Straight North

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director for CleanTools, a manufacturer of consumer packaged goods in the automotive aftermarket, as well as the pet and marine markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?

We needed our company website redesigned and built out. An ongoing SEO strategy was also necessary for advancing our online presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The state of our website before honestly was an embarrassment. We occupy a large market share in the automotive aftermarket but our digital presence was not evident of that. Straight North overhauled our website and really brought forth our vision. The responsive website now communicates that we’re a premium brand to every consumer that visits. We’re a small team and rely on Straight North to handle all aspects of site design and development. We’ve recently expanded into the pet and marine markets and used their GoNorth! platform to launch 2 corresponding websites this past summer.

Straight North provides us ongoing SEO services as well. They write content and clean up backlinks for us. We'll approve the content and give feedback as much as we can, but they really spear-head that initiative for us.

What is the team dynamic?

I worked with the project manager, Ann, several times and always request her when reaching out to Straight North. She is great to work with. The VP of sales, Ian [Stevenson], is who I originally spoke with about revamping our website. He’s been amazing to work with and has always been willing to answer questions.

How did you come to work with Straight North?

We found them through internet research while looking for firms. We went with Straight North because they offered a complete package. Instead of just listening to our requirements, they were thinking about the overall purpose of the site and how the SEO content would factor into that purpose.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $3,800 a month for their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2013, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen continuous growth thanks to the SEO work they provide. Prior to working with Straight North, our e-commerce platform wasn’t successful. Since the new site launched, we’ve seen a significant increase in online sales, including a new product that has doubled in online sales over the last six months.

How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management abilities are top-notch. They have methodical processes in place to ensure efficiency. In terms of communication and scope adjustment, they’ve been extremely flexible and easy to work with throughout the course of the engagement.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their expertise and creative approach to website development are where they truly shine. They never have to go back and redesign a landing page because they listen to the client’s wishes. Their process is so fine-tuned that they're able to really see the vision and develop something that the client is going to be happy with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At first, the SEO content they produced wasn’t always well-researched. I know that the SEO content they're writing serves its purpose through keywords. But as a consumer, I could see that what's written is very shallow in terms of helpful information. It was all basic knowledge material as opposed to an in-depth write-up. That could’ve been a wrong expectation on my part, but I had a different vision for the content we put out.

Additionally, some of the writers they would hire clearly wouldn’t do enough research on our products and we’d have to do a lot of corrections. After some communication, that hasn’t been a problem as of late.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CFO of The Tooth Factory, a dental laboratory that produces crowns, bridges, dentures and other related products for dentists as the end consumer. My larger, boutique private equity firm, Pareto & Company, is located in Chicago. We’ve been an investor in The Tooth Factory for almost three years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?

Since dentists are frequently occupied by patient appointments, it proved difficult to schedule phone calls or in-person meetings. To reach this demographic, we contracted Straight North to create a direct mailing.

When this project generated only minor traction, we refocused our efforts on revamping our website and creating a stronger online presence. Despite limited expertise, I’d personally compiled our existing site using off-the-shelf products. With just 4-5 pages of basic content, it needed a complete overhaul. Like most comparably sized labs, our site lacked SEO and functioned akin to a business card.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Shortly after investing in The Tooth Factory, we commissioned a direct mail piece. Straight North designed and disseminated a flyer to reintroduce our company. A promotion for five crowns at $50 each offered dentists a significantly lower price point than our competitors. We hoped a physical flyer, lingering on their desks, would have a greater impact than a missed phone call.

Ultimately, this proved ineffective, and we commenced a website overhaul. Equipped with extensive company materials including logos, they started the backend redesign. Two months of prep work and research segued into content generation. Their photographer took new product and personnel photos onsite. The redesign’s first draft necessitated nominal measures: furnishing technical terminology, improving the flow of copy, and experimenting with different images. As medical professionals, our target audience necessitated a different strategy than direct consumers.

The site went live in September. Unveiling our SEO push, the team continuously review keyword efficacy to improve organic rankings. Current work involves building out a calendar for a blogging strategy.

What is the team dynamic?

Our project lead, Natalie Berberet, represented the development and copywriting teams. She scheduled timeframes for photography and conference calls, notably a live walkthrough of the site. Since completing her role in the site launch, she’s offered continued availability as a secondary support. She coordinated the handoff to our current SEO lead, Caitlyn Muchel, who provides a comparable level of service.

How did you come to work with Straight North?

