2nd Line Marketing

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am one of the owners of NPK Associates, Inc. Our company provides interior landscaping services to commercial businesses in the Chicagoland area.

For what projects/services did your company hire 2nd Line Marketing?

Our website has seen a few revisions over the last 20 years. 5 years ago it was updated internally, but it quickly became outdated. We hired 2nd Line Marketing to rebuild the site from scratch.

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

We interviewed a few different developers. 2nd LIne was referred to us through a mutual connection that was made through 10K Small Business. 2nd Line offered the best value and the feeling was we would get more personal attention with 2nd Line than the others. Amber has been awesome to work with!

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

2nd Line asked us for a list of competitor sites that we felt were more in line with the direction we wanted to take our new design. They did an evaluation and gave us some recommendations. From there we worked closely with 2nd Line on content and the look and feel of the site. It was important to make the user experience as efficient as possible and provide plenty of opportunities for connecting with us throughout the site.

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

We worked directly with Amber Griffith, Marketing Manager

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

We have received several compliments internally about the new site. It is very fresh and we plan to do a marketing campaign to present it to our clients.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The process was very effective. Amber was thorough with follow-up notes and we returned content information in a timely manner.

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

The personal attention Amber gave our project.

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

All good.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of ABC Title. We provide private DMV services such as driver license renewals, registrations, and title duplicates.

What challenge were you trying to address with 2nd Line Marketing?

I was looking for a better SEO and a more organic engagement to have my phone ringing more. I also needed someone to manage my social media accounts.

What was the scope of their involvement?

2nd Line Marketing helps me with onsite and offsite SEO, handles my website, manages my social media and my Google Ads account, and helps me with other types of digital marketing. They’re also in charge of my printed media for bus stops and billboards. Basically, 2nd Line Marketing does all of my marketing.

What is the team composition?

I work with three people from 2nd Line Marketing: Jamie (Founder & Owner), Amber (Digital Marketing Manager), who is my account representative, and Teddie (Social Media & Marketing Coordinator), who is in charge of posting and helps me with social media and reputation management.

How did you come to work with 2nd Line Marketing?

Jamie walked into my office as a customer in 2014, and we engaged in a conversation about what he did. I decided that I didn’t want to do my marketing anymore and that I wanted someone else to take care of it.

How much have you invested with them?

Currently, we spend around $10,000 per month with 2nd Line Marketing, but it wasn't as much in 2014. That amount has grown over the years because, as they grow, they offer more services, and I accept those services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around June 2014, and our engagement is ongoing.

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

I’m enjoying growth of around 20% every year on phone calls and website traffic. On top of that, 2nd Line Marketing’s involvement allows me to focus more on my business and service my customers instead of me having to manage all those various aspects of marketing. They’ve freed me up of that responsibility, and they handle it for me.

How did 2nd Line Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

2nd Line Marketing’s project management is great. I describe to them what I’m looking for, and they deliver a variety of options. Then, they explain what they will do for me in detail and handle the rest. We usually communicate via email or phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

2nd Line Marketing has replaced other of my vendors because I’ve been so impressed with what they’ve done. For example, another vendor used to handle my bus stop and billboard ads, but I was so pleased with 2nd Line Marketing’s services that I switched that part to them as well.

I’ve used other providers over the years, and one of them made me a lot of promises about Google ranking and social media management. Then, they went to a competitor of mine half a mile away to offer them the same deal, which didn’t make sense to me. However, Jamie added an exclusivity clause in our contract, and they won’t provide the same service to any of our competitors in my area.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, I can’t think of something in which 2nd Line Marketing could improve on. They’ve been fantastic, and they’re one of my favorite vendors.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust the process. A lot of people don’t want to spend money on marketing because they think that it would be a waste. However, Jamie won’t ask you to spend money on something that won’t be fruitful for your business.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Beyond HR, LLC. We provide virtual bookkeeping, human resources and administrative services to clients to help them save money on overhead costs while still getting professional and accredited support.

For what projects/services did your company hire 2nd Line Marketing?

I initially created Beyond HR's website using a build it yourself type of platform. Admittedly, I had no clue what I was doing and I didn't know what I didn't know as far as the analytics of the site and how it functioned on the back end. I found 2nd Line Marketing and they instantly eased my stress by assuring me they would get my site fixed up and operating correctly.

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

I met a lot of web designers who talked a lot of technical terms and tore apart my existing website. They made me feel stupid, but with Jamie, Amber and 2nd Line, it was a friend. They assured me that I had a great start but pointed out some of the weak spots. They explained their thoughts and their plans about how to improve the website and they used language that was easy to understand even for someone outside the industry.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We had a few meetings to discuss what Beyond HR offered and how we help clients. We talked in-depth about the types of things potential clients needed to see on our website and how we could best convey those messages. 2nd Line would work on the design and then we would have another meeting to review what was done, explain why certain options were selected and get feedback.

This continued until the project was mostly complete and has since continued as something changes for my business. If I offer a new service or want to highlight an offer or sale, I simply email Amber and she adjusts the site accordingly within a few hours.

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

In total, we worked directly with Amber and Jamie, however there were other team members involved on the back end at times.

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

I have received multiple compliments from various people on my website. Compliments include the ease of access of information and the overall asthetic. It's warm and inviting and full of as much or as little information as a potential client could want.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The process was extremely easy. Amber and Jamie made sure to schedule meetings that worked for both my partner and my schedule. When we got into the meetings, they had a list of things they needed from us along with due dates available so that we could stay on track and quickly knock out any tasks we had to accomplish that day.

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

I was most impressed by the down-to-earth nature of 2nd Line Marketing. As I mentioned previously, other vendors I contacted made me feel beneath them. They used terms I was not familiar with and it felt like they were trying to sell me something I didn't need by scaring me into buying it. With 2nd Line, they know what they are talking about and they express that confidence in a professional and honest way.

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

Honestly, no. In a perfect world the website would have been done immediately because after our initial meeting I was so excited to see what they would come up with, but quality is what matters and I am glad they took their time and really thought through each aspect of the website, how it functioned and why it needed to exist.