Search Marketing Group

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a venture capital firm focused on investments in early-stage technology companies. We advise and also incubate clients.

What is your position?

I am the managing partner of the venture firm and also the Chief Executive Officer and chairman of two companies in our portfolio.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Search Marketing Experts?

One of the reasons for choosing Search Marketing Experts was that we were using multiple marketing companies which offered specific services such as SEO [search engine optimization], web design, or customer relationship management through backend systems.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Search Marketing Experts was assigned with rudimentary web design as well as optimization for our target markets for several companies in our group.

Search Marketing Experts proposed building a solution that would mold to our needs and which could be modified through trial and errors. They admitted that they didn't have the perfect science for our business, but were willing to work with us in determining what that may be.

How did you come to work with Search Marketing Experts?

They were referred to us.

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

We use Search Marketing Experts for 3 separate entities within our group. One of our companies spends tens of thousands per year on Search Marketing Experts' services, while another will only spend $1,000-2,000, depending on their needs. Some models have been centered on SEO and organic marketing, so there won't be as much spend. As such, I cannot give an accurate answer. The total amount spent over the years with Search Marketing Experts is likely within the 6-figure area.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with Search Marketing Experts for 3 years. Our collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

For the group with which Search Marketing Experts helped us the most, their team worked with us in helping identify a target market, doing a great job in modifying our SEO in order to accomplish our goal and obtain the desired numbers. We had gone through a number of sales persons who weren't able to close the acquired leads, but the quality of those leads was a top priority for Search Marketing Experts.

What distinguishes Search Marketing Experts from other providers?

One of the things which we've appreciated the most with them was that, when Search Marketing Experts knew that something wasn't working, they tested many different ways of getting to the end result, namely quality leads. In many cases, this didn't lead to actual business, but we were able to identify why that happened. Usually, it was because our sales team was calling prospective customers at the wrong time, not calling soon enough, or providing insufficient information. We've been very satisfied with Search Marketing Experts' results.

Is there anything Search Marketing Experts could have improved or done differently?

Search Marketing Experts lead us to the trough, but we needed to be able to eat out of it. They designed websites for us and continued to change the SEO model to best fit our needs, not stopping at the first renditions. Search Marketing Experts gave us quality leads, and at the end of the day, that was all we could ask for. Identifying the marketplace segment and closing the business was our requirement. Search Marketing Experts made mistakes, but would always let us know that they went down the wrong track and were willing to change directions.