The CEO has known me for 15 years, and my partner at Pareto & Company for 30. Comfortable and familiar with the firm’s work, we reengaged after investing in The Tooth Factory. Our initial website redesign consultation delimited project needs and defined marketplace climate. Keyword and search volume data validated the cost of pursing this specific niche.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $10,000 so far, including our $5,000 upfront fee and two $2,000 monthly payments for ongoing SEO work. We selected their streamlined “Go North” option. It’s neither an off-the-shelf product nor a complete, customized website (a $10-$50,000 proposition). For a lab our size, this is a large, but not insurmountable expense. Solidifying good quality leads, like monthly dentist users, should generate recurring revenue that pays for the cost within a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've had two engagements. Two years ago, we requested a direct mailing, and our ongoing website redesign started in May 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new site provides a more professional introduction to our company. Significantly more user friendly, it enables dentists to easily locate topical information. Raw Google Analytics-type data indicates more visitors to the site.

Although this traffic has yet to directly generate leads, this pace reasonably corresponds to the volume of required preparation. As an inherently slow process, the minor traction thus far validates pursuing this under-served avenue. Few competitors are taking similar measures, and bolstering our online presence will produce more sales in the long run.

How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project lead kept in constant communication. Providing ongoing material to review, like sample copy, helped consistently capture our desired tone. Consistently responsive to requests, she contributes metrics to support the SEO team’s keyword research. We've held what we term "campaign calls" biweekly.

As a lab of only five employees, they significantly outpaced us. Our capacity to respond accordingly sometimes prolonged facets of development. In light of these limitations, they offered timeline flexibility. Friendly reminders about deadlines held us accountable, and they communicated repercussions on the launch date.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Tailoring the service offerings and the product itself to individual customers preempts wasted money on overly-customized solutions. Very early on, they calibrated the appropriate service offerings for our current needs. We have a functional website with a fitting level of SEO work, without overpaying.

Are there any areas they could improve?

To clarify the time horizon, we probably could have had a better conversation upfront. We didn't fully comprehend the length of time between site launch to lead generation. A number of calls with Caitlin have clarified that lead traffic will reasonably increase before the end of the calendar year.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Identify your company’s needs as they correspond to your size and budget. As a small lab, we easily could have spent twice the money needlessly on an entirely proprietary site with another firm.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Chicago Metro Home Inspection provides inspections in the Chicagoland area. When someone purchases a home, if they’re not familiar with the mechanics or the way a home operates, I come in and inspect it for them and make sure they understand exactly what they’re buying. I’m the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?

I ultimately wanted to be on page one of Google search results so that my customers can find me instead of my competition.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially had a Weebly website that they worked on, but it didn’t perform well. We transferred it over to Straight North’s platform using their proprietary CMS. They largely recreated the website itself on that platform. They build out my website on a monthly basis and add content and links to it.

What is the team dynamic?

I interact with one person and I think they are doing all of the work.

How did you come to work with Straight North?

I found them through a friend of mine who is a graphic designer for them.

How much have you invested with them?

I've spent $17,000–$18,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t reached the ultimate goal of getting on page one, but we’re moving forward. I have seen growth in traffic to our website.

How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m happy with it. They are very open with me. We communicate through email and phone calls. I can log in to their website and see what they’ve accomplished each month.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The content, usability, and design of the website is impressive and I’m happy with it. My business has more credibility now as a result.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We worked on the Weebly website for 5–6 months without seeing the growth that they assured me of. They were confident that they would meet or exceed my expectations by then, but it didn’t happen. They suggested that this was due to the way Weebly’s websites are structured, so Google didn’t recognize our SEO efforts. They recommended I move to a Straight North website, and we transferred over the next month or so. My satisfaction has improved, but my ranking isn’t moving at the rate that we discussed in December of last year.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Foundation Doctor is a foundation repair company based in Charlotte, NC. My brother and I started the company about a year ago, and work together as joint business partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?

About six months ago we decided we needed better marketing. We had a website that a friend had designed, but we wanted a more professional site and help improving our SEO [Search Engine Optimization].

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They rebuilt our website and set up better SEO. We met to discuss our ideas, asked some follow-up questions, and then took things from there. Our original site was on Wordpress, but Straight North was using their own proprietary CMS [Content Management System].

They’re helping us with content for some of the services we’re focusing on. They’re pitching us to different websites to add us to their backlinks, and are actively working to add us to listing sites and directories to improve our web presence.

What is the team dynamic?

Nathalie [Project Manager, Straight North] was the contact for the website build, and Courtney [Account Manager, Straight North] oversaw the SEO for us.

How did you come to work with Straight North?

