Opace Digital Agency

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the general manager of a business that operates several of the leading websites in the home and garden retail category.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Opace Web Design, and what were your goals?

We needed support to overhaul our SEO strategy and to both fresh and generate new content for our websites. We commissioned Opace to work on one website initially for a 3 month project. The goal was to enhance the search footprint of the website, to reach a broader search market and to increase traffic to key areas.

SOLUTION

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

Opace were one of 3 agencies we engaged with and seemed to have a clear edge in terms of how they understood and adapted to category specific challenges.

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

A research phase was a agreed to produce a prioritisiation of the work based on available opportunities for growth. A new strategy was produced as a result, new and revised content followed and we worked collaboratively with Opace throughout. Each of these phases was agreed between ourselves and the agency as the project progressed.

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

2 people from the agency, both senior strategists, were our main contacts.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They project was very successful, we have strengthened the content on our website significantly in a short space of time . We increased the search footptint of the website, it indexes for more searches than ever before and rankings and traffic have improved from as the work has been published.

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

The management process and communication from Opace Web Design were excellent throughout.

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

Both the level of nuance and specific research that they applied to our market and category and the commitment from the Opace team have been exceptional.

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

There wasn't anything they needed to improve on.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

PowerPhotonic designs and manufactures highly specialized optics for advanced laser and imaging applications. As the Head of Sales & Marketing, I have the responsibility to ensure all external facing aspects of the company are accurate, up to date and reflect our company brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Opace Web Design, and what were your goals?

Our website - made by a different 3rd party in 2015 - had become out of date - particularly evident when it was viewed on any mobile device. We wanted to

1. migrate the complete existing site onto a new platform that supported all of the devices used by our customers
2. Lay the foundation for a wider re-structuring of the website
3. Change the hosting platform and maximize site responsivity to visitors
4. Achieve the three objectives without any significant effort by PowerPhotonic staff.

SOLUTION

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

We generated a set of objectives and a project outline and put this to a number of potential suppliers (including the incumbent). Opace was included in this process because in a previous company, we had used them to great effect.

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

As part of the quote process, there had been a clear framework provided by Opace that detailed the steps, milestones and effort required to achieve the deliverables. They explained the key technologies they would use in sufficient detail for us to understand the level of project risk in terms of cost and time line. This gave us confidence in selecting Opace

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

Our project was managed by Rob Bryan (Technical Director), with additional contact with David Bryan (Managing Director)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our objectives were achieved: our new web site went live and on time on a Wordpress platform. Customers - and our own employees - commented favourably on the new site. We are now in a great position to evolve the site navigation and structure.

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

Opace had a friendly, but at the same time, focussed approach to project management. Good communication using nothing more than- emails and an excel action list/tracker was used.

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

I was particularly impressed by the efficiency with which our site was migrated to Wordpress. Yes, there were some automated tools used to help, but the last 15% or so was down to skilled and detailed work.

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

When we went live, there were some adjustments to DNS registration - these were resolved quickly

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the marketing manager of a furniture and home improvement retailer with a chain of stores and online presence.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Opace Web Design, and what were your goals?

We had very poor search visibility prior to working with Opace and a poorly functioning website with major speed and conversion issues. Our web design and development was carried out by a previous marketer with limited experience and thus the site lacked professionalism.

SOLUTION

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

We researched developers/marketing agencies in Ireland, Asia, East Europe, America before settling on Opace due to a) fair pricing b) skill level and past experience on SEO and development projects c) they are a decent bunch with prompt communication and excellent solutions.

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

- SEO category work - Speed optimisations -Website redesign with mega menu installation, filtering capabilities -Virtual staff training - to increase skills in house

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

We had a technical director, a content director (and team of writers) and David the CEO who is an SEO expert among other things working with us on the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have already seen a four-fold increase in traffic after approximately six months and our conversion rate has also improved, and we plan on working with them over the coming months on improving this further.

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

They are always prompt, helpful, and available to contact by skype, email and phone.

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

How responsive they were to our needs and the level of involvement from the CEO in ensuring the project is a success.

