Bird Marketing

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of NKPT Online

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an online personal training company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Bird Marketing to accomplish?

• Help us rank higher up on Google

SOLUTION

How did you find Bird Marketing?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Bird Marketing over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from Bird Marketing were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We approached Bird Marketing to help us with our Google Search ranking. They were tasked with helping us compete with our online competitors and making us more visible online.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We went from not ranking for any keywords on Google to now being on page 1 of Google for multiple keywords. We are now looking at expanding our keywords to help boost our visibility on Google.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The guys at Bird have been absolutely fantastic from the get-go. We had our initial discussions about what we were looking to achieve, and in no time, we had a plan of action to be able to deliver on what we needed. All work was completed on time, and the guys were always there to help with any issues that popped up. They work well as a team to listen to your ideas and what you want.

What was your primary form of communication with Bird Marketing?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The pace at which the guys have worked on this project has been fantastic. From helping us resolve numerous issues with the website before we came over to Bird and the level of expertise that was offered was fantastic. We had previously worked with an SEO company, but we, unfortunately, didn't get the level of results we had expected. The team at Bird Marketing has delivered absolutely fantastic results in a short space of time.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Cleaning Express provides professional cleaning services for both commercial and domestic customers in London. The company has a fairly broad service offering and our expert cleaning teams are able to work on one off requirements and ongoing regular cleaning too. As Director I work on various parts of the business and am directly involved in the daily running of the business and also forecasting, workflow management and marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Cleaning Express hired Bird Marketing to take over our seo. The website had been established for many years and there had been a lot of historic seo work done on the domain. However, we began to notice that our website’s seo performance was dropping and we needed to make sure that we did not lose rank on our target key terms (e.g. cleaning company London).

Bird Marketing performed an enhanced audit of our website and recommended a number of measures as part of an ongoing seo campaign to stop the decline and bolster our position on the SERP. Our goals were to stop the decline in rank and make sure that we regained our rank for terms that were in decline.

SOLUTION

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

I searched for seo companies in London and Bird Marketing were a prominent company with many good reviews from previous customers.Their website was well-presented and the proposal materials I received after first contact were outstanding. We chose this vendor based on those factors.

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

The Cleaning Express website has had a lot of seo work done in the past but was dropping off for many of the key terms we were performing well for. The scope of work was to work out what was going wrong and rectify any onsite issues that could be causing the drop in rankings. During the early discussions and initial stages of their processes, Bird Marketing were able to come up with various practical solutions to address the problems we were experiencing.

The Cleaning Express website was very well optimised at one stage, but as it was augmented over time there were a number of services pages that had been created for specific services/ locations across London. It turned out that some of these service pages were presenting some issues and the campaign started as a bit of a tidy-up operation. This was an ongoing campaign to stop the decline and get the website back to its previous positions on Google.

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

I have worked with Lewis Ward (Director) and Luke Hickman (Head of Search) throughout the time we have worked with Bird Marketing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Bird Marketing were able to meet the objectives set out at the start of the initial seo campaign. There were many page amalgamations and consolidations across the website and all of the work resulted in us regaining our positions for key terms across the board. It is likely that Google updates affected the historic seo on the website and it was fantastic to see the results of Bird Marketing’s work through the campaign.

Once we had regained position we concluded the campaign as Bird had delivered what they set out to achieve at the beginning of the project. We have since come back to use their services and we continue to do so to this day.

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

Bird Marketing are great to work with. Lewis and Luke are approachable and have a really good understanding of seo. It has been apparent right the way through that they are competent professionals. Their project management is very good. We communicate predominantly through WhatsApp, which makes it really easy and efficient to ask questions, share updates and sign off work. I can’t fault them on any of the above factors.

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

I have been generally impressed with my experience working with Bird Marketing and would advocate their seo services without question. They were quickly able to diagnose potential issues that were contributing to our drop in rankings.