We spoke to 8–10 companies about the project. I was educating myself on SEO practices, and did a Google search for SEO companies. Straight North appeared as the number one option organically, so I reached out to them. They were the most knowledgeable company we spoke with.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $4,000 so far, which includes $2,000 for the site build, and $1,000 a month for tracking and maintenance. They’re a little pricier than some of the companies we looked at, but we felt they were our best choice.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2017. They’ve finished our site, and we have a monthly maintenance contract with them now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s a great site, and everyone tells us how professional it looks. We’re really pleased with the feedback.

They installed a tracker, which we started using in September. It may be a few months before we have a clearer picture of the impact. For just the month of September, we had 8 organic leads and 30–40 clicks on the site. We also have a dynamic phone number listed, so when a user calls from our site, it goes to a separate line.

How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?

Nathalie and Courtney were both great. They were quick to respond and keep us updated, and always got back to us with no issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re most excited by the design of the website. When we built our first site, we had no idea how valuable it could be. The website they designed is mobile-friendly and looks good on a desktop. The tracking they put in place helps us decide how to spend money on advertisements and SEO in the future.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for Graphic House, Inc., a premier sign manufacturer based in Wausau, Wisconsin with offices throughout the Midwest.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?

We wanted to improve our website design and increase traffic, with a specific focus on lowering our bounce rate.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used their in-house proprietary CMS to redesign our website, incorporating infographics, and the intuitive layout allows us to maintain the site and make changes as needed. They found keywords accurate to our industry and used them to optimize our web content. They also write blog posts, with any copy sent to us for final approval.

Our package includes monthly SEO services in order to improve and maintain our search rank.

What is the team dynamic?

My initial point of contact was their vice president of sales. Now that the deal is finalized, I work with our project manager and design team.

How did you come to work with Straight North?

I considered several SEO companies, but I'd worked with Straight North in the past through my work with previous company. They were willing to work with us on pricing and I knew they were reliable based on my past experience.

They also have offices in the Midwest, making it easy to conduct occasional face-to-face meetings.

How much have you invested with them?

Our contract is $48,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2017 and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our previous site’s bounce rate was roughly 60%. After working with Straight North these last nine months, that rate has gone down to 35%–40%, which is the industry standard.

Three-quarters of our site visits are from new users and they’re consistently staying on the page for 2–4 minutes.

These analytics prove to us that their work is producing results.

How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager calls every two weeks to provide a breakdown of our site analytics. We’re consistently updated, and I can contact them via email or phone if I have any questions, receiving a response within 48 hours.

They make an effort to keep in touch with their clients, as their VP of sales checks in occasionally to ask if we have any concerns.

Overall, working with them has been great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a strong worth ethic and are very straightforward. We’ve had issues with previous companies relying on bots to artificially boost our web traffic, but Straight North understands that the ultimate goal is to convert traffic into actual sales.

They also took the time to understand our industry, taking a tour of our manufacturing facilities to get a firm grasp on who we are and what we do. They're an SEO company that truly cares about their clients.

They consistently meet the quarterly and annual goals that we set.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their CMS could use minor improvements. It’s great for people who want a basic, easy-to-use system, but lacks flexibility for more advanced users. Of course, this simplicity gives their CMS a wider appeal.

Advice for potential customers?

Having worked with them through two different companies, I’ve had nothing but positive experiences. Straight North will hit their goals for a good price, so they're worth a try.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am one of the owners of a yoga studio in the suburbs of Chicago. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?

I wanted to optimize our website for organic search because we are opening a few more locations in the area. It was important to also improve the flow of our website. We get sales conversions through our website so it was important to improve the experience for potential customers.

New students come to the website to book their first set of classes. Existing students come to the website to check class schedules, buy a membership, or book more classes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped design the website. I already had a website but they improved my Squarespace website. They helped with SEO and gave me recommendations and also help add company reviews and get us higher on various third party sites.

They also helped with us tracking clicks so we can figure out where our customers are coming from how often they're calling and all of the phone calls are also recorded. We record the calls so that we can improve customer service outcomes. We don't do PPC with Straight North, we just focus on organic SEO.

How did you come to work with Straight North?

A family member recommended them to me.

How much have you invested with Straight North?

The first year should be around $12,000 because we spend $1,000 month so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the work at the beginning of 2017 in January.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don't have anything available right now but I can check my reports. Straight North supplies that information to me on a regular basis. What I can say is that the SEO work is positive. Our second office location is making drastic improvements and the highest performing webpage.

What did you find most impressive about Straight North?

I am satisfied with Straight North. I think that they're really good at SEO and they're experts in the field so they could tell me exactly what I needed to change. And they also helped me change things so I didn't have to do it on my own. I love the website where you can see how exactly it's helping where people are coming from and how often people are visiting me. 

