SmartSites

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
Logo Design Service

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address?
SEO service

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartSites?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select SmartSites over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from SmartSites were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

What was the scope of their involvement and team dynamic?
They found a great solution to provide results, as I expected for SEO service.
What's the status of this engagement?
We completed everything.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with SmartSites evolve?
The most important thing is the final result. Now, I am happy with the final results! I got the results I wanted. Thanks
In what ways can they improve?
Thanks for solving my SEO issues.
What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?
Communication is important.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on April 10,2024
Srdjan Stojicic
Owner, RabbitDesign

Denver, Colorado

1-10 Employees

Mar 2023 - Mar 2024

$10,000 to $49,999

Verified

Project summary
A logo design service hired SmartSites for SEO services. The client's goal was to increase their ranking on Google. The client worked with a small team from SmartSites.

Feedback summary
The client was highly dissatisfied with their experience and the end result of their work with SmartSites. The links the team provided were faulty, and the client's domain rating has decreased. Due to the poor service and results from SmartSites, the client has since terminated the partnership.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of Rabbit

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Rabbit business offers a logo design service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• SEO service

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartSites?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select SmartSites over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from SmartSites were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

I hired this agency to help me rank better on Google. I received a lower DR(domain rating) and no traffic. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Dear current and new potential clients. I will just say RUN! Now you will see my wonderful experience with this FAKE 5-star company, which doesn't exist on location. In total, I paid $26k for poor service, $9k for Development, and $17 for SEO. 

•  Let's start with Development The DEV team from Nepal overused hours for some tasks. I requested to get Stripe Element on my website. I have received everything, but not Stripe Element. They confirmed that they will install a Stripe Element payment provider. (screenshot attached) https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47393818?key=6781c361100323b51f0a4c4bc2379fb3 https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47393708?key=f463b6ddaa81e761e36db9f7d7aaf746 https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47393764?key=cafb7cb2622d7cae4c90e0bdd5b87843 I needed to contact another agency to install a Stripe Element. 
• Other tasks that I requested: 

1.  Add this image to the "how it works" section on the right side. I created this image, so their job was to add it. It's really hard to add an image to the website; they needed HOURS for that. I will probably need to send a medal because it's a big job. They team deserves a gold medal. https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47394017?key=af145e0a3fae0b4b7053a265949e9deb 
2. Add three icons to this section. https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47394176?key=351e30d8113f2ba97d4cb682658c6e26 
3. Add three icons to this section. https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47394297?key=44257600aad6b53974975ab8aaa418d0 
4. Add this image on the right side. https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47394327?key=8785c93e7aa5d80bce6a0c8f9d4a8b79 
5. Create a footer like this. https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47394359?key=3fe1ea1ce715bba1c17ba57a1673c472 6. Create a login page like this. https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47394396?key=44d72aa3eb49db30a3a7f34a9bd8105c That is all about $9k and 90 hours for Development service. Some people create a WHOLE website for $9k.

