OptFirst Internet Marketing

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Cypress Outdoor Adventures is a private airboat tour company in Fort Lauderdale. We specialize in private tours, boat fishing and bass fishing, as well as sunset tours.

What is your position?

I am the owner and operator of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with OptFirst?

When I started this business, we decided to use GoDaddy in order to build our website. They did a horrible job on the mobile side, so we needed to figure out different options for making this work. I was essentially cheated out of $3,000.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Our first website was atrocious. I had to make a number of changes myself in order to make it visually-appealing, but it wasn't close to being up-to-par on the backend either. OptFirst built me a brand-new website from the ground up. I also use them for on-site and off-site SEO.

We started from the bottom, and now I'm getting phone calls. No one was touching my website in the beginning, given that it was brand-new, but now I'm getting a lot of attention through it. I'm definitely reaping the benefits of my investment.

How did you come to work with OptFirst?

I've spoken to a lot of media groups and was told everything from A to Z in terms of what would work and what wouldn't. What one person would say on one phone call would be the opposite of what I'd hear on my next conversation. It was very frustrating.

I found OptFirst through their Google+ reviews. John Kriney, their Chief Executive Officer, had also written a book for which I read some reviews. They seemed credible and had some happy customers. I also wanted a local company that I could contact in person; everybody else was located in Silicon Valley. If I ever wanted to come to their office and choke them out, I didn't want to travel. My aim was to build a relationship, for which I reached out to OptFirst.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The monthly cost of their services is under $1,000 for SEO work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together three to four months ago. The relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Since the website launched two months ago, I've seen a step-up in rankings and have started getting calls from people who found my site on Google. This is extremely satisfying, given that we were ranking on the 40th page of results when we first started. I don't think a lot of people in my industry are investing as much in SEO, so I'm starting to climb in the ranks doing it the right way, without getting penalized for black hat tricks.

What distinguishes OptFirst from other providers?

Their customer service makes them stand out. When I have a question, OptFirst gets back to me immediately. I don't work in the IT industry, so I may abuse some layman's terms, but they reduce notions to a very simplistic form and are very responsive to what I need. I feel that I'm developing a friendship with their team.

Is there anything OptFirst could have improved or done differently?

I'm very pleased with their performance and with what OptFirst does as an organization. I'd be the first one to speak out if there was something wrong.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My company is called Luxury Living Realty. We are a real estate and luxury residential market in Miami, Florida. We focus mainly on Fisher Island, Miami Beach, Star Island, Hibiscus Island, Coconut Grove, and Coral Gables.

What is your position?

I am the office manager and Realtor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with OptFirst Web Marketing?

They've helped us in a lot of different areas. When we initially contacted them, we had previously been using somebody to handle all of our SEO [search engine optimization], web design, print, marketing – we had been using an all-in-one house and we were not happy with the results. When we contacted OptFirst, we were in the process of dividing that up and finding people who were experts in certain areas. The areas that we are working on with OptFirst are SEO and our website. They have not only handled the SEO of our website, but we also have a mobile site. We have a secondary site that's specifically for Fisher Island. We have the main website, which is translated into multiple languages. They were integral in that whole process because they did the whole thing. Then recently we had a revamp to make everything cleaner and nicer. Two years ago, the mobile sites looked different than they do now, so OptFirst is now in the process of revamping our mobile site into one that is more accurate, compared to the simpler sites that were more popular a couple of years ago.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

In addition to the SEO and web design, we have ad campaigns on Google with them. They also post our blogging on the website, but they are not the content drivers of the blog.

How did you come to work with OptFirst Web Marketing?

We were very highly referred to them by a colleague of ours who had seen their work previously. We were in the process of interviewing a bunch of different candidates and I have to tell you that on the initial interview, they really impressed us. They blew our minds with the things that they'd already discovered wrong with our site. They showed us some things that they could fix right away. It was an extremely long list of things. It was ridiculous. We had been trusting our all-in-one house team, but they had missed a lot of things and we had no way of knowing that. I was very impressed by OptFirst. We hired them on the spot.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It is less than $10,000 on a monthly basis.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our relationship with OptFirst in January 2014, and the work is ongoing. We're definitely eager to continue working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

On Google, there's nobody above us. On Yahoo, there's seven above us. Bing is 11 above us. Google Plus is zero, Google Maps is zero, Google Local is zero, and Bing Local has two above us. That's all search engines. That's the summary. Then, on our full report, it goes by phrasing. It ranges anywhere from one to 16. Those search results are for different phrases that we're using, like "real estate agents in Miami," "Realtors Miami Beach," and "Realtors Fisher Island." It's a dramatic difference from where we were before. In terms of qualified leads, we've also seen a huge jump. More people are getting to our site and filling out a contact form. For us, that's great because we went from one each month to 90 through August. That's an increase of around 10 qualified leads per month.

