SmartBug Media

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of my company. We create online marketing and technology solutions for the real estate vertical.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GobySavvy?

We have created very strict and specific criteria by which we evaluate websites. In order to complete those sorts of site analyses intelligently and on time, you need a bunch of really smart people who understand the goals of the site evaluation. They can’t just interpret it themselves; they need to really be able to get on board and understand how we want to evaluate each site because we want to be consistent across all our evaluations.

The biggest challenge I had was that the work that we get comes in all at once as opposed to throughout the year. This created a giant problem in terms of delivering things on time. We needed more experts working at the same time, instead of trying to handle it all in-house. In the past, we’ve used experts who were good in their field, but their evaluations would need a lot of work before they were client ready. They’d be in poor English or missing bullet points or something. Before we met GobySavvy, we assumed that was just how it is, that you just had to deal with those issues.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The people at GobySavvy are not only experts in the field, but they were also able to meet our rigorous standards. In many cases, our reports are 80 pages long and their work was inserted as an integral part of these evaluations. GobySavvy presented us with nearly client-ready reports that fit into our framework for the evaluation of different components. In other words, the ultimate deliverable was several components of an 80-page report evaluating many different parts of online marketing: design, user interface, search engine optimization, branding, mobile, and so forth.

How did you come to work with GobySavvy?

We wanted to work with a small team of experts who could handle a large amount of work—four to five people who would get on a project and peer-evaluate their own work. That way, we could achieve consistency and quality across all our recommendations. I met the owner through normal outreach and interviewing. He struck me as one of the only people I had found who was extremely knowledgeable. At the same time, he was also willing to get onto our wagon as opposed to me having to get on his.

How much have you invested with GobySavvy?

We’ve spent about $15,000–$20,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

I believe we started working together in 2014 and I expect the collaboration to continue.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Year over year, we’ve improved our results, and our client satisfaction has risen as measured by feedback from our members. Every year, we’ve gotten an increase in the people who purchase GobySavvy’s services. Anecdotally, we really have a sense that we are doing much better. We’re much more consistent, and consistency is very important in this line of work. We’ve had giant increases in consistency and quality since working with GobySavvy.

How did GobySavvy perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been very easy to work with in the sense that our projects are highly defined. This year, in particular, we had some very rapid turnarounds that were required, and they met them. These were really aggressive turnarounds, the kinds where I’d have to say, “If you can’t turn them in on time, don’t turn them in at all. You can’t take this business if you can’t deliver it because I can’t get it a day late.” And it wasn’t a problem. They started turning them in advance. They listened to our feedback on the first round of work, and on the second round, we didn’t have to point those things out; the changes had already been made. From a project management perspective, the work is pretty straightforward, but they were really good at communication and always available.

What did you find most impressive about GobySavvy?

When you’re looking in this industry, it’s really hard to find someone who will work with small businesses. And when I say small, I don’t mean $50 million per year businesses; I mean small businesses. The cost element there is often impossible to overcome. I can say that GobySavvy isn’t inexpensive, but at least it was within reach. That was a distinguishing characteristic. Within reach, they were able to do some extraordinarily custom items for us.

Are there any areas GobySavvy could improve?

Honestly, I can’t think of any. If I had something, I would have asked them to do it and I know that they would have already fixed it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a full-service digital marketing agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GobySavvy?

I was looking to offer a complete service as far as digital optimization was concerned. My skill and understanding is the Google side of things (Google rankings, Google algorithms, that type of thing) and I understood that user experience was having more and more of an impact on a website’s ability to gain good rankings in Google. I went looking for a company that offered UX reviews online, and that’s how I discovered GobySavvy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They offer a number of different services, but I’ve always used them for the same service. I’ve done somewhere around four to seven reviews with them. I use their lean review services. They don’t promote it anymore, but they used to have something called a lean review, which was more of a basic UX review because that was the service that most of my clients needed. If ever anybody wanted a more detailed UX optimization, I would refer them directly to GobySavvy and have no further part in the relationship. But as far as my clients were concerned, I would identify that their website needed a UX review. I would then contact GobySavvy, and they had an online form that was very easy to complete. The questionnaire would ask specific questions, such as “What are you looking to improve?” “What are the key areas of your website?” “What are the key services that you sell?” They ask you to identify what you consider to be the areas of weakness and they use that as the basis for your report. The report is never general; the report is always targeted towards an individual concern or issue that raised at the start.

