Thrive Internet Marketing Agency

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

StarRotor Corporation is a technology startup with a few promising focus points, including a device used as a compressor/expander which brings a collection of improvements to what is called a gerotor. The company has a body of intellectual property which made the gerotor usable as a gas compression and expansion device, rather than liquid, which was the historical application. StarRotor also has a switch reluctance motor technology.

I was the commercialization manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing?

When I came on board to the company in 2015, one of the obvious issues I identified was that the website needed to be updated in order to reflect current realities. It had been developed in 2008 and was using an old technological platform. It had disabled portions in terms of SEO [search engine optimization] and it was generally terrible for any visitor. It made me cringe to hear people type in our web address during phone conversations, thinking about what they would be immediately looking at. I was able to convince senior officers to redevelop the site, even though that was not my intended role in the company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I developed a scope with Thrive Internet Marketing, which was naturally more than what our leadership thought we needed to spend, but nonetheless, I was able to push it through.

It included a new website on the WordPress platform, which is the platform of choice for Thrive. I had done a bit of digging around and found that the choice of technology made sense.

One aspect which emerged more than once was the need to make a mobile-friendly website; the old one was certainly not. I didn't have a lot of knowledge about mobile-responsive designs, but I certainly have a stronger appreciation of it now. Our website is able to perform well on smartphones and big computer screens alike.

Another challenge was the development of our content. Technology companies are not as straightforward in terms of what they're selling. Our technology is usable across a range of applications, and we don't currently manufacture specific products for sale, but rather seek to engage in partnerships with people whereby products using our technology can be designed. Content development was important in order to put our message forward in a way that people can understand.

One of Thrive Internet Marketing's services was helping us to develop content. I'm sure that, during the sales cycle, I became confident in their ability to provide this.

We have worked with at least six people, including a project manager, a content development lead, a technical lead, SEO specialists, and the main developer. There may have been others doing behind-the-scenes work, but these were the ones I was exposed to. Thrive also assigned a person who gave me basic training for the site, helping me understand how to use the site's backend for basic tasks.

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing?

I was introduced to them by a friend who is running a company and had used them successfully.

I had a number of conversations with Thrive Internet Marketing's CEO and with their business developer. The two of them were very good to talk to, helping me build a case for convincing our management to redo the website using them.

How much have you invested with Thrive Internet Marketing?

The cost of Thrive Internet Marketing's services was between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Thrive Internet Marketing in November 2015. The new website was launched in July 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have had a number of organic leads develop thanks to our new site. There are people who knew of us from before but researched our company again, found our new website, and used the direct contact form. We've also had brand-new, high-quality contacts reach out to us through the site, seeking to collaborate on technology development. We're a small company, so one lead is significant for us, especially if it’s well qualified.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

I'm a project manager by background and training and have worked in the software industry. I was able to help Thrive Internet Marketing in the backend, in terms of testing the site and working out minor bugs.

Are there any areas Thrive Internet Marketing could improve?

The challenges we've presented, in terms of obtaining a simple and understandable message through the website, amounted to a difficult project. We've had to handle much of the content writing ourselves, taking structural leadership from Thrive Internet Marketing. There was some tweaking involved, but we were able to see where Thrive was heading, which stimulated us to do a good job.

I'm not surprised to find service organizations, particularly those populated by young people, to be technically capable but with a weakness in dotting i's and crossing the t's. Because I'm open and alert to those aspects, I'm a good client for them. They did a good job with broad brush strokes, content development, as well as website structuring and programming, but Thrive Internet Marketing needs to strengthen in terms of quality assurance and testing. Most organizations have the same limitation.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

theromanguy.com offers small group and private tours in Italy. I am a digital strategist for the company, in charge of our website, SEO, social media, and online marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing?

We wanted to improve our search engine visibility. We work within a competitive space, delivering tours to companies based in Rome.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Thrive Internet Marketing helped us establish a better presence, improving our visibility against lucrative keywords like "Rome tours", "Vatican tours", and so on.

