WebFX

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director of Optimal IdM, an identity and access software provider. Our solutions enable enterprises to validate partners and employees before the access company systems.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WebFX?

Our team wanted to connect with the right people at enterprise companies. We hired WebFX to provide mass and targeted marketing services. Specifically, we needed SEO, PPC, and social media strategy services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WebFX provides an end-to-end solution for on-page optimizations and marketing services. SEO and PPC include keyword research; they make suggestions and then implement the terms. The team writes blogs, tracks performances, and generates reports. Most recently, they’ve started managing our Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube accounts. This service includes content creation as well.  

What is the team composition?               

Katie (Senior Marketing Manager, WebFX) serves as our account manager. We work directly with web and social media resources as well.

How did you come to work with WebFX?

They were already our partner when I started at Optimal IdM three years ago.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around $4,000 per month.  

What is the status of this engagement?

My company hired WebFX in 2014 and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We only started the social media side last month and now have a few posted Tweets. It’s too early to have tangible results. But we’re satisfied with WebFX’s work so far.

How did WebFX perform from a project management standpoint?

We stick with WebFX because their project management is top notch. They are responsive to emailed requests. For example, I emailed Katie earlier today because a piece of content needed to be removed from our website. She replied and completed the task within an hour. We track work via Basecamp and hold biweekly calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service is exceptional. We keep thinking about doing a web overhaul, for which WebFX regularly provides options based on our needs and budget. Although we haven’t made a final decision, they are patient and nice about it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The team’s biggest weakness is their knowledge of our industry. However, that’s not their fault. We overcome this challenge by approving scheduled content before publication. My team will edit anything that isn’t appropriately phrased for our industry.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend them. But clients still need to manage and approve any content generated during the partnership.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the external content manager for Kampgrounds of America, Inc. We're America's largest franchised campground organization with 513 locations in the U.S. and Canada. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WebFX?

WebFX was hired to help create more long-form content to improve our SEO and organic search rankings. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WebFX creates long-form, SEO-friendly content for our blog and pages on our website. They've also created a downloadable PDF guide about RVing, conducted keyword research, and provided backlinking services. 

What is the team composition? 

We work with a project manager who makes herself available to us whenever we have any questions–she's great. 

How did you come to work with WebFX?

A coworker of mine made that decision, so I'm not sure how the relationship came to be.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've had a monthly retainer agreement with them since 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

WebFX has helped significantly increase our online performance overall. As of this year, overall web traffic increased 47.52% and organic traffic increased 25.9%, in part, thanks to their efforts. By focusing on our core values page, we've also seen an increase in engagement with our rewards program. 

How did WebFX perform from a project management standpoint?

They're one of my favorite teams to work with outside of my own office. They've done a great job of delivering results, meeting expectations, and being very responsive in communications. Most of the project management is handled through Basecamp, but we also have biweekly meetings to go over what we've accomplished and next steps. They've been more than happy to answer any questions and educate us in the process as well. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to quickly understand an industry sets them apart. They were able to learn enough about RVing to create interesting, meaningful content that our readers genuinely enjoy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything. I'm very satisfied with what they've done for us so far and look forward to continuing that path. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to thoroughly explain the business, goals, and any brand standards from the start, so they're able to hit the ground running. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing coordinator for a healthcare service center. We’re the parent company of multiple brands; all of which provide opioid addiction treatment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WebFX?

We needed a qualified marketing firm to provide SEO services for four of our brands.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WebFX manages our SEO efforts across multiple websites. During the initial phase, they went through each site to make them more Google-friendly. It turns out; there’s a lot of simple things that can be done to improve a site’s Google ranking. Then, they performed extensive keyword research in an effort to produce measurable results. Now that the early stages of the engagement are complete, they’re currently working to meet monthly optimization goals.

They’ve also agreed to provide content marketing services as the engagement continues. That includes developing social media content, writing blog posts, and creating ad hoc copy. We’re expecting to execute a significant marketing push via social media in the next several months.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with about 4–5 different people from their team. That includes internet marketing professionals and social media specialists.

How did you come to work with WebFX?

I started my current role about two months ago, and WebFX already had an outstanding relationship with the company. Considering their track record, I decided to hire them for the upcoming effort.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend close to $10,000 a month in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

My company likely hired them in June 2018. The current engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The number of views each website receives has doubled since this engagement began. Their work has positively influenced our business in multiple areas.

How did WebFX perform from a project management standpoint?