I would complete their questionnaire, get through a standard questionnaire and fire that back to them. Within 7-10 days, I would get the completed report back and then Ryan from GobySavvy would contact me to discuss the report in detail. So the report would start with an explanation for folks who don’t understand UX, then they use images to help you understand whatever the issue is so that you can actually see how other people are doing things better. The report would include wireframes as well. Then I would send the finished UX review to my end client and if I was doing their web development, we would discuss the work that was needed.

How did you come to work with GobySavvy?

I think I found then through a general search, although it was a while ago now. Ryan may have reached out to me with an email marketing campaign. Actually, I do think I responded to some form of outreach because I don’t remember searching UX review on Google.

How much have you invested with GobySavvy?

Probably in the region of $1,800-$2,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with Ryan around January 2016. I 100% foresee this relationship continuing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As far as direct results, the easy answer is no, because the UX is always being done as part of a larger project where a number of other elements are being worked on. I tend to use them as part of an overall SEO optimization campaign that I provide clients. What I would say is that in every case where I’ve used their services, the websites have always improved in performance and that improvement in performance can be a range of things depending on what the customer was after in them first place. It will be things like an improvement in time on site and improvements on the number of pages viewed. And while it’s impossible to make a direct correlation, every client that I’ve offered a UX review as part of their SEO campaign has seen significant ranking improvements in Google. As far as what the clients have said, to a one all of them have loved the reviews because none of the clients are technically minded in any way. If somebody who has no real understanding of the online world can read a grasp the contents of the report as a layman, that’s a big benefit to the client. They’re genuinely learning something and they understand where their money is going.

How did GobySavvy perform from a project management standpoint?

They are perfect at it. You can tell that they are a very well organized and process-driven company, which is part of why I carried on using them. I’m a list man, so I wake up every day and I write my list of things to do, how long it’s going to take to do each thing, and I go through my list systematically. That’s the process that works for me. From the very first point when they send you the questionnaire, everything is very systematic, very process driven, so after using them for the first time I had complete confidence. As long as I give them the information that they need, they will always deliver what I need on the day that they say they will. That makes my life a lot easier because then I can set my client’s expectations. There’s nothing worse than delivering work late to a client because it makes me look like an idiot, and I can rely on them absolutely.

What did you find most impressive about GobySavvy?

Ryan, to be honest. Ryan is the first point of contact and his ability to explain what’s being done, why it’s being done and the benefit that you will get once it’s done helped me a lot. I didn’t know what a UX review was the first time I went to him. He’s the strength of the business. The other thing that I like is the idea that they’ve got people who are specialists in certain areas. For example, UX in e-commerce is entirely different to UX in a brochure-driven website for an engineering company. Rather than giving it to a company that just as a UX review specialist, I like the idea that they’ve got specialists in individual sectors who are all experts in UX.

Are there any areas GobySavvy could improve?

It’s been a few months since I’ve seen their last UX review, so they may have updated it, but the reports themselves could use an element of video. Little snippets about different elements of UX that can perhaps be embedded into reports, or links to videos on YouTube, that sort of thing. Maybe something watchable. There’s already text and images to back it up, but as a person, I digest information easier and quicker when I’m watching a video rather than reading a document.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was a regional business development manager at Kroeschell Inc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SmartBug Media?

We needed training on HubSpot and its best practices.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SmartBug Media provided live training sessions on HubSpot.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one teammate from SmartBug Media.

How did you come to work with SmartBug Media?

We found them through a referral, and their pricing fit our budget.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in January 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After the training, our team was able to use HubSpot correctly and train others on it. We measured the success by looking at the number of calls, posts, and marketing campaigns.

How did SmartBug Media perform from a project management standpoint?

