Youtech

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work at a wine retailer as the marketing manager. We specialize in boutique-style wines from all over the world and have 12 locations. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Youtech?

We sought their services in web development, SEO, and content creation. We had a pretty weak website and met with Youtech for some suggestions.

Originally, we were just looking to do SEO on our website, but after meeting with them and hearing the information they provided us, we decided to create a new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They utilized WordPress to create our website from scratch, doing the design work as well. They made suggestions, and we went back and forth with them. A lot of their suggestions were based on their opinions on what would look best and also what would work best for loading our website.

We wanted to make sure that our boutique-style Cellar collection stood out on the website. Our core features let people know about our collection and display our map to help people find a location near them. Youtech accomplished these priorities well. 

We had weekly meetings to go over the implementation of SEO once the website was complete. Keyword research was all done by Youtech, and they presented everything to us. Currently, they have a working dock where, when we have our meetings with their team, they'll go over all of the keywords that they're using, our rankings, and any suggestions that they have.

In our package, we have one content creation job with Youtech every month, which can be a blog post or the creation of another webpage and its associated content.

They currently handle all maintenance for the site and hold biweekly meetings with monthly reports for blog posts and our on- and off-page SEO.

What is the team composition?

We've interacted with about six people from their team, including Amanda (Project Manager) and Matt (Senior SEO Specialist). 

We’ve also worked with Steven (Sales Manager), and Nathan (Junior Web Designer) handles all the website and design work. He also works with and manages a graphic designer. 

Lauren (COO), who is in a higher position in the company now, was always in our initial meetings, and even interacts with now that we upgraded our package. 

How did you come to work with Youtech?

We were looking for companies that deal with SEO on Google, and Youtech was on top of the list because we were local to that area too and were able to easily meet them in person.

We did have meetings with other SEO specialists and companies, but we liked Youtech the best.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent over $150,000 so far on the project.

What is the status of the engagement?

We began our partnership in September 2019 and we're still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don't have any metrics in front of me, but within that first year, we saw over a 50% increase in traction to our website.

The engagement has been great, and we've seen a lot more people sign up for our email list as well. We are 100% satisfied with the work completed so far because it exceedes our expectations.

How did Youtech perform from a project management standpoint?

They have exceeded our expectations in terms of meeting deadlines and communication as well. We communicate through phone calls, emails, and Google Meet.

They use Google Docs for project management, updating everything daily. We make any comments we want, as well. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team is knowledgeable in different areas. It seems like they have people in-house that can do whatever is needed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think so. They do a great job.

Any advice for potential customers?

Do your project in order by starting with a strong website and then strong graphics because good things take time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing coordinator for Next Door & Windows, a window and door replacement company for homeowners. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Youtech?

We needed SEO, PPC, and web development services. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Youtech has built a new WordPress website for us, and they’re working on our SEO and PPC campaigns. The team handles the keyword research and content writing, while we do the editing and approval of such content. We use plenty of technical languages, so we do the edits as they provide us with the main content. For our PPC campaigns, Google is our main platform. 

What is the team composition?

We work with Amanda (Project Manager), who serves as our main point of contact. She works with her team composed of multiple people working on our needs. 

How did you come to work with Youtech?

Our company was already working with them when I joined it. Our previous marketing director hired them years ago. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spend at least $2,500 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in November 2019, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

To measure success, we generate PPC reports on how everything is going. The number of website visitors has improved significantly since the new website’s launch, so we’ve also generated a lot of engagement with customers. 

How did Youtech perform from a project management standpoint?

Youtech’s project management is great, and working with them is amazing. They pay attention to us. The team is never too busy to talk to us, and they’re always considerate of our needs. As a window and door replacement company, we’re a seasonal business. During winter, we don’t have that much traffic, but the Youtech team is never problematic about any changes in our budget or the amount of work that we give them. Overall, they have our best interest in mind. 

To communicate, we use Zoom. Every week, we have a meeting with Amanda. We go over our SEO, budget, and performance during such meetings. Our teams review everything we’re doing and plan our work. We also use emails all the time for small things, such as when the website doesn’t work or issues appear. I simply send an email to Amanda, and they take care of everything right away. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Youtech’s communication is amazing and incomparable to other companies. The team is responsive, and they’re truly resourceful. Even if the subject matter is difficult to analyze or understand, they find ways to communicate well with me. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask for Amanda. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

K&S Precision Metals is a family-owned manufacturing plant located in Chicago, IL. Since 1946, we have provided many sorts of industries and hobbyists with precise tubing, rods, strips, sheets, plates, and much more. We specialize in Brass tubing and also make a great amount of aluminum, copper, and stainless steel products as well.

