many people stay on the site now. It was a huge improvement, and we did receive a lot of emails and calls about how much better the site looked.

How did Mabbly perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. They probably over-delivered. They won the RFP not only on price, but they delivered everything. We grilled them. They came in under price on everyone, and when we asked them why, they said that they really wanted to do it. One, they wanted to help. Two, they wanted the extra exposure of being the group that did our website. We have 1,000 memberships, people that are looking to hire companies all the time. It was almost like a paid advertisement for them.

They gave us a lot of time, let us do a lot of input, and they guided us. They asked us a lot of questions, and we had a bi-weekly checkpoint with them on all the deliverables. They make great suggestions. We hit our timeline on everything, and they gave us a lot of time to help us through the process.

What did you find most impressive about Mabbly?

They have a very consultative and entrepreneurial approach. I think that they are looking to truly grow with companies and grow the brand or whatever project they are working on. They want to build, and they want to make sure that they’re not just slapping up some website, but that it addresses the needs and the mission of the organization. They ask a ton of questions, and they’ve got a great team of people that are all different types of thinkers. Adam is very analytical, Hank is super creative, and Vlad and Henry are the people that can understand both Hank and Adam, and communicate it. They are very analytical and creative but can execute the project. When it becomes very creative and very analytical, they can take those thoughts and actually execute on it.

Like anything else, you don’t know what anybody is going to say if you don’t ask, and the more time you spend with them, the more ideas get flowing and the more questions that get asked. We got to spend a lot of time with their team every other week, really ideating the whole week and then executing on it. I would say, try to spend as much time with them as you can because it’s helpful every time.

Are there any areas Mabbly could improve?

No. If anything, I wish we had a larger budget to do more SEO if we could acquire more of their services. Like I said, we just have a really small budget.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an online scrap exchange, so we create a market between buyers and sellers of scrap metal, paper, plastic, and electronics. I’m the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mabbly?

We needed a company to help us launch our company and brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We launched with them. Basically, they did all of our development, our outreach, our social media, and everything necessary to get us launched and get us out there.

How did you come to work with Mabbly?

I know Adam, the CEO, from some other ventures. We met with a bunch of people, and at the end of the day, it turned out that their team had the most attractive proposal. Part of that was because of my familiarity with Adam and my comfort level with him. The other part was because they really got the rest of their team involved, and I was able to meet some of the players and figure out who I’d be working with. I just liked them better than the other options.

How much have you invested with Mabbly?

It cost between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

It's ongoing work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any results of the engagement?

There's nothing concrete that I can share. I can’t recall.

How did Mabbly perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed great. We still use them, so that has to say something.

What did you find most impressive about Mabbly?

Mabbly takes a common sense approach. They’re able to relate to their clients, which is very important.

Are there any areas Mabbly could improve?

That’s a tough question. Honestly, I can’t really think of anything other than maybe it would have been good for us to set up some metrics to determine our success, but that’s as much on me as it is on them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is Commercial Lending X. Our firm really focuses on providing stability for borrowers in the commercial lending market. We do that through a combination of factors. The two main ones are: we underwrite for over 200 different commercial lenders nationwide and provide access to capital that your traditional commercial loan borrower would struggle to find on their own.

We also do consulting work for commercial banks. We're in the trenches and we understand what's going on in the banking world, the regulatory pressures the banks are under, and their underwriting criteria in detail. I am the president of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mabbly?

Being a relatively young company, our initial web presence was very weak. We really needed to build a platform upon which to grow. Utilizing Mabbly helped us update our website and provide a very detailed, attractive, and modern marketing tool, as well as working with how to brand our company, understand our reason of why we're in business, and what message we are giving to our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The process really started out with understanding our “why”. That is really their focus on the front end, which is very interesting and very educational for me. When you start a business and you're in the trenches trying to make money, sometimes you forget exactly why you're doing it. Once we identified why we're in business and our purpose, we were able to restructure our whole message and really get something that resonated with people rather than just being out there marketing a product.

We could really market our company, what we are, and who we are. It was a real transformation for us and our philosophy. We started there and that included doing the website based on the message. From there, they got us into a lot of marketing pieces with a lot of journals and newspapers, doing some videos to promote the company, branding, doing some Google online marketing and optimization, etcetera. It just proceeded from there down the path.

They also helped us generate content and generate publications.

How did you come to work with Mabbly?

I had prior dealings with the owner of Mabbly in the past when we were both in different careers. I knew Adam, but what ultimately made me decide to work with them was that everybody else just wanted to provide us service. They were willing to redo our website, make content or do SCO [social content optimization], or whatever else we needed. Adam and his crew really sat down and focused on the “why” in our message and tried to really understand what we were doing. It wasn't just taking what I wanted and putting it out there. It was figuring out how to really market ourselves.

It was more of an overall advertising approach than just providing us a service which was incredibly valuable. Now, four or five years later, we're going back and relooking at how things have changed over the past three years as we've learned stuff and tweaking again which is of value to me. It's not just that we're going to keep putting random stuff out there, It's “hey, what is the message today, has the 'why' changed, what do we need to be doing to make you guys continue to be as competitive as possible?”