The subsequent changes they made on the site have all had the desired effect too. We work with them on an ongoing basis as the website is continually developing over time and we are confident that Bird Marketing can make sure we do not encounter similar issues in future.

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

It is difficult to suggest any areas for improvement as we have had a great experience with Bird Marketing. We got a 10x increase in traffic so it has been a very successful campaign delivered by a great company!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Manager for a Home Design company that is based in Essex called Matter Designs. My role involves managing the website, marketing, store, staff and ensuring that all clients are happy with their service and future projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Bird Marketing Limited, and what were your goals?

Predominantly we hired Bird Marketing for a simple web design package as our old website looked out of date and was difficult to navigate. Being a home design company we wanted something sleek, interactive and easy to use. After our initial meeting, Bird discovered the potential and demand for our services online so we decided to go ahead with an SEO package to use the website as a means of generating customers. They also provide support and hosting for the website.

SOLUTION

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

They were recommended to us by a client of ours who had just had a website redesigned by them. After a few conversations with Lewis, the Account Director, we knew they were the right people for the job.

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

We went to Bird Marketing with a few ideas in mind, these were all discussed in a kick off meeting we arranged a week prior to starting the website. From there, using Whatsapp, the team would send over graphics/visual design ideas and revisions. There were a series of drafts we received to review the website at various stages. The team clearly understood the design we desired and we didn’t really have to change anything significant through the whole process. Soon after this the website was complete and up and running.

From there we were introduced to the SEO team who would implement the SEO strategy which was mainly centered around content marketing and backlink acquisition. We were able to keep in contact with them via Whatsapp throughout the whole process. All questions and queries were answered quickly and competently. The SEO package is still an ongoing service which we use with Bird Marketing.

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

We first spoke to Lewis who listened to what we wanted and sent over a quote, from there he organised a meeting with the web team, Jake and Zoe. Once the site was finished Lewis then introduced us to the SEO team, Luke and Grace, who would be looking after Matter Designs SEO strategy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re really really pleased with the effect Bird Marketing’s work has had on our business. We are now ranking 1st place, in Essex, for “kitchen designs” and also “kitchen designers” amongst various other terms we rank highly for. The phones haven’t stopped ringing, so thank you, Bird.

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

In our initial call with Lewis we explained that we were apprehensive of going with an agency as we had been let down in the past. Lewis was patient and came up with a plan to ensure that we were always kept in the loop. He mentioned that Whatsapp Groups would be created and he would be in both so he’d be kept in the loop. The team also laid out clear deadlines in which they will be sending drafts for us to review, all of which they met. The project management was brilliant and completely stress free for us!

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

The most impressive thing about this company is their communication. They will always help you if they can, advice is unlimited and they’ll always be honest and open with you. Communication is a big factor for us, and this team doesn't disappoint.

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

We wanted Bird Marketing to do our social media channels but unfortunately they don’t offer this service. Would be great to see them offer it in the future, but no improvements needed with their current services.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Clapham Construction Contracts is a specialist loft conversion and home extension company based in South London. Most of our work involves designing, planning and performing building works that create additional space in peoples homes. I am co-founder and director of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Bird Marketing Limited, and what were your goals?

Initially we worked with Bird Marketing to get a website designed. Working with them on this project was a great experience and we have been working with them since then on our website search engine optimization strategy. This has been an ongoing process and we have been with Bird for several years now. The goals when we started were to achieve a good position on Google and get potential projects through the website. We have also been working to become visible across South London.

SOLUTION

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

They’re a professional outfit and we already had a good relationship with them from the website design. When it came to the SEO project outline we talked through what would be happening over the coming months and Iwas confident in their ability to deliver as a company.

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

Works began with keen work research, competitive analysis, gaps in the market and our own goals. The works following completion of the website all tailored towards the above began with a systematic page by page onsite review to ensure we were meeting these targets and offsite campaign, which is ongoing to meet these objective. A report it produce each month to confirm success in these areas.