I am currently the Director of Operations where I handle the day-to-day jobs & tasks needed to profit the company. Because it is a family-owned business, like most, I find myself filling in a lot of other roles as we are growing and expanding to new markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Youtech, and what were your goals?

Youtech was the key to our digital branding. We first hired Youtech to redesign our website, add a shopping cart feature, and modernize who K&S was. What good is a great company with a poor source of information for people to see? Nowadays, if you don't have a functioning and reliable website, good luck! Now that the website is done and made a great source for people to get their products quickly, we hired Youtech for their digital marketing services.

Between Facebook and Instagram ads, we will be able to reach an abundance of new customers! My main goal when I first was hired was to hit a specific dollar amount in online sales. That still reigns true today and by this time next year, I hope I could say we hit it with Youtechs help!

SOLUTION

How did you select Youtech and what were the deciding factors?

Youtech knows the current market. The reality is, people love the comfort of shopping online even if it costs triple. Youtech's branding, provided services, and client reviews are what made me ask the president at K&S (my dad) the hard question of; "Can we spend some money?" Because K&S is almost 76 years old, times have changed drastically and I come onto the team helped shift this ongoing change.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

Youtech made the steps to achieve success easily. They use software where we can see at all times what they and their team are chatting about, what steps are next, and what the process looks like overall. We started with my vision, then we went on to what matters the most about selling these items, and the ongoing step is fine-tuning everything we are and have been creating.

Youtech came through and everything that has so far been delivered had very minute changes if that. I am utterly impressed with the speed, reliability, creativeness, and energy this team has.

How many resources from the Youtech team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked with a great number of Youtech members. I hope to work with each and every one of them! Website: Senior Web Designer & Creative Director Digital Marketing Services: 2 Project Managers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

When I first told my dad the amount of money it would be for Youtech to build our new website, we had plans for when we would see our ROI. For the website being built just 4 months ago, we already have double and a halved what we spent to make the site. And we didn't even start advertising yet!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Like I said previously, the response of this team is incredible. Between jumping on zoom calls, phone calls, and texting, we were chatting almost daily. The question should be, how effective are you with chatting because this team has it down!

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

What I found most impressive is the fact that they get it. Their team understands the ins and outs of marketing and advertising, which have critical to the project's success. They know my money thrown at Social media is much more effective than on TV commercials. They are everything I searched for in building a digital team of my own.

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

To be honest, this question is the hardest because I am trying hard to knit pick. But I really don't have any constructive criticism for this team. I only have great things to say about my experience!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of the accessible gaming division of Evil Controllers, a gaming company. We make video game controllers for Xbox and PlayStation with customizable colors and features to enhance the gaming experience. We implement firmware features for actions like firing faster in a shooting video game and physical customizations like adding buttons on the back of the controller. The addition of buttons is authorized for e-sports tournaments, so both casual and avid gamers can find something that fits their gaming styles.

We also create controllers for people with disabilities, such as one-handed controllers. We create tailored controllers depending on the disability.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Youtech?

We needed someone to manage our Facebook and Instagram accounts, as we were the ones managing them and only posted content once in a while. We posted photos that we found online or that we were taking ourselves. The content wasn’t high-quality or professional, and we didn’t have the knowledge to adjust from one post to another.

We wanted to get more exposure and improve our brand image, but we didn’t see the merit in hiring someone internally for that job.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At first, Youtech worked on our Instagram page. Three months later, they started working on our Facebook page. They made quality graphics with captions and hashtags.

We got super busy at the beginning of COVID-19, and Instagram became a really important channel for communicating delays. When things got better, we were able to let our followers know that rush processing was back.

What is the team composition?

Erika (Senior Project Manager) was our main point of contact. There was also someone on the tech side and a graphic designer involved.

How did you come to work with Youtech?

The CEO of our company and I knew Erika personally. They had a meeting, and Youtech’s proposal was exactly what we needed at the time.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was $40,000–$42,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between March 2020–2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we started working with Youtech, we had 10,500 Instagram followers. When we stopped working with them, we were up to 18,500 followers, just one year later. The quality of our posts tripled, and we went from posting once in a while to post three times a week. We increased interactions with both customers and people interested in learning about us. We did a few giveaways on Instagram, which got us new customers.

Youtech’s work made us look way more professional in the eyes of our customers. After a new post, we would notice an increase in sales within the next few days.

How did Youtech perform from a project management standpoint?