How much have you invested with Mabbly?

Between $50,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Since 2011 and ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Being a relatively small company with less than ten employees, it's hard for us to track the specific statistics. What I can tell you is that there's absolutely no way we would have the brand name and the impact in this market, had they not been involved. There's no way, me and my limited sales team, could ever have gotten us out there.

Now we get people calling us. We never have to have that discussion justifying who we are anymore. We may beat somebody who hasn't heard of us, but very quickly they can get comfortable with us by doing a little bit of search on the web. It has just made doing business so much easier. Mabbly's work has given us brand directive and connections in the market that we never would have had on our own at this stage.

How did Mabbly perform from a project management standpoint?

I've never had any problems with them being responsive. In fact, I would say we held them up. Our inability to react quickly enough to get them the data and information they needed to do what they were doing for us, actually slowed us down.

What did you find most impressive about Mabbly?

Again, I go back to what I think I said earlier, and that is that I do feel like it's a partnership and we're not just another statistic to them or another company under their belt that they're doing services for. I really do feel like they're constantly trying to understand our business, how our business is evolving, working with us in our overall messaging, and being a partner. They seem to get joy out of our successes as much as we do.

Are there any areas Mabbly could improve?

I don't know what to measure it up against, being that this is the first company I've really worked with in detail in this type of marketing effort and optimization. I can say I haven't been disappointed by any of the services that have been provided.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of IKO

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We manufacture residential and commercial building products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Mabbly to accomplish?

• Develop a new website for the residential roofing business unit of our company.

SOLUTION

How did you find Mabbly?

Friend

Why did you select Mabbly over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Valued their talent

How many teammates from Mabbly were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Mabbly worked with IKO's residential roofing business on a brand refresh and website design/development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The measurable outcomes are the assets from the brand refresh, the new brand persona and a beautiful new website.

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

Both teams diligently worked to maintain the project's timeline. Mabbly's account manager played a crucial role as an excellent timekeeper, always accessible to address inquiries and steer us back on track in case of any deviations.

What was your primary form of communication with Mabbly?

Virtual Meeting

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

While their design and branding capabilities were outstanding, I most admired Mabbly's willingness to always collaborate and act as a true partner.

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

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP, Marketing of a legal cannabis company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company provides technology and services that power wholesale cannabis commerce.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Mabbly to accomplish?

• Refine brand positioning
• Launch initial awareness and demand generation campaigns

SOLUTION

How did you find Mabbly?

Referral

Why did you select Mabbly over others?

• Referred to me
• Industry expertise

How many teammates from Mabbly were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

• Refreshed brand archetype, mission, vision 
• Search + PPC strategy, plan, launch and ongoing delivery, and budget management 
• Campaign strategy and delivery (message development, asset creation, and design, copywriting, and editing) 
• Measurement and performance

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Deliverable completion Campaign performance

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

The Mabbly team always set clear project timelines, delivered as expected, and was communicative as dependencies changed on either side of the relationship.

What was your primary form of communication with Mabbly?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I really appreciated the quality of the experts that Mabbly assembled to support our business, as well as their patience and adaptability while our company navigated changing priorities.

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

None. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at Bitful

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide technology services that solve company’s hardest data challenges.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Mabbly to accomplish?

• Naming
• Marketing Strategy (Brand Architecture, Logo, Colors, Fonts, Visual Elements)
• Launch (Website, Pitch Deck, Social Campaign, Recruiting Video)

SOLUTION

How did you find Mabbly?

Referral

Why did you select Mabbly over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Mabbly’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

There are a lot to list, they delivered everything soup to nuts for a new company go to market. From initial ideation and strategy, naming, brand architecture, logo, visual design, fonts, voice and tone, talent acquisition strategy, business development strategy, talent marketing video to our first pitch deck font, copy writing and editing, layouts, deck design, themes and components, photography, icons, website architecture, website design, development and launch.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• 3x as many new customers post launch
• Exceptional feedback from both potential customers and potential new hires on the cultural feel and impressions of our brand
• Extremely satisfied employees with all brand tools such as email signatures, brand guide, pitch deck, swag

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

PMs were personable, strategic, consultative, informative, collaborative, well organized, and always delivered exactly what they said exactly when they said they would and most often significantly beyond set expectations. They were Incredibly accessible and met me on any platform of communication I wanted and any time I needed. We always set those rules ahead of time and executed based on that.

What was your primary form of communication with Mabbly?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The creativity and the data supported strategy. We are highly performant technology strategy, architecture, digital product design and engineering professionals and our demands are admittedly, high, specific and timely. Mabbly kept pace, was a strong cultural fit and ultimately engaged with us like an extension of our firm.

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

Maybe let me hire one or two of them, I’m kidding (kind of, I totally would have if it wasn’t a bad business practice). I was honestly just impressed with how they operated from the legal and paperwork being tight to the talent mix and sourcing they gave us more than what we had hoped for at every step.