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

I’ve probably spoken to everyone at the company at some point over the years. The main team for the SEO are Luke, Grace and Jo. I speak to Lewis fairly regularly and he is always helpful and professional. All the team members are easy to deal with and we have periodic reviews with each other to discuss the SEO history and plan for the ongoing works.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website is consistently in the top 3 on Google’s search results. We also have a presence in the Google My Business section when people search for services in areas that we can cover geographically. Long story short, Bird continues to do a great job of making sure our website is where it needed to be to generate enquiries for quotations for loft conversions and extensions.

There are a lot of companies operating in London and new ones are springing up all the time. This is a very competitive market so being so high on the search engines is of utmost importance. Once potential clients reach our website we have testimonials, reviews and portfolios of previous work, but nobody would see that if we weren’t so high on Google, so it’s been a successful project all in all.

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

They’re always hot on it. Super easy to work with and working with them feels very collaborative, which works well for us. There have been times when we are incredibly busy and I do not have the time to speak to them every month, but they are almost autonomous and they just crack on in the background.

We get monthly reports, which come in a really well-presented format. If ever I need anything I can give Lewis a call or drop a message in the WhatsApp chat and it is dealt with. Great project management style and they are a brilliant company to work with.

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

As they outlined in their proposal our performance has improved month on month and we get solid results with a great return on investment. They are fully accountable and never fail to respond to changes as they come up. There have been a few Google updates since we started and we notice competitor websites coming and going on the first page, but our site is steady and Bird keeps on top of the SEO and our position is solid.

The fact they have designed our website and then got it to where it is shows they can take a project from start to finish. They have taken everything on and delivered everything they said they would.

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

Like any project, there are always going to be snags, but nothing dramatic has happened since working with Bird and they’re always happy to help if something comes up. From a project management perspective I have been impressed and I couldn’t tell them how to do anything differently because it’s not my industry or area of expertise.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Hill & Hill Recruitment Ltd is a family owned UK recruitment agency specialising in the Construction, Engineering and Built Environment sectors. I am Operations Director and have been with the business since 2017.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Bird Marketing Limited?

We hired Bird Marketing Limited to design a website. Our goals were to create a website to increase our online visibility to clients and reach more potential candidates. We wanted a modern website design that could present key information and case studies to potential clients.

In addition, we wanted to have a jobs section on the new website to post our live job vacancies and have a system to make applications simple and straightforward for prospective candidates to make applications.

SOLUTION

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

I found Bird Marketing on Google, saw their reviews and decided to give them a shot. Of the companies we shortlisted, I chose to use Bird for a few reasons. The team here really liked their digital marketing and Bird were more than happy to show us examples of their previous work and we were really impressed with the designs.

We found their prices to be competitive and the way the project was outlined in their presentation gave a good picture of how things would progress. I believed they really understood our needs and had a solid plan for how to help us reach our goals. Lewis the Account Director was very professional so that helped give me the confidence to select them.

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

The design meetings had a pretty structured feel to them. In the first one we signed off an initial homepage design - the team had done a good job of nailing the look and feel we were looking to achieve. There were a few discussions around colour schemes and a few suggestions back and forth.

It all felt free flowing and collaborative. The team teed up a second meeting a week or so later so they could come up with a design for the jobs, contact us and about us pages using the same styles. There were a couple of bits left to sort out for the testimonials and job listings and these elements were signed off in meeting number three.

In the last meeting I had some minor tweaks and edits and the guys went through and made them really quickly. They were professional throughout and the breakdown of the meetings meant we achieved good outcomes in each session.

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

I kept in contact with Lewis throughout. He was the first point of contact and was present in all the meetings etc. Jake oversaw the whole project and Aiste was the lead designer. All the guys at Bird are really easy to work with and they get the job done well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall the project was successful. I have found Bird to be incredibly helpful through the project and beyond and they’re highly recommended by us at Hill & HIll.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their approach, work ethic and overall communication has been second to none. I would say the workflow was great between us and them. They were really helpful with the little things that make the website perfect and they were patient with me with every change I made.