Erika was very good at communicating with us, which wasn’t very easy. We didn’t have a lot of in-house resources, and we were extremely busy during COVID-19. It wasn’t easy to bear with us, but Erika did an excellent job. She never gave up on us, even though we’d take a long time to answer. We didn’t have many assets to provide at times, so we’d give them pictures in which they based their work to create great graphics. Erika was never pushy, even when we were late on delivering the assets. She was able to get what she needed from us at the same time.

In terms of tools, she used HeyOrca. She sent us a link to the app every two weeks with a calendar for the posts they were planning. We were able to approve the posts or ask for revisions, and it was extremely convenient.

We communicated back and forth via email, and we got reports every month with indicators on how many followers we’d gained, which posts drew the most attention, and other metrics.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their account management was impressive. I really appreciated that Erika never gave up on us, even though we weren’t very responsive at times. The tool that they used made things easy for us, and the human side was really awesome.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was nothing I would want them to improve — we were happy with Youtech. We stopped working with them because we switched to a company in France. We want to expand the business in Europe, and the new provider has a bigger scope. They’re a branding and marketing agency, so they’ll be able to take care not only of our social media but also our bigger marketing campaigns and branding. That’s the only reason we switched.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

They’re really professional at what they do, and there’s real science behind it. If the client wants to grow their follower base and have professional posts that are in line with their branding, I’d definitely tell them to go with Youtech.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Guild Insurance Inc is a niche insurance agency which specializes in hospitality insurance. I am the president of the company .

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Youtech, and what were your goals?

We employed Youtech with the task of completely rebuilding and rebranding our insurance agency while leverage new technology to attract tech savvy prospects

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We interviewed several local web development firms and Youtech just "felt" like a right fit. In addition, Youtech had experience designing web products for the insurance industry AND my target clients. The team at Youtech are supremely confident in their ability to deliver...and they did!

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Rebrand of company logo. New website build focused on focused company branding with specific calls to action. Complex form submisison.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

4 people directly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The team at Youtech did an amazing job of taking my input, direction and vision, and created a final product that was literally what I was envisioning all along.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The project management style was primarily driven through Youtech's management software, Teamwork. This was a very effective method of management, all info, documents and communication threads were organized in a very clean, logical way.

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

The entire team at Youtech exudes supreme confidence in their ability to deliver a quality product. There was never a question that went unanswered or a task that was too big for the team. Overall they were great at communicating and delivering as promised.

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

A clearer task list of client expectations and explanation of the timeline in the beginning of the project would have been helpful. My project began right as the COVID shutdowns hit, so maybe we were all a bit off at the time. This did not affect the overall flow of the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Chief Brand Officer of a High End restaurant company that owns 6 locations across the US. Steak 48, Ocean 44 Steak 44 and Dominick's Steakhouse

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Youtech?

Started with SM and quickly grew into fill service web design, SEO and digital brand management.

What were your goals for this project?

To increase the exposure and accelerate the growth of our brand online and be accessible in a digitally considerate way to our guests and future guests

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Recommended from a long time restaurant industry expert that also had a great experience with YouTech

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They are a one stop firm for 100% of anything we do digitally from web design, QR menu development, SEO, Social Media, review management to email and menu updates. Inclusive in every detail.

What was the team composition?

I work closely with Erika K. our project manager and occasionally Wilbur You the owner of the firm. Erika makes everything seamless, I do not know how many people they have but we just speak to one person and everything happens fast and at a high level.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We started with simple social media and moved into full service digital branding and management. Not only did they suggest and execute great design upgrades to our sites but the made them more efficient at the same time and we saw our analytics grow exponentially.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

the best word to describe that is "Frictionless" very smooth and effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

attention to detail. They immerse themselves to really understand our guests and business so they can effectively represent our best brand image.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not so far.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a phase converter and transformer company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Youtech?

We wanted to maximize our money spent with Google after having a lot of failed partnerships with other companies falsely claiming they could help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Youtech is our SEO services provider for our e-commerce site. First, they looked at our SEO process and corrected our mistakes. Then, they took the time to wait to see where’s the best place to spend our dollars with PPC campaigns.

It was really different from other providers since they would just spend our money without solving our problems. Youtech did some tests, and the whole process took about a year. They showed us what our trends are and other analytics.

What is the team composition?

We work with Audrey (Project Manager).  

How did you come to work with Youtech?

I was referred to Youtech by a good friend.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $5,400 per month. At first, we thought it was kind of pricey, but now we’re very happy.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2019, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been nothing but the best. Everything they said is true and they’re honest. I’m very happy with them. We’ve seen an increase in leads and even the phone calls are better.

How did Youtech perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent in every area. It’s easy to communicate with them and they say what they mean.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They give us the real deal and don’t try to impress us with fancy words. They get it done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m completely satisfied.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for Chicago Custom Foods.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Youtech?