The immediate work that Thrive Internet Marketing did for us was to look at our website, understanding what was working well, and what needed to be improved. They assigned a very competent on-site SEO expert who had a look at our code, identifying issues which were affecting our site. For example, our on-page speed was a problem. Thrive Internet Marketing helped fix this, getting us to a point where that problem no longer exists. This has had a good impact on our search results and SEO.

Thrive Internet Marketing has provided detailed SEO reporting, as well as a dashboard through which we can determine progress.

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing?

We began a pitch process, speaking to 3 companies, out of which we found Thrive Internet Marketing to be the best. Their owner impressed us through technical recommendations for our website, going into detail about what our issues were, and what opportunities presented themselves in our space of operation.

How much have you invested with Thrive Internet Marketing?

The cost of Thrive Internet Marketing's services is around $2,500 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Thrive Internet Marketing at the beginning of May 2016, and have an ongoing collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw our traffic from organic searches improve by 75% month-on-month. The visibility against our most important keyword, "Vatican tours", has gone up from page 8 in search listings, to page 3. We're getting closer to page 1.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

We've spent a bit more than originally planned with Thrive Internet Marketing, mainly because there was a bigger set of costs than anticipated. We were fine with this. In terms of delivery, Thrive Internet Marketing worked through a strategy document, allowing us to see improvements every month. Everything has been delivered on-time.

We use Asana, as well as Zoom for meetings. We also use Raven Tools. We operate mostly with the project manager from Thrive Internet Marketing, but we do also talk to their senior management.

What did you find most impressive about Thrive Internet Marketing?

Thrive Internet Marketing's work approach is the way forward, in my opinion. Thrive Internet Marketing works remotely, using experts from all over the US. They give off a trustworthy vibe, and are very knowledgeable about the sector in which we operate. Tourism and travel can be a niche field, but Thrive Internet Marketing had specific case studies and examples which made them stand out.

Are there any areas Thrive Internet Marketing could improve?

Thrive Internet Marketing could improve in terms of upselling some of the products that they offer. We've gone through a whole backend redevelopment for our website, and they were competent in offering us on-site technical solutions, but we know that there are many other things which Thrive Internet Marketing offers, and we'd be really interested to know what they were. We were waiting for Thrive Internet Marketing to upsell those services, allowing us to make improvements in other areas which weren't discussed in the pitch. We found ourselves waiting to be sold. It would be an opportunity for Thrive Internet Marketing as well, and it's probably to their credit: we tasked them with a specific job, and they simply got on with it.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Thrive Internet Marketing?

I would advise that they ask technical questions without holding back. Thrive Internet Marketing struck me as being knowledgeable about SEO, and prepared to provide details on complicated questions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Showtech Productions offers sound, video, and lighting services for production work, corporate events, and concerts. I am the Vice President of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing?

We needed to rework our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Thrive Internet Marketing redesigned our website and took over the advertising services for it, including SEO [search engine optimization] and pay-per-click. We don't engage in content marketing and social media, but it is something we're considering.

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing?

I looked around for various companies. Thrive's office was close to my home, so I contacted them.

How much have you invested with Thrive Internet Marketing?

We pay around $24,000 per year on Thrive's services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Thrive 3-4 months ago. We have an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thrive Internet Marketing was able to deliver a good website to our company. People have told us that the new website looks much better than the previous version, which I programmed myself. SEO and pay-per-click will require some additional time to get going, which is where we're standing now.

What did you find most impressive about Thrive Internet Marketing?

Thrive is the only company I've used for this type of service, so I have no base for comparison.

Are there any areas Thrive Internet Marketing could improve?

No. I've been satisfied so far. I'm currently waiting for some of the changes made to our site in terms of SEO to take effect.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Thrive Internet Marketing?

I would advise any clients to tell Thrive exactly what they need to achieve.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

planmarketplace.com is focused on enabling architects, engineers, and designers to share, buy, and sell their digital working files. I am the Chief Executive Officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing?