Our situation is probably different than a lot of their clients. Since we have four congruent accounts with them, it’s hard for me to wrap my head around everything without checking their project management dashboard frequently. Luckily, they make that information easily accessible.  At any point, I can go in and see what tasks they’ve completed. We mostly communicate through basecamp and email, but I’m also able to call them if something’s urgent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The whole company is incredibly transparent. They offer so much detail about what they’re working on we’ve gained a clear understanding of how they approach each project. In addition to achieving the goals we set out, they’re willing to explain exactly how they’re delivering such results.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They do an excellent job on every front. If we consolidated the project into a single account, they’d likely perform even better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

WebFX offers a lot of tools for clients to track their work, so I’d suggest figuring out how their business model works. That way, future clients can be sure that they’re getting the most out of their money. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for walkthroughs of each process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the owners of SpeedPro Imaging Silver Spring. We’re a franchise that handles large-format graphics, so things like wall murals, vehicle wraps, and window graphics. I primarily handle our marketing and business development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WebFX?

They redesigned our website and also help manage PPC campaigns for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were initially brought in to update our site. We had an in-house committee that helped decide the look and feel and provided initial feedback on the functionality. Now that it’s been developed, we’re able to make some of the content updates on the back end ourselves.

At this point, WebFX primarily manages our PPC campaigns because it’s difficult to run those effectively without specialized expertise. They handle competitor analysis to optimize our keywords for Google Ad. They also review our previous jobs that have come through the website or older PPC campaigns to see what kinds of prospective customers we’re reaching and if they’re the best fit for our business.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with a PPC campaign specialist.

How did you come to work with WebFX?

We didn’t actually choose them; the franchise did.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $2,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in May 2018, and it’s still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a hard time getting some of the detailed access to our site data because of how the franchise is managed, so it’s hard to get specific about what’s being impacted. We’re definitely getting the kind of occasional large jobs that we want, so that’s a good sign.

How did WebFX perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very easy to work with. We regularly go back and forth with our PPC campaign manager to make adjustments. She’s well-organized and good about providing breakdowns of how the ads are impacting our business. Our team makes the decisions about what to target, but sometimes she’ll offer suggestions now that she understands our goals a bit better. She’s also patient with us when it comes to explaining how different aspects of PPC work.

Day to day, we touch base via email, and then we do a monthly phone call to go into further detail about the ad campaigns. They also use Basecamp to manage their end of the project. Another thing that’s been helpful is they’ve started having regional feedback calls with multiple PPC clients so they can find out what’s working for people in different regions or with different needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very knowledgeable and have strong communication skills. They understand our campaign, are easy to work with, and want to get the results that are right for us instead of applying a one-size-fits-all solution.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When we first started working on PPC with WebFX, we’d provided a list of keywords, including ones we didn’t want to use, based on our previous experiences. The representative working with us respected those choices, but her supervisor overrode her and added in keywords we didn’t want because they lead to a lot of calls for services we don’t offer. This was, fortunately, a one-time issue, but it’s important for the ad company to respect the expertise their clients have in their own industries.

In terms of web development, their backend isn’t the most user-friendly. We’ve worked with several developers now since we started the franchise and this UI isn’t intuitive like others I’ve used.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I can't name anything specific. We’ve really liked working with our PPC manager.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a partner with an employment law firm. We represent plaintiffs in cases of discrimination, wage collection, and personal injury.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WebFX?

We chose to switch to them from another provider because we were unhappy with our position in Google search results. We had some experience with WebFX on a previous, unrelated engagement and had a good experience, so we decided to reach out to them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They came into this engagement with an understanding of what we needed because we’d worked with them in the past on an unrelated project. They did a complete web design overhaul. Our site describes our legal practice and attorneys, and it supports contact information input from potential clients. They integrated a live chat feature. In addition, they provide SEO services, including keyword targeting. We originally ran our paid advertising through a third-party vendor, but we discontinued that service because the quality of WebFX's work on our organic search was so impressive.

What is the team composition?

Curtis (Lead Internet Marketing Consultant, WebFX) has been our point of contact. Bill is the owner, but Curtis is the person who manages our account.

How did you come to work with WebFX?

We first became acquainted with Bill while working on a separate project that was unrelated to legal services. We had such a good experience then, that it made sense to consider him and his team for our current project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2014 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From the outset, we've seen positive growth in lead generation through every area of our practice. They’ve consistently placed us at the top of Google search results.

How did WebFX perform from a project management standpoint?