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

Everything has gone smoothly thus far.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of an online retail business in the clothing sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Opace Web Design?

I initially came to Opace for SEO strategy but have been using them for SEO, PPC and social media over the last five months.

What were your goals for this project?

Twofold really, my main goal was sales but I understand that this is a gradual process with SEO so initially I was just glad to see my search rankings improve. PPC provided a steady steam of new sales almost instantly. Social media is a good tool for brand visibility but I’ll need to evaluate whether this is worth pursuing in the long run as a sales tool.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I decided based on their reviews that I would give them a call. I spoke to David and he gave me enough reassurance to get started.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The majority of the SEO and social media services are content based. Opace regularly write website content and blog posts for me and managing everything on my behalf. They also carried out some technical tweaks to improve my meta data, website speed and overall site architecture.

What was the team composition?

The team mainly consists of David (director) and Alan (SEO account manager).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In a short space of time I have already seen my rankings improve for tough keywords. I’ve also seen my traffic on Google Analytics grow since starting with Opace. Sales are mainly via PPC at the moment but I can see the potential is there using SEO, we just need to give it more time.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project has been managed mainly by David with regular communications from Alan on the content plans. To date I’ve been very pleased and it definitely seems to be working.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Great communications throughout. They deliver what they say and I’ve not had any of the nonsense that I’ve experienced before with SEO cowboys basically doing nothing but charging the earth.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly no, i'm very impressed!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of Bazar Ethical Marketplace. We provide a shopping mobile app for the sale of ethical and sustainable products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Opace Web Design?

We hired them to develop our corporate website and backend dashboard.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Opace developed our website and dashboard. The dashboard is integrated with our marketplace app, allowing sellers to bulk upload and manage their products, and view sales data via the web. They also manage our SEO, PPC, and content marketing.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with David (Managing Director and CEO), Rob (Technical Director), Alan (SEO Account Manager), and a developer. David handled SEO, Rob did the design of our website, and Alan was our content writer and SEO expert.

How did you come to work with Opace Web Design?

I initially approached them about marketing, but I soon realized that they could do a lot more. We also liked that they’re a family-owned business. They knew what it’s like to be a small company. They were great at understanding our resources and funding. 

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent over £50,000 (approximately $54,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Opace in October 2018, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re very methodical, and, given that we’re not technical, they helped us immensely in translating our requirements. The team also helped us understand journeys and user flows when it came to SEO and marketing. They guided us through the best and most cost-effective solutions. This including showing us how to support our project using the best open-source tools available, to minimize cost.

They got us ranked pretty high in terms of SEO, and I couldn’t thank them enough for that. 

How did Opace Web Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very committed, and they answer our queries pretty promptly. We get replies within the hour, so we always feel we’re well-supported. They’re really methodical, committed, and professional. We’ve worked with them for so long that it feels like they’re a part of our company now, and not an external team. If I skype something, David will answer pretty much straight away, as if he’s next to me. We have the support of the whole team, but David is the one pulling it all together. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The speed at which they reply is impressive. I was never left hanging. Their professionalism also stands out.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

What I’ve learned over these years is to take time and specify what I want. It saves money in the long run, and it allows the vendor to come up with the best solutions. If you don’t know what you want, you might find out halfway through the project that you have to backtrack.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a family owned business trading in the retail jewelry and watch sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Opace Web Design?

We hired Opace to assist us with completing the development of our e-commerce site on a Magento platform. 

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the team to provide technical support for our site including performing technology integrations and fixing bugs. We wanted them to customize features on the site as well as implement a tool that allows for mass uploads of products. We also wanted to optimize our website speed.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected the team because they were knowledgeable and experienced in the sector. They were also willing to provide an analysis, support, and recommendations to help with product delivery.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Opace has provided a range of technical support services. They’ve updated our website theme, customized various features on the site, and optimized the speed. They’ve also integrated the site with a third party management tool. 

What was the team composition?

We’ve consistently interacted with two contacts throughout the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Their work has enhanced our digital presence, particularly considering the UX. Now, both existing and potential customers can explore the range of products and services we offer. 