I had an idea which I wanted to build. My background is in architecture, and I found that a service like this didn't already exist. We were creating something completely new.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Thrive Internet Marketing was brought in at the forefront of the process, helping us map out whether our system should be created, and how that could be done. We needed to determine whether the technology was there in order to make this feasible, as well as how the service could be designed and marketed. Thrive was an important partner in bringing this business to fruition.

Thrive did strategy and design work, as well as actually developing the site. This was followed through with SEO [search engine optimization], marketing, and social media. Thrive has been involved in all the aspects of our site.

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing?

I interviewed a few companies. A friend recommended that I speak with Thrive's leader. I had an initial meeting with him, learned more about how Thrive operated, and I felt that they were a good fit. Thrive's team asked the right questions and had good experience. I felt comfortable with them, so I made my decision organically.

How much have you invested with Thrive Internet Marketing?

The total cost of Thrive's services has been over $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with Thrive for a year and a half. It took almost a year to prepare all the material needed beforehand by Thrive. They were involved with my project since its inception.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I'm very satisfied with Thrive's services. They've exceeded my expectations for what could be provided, either through the internal team or by bringing in other companies, where I needed additional expertise. Thrive acted as a true partner, making sure that I was as successful as I could be. They handled everything, from social media to thinking about what our target market was. We tracked SEO on a weekly basis. I'm overall satisfied with the service and level of detail provided by Thrive. We've increased our number of users and page views, as well as sales.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

I have weekly meetings with Thrive in order to make sure that we're trending in the right direction. We find out what isn't working and how we can make improvements. Things are going slower than I'd like, but this is more of a general market reality than a shortcoming on our part. We're still making tweaks, and they're leading us in a positive direction. It's simply going to be a longer road than I'd anticipated.

What did you find most impressive about Thrive Internet Marketing?

Thrive is a group of good people who have my interests at heart. Thrive's aim isn't to simply check off a box and meet their line items on the proposal. Thrive has an interest in making my overall business succeed, which I found to be impressive.

Are there any areas Thrive Internet Marketing could improve?

I can't think of anything. Thrive exceeded my expectations.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Thrive Internet Marketing?

They should try to learn as much about their own business as possible. This will help answer Thrive's questions, leading them into the right direction.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Unified Supply is an airport baggage conveyor manufacturer. I am the owner and Chief Executive Officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing?

We're in a very niche market, and one of the big challenges for us, from a web standpoint, is that our keywords are either small in number and very specific, or simply too broad, applying to 20 different industries. After a period of doing it ourselves, we decided that we needed something else for SEO [search engine optimization].

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Some time ago, we contracted Thrive Internet Marketing to build our website. This created a certain amount of success, given that it was a WordPress site, and thus much more search-engine-friendly. We started getting more web leads simply through that, but we wanted a broader approach, something which would address the underlying issue of niche-specific or much too broad terms, so we approached Thrive in order to do more SEO work on an ongoing basis. We're also getting our pay-per-click up and going with the help of Thrive, and they've helped us automate our activities in order to maximize their value. We update our website's blog, which is linked to our social media, making everything as efficient as possible for us as a small company.

We talked extensively with Thrive about a video strategy which, although not earth-shattering in many industries, is very unique in ours. Thrive helped us make sense of this approach in terms of optimizing videos and posting them. Thrive has implemented a plug-in which allows a video to show up on every page, showing me and a co-worker, in a sort of call-to-action approach.

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing?

We had an old website which could only be updated by our initial developers, in terms of content. I wanted an alternative with a more user-friendly interface. WordPress was not quite as common as it is today, but it showed up on my radar as something which would give us that opportunity. The main thing that Thrive pitched to us was the ability to gain control over our site. Thrive would help us anytime we needed help, but they'd also give us the tools to help ourselves. Many of the people that we talked to either didn't emphasize that, or simply didn't offer it at all.

How much have you invested with Thrive Internet Marketing?

The cost of Thrive's services is between $20,000 to $25,000 per year. Our initial web project had a cost of $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Thrive in 2010. Two years ago we started our ongoing SEO work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thrive's work has been huge for us. The website was optimized for our low-volume transaction business, with incredibly high value per transaction. We may only have a few hundred orders per year, but each of those is worth several thousands of dollars. Thrive gave us such a strong web presence, that some people found us internationally, which led to the biggest customer in the history of our company. Thrive has increased our leads and built a presence which, along with the content that we've provided and our past reputation, has made us a leader in our industry.