Curtis is available by phone call and email, but he prefers to meet with us in person. He’ll stop by our location, or we’ll visit him. WebFX has a very cool campus-style setup in downtown Harrisburg. We’ll discuss the progress on their end and what work needs to be done, and make decisions on how to proceed based on that. We also suggest new ideas and projects for them, and if they think they can do it, we ask them to make a budget estimate and draft a sketch of what the deliverable might look like. Based on these meetings, I can say that it's all been positive and it’s going in the right direction.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their staff really understands our services and how to customize and implement it. Our partnership is very hands-off, which shows a high level of trust. It’s effortless on our part. And they’re always ahead of any changes in the processes they deal with, which gives us a great deal of comfort. We’d had issues with that in previous vendor relationships, but we don’t expect them to be caught off-guard by anything.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’re completely satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared to clearly explain your goals. They'll understand and make them happen.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m the director of sales and marketing for a full-service national hotel.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WebFX? 

We engaged WebFX to build a website that would promote our in-hotel restaurant.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

They’ve built an informational WordPress site that highlighted our restaurant’s dining options. It features a menu, staff bios, and an online reservation form. Because we’re constantly changing our offerings, WebFX helps us update our content to match. They’ve also launched a blog and currently write articles to support our digital marketing.

What is the team composition? 

We initially worked with Brittany (Internet Marketing Specialist, WebFX) who was great, but now Maddie (Copywriter, WebFX) handles our account. She writes all of our blog posts and keeps us updated on metrics. 

How did you come to work with WebFX? 

Our managing company had used WebFX at another property to promote their premium restaurants. The project went well, so we wanted to do the same for our hotel.

How much have you invested with them? 

We have a monthly payment plan with them.

What is the status of this engagement? 

WebFX was already working on the project when I joined in late 2017. Since then, we’ve continued to engage them and have a one-year contract.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Each month, they provide a report on all of our site metrics, including traffic and clickthrough volume. In January alone, the landing page for one of our long-form content pieces saw a 230% increase in views. Another blog post had a 122% increase, and the main site’s organic traffic grew by 21%. As for conversions, we’ve had 14 online reservations, one private dining contact, and 19 phone calls.

How did WebFX perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re very satisfied with their customer service, and their performance is top-notch. Any time we’ve made a request or had an issue, they’ve always followed through within 24 hours. We mostly communicate through email but also have a monthly conference call.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

They’ve built the website exactly as we’ve asked and keep it constantly updated.

Are there any areas they could improve? 

No, not that I recall. Everything I've seen so far has been wonderful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?
 
Ask for Maddie because she’s a great resource.
 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the marketing head at OrthoBethesda, a private orthopedic practice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WebFX?

We’ve recently gone through a merger, so we wanted to make a statement with our new marketing direction. We hired WebFX to coordinate our digital marketing campaigns.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First and foremost, they organized our SEO and PPC campaigns to give us a stronger digital footprint as we worked on our online reputation and brand awareness. They created a foundation of keywords that has served us well. Further, they’ve written blogs and long-form content for our site. Our engagement started because we had ideas for SEO and PPC, but WebFX has gone above and beyond that. They’ve worked with our web developer to redesign some elements of our website as well.

What is the team composition?

I had an initial account manager who addressed all of my questions and concerns until I signed the contract. Once we agreed to the terms, they assigned me a team to work with.

How did you come to work with WebFX?

I  was impressed by their reviews on Clutch. Compared to other vendors, they had a lot more to offer. Through our initial conversations and proposals, WebFX was transparent and organized. They took a genuine interest in our company and our goals.

How much have you invested with them?

Our monthly fee is $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in November 2018 and remains ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our views, searches, and actions on Google have all increased by at least 30% from where we were when the engagement started. Our PPC has yielded a fair amount of impressions but not as many conversions as we would have liked—but we understand that a foundation is still forming. The written content that they’ve delivered has been outstanding.

How did WebFX perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great at keeping us involved every step of the way by notifying us of milestones and keeping track of deadlines. They’re very proactive and want to ensure that we are informed of their progress. They set a standard for service that we use to compare the other vendors that we work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m very appreciative of their fast response time. If I call on a whim or send a quick email, I know I’ll get a quick response.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’ve been tremendous in every way.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Write out as many minute details of your company as you can. The more information WebFX has, the more context they’ll have to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a marketing associate at Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange (PURE). We provide customizable coverage for high-value homes, automobiles, jewelry, art, personal liability, watercraft, flood, fraud, and cyber fraud. I manage our digital team and paid advertising and internet marketing efforts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WebFX?

We needed to expand our internet marketing and digital advertising footprint through a mix of event activations and evergreen content. Further, we wanted to improve our SEO and more effectively allocate our marketing budget.

What were your goals for this project?

We were aiming to increase sales, grow brand recognition, and see marketable conversions.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A colleague recommended WebFX to us. We were disappointed with our previous vendor and looking for someone that could work with our CMS and handle our issues quickly. Further, they had to be willing to provide detailed explanations of their work beyond what’s typically expected.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They provide strategy and creative development, media planning and buying, and campaign execution, tracking, and reporting. I manage the projects currently in progress, review WebFX’s reports, and ensure their efforts are aligned with our team's needs.