I can go there and sign in anytime I want. And also they're really easy to talk to so I can just email them and they respond quickly.

I just feel like as a company they're very easy to talk to. I feel like they're very honest and they do what they say they're going to do. So I feel like the money I'm paying them is worth it. I just trust them. 

So that makes a big difference for me. I've worked with other companies where you're not getting what they say you're going to get. They just really follow through. And I believe that they are experts in the field. 

So I just like working with them.

How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?

We don't work face to face at all. It was originally a phone call and now it's just through email which just great for me. 

Are there any areas Straight North could improve?

There is nothing that I can think of at the moment.

Any suggestions for future clients of Straight North?

I would suggest that they have clear objectives and make sure they discuss the objectives with Straight North so it's clear. Clients should do what Straight North recommends since they are experts. The conversation should always continue.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the sales manager for a moving and relocation services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?

We picked Straight North to build us a new website and drive organic traffic to it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Straight North handles SEO [search engine optimization] and web design. We haven’t asked for social media work because we just kicked-off and want to start slower and then ramp up. We’re in our busy season and didn’t want to attract customers that we can’t properly service. It’s a very small local and regional campaign.

We have a request submission box on the website, and its goal is to get somebody to fill out that box and submit a request for us to contact them, or for them to call us — we want both. Basically, we want to get in contact with them so that we can set up an in-home estimate.

How did you come to work with Straight North?

I got a referral from our corporate office for them and a couple of others. Basically, the reason why we chose them is that they were a lot more up-to-date with new designs. They have the most up-to-date products and looks; we didn't want to buy something that was already an old version.​

​​​​​​How much have you invested with Straight North?

It's probably a total of $15,000–$20,000 a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We're still doing some SEO work. We started working with them about 3 months ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I'm overly satisfied with the website. This is actually our third website build, and by far, this has been the best one. It looks way better than I thought they could make it look without me. I just gave them some white papers and some pictures, and they did all the research and put everything together. It exceeded my expectations; everything was very, very, smooth. I would give them six stars if I could.

I can't give you specific metrics, but I can tell you that without any SEO, we are getting more traffic than we got with our old website, paying $1,500 for pay-per-click. Just organically, it is 10 times better than all the money we were spending with the old one.

What did you find most impressive about Straight North?

I think they were very prompt. They have individuals that do very specific tasks, which is nice, instead of someone that does everything but really does nothing and then you have to ask questions, and then that person has to ask someone else and get back to you later.

They're very specific with the steps that they take and the people that are involved. They kind of pass you off but they're passing you off to the expert, which is great.

Are there any areas Straight North could improve?

I don't think so. They’ve quickly addressed everything I asked them to do, change, or fix. I had a few things that I had forgotten that I needed and they did them without a problem.

​​​​​​Any suggestions for future clients of Straight North?

As long as you're honest and open with them along the process, they'll give you their best opinion. I called them and asked them about buying something, and they told me that they have it but that it's worthless for me and recommended not to buy it. So, just be open with your ideas and they'll give you their honest advice, which is important.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a renewable energy company that sells digital solar energy panels to residential and commercial customers. I’m the vice president of sales and marketing, and I oversee all of the administration within the office.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?

We needed to generate leads. When someone looks at the website, we wanted them to submit their information to us through a form to receive more information. They can also call us. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our website and SEO campaign. They also helped with the design of the website and digital marketing. Straight North has a number that they track so we know if any calls are coming from the site or from somewhere else. We have a unique number that customers call to let us track conversions easily.

How did you come to work with Straight North?

I didn’t find them originally. Years ago, we hired an SEO company. I’m assuming that they were bought out by Straight North because the former owner currently works with them. Everything transitioned from his original company to Straight North.

How much have you invested with Straight North?

We spend between $4,000 and $5,000 in an average month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them on the website and expanded to the digital marketing campaign in January 2017. Our relationship is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As of right now, the work has not been worth it. We’re currently coming up with a new game plan because our leads haven’t changed since we revamped our site and started a new marketing campaign. I don’t know why we haven’t seen any results. Our website was not good before we revamped it, but we had traffic coming in non-stop. Now, we have a gorgeous website, but we’re getting 4 leads a week, and half of them aren’t even legitimate leads. We might get a single call. It doesn’t make sense. Our leads actually went down last month. We should be getting 30 or 40 leads a week. Straight North has all kinds of reports and statistics, but that’s not helping me at this point. I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt, and we’re going to try again.

How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?

Everyone was easy to work with except for our project manager, who has been replaced.