Our website leads went up by a measure of 300-400% just through the optimization done by Thrive at the beginning of our project. We've more than doubled again since starting the monthly SEO work two years ago.

We've gotten a tremendous amount of positive feedback for the site, and have come to use it as a training opportunity for customers, through technical blog posts and videos. Our content has helped us show people that we were legit, if they hadn't worked with us before.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Thrive is very good at communicating with us and helping us understand where we stand with any project, as well as where we're headed.

What did you find most impressive about Thrive Internet Marketing?

Thrive has an amazing ability to combine best practices with what is actually possible to do, converting that into good business practices. We found other companies which knew how to build a website or could help with Google rankings, but Thrive took the work a step beyond that, working with us in understanding how to monetize our opportunities, instead of bringing us opportunities which we didn't know what to do with.

Are there any areas Thrive Internet Marketing could improve?

Thrive could have pushed us harder in using more of their resources. We used them to design our website a couple of years before we started doing SEO work. Thrive isn't pushy as a company, they simply want to be there for the client and help them, so they didn't want to close us on work which we weren't sure that we'd need. Only later did we start to believe that SEO could help us make even more money, so we went to Thrive for an ongoing deal. Thrive let us know what was available, but they weren't pushy about it.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Thrive Internet Marketing?

As a prospective client, I would start the conversation with Thrive focusing on strategy, not around the actual tools or the execution. This goes back to the fact that Thrive offered us more depth in terms of what we were trying to accomplish as a business, instead of giving us straight pay-per-click or design services. The client only focusing on their preconceived notions, is limiting.

As an example, I wanted to launch a video on my homepage because I viewed it as an effective call-to-action. Thrive was happy to do that, but when we talked more about what I was trying to accomplish, they pointed out that the bulk of our visits from Google weren't coming to the homepage. Having a call-to-action there would only be minimally effective. Thrive then suggested the plug-in that we're now using, posting the video on every page. This is what a strategy discussion with Thrive can achieve, instead of asking them to initiate a specific tool. There are many companies that present themselves as an all-in-one marketing shop, but Thrive offers top-notch design work, which is what drew me to them. Because of Thrive's strategic skills in terms of SEO, they deserve a 5 rating on that area as well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Speaker A: J&B Electrical Services offers residential and commercial work. I am the owner and founder of the company. The initials in the name stand for mine and my wife's names. We're the sole proprietors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing?

Speaker A: We were looking for a company close to our location, in Arlington, Texas. We liked Thrive's team because they were good, Christian people. We had a few meetings, during which Thrive took the time and actually went over plans and tactics, allowing us to get our foot into the residential services area. We've started getting calls as a result, and it's been a good experience overall. Thrive's principal cares about his clients. We can call and meet him any time in order to figure our goals out.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Speaker A: Thrive Internet Marketing goes the extra mile in helping us. We were going through a slow period at one point. We had a meeting with Thrive, who facilitated $1,000-worth of SEO [search engine optimization] services for free.

Thrive has done an excellent job on our website, using different marketing techniques. They manage our Facebook advertising, and have been very creative in their approach. Marketing campaigns have to be constantly managed, and Thrive has done this. They figure out the best ways of getting traffic to our website.

I handle much of the field work, but my wife handles much of our online marketing. She is in constant touch with Thrive.

Speaker B: Thrive is in charge of our weekly keyword rankings. We receive summaries and I also speak with our account manager over the phone in order to determine where we're ranking and what keywords need tweaking. I receive screenshots for each keyword, as well as a video summarizing all of our data.

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing?

Speaker A: We did some online research, looking for an Arlington company. Thrive is right around the corner from our office. We liked the fact that they're very personable and care about their clients. I'm a pastor running a ministry with the help of my wife. I appreciated the fact that Thrive is made up of Christian people. We've had a good relationship from day one.