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

These guys are living legends, I honestly could not be happier with our website. They were spot on with all aspects of the customer journey. From the first call they were professional. Their services are great. They are competitively priced and I could not recommend them highly enough. They lived up to expectations and we’re really happy with the service and the website.

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

I genuinely enjoyed the experience of working with Bird. I noticed that there was a slight issue on the homepage design when viewed on my laptop. The header element was lagging a little on my laptop. The team assured me that this was due to the laptop and not the website itself, but they made some adjustments and everything is fine now.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am founder of Skyline FX which helps global businesses and individuals exposed to foreign currencies to save time and money by providing them with market leading exchange rates and no transaction fees. As managing director I work across all areas of the business, but primarily concentrate on customer engagement and business development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Bird Marketing Limited?

Skyline FX was a completely new venture so we wanted all of the digital presence to be managed by one company to keep it all under one roof. The project was a really simple one-page website and it was all going to be managed by them. Bird were in charge of:

• Website design & content creation
• Emails

SOLUTION

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

Bird Marketing had been recommended to me by a close friend and business associate. They were one of 4 companies that I considered. Obviously the recommendation influenced my decision to some extent but I was already impressed by Bird’s website.

After speaking with the account director and seeing the initial proposal it was an easy choice.

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

The process was pretty straightforward because Bird was running all aspects of the project. Myself and Lewis had a number of really constructive discussions in the run up to us choosing to use them so there was already a good idea of a plan.

The team were also aware of the sort of things we needed to make sure were there for FCA compliance etc. There were four meetings over the course of the web design part of the project:

•  Meeting one was a convesionation with the web designers about design ideas and ideal outcomes. We talked about the sort of look and feel the website needed and we identified some websites that we liked the look of.

At this point we chose to go with a one page website to get things launched as soon as possible, Bird pointed out that it would be useful to have specific contact us page and contact forms for our commercial and non-commercial clients so we would receive enquiries with some initial information (e.g. personal details, contact information and which currencies prospective customers wanted to exchange.)

•  Meeting two was around two weeks later and we did a runthrough of the logo design, colour palettes and so on. At this stage they already had a snappy logo designed and a proposed layout put together for the homepage.

Everything was pretty much bang on the sort of thing I wanted. Nothing was officially signed off because they still wanted to tweak a few bits but the overall look and feel was perfect and I was happy for them to carry on as they were.

• Meeting three was a run through of all of the content on the homepage as well as the contact forms. While we were on the call I clicked about on the page to check the call to actions, buttons and contact forms were working properly (which they were).
• The fourth and final meeting was for signing off the website design. I had been in contact with the team up to this point so the last meeting was really quick and gave me a chance to thank everyone for their work on the project and delivering a great website.

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

the website and design aspects I liaised with Lewis, Jake and Jessica. Since the website was live I have also spoken to Callum about some support things and email registrations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can’t fault Bird at all and really happy we chose them to get everything sorted. The whole project was delivered within the timeframe they proposed and I am really happy with the website.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The process ran smoothly from the first call with Lewis. All the staff at Bird were really personable and the standard of work showed me how professional they are at the same time. Choosing to have everything done in house was smart because Bird was fully accountable and there were no chinese whispers.

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

The way they were able to take care of the whole project was impressive. I didn’t get to speak to their developers or the digital marketing team but I know from what Lewis talked about that they have a collaborative work environment there. I get the impression that their staff all work well together and based on my experience of the way they work through a project Bird is an impressive firm.

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

Nothing springs to mind. The project was delivered as expected and we are happy with the outcome. The only thing I could say is that Bird were not the cheapest company we spoke to out of the 4, but I would not question their rates.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Anglian Care are a private home care provider in Essex. Our mission statement is to help people keep their independence by providing quality and affordable care to people in their own homes. As COO it is my responsibility to oversee the operation aspects of the business. This includes being hands on with planning, marketing, staff management and recruitment. I am also active in community engagement and helping to develop our presence and reputation as a compassionate care organisation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Bird Marketing Limited, and what were your goals?