SEO service For SEO service, the link-building team is WINNER. I have received 74 links from "directories". https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47394595?key=1ae3224446c05c991027758c455d1ade https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47394623?key=854609f5d12dd46baba83732ac3a1fa4 The best part is that they are proud of this link-building campaign; I didn't get an answer when I asked Katie to show me only one "backlink" from the blog post and the same industry.
 When you check Ahrefs backlink checker, you will notice that Ahrefs recognizes only 57 links, and 22 are "unique", but again they are from directories, so they are spammy. And 2 backlinks are with DR 0. https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47394763?key=2b9b7ac98822e89f036abcb73fe15501 https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47394837?key=6ecc01d682e0b3a65481a719fc8d527f If you wonder why these links are spammy, before hiring, my DR (domain rating) score was 26. Now it's 11.
Excellent job from the link-building team. https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47395075?key=e003044d57b4343808955c992b6fe2a4 https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47395041?key=ced2601b91c25f970b87c8ad33005ca7 This blog explains exactly what I received: https://ahrefs.com/blog/bad-links/ https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47395342?key=d43030676cd04e2ebcd3f695df02584e After 3 paid months for SEO service, I saw that I was not getting anything, neither higher DR nor traffic or clicks. 
I decided to pause the SEO campaign because I thought that it was a "new" website and maybe I needed to wait 12 months for Google to recognize it. So we continued with 3 more months of the campaign, for a total of 6 months. They said that pause wasn't good for SEO, What? I received spammy backlinks because we paused this poor campaign? After all, I will need to remove or disavow these toxic links. When I requested a refund, they told me that they don't offer refunds and that they received my approval for everything. 
Yes, I approved everything because I wasn't familiar with SEO and strategies. I thought, why not approve and wait to see some good results? They are a 5-star SEO company, but it's a fake rating. In the last few months, I have read many articles from SEO and Google experts, and now I can compare what is needed for good SEO with what I received. When I presented everything to Katie, I received an offer to get a refund of $6k via a PHYSICAL CHECK. 
What is this "Catch Me If You Can" movie with Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio? https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47395597?key=197f5f3ca24d903585bcf3c2ce9101e6 https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47395630?key=aad8d77ef9318bbc221426cf420fb16f After the campaign's first month, they asked if I would leave a 5-star review. I thought: ok, why not? I may receive better results. https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/47396397?key=fa4f0cd800ae80d36b531229ce7c241d It's better to share this experience so new potential clients can see a better picture of this company over a giant wall of fake 5 stars.

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

I didn't get anything on time; for blog posts, I always waited 5-7 days of the next month.

What was your primary form of communication with SmartSites?

Email or Messaging App

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

Actually, it's really impressive to have 500 fake reviews on Google, and the company doesn't exist on location.

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

I suggest Smartsites change the content on their website so that it states that you will get backlinks only from "directories." Spammy backlinks, not from blog posts in the same industry.

STAR RATINGS
Overall Rating: 0
Quality: 0 
Cost: 0
Schedule: 0
Willing to refer: 0

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of JP Pierre

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Sale and manufacture of men's leather shoes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Revise SEO and enhance communication in the native language to ensure our clients feel a connection.
• Boost sales.
• Determine if our branding strategies are effective.

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartSites?

Online Search

Why did you select SmartSites over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from SmartSites were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

I believe that they have improved our communication with clients, as well as restructured the entire website and incorporated keywords that have contributed to our site's visibility. Although we're still in the early stages, I'm confident that we're moving in the right direction.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Website visits and sales.

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

They delivered an excellent service and ensured on-time delivery.

What was your primary form of communication with SmartSites?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The prompt communication and their organized approach to work are impressive.

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

Not at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of EmergingEra Holdings LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an e-commerce store.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SmartSites to accomplish?
Marketing campaign

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartSites?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select SmartSites over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from SmartSites were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

They have created a marketing campaign to launch on google ads.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ongoing

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

Everything has been going well.

What was your primary form of communication with SmartSites?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They've been easy to work with.

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

Not at the moment

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Partner of Exhibit Pros

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an Exhibit House, we conceptualize and project manage trade shows for other businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Increase our PPC conversion
• Create and optimize PPC Campaings to increase traffic
• Optimize our on site SEO

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartSites?

Online Search

Why did you select SmartSites over others?

online presence

How many teammates from SmartSites were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We recently engaged with Darius at SmartSites to oversee our PPC campaigns. Our experience with their customer service has been nothing short of excellent. Darius has been exceptionally communicative, readily scheduling additional calls to ensure we grasp how the PPC campaigns will drive results and bolster the traffic we need. Thus far, the company's transparency has been commendable, with a commitment to assisting us in managing all the accounts established on our behalf. 
In parallel, we're collaborating with an SEO team handling the optimization aspect of our strategy; our project managers, Diane and Anita, have been consistently responsive and informative. As we proceed with our partnership, we eagerly anticipate witnessing the fruits of the team's efforts. Overall, we're impressed with the professionalism and dedication displayed by SmartSites. We look forward to continued success together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Receiving contact forms and driving traffic to our website. 
• Relevant Conversions.