What distinguishes OptFirst Web Marketing from other providers?

Personalities, specifically the way that personalities work together with yours, are very important in business. We trust OptFirst Web Marketing with our entire business. They give us a very personalized, hands-on approach. They have been very detail oriented. We're grateful because we see the difference regularly. Our website, and as a consequence our business, is improving. Every time I have a question, or I want to know something, or need to have something done quickly, their team is very quick to respond. It's a very wonderful relationship.

Is there anything OptFirst Web Marketing could have improved or done differently?

At this point – no. They've been doing an awesome job.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My company is an acupuncture business based in the Miami Beach area.

What is your position?

I'm the founder, owner, and head acupuncturist. I manage everything, from the business side to giving treatments.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with OptFirst Web Marketing?

I was starting off in a new city. I moved to Miami and decided to start a practice. Like any small business, there's the challenge of obtaining new clients. That's when I met with OptFirst, and we went from there.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Their primary responsibility is SEO [search engine optimization]. John [Kriney, chief executive officer at OptFirst Web Marketing] has been amazing with SEO, but also with all sorts of business design – website design, helping focus marketing efforts, trying to identify proper keywords, and helping me focus on how best to reach clients even beyond SEO. He's really smart when it comes to marketing and understanding the flow of clients. These contributions helped give shape and vision to places where I had blind spots. We got our website up to the first two spots on Google and across all platforms. That was enough. It's a small office, so I never had a need for any kind of pay per click campaigns – it was a relatively modest marketing budget. 

How did you come to work with OptFirst Web Marketing?

I looked at their portfolio. They were recommended by an associate of mine. I looked at their background and track record with some flower businesses and a T-shirt company. They were stellar. I found that working with John, he was brilliant and had a handle on the ever-changing algorithms and the whole world of the SEO stuff. I like to think I have an eye for talent and John's the real deal.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It's between $10,000 and $50,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in 2009. It's ongoing work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

They stressed that it doesn't normally happen that fast, but in the first two or three months, OptFirst had me on the top one or two spots, depending on the day, for "Miami Beach acupuncture" and then all the variations. That was the big one. I don't have any exact numbers, but I can tell you that here in New York 75 percent or 80 percent of my business comes from Google searches. The fact that I worked with OptFirst has made that happened. I had great placement in Miami. Then, I had an opportunity to move to New York, and I took it because I knew John and OptFirst would be able to get me where I needed to be in terms of visibility. It's been awesome.

What distinguishes OptFirst Web Marketing from other providers?

I think something that sets OptFirst Web Marketing apart is their attentiveness, and an awareness of how everything can shift quickly. For example, if a website or a keyword is something we need to focus on, or we've got to change this to get you better location here, they'll ping me and say we need to change this. They're totally on top of it. It's great, especially being a small business owner, that I don't have to worry about that stuff. If there's an issue, they're going to reach out to me. 

Is there anything OptFirst Web Marketing could have improved or done differently?

I don't think so. They've been pretty good. I've had a good relationship with John and seeing how his company has grown. I think they're handling their growth in a good way. I never felt like I got left behind. I wish I felt this good about every business I deal with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My company is a reverse mortgage company, which specializes in reverse mortgages for homeowners over the age of 62 and older.

What is your position and responsibilities?

I am the owner of the company as well as a licensed originator. I deal directly with clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Optfirst Web Marketing?

Our goal for working with Optfirst Web Marketing was that we primarily wanted to raise our Internet presence and improve our search engine rankings.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Before working with Optfirst, we had a decent Internet presence. Our organic search engine optimization had us on the first page for "Miami Reverse Mortgage" if you were to search that, since Miami is our home base. However, we were not doing well enough for searches throughout Florida, which was our only licensed state at that time. When I hired Optfirst, they took what we already had, which was decent, and they pushed us to number one through number three for almost any search in Florida for the major cities as well as for other key terms. That has been crucial in getting leads throughout the state.