Bird Marketing were hired to create a digital marketing strategy with the ultimate goal of increasing the traffic and conversions through the website. We planned to redesign the old site to improve conversion rates and then run search engine optimisation and pay per click advertising campaigns.

SOLUTION

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

I found their services through google searches for web design companies​ and seo companies. They had a good presence on the SERP and overwhelmingly positive reviews on Google. I was happy with everything they outlined in the proposal and I found the customer experience was much more refined compared to the other companies we approached for the services.

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

The scope of work was relatively broad so we took their advice when it came to the timelines and how we could approach the different aspects of the work. Bird took control of our domain and hosting and we set out the plan to kick off the project. The website redesign was the first phase as I wanted to make sure the website had the best chance of converting leads. Bird did a fantastic job of retaining the general look and feel of our brand.

The initial kickoff discussion with the design team was relaxed and friendly and we just outlined what we thought would be good to have on the new design. Bird made several suggestions on what would help to increase the conversion rates and I was happy with the conversations. During the first meeting with the design team the initial homepage design was presented to us. Overall we were impressed with what was shown. There were a few minor tweaks, but everything was pretty much spot on.

For the second meeting we signed off the design for unique pages like the contact us, about us and onsite blog templates. They had done a great job of keeping the design and branding consistent. The third design meeting we signed off the sub pages templates that would be used for our service pages. The last design meeting was a final review of the whole website design and useability. There were a few minor amendments made during the meeting but everything was signed off and the new design was ready for launch.

The SEO kickoff meeting followed the launch of the new design. This meeting was a bit of a fact find for the researchers so we discussed Anglian Care’s service offerings, target locations and I also outlined our plans to expand geographical areas and services over time. The second meeting was a review of the keyword research. The researchers really honed in on the key points from the first meeting and they had also identified new avenues to explore too. All of the information was presented as a mindmap which showed the proposed website structure.

There were new page suggestions based on the keyword research and these pages were to cover all of the different connotations for the services we offer. There were also pages to target key locations and link everything together. The meeting was really engaging and I got some great information about the technical side of SEO. After this meeting we have been communicating through WhatsApp and there are always updates going back and forth. It is a good way to keep on top of stuff and the team is always responsive. We have had several catch up meetings over time, but for the most part the team just gets on with it and updates me.

The PPC kickoff meeting was similar to the SEO meeting in format. Many of the keywords were the same, but they are targeted differently. After going over the targets Bird got everything set up and we had a second meeting to go through the plan for the ongoing management of the PPC account. This is an ongoing joint effort between myself and Luke to keep on top of everything.

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

• I liaised with Lewis the account director from the beginning and he has been great throughout
• Jake is the technical director on the web design team
• Aiste was the designer in charge of creating the design
• I have been working with Luke the search manager
• Joseph the executive from the search department and they have looked after the PPC too
• Callum and Mo have also been great for little things like adding email addresses, updating things on the backend and making minor tweaks to the website

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All aspects of the project have been successful. We have been pleased with the results on the website design. It is working incredibly well as a conversion tool and we are seeing more enquiries coming through organically thanks to the SEO. The contact forms have been created to capture as much qualifying information as possible from service users enquiring about services through the website. We are also finding that the SEO work is helping with our recruitment too so this has been a bonus.

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

The different departments at Bird have all managed to work to timelines and have delivered everything they said they would. I found having Lewis’s presence at the different stages of the project has been really useful as he has been able to share information about the wider scope of the project. I have always got the impression that we have all been on the same page about what we wanted and what was expected and I have not been let down. My experience of their project management has been positive and everything has been done in a timely manner.

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

They have been responsible for every aspect of our digital marketing. We are really pleased with the outcomes and the results are evident. It is really impressive to see a company take a project on and deliver across different departments. Lewis and I discussed the processes early on in the engagement and I was impressed at how well things came together.