How much have you invested with Thrive Internet Marketing?

Speaker B: Our budget with Thrive is $1,500 per month, including pay-per-click, SEO, and website maintenance. We have around 10 hours of SEO work per month, as well as a $500 budget for pay-per-click.

What is the status of this engagement?

Speaker A: We've been working with Thrive for a year and a half. Our company is growing and we have a good reputation. We're only now reaching our peak in terms of getting our foot in the door. From what I can see, Thrive's team also has good integrity, so we make a good combination. We've looked at other marketing companies, and haven't found anything like Thrive. If I ever retire, I'll have someone take over our work with Thrive.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Speaker A: Our company has come to a transition stage because of Thrive's involvement. They helped us figure out advertising campaigns, which led to many calls. We're currently considering putting another truck on the road.

Speaker B: Our traffic has been improved greatly. We're trying to see more traffic through SEO than through pay-per-click, which was one of the initial goals for our work with Thrive. We're getting to invest more on SEO, and tweak it further.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Speaker B: I love Thrive's personability and the ease with which we can reach out to them with any issue. Our campaign manager lives in Florida, but the rest of the company is local to us. He has come to our location a few times in order to have sit-down meetings. Thrive's owner is also very reachable, which is a unique aspect. We've worked with other companies where simply getting a hold of our account manager was hard, let alone the owner. Thrive is willing to go the extra mile, which isn't something we've experienced with other companies in the past. They're usually concerned with numbers and with how many campaigns can be run at the same time, instead of focusing on each individual client. We never felt that we were alone in this effort, and that Thrive was just out there for the money. They care about our campaign and the success of our company.

What did you find most impressive about Thrive Internet Marketing?

Speaker A: We've used other companies which put us in touch with remote people. When someone left or got fired, we'd have to start a new relationship with someone else who didn't really know us, so we would thus get kicked to the curb. This hasn't happened with Thrive. We've had a good experience with them. Our campaign manager remains close to us; I can call him at any time and have a meeting.

Are there any areas Thrive Internet Marketing could improve?

Speaker B: I have no complaints. In the beginning, there was an adjustment period, which is normal for online advertising. Thrive was very helpful and did everything possible to reach out to us. We had weekly phone meetings and monthly in-office meetings. Thrive has gone above-and-beyond.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Hollow Hill Event Center is an event venue that mostly provides spaces for weddings. We occasionally engage in nonbridal work like family reunions or birthday parties.

What is your position?

I am the general manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing?

I had various ideas for the company website, which I needed help implementing. The aim was to increase our visibility for organic searches.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Thrive implemented some design aspects into our website, which I had wanted to try since the business was started. Thrive provided a team of relevant experts who worked with the email postcards that we send out, scheduling and design aspects for individual pages. During the development process, Thrive sent me working models, listened to my critiques, and made appropriate changes, explaining why certain elements were built as they were. Thrive has also helped me manage our pay-per-click advertising as well as handling our SEO [search engine optimization].

We have cut back our social media marketing due to issues with the business that were out of our control. We plan to start that part of Thrive's services again. We tried it for a couple of months and enjoyed how it was working out.

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing?

I know a few web designers and computer programmers. I had gotten the name of one developer and reached out to him, but he told me that he didn't actually do this type of work. Thrive was recommended by him. I looked at their website and was immediately impressed by how well it was set up for scheduling calls and visits. It could immediately see that this kind of design would benefit my business. The design and ease of Thrive's website affected my decision to call them. Other developers' sites didn't measure by comparison. If a company like Thrive doesn't have its own site working well, they'd likely not be able to make my own work better.

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

The total cost for Thrive's services for our first year is expected to be between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have an ongoing relationship with no plans to stop the work. I appreciate all of the services provided by Thrive and don't like the prospect of becoming stagnant in terms of website look and content.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Customers have been very impressed with how the website works. The venue that we provide has a more rustic atmosphere with many antiques. The buildings have also been set up in a more rustic way, with timber frames similar to the style of 200 years ago. Our customers have commented that they like the atmosphere, but they also appreciate that our website is new and modern, allowing them the same conveniences of any other site.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

They keep me updated on a bimonthly basis and answer any questions that I may have outside of the scheduled meeting times. Communication has always been important for me, even when things are going well. Thrive has been able to do that. I was able to sit down with their team in-person and not have them simply be a chat on a screen.