What was the team composition?

The size of the team has grown over the course of the project, but I speak with a web specialist, an internet marketing expert, and a social team lead. There are more dedicated people that I don’t speak to as well.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We easily surpassed our goals for 2018, seeing a significant lift in new traffic and conversions. Cost per acquisition also dropped.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We couldn't ask for a better workflow, communicating via Basecamp and phone calls. While we have increased the frequency of our phone check-ins, their communication couldn’t be clearer. Their team is incredible.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re always willing to help us, and there hasn’t been a question they couldn’t find a compelling answer to. When they need to take their time and get back to me, they actually get back to me.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There's always room for improvement, but this team has it on lock. If anything, I’d say we could use more people to get even more done. We’re checking off the necessary boxes as is, though.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Transtar Moving Systems is a local and long-distance moving company that primarily services the South Jersey and Philadelphia areas. We sometimes work nationwide. I’m the sales manager that manages three sales representatives and performs various internal tasks within the office.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WebFX?

We researched companies that could help increase our online presence, so we hired WebFX to work on our marketing and social media. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In the beginning, we met with WebFX to discuss initial steps and tasks that would be involved. Their team broke down everything. They handle all of the SEO services through link building and keyword creation. WebFX also crafts blog posts and manages our Facebook. Their team provides monthly analytic reports based on findings found through GoogleAds.

What is the team composition?

I have two points of contact. Jenny (Internet Marketing Analyst, WebFX) works with our SEO, and Amber (Social Media Specialist, WebFX) assists with social media.

How did you come to work with WebFX?

Before I was involved in the process, my boss had a meeting with WebFX but decided to engage with another company. That ended up not working out, so he contacted and met with their team again. My boss thought WebFX would be better for us in the long run.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $1,700 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with WebFX in December 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

WebFX supports our business in areas we’re not skilled in. Since starting their services, we haven’t experienced any downward trends. We’re always exceeding our goals.

How did WebFX perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent communicators. WebFX is readily available and delivers work sometimes before the deadline. Since we’re about two and a half hours away from their office, we’ve only had one in-person meeting. Phone calls occur twice a month, but we mainly communicate through email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

WebFX cares about understanding our business and making our goals a reality. When we initially met, they never worked with a moving company, so their team researched the industry to figure out what we needed and what we were looking for.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. I have no complaints with WebFX at this time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clients should keep the lines of communication open to prevent issues or problems down the road.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a corporate law firm with practice groups in commercial finance and real estate litigation among others. I assist the director with our SEO and web efforts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WebFX?

We have two websites, our main site and a secondary site for a particular group within our firm. We wanted to improve our SEO and optimize our websites to increase lead generation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WebFX provides SEO support including keywords and blog content. They’ve provided graphic design for our websites as well as necessary work on the backend. They also helped set up our Google My Business and Google Quick Answers.

What is the team composition?

We work with an account manager who is our primary liaison.

How did you come to work with WebFX?

I'm not sure how we found WebFX as that was before my time. I think we found them through another vendor we worked with.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $3,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in early 2016 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen huge increases in traffic. From last month to this one alone, we've seen a 40% increase in leads and 29% in sessions. A number of our attorneys have seen 50% increases in visits to their bio pages. We’ve also had impacts for specific pages. For example, we’ve done a lot of PR for our labor and employment group—which has seen a 78% increase in traffic to those pages.

How did WebFX perform from a project management standpoint?

We started with a one account manager and transitioned to our current one when she left the company. The transition was a little bumpy but he’s been fantastic.

We use Basecamp to communicate and for project management. His communication is very effective. If I email him, he responds right away. Everything is transparent in Basecamp. We can see exactly what they’re working on. They also provide us with monthly reports of activities completed, goals accomplished, and what needs work.

He also does a great job working with our attorneys. They’re not easy to work with given how busy they are but he manages to always meet deadlines. If there are any delays, they’re on our end.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their expertise in so many facets of SEO. Our account manager is a great sounding board if we have questions. He always comes up with good ideas and is willing to help. Having that kind of expert that you can bounce ideas off of or ask questions to has been really helpful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

WebFX works with a lot of law firms but I think we’re a different sort of firm. We’re a corporate law firm. We don’t advertise on buses or billboards. A few of the past account managers didn’t seem to really understand that. They might want to expand the realm of law firms they work with so they can adjust their approach more easily.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be transparent about your needs and expectations. Set goals for what you want to accomplish with your site and through your SEO. Also, ask them any questions you have so that they can gear their approach to your needs.