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

There are no major criticisms or areas for improvement. I can only say they have done a good job and I would recommend them based on the results and my experience working with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am director and service manager of a family-run refrigeration and air conditioning company. We offer commercial HVAC solutions from design and planning, through to installation and commissioning. We also have engineers and technicians who can repair, maintain and service all types of commercial HVAC systems. Our company has been in business for over 30 years and we provide services to companies all over the United Kingdom.

Our clients include independent SMEs all the way through to multinational corporations. Our expertise covers everything from heat pumps, air conditioning systems, refrigeration systems, chillers and air handling for a wide range of commercial settings (e.g gyms, warehouses, retail outlets, data centers and supermarkets).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Bird Marketing Limited, and what were your goals?

We instructed Bird Marketing to design, plan and execute a digital marketing campaign aimed at increasing our online presence. A lot of our clients come through referral and existing contracts, but we wanted to bolster our position as a leading commercial air conditioning and refrigeration company in the United Kingdom.

We have had a website for over 15 years, but it had just been left without much input from us and was a bit outdated in terms of style and functionality. We spoke to Bird about a few different options and what would be the best way to increase our traffic and conversions through the website in a sustainable way. I decided to invest in a website redesign with the aim of improving the look and experience for people who visit the website.

At the same time I wanted to have the website optimised for search engines, as this would make sure we were more visible to potential customers who are searching for commercial HVAC services online. Bird were instructed to perform all of the market research to make sure we were targeting the best avenues for the business and they were also to manage our site expansion on an ongoing basis.

SOLUTION

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

Bird was the most prominent company when I was searching for services. They had a good number of positive reviews from previous clients and customers on Google and I also saw the same on their Clutch listing. The experience of dealing with them from first contact made me feel confident that they were professional and they would be able to give us the outcomes we were looking for.

A notable point in the process for me personally was going through their onboarding because it was slick, refined and well-presented. The aims were set out clearly and the contracts were straightforward so it set the stage well and made it an easy choice for me.

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

I have had some exposure to web design through working with a previous website developer but I am not really that up to date with what goes into digital marketing or website design. The scope of work followed Bird’s processes for designing websites for better user experience and optimising websites for search engines.

Bird talked me through everything at the beginning so I had an idea of the big picture but for the most part I just left them to it. We had an initial design and planning meeting with the web design team and a separate kickoff meeting with the search team. Meetings were collaborative and the way the discussions went; the brief was pretty clear from the outset and I was happy that our aims were understood.

The search engine optimisation was to run alongside the website design so that everything would progress as quickly as possible. Then when the new website design had been finalised it was just a case of replacing the old design and we were able to hit the ground running. This strategy worked really well.

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

I first liaised with Lewis the Sales Director. We spoke a fair amount about the project and he was great at walking me through the process. Once instructed I dealt with a Website Designer named Phil and the Technical Director Jake was also present through many stages of the website development. From the search team I dealt with Jo who is a Search Executive and the Search Manager Luke. I have also been in contact with Callum and Mohammed from the support team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I am currently around 8 or 9 months into working with Bird and my general feedback would be that we are really happy with where we are. The new website launch has improved the website style and it is much more engaging from a user perspective.

The website rankings have gone up as a direct result of the search team’s work and we have seen a dramatic increase in the enquiries through the website. We are working on an ongoing seo plan and are looking forward to continuing with the team.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The web design and search teams have a very professional working style. I found they were good at working around my availability and this was something that helped me manage my input around keeping the business running smoothly day to day. Whenever I have an urgent question or note for the team I can call in to the office and get to speak to someone straight away - always really helpful and things are dealt with quickly.

I also speak to the search team using whatsapp for business which is handy for back and forth communication on the go. To be fair once the website design aspects were sorted and signed off everything was pretty much taken care of on my part. I get updates from the search team when they are needed and we can see everything progressing nicely from our end.