Another thing they are doing is that they restructure our website as needed. I do not have to pay for a separate web designer or anything like that. They simply go in and change things. They are adding our new licensed states, for example. I have been bringing in loan officers in other states, and we want to personalize those aspects of the website. That is the project we are working on at the moment. If someone clicks on Georgia, it brings up the demographics of the people who are licensed there. This is work they are doing that is included in the monthly fee.

How did you come to work with Optfirst Web Marketing?

I met one of their employees through networking, and he showed me what they do and how they can increase rankings. This is the software that shows you all the different pages where you either show up or you do not. I was not showing up on any of those. Once they got us up to speed on all these different sites, then our rankings jumped up. They also showed me the rankings of other companies that use OptFirst and how they are always number one, or at least top three. If they drop below that, they go back in and continue to do their work to get them back up to number one in their respective searches.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The company I used before was about half the price, but they got half the success, too. We have expanded our business to other states because we are licensed in other states now, and we have been sort of duplicating that operating cost. But, they have also worked with us on that and they've stayed flexible in order to prevent it from becoming too expensive.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with OptFirst for a year and a half now. We are still working with them on an ongoing basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The best metric I can share with you is that we are at the top of most key searches in our industry. We get about two clients a month that come in from our website and the Internet in general. That may not sound like a lot for some industries, but that really is significant for our type of business. 

What distinguishes Optfirst Web Marketing from other providers?

OptFirst Web Marketing gives great service. They are always available when I need them. Their knowledge and experience is definitely up there. They are flexible; they do not nickel and dime me just to do anything extra, like these changes to the sites that I mentioned. All that is important to me.

Is there anything Optfirst could have improved or done differently?

I cannot think of anything in particular.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a locksmith company located in Miami. We service high-end hotels and condominiums.

What is your position?

I am the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with OptFirst Web Marketing?

We wanted to get our name out online and be more visible for people who are searching for locksmiths in the Miami area.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

When someone goes online and looks for locksmiths in Miami, we come up first. That's what we asked from them. In addition to the search engine optimization work, they've also done some web design. When we first started working with OptFirst, they did some things behind the scenes, and a few things on the front-end for the website. They've done social media marketing with Facebook and Twitter as well as some conversion optimization for leads from the website.

How did you come to work with OptFirst Web Marketing?

We had spoken to a couple of companies prior to OptFirst, but I wasn't sure about going with them. A friend of mine was already using OptFirst and recommended them. We contacted OptFirst and had a meeting with John [Kriney, CEO and founder of OptFirst] to discuss the needs we had. We've been with them ever since.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The work runs between $10,000 and $50,000 on a yearly basis.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with OptFirst four years ago, in 2011, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Prior to contracting with OptFirst, we were probably on the third or fourth page in Google and today we're on the first page. We're number one. The volume of leads we're getting has increased tremendously. We've gone from somewhere around zero percentage of our overall incoming leads from the website to somewhere between 20 percent and 25 percent coming in online. That's been a great help in expanding our business.

What distinguishes OptFirst Web Marketing from other providers?

They do a phenomenal job in SEO. They really know their stuff as far as search engines go.

Is there anything OptFirst Web Marketing could have improved or done differently?

No. When we have questions, they call us. When we email them in regards to anything, they're on it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of Don't Get Hit 361 (DGH361)

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Fitness and Boxing Studio.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire OptFirst Internet Marketing to accomplish?

• Create a Youtube Channel and Assimilate to to Google
• Create a website
• Drive traffic and engagement

SOLUTION

How did you find OptFirst Internet Marketing?

Referral

Why did you select OptFirst Internet Marketing over others?

High ratings, Referred to me

What was the size of OptFirst Internet Marketing’s team?

2-5 Employees

What was your primary form of communication with OptFirst Internet Marketing?

Email or Messaging App

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

Optfirst has really delivered in explaining the ins and outs of social media marketing. They have designed a custom plan for my business and created a youtube Channel and a new website. I strongly recommend their services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• I have now a YouTube channel and a website
• I can find both on search engines

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

Communication is excellent. As long as you deliver the document they are requesting on time. The execution is very fast

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

The level of knowledge of ALL social media platforms and AI

Are there any areas for improvement or something {provider_name} could have done differently?

I wish I can afford to have them full time!!!