What did you find most impressive about Straight North?

I’ve never worked with another company like this before, but Natalie [Email Marketing Specialist, Straight North] has been awesome. She’s very responsive and answers my questions. I can edit the website myself now because she’s trained me, which makes my role a lot easier.

Are there any areas Straight North could improve?

They don’t offer social media services, and I wish they did because I believe that goes hand in hand with SEO. They’re easy to work with as a team. Upper management has been in contact with me to figure out the issue with our lead generation. I’m happy that they replaced the initial project manager.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Straight North?

Usually, communication is a problem with any business partner, but they’ve been responsive. If you have a question, they’ll get back to you. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work in the marketing department of a medical scale manufacturer. Our products are used in hospitals and doctors' offices.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?

For years, we had a very old website that was hard to look at. We knew that the website was supposed to be updated every once in a while.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We discussed the design — how the website should be organized and what we needed. Our website is informational and not sales-focused because we sell through distributors. Straight North figured out the best way to get our message across.

They designed a completely new website using Drupal, which we access through Acquia. Straight North put graphics on the homepage, added new pages, and displayed all the product info. As we get new products, they add other little things on the website to make them stand out.

How did you come to work with Straight North?

We did a Google search and found Straight North. They were close to our office, so we decided to contact them for a quote and some ideas about our website. We liked what we saw when we went to Straight North’s office and met them. We visited a couple of other offices in the area, but Straight North had a better quote.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in the spring of 2013. I don’t remember how long it took them to update the site. Every once in a while, they’ll help us out when we have changes or new pages to add on the website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The launched website got good feedback. There weren’t any serious bugs that needed to be fixed.

How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?

They are good at meeting deadlines. I don't recall them ever having an issue or not launching when we wanted them to. They pretty much get things done in a timely manner. They've been great.

The communication is good, and Straight North’s project manager is responsive. We sometimes meet in person since we are so close to each other.

Are there any areas Straight North could improve?

I haven't had any big issues with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own an online retail glass block distributor called Quality Glass Block. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?

We wanted to develop a website that was able to communicate the differences between our product lines and serve as a resource for our customers shopping online. We also wanted to build links and SEO into our actual website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They set up and managed my pay-per-click (PPC) services and did my SEO. They also built a brand-new website in Drupal; the old site was in HTML. When they completed the web design, they showed me a few different mockups to choose from. The only things they didn’t do were my email marketing (because we don’t have an email marketing campaign) and social media.

How did you come to work with Straight North?

I interviewed about 12 or 13 different companies. When it came down to it, we decided to pick Straight North. They were the highest in terms of price, but I knew what I wanted in a website, and I got what I was exactly looking for. In the end, it was more about getting the service and the product that I wanted than a certain price point.

How much have you invested with Straight North?

It costs me $3,000 a year to maintain the site.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in March of 2011 and rolled out the new site in October of 2011. For the next year, we did SEO and then jumped into PPC. In 2012 and part of 2013, we did SEO. Then, all the way through 2015, we did PPC. Now, the site pretty much runs on its own. They do some maintenance for me. If I need to fix or change anything, they’re just a phone call away.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Hands down, Straight North has helped my company grow. We were making about $120,000 a year in e-commerce before, and we're up to about $700,000 per year. I would attribute 90% of that growth to Straight North. The biggest thing was growing our presence online. That was the big portion of what they did for me.

We took everything that was in binders and on shelves and put it on a website that's available to our customers as a resource. We watched the number of people that jump off Google Analytics drop. The time spent on our website increased, as well the number of pages that the average customer views.

Customers absolutely love the website’s clean layout and the fact that all the information is so informative. Because it’s so professional, most of them think that we're the manufacturer, not just a distributor.

What did you find most impressive about Straight North?

Their content is second to none. It brings people in and makes the information readable. They do a really good job at writing the content in a way that’s SEO friendly and attracts the right client. A portion of our website is very technical to attract architects. Another portion of the website is dumbed down for the do-it-yourselfers. A third portion is moderately detailed for contractors. That's what I liked the most about the site.

Straight North uniquely juggles different things. We asked them to put in a customer image process—a place where people could upload photos—and they found a way to do it. They were constantly working to give us what we want.

Are there any areas Straight North could improve?

Their pricing is expensive, but you get what you pay for, so I would not ding them on that.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Straight North?

Be prepared for when the site goes live. We were not prepared for the increased business we were going to have, and we had a ton of overtime while working late on weekends. If you give Straight North an objective, they're going to achieve it, but you're only as good as your internal structure. That was the biggest lesson we learned through this process.