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

Bird is a really well organised company and working with them was a great experience as a client. We have moved our website hosting to them so they literally look after all aspects of our website and online presence. Everything is under one roof and based on my experiences so far we are in capable hands.

It is worth pointing out that I have gone from reading great reviews about them to writing one myself and I think this is testament to the company and the staff there. I have actually had a separate website designed by them for another business since the first project and am really happy with that too so I would recommend them to anyone.

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

Bird weren’t the cheapest option but they were competitive. I can see the value proposition and having worked with them I think it’s great value considering what they put into their projects. Instructing a digital marketing company was a bigger investment than we first anticipated but we are seeing the returns in a short space of time. We have kept the ongoing marketing plan to make sure we build on the great work that has already been done.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We provide gold standard recruitment services in the Microsoft Dynamics marketplace. As a specialist in our sector we deliver outstanding recruitment services and we act as a trusted advisor for highly specialist and challenging staffing requirements. Our understanding of the Dynamics marketplace and Microsoft stack in general is built on our knowledge of the sector and experience of recruiting in this space. I am a founder and director of the business and am still actively involved in working with clients and candidates.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Bird Marketing Limited?

I engaged Bird to design, build and host our website. They also developed a plugin that connects the website with a Client Relationship Management (CRM) and Applicant Tracking System (ATS). We also have a support plan with them to make sure the website is secure and that all of the plugins stay up to date so that we are compliant with data protection and GDPR.

SOLUTION

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

Our office building was located near Bird Marketing so I used to pass the Bird office and got to know the team really well over time. I already knew they create great sites from seeing the final product on projects they were working on. Their developers are incredible and the work they were doing was really high quality so, based on all of the above, selecting Bird was the obvious choice for website design.

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

While a lot of our work comes through referral, I believe that a professional recruitment company needs to have a proper web presence. In essence, the website just needed to have basic functionality and a professional looking design. We also needed to have a contact form that filtered enquiries from clients and candidates so that we could manage online enquiries in our CRM.

The project was fairly straightforward and the brief was to design a sleek, modern and engaging website to make sure our online presence was aligned with the quality services we provide. I also thought it was important for us to be as efficient as possible with managing website enquiries so Bird developed a way for submissions to be automatically filtered and populated into our database.

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

I worked with Lewis, Phil, Jake and Jaden. Lewis is in charge of the onboarding and Phil, Jake and Jaden all took care of the web design and development aspects. Top team!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The whole project was a success from the outset. This is pretty much what I expected from Bird anyway but it was a great experience having them work with us on this. Our website looks great and was built really quickly. It’s a simple design that looks modern and works really well with the brand we want to portray. Submissions through the contact form fitler straight through to our database and we get notifications so it’s really easy to keep on top of everything that comes through. I am also happy that everything conforms to industry standards with the handling of personal information.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I had a pretty good idea of how the teams at Bird work because of the proximity of our offices. I think knowing them in this way made workflow easier and because it was just down the corridor it was no problem to get things sorted face to face. We had a kickoff meeting with the team which just felt really natural and two weeks later we had initial designs and the integrations were being worked on. We had a live website with all the relevant functionality within a month of instruction.

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

I know the teams work really efficiently and their processes are properly designed to get things done with best practice in mind. They had to do some research and development to integrate the CRM and ATS aspect. Jake and Jaden’s development skills are second to none (I work with developers day in day out too). I know Bird are busy all the time and this is a good sign in itself. I really appreciate them turning things around so quickly and even though we have a pre-existing relationship with them they did not rest on their laurels at all.

There were no delays with the project and the website they designed was beyond what I envisaged at the start. The additional functionality is a bonus and I am content having our hosting and everything with them because it means I don’t have to worry about the website at all.

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

Nothing really springs to mind, but the only criticism I could have would be about how much information was conveyed to me about the workings of the integrations. I have a reasonable understanding of the big picture, but some of the development terminology goes over my head. I got a bit lost when it came to conversations about how things would function and just said to the guys that I trust their judgement with it all. This turned out perfectly too so no issues from me.