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

The team has been responsive.

What was your primary form of communication with SmartSites?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their initial sales meeting was very educational, and a lot of research was done before our call. This sold me on the service and choosing to work with them.

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

I have been requesting a dedicated person to work on our site fixes. Yes, I want all of these findings done yesterday. We are losing money every day that we have to wait for updates and fixes on our site. So far, no answer. I also need more help getting everything transferred and set up. While all of this is second nature to their team, to a business owner, setting up all of these accounts Is a lot of work. 
There has been a lot of back and forth trying to get everything lined up. In the past, I have had more service in this area; this is important because there is a lot of time wasted not having the correct access right away. More help in this area would be appreciated.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Exhibit Pros

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Custom trade showexhibit rentals

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Improve SEO on website
• Improve PPC campaign
• Increase Inquiries

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartSites?

Online Search

Why did you select SmartSites over others?

• High ratings
• Company values aligned

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

Darius and the team have been very responsive to any questions we have had. They are expediting the process as quickly as possible to get us back on track.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are just getting started

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

Yes. They have great response time.

What was your primary form of communication with SmartSites?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

That they can work on multiple tasks simultaneously and communication.

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

Not that I can see but we are hoping to pay extra to get more hours dedicated to getting our website fixed and updated faster

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the President of a composite material manufacturer.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Manufactures composite materials

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• improve brand marketing

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartSites?

Referral

Why did you select SmartSites over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from SmartSites were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Scope included SEO optimization, article generation, social media UGC

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

improved SEO, site traffic, UGC

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 SmartSites?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their knowledge and systems are impressive.

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

speed on articles

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at BuildAdditionalIncome.com

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Sales for an education program.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Increase traffic to my website
• Handle technical issues with my website
• Increase sales

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartSites?

Online Search

Why did you select SmartSites over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from SmartSites were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

They handled the SEO and google ads for my website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

High amount of clicks and conversions.

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

Yes, they were quick and delivered great service! Due to my personal situation, I had to step away and take a break from my business. They were very empathetic to my situation and I plan on continuing to work with them as soon as possible!

What was your primary form of communication with SmartSites?

Virtual Meeting

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

How understanding they were to my situation. I truly feel like this company and it's staff want the best for their clients and will do everything they can to work with you and help you achieve your goals.

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

Not that I can think of at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Member of LoadTraining.com

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Vocational Education

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• PPC

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartSites?

Online Search

Why did you select SmartSites over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from SmartSites were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

Full acct management and upgrade

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Revamp campaigns and increase conversions while decreasing conversion costs. Also, fight back for impression share.

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

they delivered on time and conduct our meeting timely also.

What was your primary form of communication with SmartSites?

Virtual Meeting

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

The skill set matches the advertising. Most times this is not the case. I'm impressed at Darius — he really listens and tries to understand our needs.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an Executive of Athar’a Pure

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Athar’a Pure is an all natural, plant based skincare line, inspired by the beauty traditions of Indian and Pakistani women and based on the principles of Ayurveda. All of our products are cruelty free and vegan.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Google Shopping Ads

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartSites?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select SmartSites over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from SmartSites were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Run and manage Google shopping ads.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Conversion rates

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

Yes, the team has been great at staying on top of my shopping ads.

What was your primary form of communication with SmartSites?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Kolbe’s knowledge as it relates to Google ads.

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

I had also hired them for SEO and while it was going well in the beginning, once my account mgr for that project left, things kind of fell off and so I stopped using that service and now only use the Google ads service. I would also like them to manage my social ads, but we’ve had some struggles with that.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CAD Manager/Designer of a construction company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a landscape design and build firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• SEO

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartSites?

Referral

Why did you select SmartSites over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

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

They assisted us with our websites SEO, Pay Per Click, etc.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have received more inquires since our website went live.

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

They were on time and very knowledgeable. An absolute pleasure to work with.

What was your primary form of communication with SmartSites?

Email or Messaging App

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

They were very easy to work with and responded quickly.

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

None