What distinguishes Thrive Internet Marketing from other providers?

I have been thoroughly satisfied with Thrive. They have moved our brand forward and made the website much better. I would recommend them to any smaller business.

Is there anything Thrive Internet Marketing could have improved or done differently?

There is nothing major they could improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

P&H Casters Company, Inc. is located in Arlington, Texas. We are a manufacturer and distributor of casters and wheels. Our company is the number one supplier of these products for shopping carts in the United States.

What is your position?

I am the Marketing Manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing?

I am the first marketing person which the company ever employed. We've grown significantly within the last 10 years, so a company website was launched in 2010. It wasn't getting any traffic and it didn't have an impact. Products were very difficult to find through navigating it. We're a business-to-business [B2B] company only, so even though we're not a true e-commerce website and don't sell products online, we offer everything else that would be associated with an e-commerce page. Users can put items in a cart and send them off for pricing.

We needed a fresh approach, particularly since content will tend to become bogged-down in specific lingo and information which would only be understood by other casters, especially after working in this industry for a long time. Given that our customers tend to come from the retail industry, we needed to go back and rethink our approach from the eyes of someone who was outside of the caster industry. We were making them look for products using very obscure terminology which they'd have no way of knowing.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Thrive Internet Marketing built our new website. They're currently in charge of SEO.

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing?

We put out a bid which was replied-to by 6 candidates. We reduced the list to 3 and ultimately selected Thrive Internet Marketing. We liked the look of their site and I had known their principal previously. He and I were members of the board for the Arlington Museum of Art. Thrive Internet Marketing was a local company, unlike our last vendor.

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

The total development cost for our website was around $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our relationship is ongoing, and our website was launched 3 weeks ago. The development timeline was very long, but through no fault of Thrive Internet Marketing. Our company works very slowly when it comes to making a decision about projects, particularly larger ones. As such, it took a very long time to get to first base, but once we did, the site was launched 2 months later. I think that this is not unusual for any project in which the client is late in delivering materials.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The quality of the site is very good, although there was a time in which I was unsure that we were communicating on the same wavelength as Thrive Internet Marketing. Ultimately, things were worked-out through the contribution of several members of Thrive Internet Marketing who did a stellar job. They didn't stop until the result was exactly right.

Even though we had an amazing initial design, some things got lost in translation, and there was an issue with someone from Thrive Internet Marketing leaving the company. His colleagues stepped in, picked up the ball, and produced a very nice site for us in the end.

The products are far easier to find and our internal people have really appreciated the site. This told me that, if they're finding it easier to find products, the same must be true for our customers. Thrive Internet Marketing worked hand-in-hand with me and were willing to take directions. They made good suggestions and found solutions in the form of plug-ins and other modules. Ultimately, I'm very pleased with the results.

The site is brand-new, but we've gotten some good results. I had been examining analytics on our old site in order to see what kind of traffic the page was generating. There isn't much ground for comparison between the two, but so far, we've received many more inquiries in the first 4 weeks after launch than we got in the last 6 months of running the old page. Someone signed up wanting to get our newsletter, which was a surprise for us. It's too early to tell what the SEO work outcome will be, but I have been satisfied so far.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

The process for interfacing with the client in the beginning could have been improved. I understand that web agencies need to make money too, and as such, they will have certain ways of doing business, but I didn't appreciate their preference for video conferencing. If we weren't local clients, this would certainly have been understandable.

What distinguishes Thrive Internet Marketing from other providers?

I feel that Thrive Internet Marketing cares about the outcome of their work. They've gotten invested in the effort as much as myself.

Is there anything Thrive Internet Marketing could have improved or done differently?