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We’ve maintained regular contact with the team, and they’ve been extremely helpful. It’s been a collaborative partnership. At the start of our project, we both agreed on the deliverables and timeline together. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team was always easy to contact. They were willing to provide support on a schedule that worked for us. We have no hesitation recommending Opace to anyone for e-commerce work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and managing director of Physical Gold, an online gold and silver investment broker.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Opace Web Design?

We wanted to increase our organic traffic and improve our SEO.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Opace Web Design’s work is in two parts: one is on-page SEO and the other is ongoing content strategy focused on certain keywords. We’d had a penalty before, and so Opace Web Design looked at our website to see what was holding us back and then implemented a variety of suggestions to solve the problem.

They also conducted competitor analyses and audited our site to test the speed, H1 and H2 header tags, and meta descriptions. While SEO is their main contribution, they also updated and restructured parts of the site, too.

What is the team composition?

I mainly work with the owner, but I also interface with three other people depending on the topic.

How did you come to work with Opace Web Design?

I found Opace Web Design online and used them for a different project. It went incredibly well, so I asked what else they did, and the owner mentioned SEO. We were in the market for a new partner, so I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend £1,500 a month (approximately $1,900 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked together since October 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Opace Web Design fixed our technical issues, which increased our visibility. Our daily organic traffic went from about 30 people a day to an average of 150. We even saw the number go above 200 on some days.

How did Opace Web Design perform from a project management standpoint?

During the initial phase of the audit, we spoke several times a day. Once that was finished, we spoke every few days. They’re accessible and flexible, willing to adjust to our schedule. We have a year-long contract, so the program is finalized, and I know exactly what they’re up to every month.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re specialized and have a deep knowledge of SEO and how to increase organic traffic. Other firms I’ve worked with were generalists and didn’t understand the nuances of the work.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Engage with them on SEO and be honest about your goals and plans.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of a print and promotions supply company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Supply of Print and Promotions 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Opace Digital Agency to accomplish?

• Build an AI agent for our CRM system

SOLUTION

How did you find Opace Digital Agency?

Referral

Why did you select Opace Digital Agency over others?

• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

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

We've recently worked with Opace on developing an AI bot for our CRM system, and I can't speak highly enough of David. From our first conversation, he made everything so straightforward. His knowledge, advice and guidance were second to none, making what seemed a complex project feel remarkably simple. A genuine pleasure to work with and I'd definitely recommend him and the team at Opace.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are working with the support of Opace to ensure our AI tool is efficient and productive.

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

Excellent support and commnication from David and the team at Opace.

What was your primary form of communication with Opace Digital Agency?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We felt like the project was as important to Opace as it was for us.   

Are there any areas for improvement or something Opace Digital Agency could have done differently?

I don't believe there is. We're extremely happy with our partnership and will continue to work with David and Opace Digital Agency in the future.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Production Manager of a Promo Merchandise Company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Promotional Merch

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Opace Digital Agency to accomplish?

• Help with digital outreach
• Website development

SOLUTION

How did you find Opace Digital Agency?

Referral

Why did you select Opace Digital Agency over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Opace Digital Agency were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

• An outreach system was required using our CRM database.
• A clear interface showing collated data at a glance, avoiding tiresome report building.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Increased productivity with easy access to customer history and improved customer outreach.

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

Brilliant service, explained things simply (not with tech jargon) and had patience whilst we went through the process.

What was your primary form of communication with Opace Digital Agency?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The level of communication was top notch, along with plenty of information to help us understand each aspect of the process.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Opace Digital Agency could have done differently?

Nothing springs to mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of an educational tour operator.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Tour Operator

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Opace Digital Agency to accomplish?

• Website Management
• PPC

SOLUTION

How did you find Opace Digital Agency?

Other

Why did you select Opace Digital Agency over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location

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

Manage our website and do ongoing web development, as well as managing our PPC campaigns

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Website performance and lead generation volume

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

Quick to respond and supportive

What was your primary form of communication with Opace Digital Agency?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They are efficient and knowledgeable.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Opace Digital Agency could have done differently?

N/A