We were trying to increase our e-commerce sales. We hired them for a PPC program. We also hired them to develop a new website for the brands that we have under the Chicago Custom Foods umbrella.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We actually launched two new brands this year, both of whom needed new websites. We realized that our other two brands’ websites could use a facelift as well, after seeing their awesome work on the two new brands. All sites were Shopify sites and included features like parallaxing, scroll-to-reveal, and showcasing our ingredients and our products in a nice way.

We’d seen a decline in our e-commerce sales, as we ran PPC and AdWords campaigns and stopped. They came in to restart the program. Because they did so well with PPC and web design, they also came in and helped our products on Amazon. They taught us about Amazon programming and its advantages, and we began advertising through Amazon with them.

Finally, they helped us with work on other platforms. This included YouTube TV, Roku, and other over-the-top advertising through streaming.

What is the team composition?

I had one main point of contact. If I needed any changes or revised timelines, I talked to him. There’s definitely developers, designers, and other folks behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Youtech?

My husband is an entrepreneur who owns his own business. He directed me to an agency that wasn’t able to provide everything we needed. That agency referred me to Youtech.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $5,000 a month on PPC with them. I would say we probably spent about $50,000 in total with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together back in March 2020. We’re still in the process of developing sites.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The PPC work they have done has been mind-blowing. We have seen ROI of 150% or 160%. Our goal was to increase our conversion rate from 0.8% to 2.4% — they met that within a month and by April we were at 3.2%. Our e-commerce sales have grown by 55–60% month over month.

How did Youtech perform from a project management standpoint?

They live up to all timelines and do a great job at communicating everything. They make fantastic decks, showing how everything works. They’re super responsive and great at iterating the needs of the website. Their attitude is fantastic, I have nothing but positive things to say.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate that they’re scrappy. They started as a one-man-shop and have grown into a three-location business. We’re a small scrappy company ourselves, so us being able to partner with someone similar has been fantastic.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Maybe they could improve their creative development. They’re fantastic from a technical standpoint, but there is some small room for improvement in creative development.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager at CleanTools, Inc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Youtech?

Our previous agency wasn’t meeting our goals, so we wanted to find a new partner with better communication who understood our goals.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built three Shopify e-commerce websites for us, including a secure website for our wholesale distributors. We provided some images and content, and they made everything from there, including some content creation. 

They currently handle all of our organic SEO. We’re hoping to start PPC and other paid campaigns with them soon. 

What is the team composition?

I work directly with the website developer, head of SEO, and the project manager. 

How did you come to work with Youtech?

They reached out to me. We met them in person, and they were flexible and easy to work with. 

How much have you invested in them?

We spent $18,000-$22,000 on the website development project, and we spend around $2,800 each month on SEO. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2020, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We exceeded our goals for page visits, reseller sign-ups, and more. Last year one of our websites only had 400 page visits, but after they rebuilt it, we got 4,000 visits just in April. 

How did Youtech perform from a project management standpoint?

Our account manager relays all my questions and concerns to the team. They’re usually pretty quick to get back to me. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I liked that the team was young and technologically savvy. They understood the newest trends in the industry. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were some small details that we had them change on the websites they developed. They were receptive to our feedback, so it wasn’t a big deal. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

McGovern & Co. is a National Park brand of apparel, home goods & gifts offered through B2B channels and B2C. I am the founder and Cheif adventure officer at McGovern & Co.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Youtech?

SEO, Paid Advertising, Website Audit and Management

What were your goals for this project?

Increase website sales

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We looked a several vendors, YouTech was the right fit based on their success with SEO and a very hands on day to day approach.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The overall scope included; Paid Ad and SEO strategy, content & execution. My role was to provide company and product domain knowledge, digital creative assets & overall direction.

What was the team composition?

We worked with one Account Manager day to day and got together with the team (creative, marketing, SEO manager...) to ask questions and brainstorm on strategy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our organic traffic increased by 70% after roughly 6 months. Paid ads increased our traffic significantly based on our spend. We also increased organic conversion rates 5x with onsite optimization. We had a lot of compliments on the ads, the feedback was a more elevated, professional brand presence.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Working with YouTech is seamless. They plugged into our workflow by using Google sheets where we communicated back and forth about what needed to get done. Our account manager is extremely responsive and if she does not know the answer she makes sure to find the right person. Weekly reporting was always timely .

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their knowledge of SEO, Ad Targeting, and customer responsiveness are a few of the most impressive things about the company.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are always areas of improvement for any company. I would love to see a more robust content design offering and reporting format.