They allocate a set amount of time for us. When our half an hour is up, it's up. This was my initial impression of Thrive Internet Marketing, but it did change over the course of the project and actually became much better. The initial interface for me, as a client, was a bit sterile. After one of our initial developers left Thrive Internet Marketing, the relationship became more intimate than it initially was.

BACKGROUND

Please give me a brief description of your company.

Ready Seal, Inc. is a manufacturer of a stain & sealer for wood.

What is your role at the company?

I am the IT Manager/EDI Sales.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address when you approached Thrive Internet Marketing?

We needed a website that had a better user experience, mobile device platform, e-commerce functionality, store locator that updates automatically, and website management.

What were your company’s business goals for the project?

Our goals were to keep the costs for the design as low as possible and keep the annual ongoing costs the same as the current website.

SOLUTION

Can you tell me about the scope of the project?

They had to take our current website and modify it to be a more modern and fully functional website. It needed to be fully integrated with our ERP software, NetSuite.

What was your process for selecting Thrive Internet Marketing to work with?

We interviewed two other companies to complete the same project and compared them to what we already knew of Thrive. The General Manager here at Ready Seal, Jeff Vosburg, already uses Thrive for a website on his other business. So, he has had a lot of experience with the staff at Thrive. After comparing the companies, we believed Thrive was the best option for our project.

Can you give us a sense of the size of the project in dollar terms, a price range would be fine as well?

We have spent $15,000.

When was the project completed?

95% of the project is complete as of April 15th, 2016. The other 5% is a hold-up on our part which we expect to complete sometime in the next several weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project, and are there any metrics you can share? What have they helped you achieve as a company?

Thrive has successfully achieved wonderful results and they have completed all the work that was planned during the initial interview phase. They have completed everything on time. The only delays were from an outside third party vendor we used for the NetSuite integration. We do not have any metrics to compare the new site to the old site at this point in time. The feedback we have received so far has let us know that the Store Locator and overall image is better than the old site. We have had very positive feedback from customers.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing perform?

Very well. They communicated very clearly the entire process and kept us updated with any changes or deviations of the time frame.

When working with them, was there anything unique or special about them compared to other companies that you may have worked with?

They seemed to really be concerned with our issues going into the project and wanted to make sure that the product they produced solved all the problems we were having with our current website.

Looking back on the project, is there any area that they could improve or you would do differently?

I don’t think so. When an issue came up they would get everyone involved that needed to be involved and figured out a solution.

BACKGROUND

Please give me a brief description of your company.

I have a law firm that specializes in real estate primarily in Texas, specifically the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.

What is your role at the company?

I own the law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing?

I wanted to drive more business and try to target my key clients as a way to streamline my workload and case types. This would help my firm become more efficient and handle more cases with less work.

What were your company’s business goals for the project?

I wanted to increase the firm's revenue while decreasing individual workloads, so I needed someone to help develop my online presence.

SOLUTION

Can you tell me about the scope of the project?

Thrive was responsible for the complete website redesign and search engine optimization [SEO] presence online.

What was your process for selecting Thrive Internet Marketing to work with?

My family had used them in the past. I met with the owner, and he took me through their process and the results I could expect.

Can you give us a sense of the size of the project in dollar terms, a price range would be fine as well?

My initial site cost about $10,000. For maintenance, I spend about $1,000 per month, plus pay per click services of $1,000-2,000 per month.

When was the project completed?

Approximately two years ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project, and are there any metrics you can share? What have they helped you achieve as a company?

Thrive Internet Marketing's website design was outstanding, and the integration went smoothly. My traffic increased substantially: we got significantly more phone calls and contact form inquiries.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing perform?

Wonderfully. They did a great job at delegating duties throughout the build and launch process to utilize their team's respective abilities effectively.

When working with them, was there anything unique or special about them compared to other companies that you may have worked with?

Having a project manager as the point of contact allowed me to be able to communicate with only one person, who would then reach out to the appropriate team members for updates and feedback. It was an easy process for me.

Looking back on the project, is there any area that they could improve or you would do differently?

In terms of service, everything went as expected. I did go through a couple of dedicated account managers, but the one I have been with for the last year has exceeded my expectations.