SmartBug Media delivered on time. We communicated through virtual meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

SmartBug Media was so knowledgeable and answered all our questions. Working with Romain (Inbound Marketing Manager) was the best.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They did great.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior communication manager of Educ'alcool

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

promote informed decision-making among the Quebec population regarding responsible consumption

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SmartBug Media to accomplish?

• CRM and marketing

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartBug Media?

Referral

Why did you select SmartBug Media over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from SmartBug Media were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

lauch us to use hubspot CRM, manage to be autonomous with the e-mail marketing and content marketing via Hubspot.

Personnalized training and help for automation and specific projets. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

maximize the way we manage our contact data base and quicken the ability to send marketing e-mails

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

everything was done very well, on time and on budget. No suprises

What was your primary form of communication with SmartBug Media?

Virtual Meeting

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

personalized service

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

no, it is fine

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Sales Manager of KaseMe Design

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a fashion mobile accessories brand specializing in customization and creative expression. We work with businesses and B2C customers. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SmartBug Media to accomplish?

• HubSpot CRM formation
• Grow our sales with HubSpot

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartBug Media?

Referral

Why did you select SmartBug Media over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from SmartBug Media were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We were new with a CRM and a lot more with HubSpot. They helped us impamanting the CRM as well as some cues for our sales and formation for our team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are now very proficient in using HubSpot, along with all the tools available in the CRM. It has streamlined our communication and outreach with clients, contributing to a 20% increase in our sales.

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

Always! They are extremely efficient and super proactive.

What was your primary form of communication with SmartBug Media?

Virtual Meeting

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

They know the subject like no one else, and they always had an answer to our questions. Very impressive! 

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Director of Marketing of a senior living community.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Provider of senior living communities and affordable housing communities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SmartBug Media to accomplish?

• Manage online marketing efforts.

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartBug Media?

Other

Why did you select SmartBug Media over others?

Other

How many teammates from SmartBug Media were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Account management, strategy, execution of online work which spans across all our life plan communities.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Many deliverable ranging from website refreshed, to content creation for various purposes, to troubleshooting issues as they arose

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

Yes, very good with deadlines

What was your primary form of communication with SmartBug Media?

Virtual Meeting

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

They worked like an extension of our own marketing team.

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

No. The team at Smartbug is so knowledgeable and tightly connected to latest in Hubspot and online marketing in general. We value their expertise and recommendations.  But beyond all that, they are exceptionally nice to work with!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive Vice President of (a/an) Retail

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company offers an exceptional collection of fine jewelry and gems, including engagement rings and wedding bands, a custom design shop staffed by master jewelers, and a knowledgeable and friendly sales team.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Chair 10 Marketing to accomplish?

• Online/digital ads (Google, Facebook)
• Reputation management

SOLUTION

How did you find Chair 10 Marketing?

Referral

Why did you select Chair 10 Marketing over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Referred to me

What was the size of Chair 10 Marketing’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

• Google and Facebook ads
• PPC
• reputation management

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Monthly reporting

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

Timely and responsive

What was your primary form of communication with Chair 10 Marketing?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Personalized attention and flexibility in meeting our needs. They had quick response times and great communication.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Chair 10 Marketing could have done differently?

We're happy with our experience with Chair10 and with our digital marketing specialist, Becca.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of ZenShopWorld, a spiritually conscious store selling a variety of unique and fun products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire GobySavvy?

We wanted to implement email marketing automation.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase our automation to market to stagnant email subscribers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them on Upwork and saw they had good reviews and a strong reputation.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

I didn't know how email could drive our bottom line, but Ryan (Founder, GobySavvy) and his team fully implemented Klaviyo and an email collection system. They introduced us to a number of complex, modern strategies for email marketing, including abandoned cart automated emails.

What was the team composition?

I was in contact with Ryan and his email team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Revenue grew 15–20% after they setup Klaviyo. Our email list has also expanded, as has our use of automation. I never knew how powerful email could be.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their communication was amazing, and Ryan and his team were quick to jump on a call and answer any questions I had.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re also an e-commerce company, so they understood what I deal with on a daily basis. They were easy to talk to and discuss questions with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would say they could make their cost more affordable, but I couldn’t be happier with the service I received. You definitely get what you pay for.