Bird Marketing

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I co-founded Prospect Knight Ltd, a marketing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We engaged them to rebuild our website. We have also partnered with the team to provide web development services to our clients.

What were your goals for this project?

The redesign needed to represent our company mission. We also wanted to offer a full spectrum of services with Bird Marketing Limited.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We are good friends with Philip (Director, Bird Marketing Limited) and trusted him. Since our business is family owned, it’s important that we partner with people we consider trustworthy friends.

Describe the project in detail.

We started the project with a lengthy meeting, during which we established every specification for the scope. Bird Marketing Limited provided suggestions and then guided the project. Services include web design, support, and hosting. They designed our site in an iterative feedback process; we requested changes until the site accurately represented our company.

Currently, we provide web development services to our business’ clients. Our team advises customers about their website; we then recommend them to Bird Marketing Limited.

What was the team composition?

We work with Philip, Lewis (Account Director, Bird Marketing Limited), and Jake (Lead Developer, Bird Marketing Limited), who served as project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Bird Marketing Limited has been committed to success throughout the project. The website has received positive feedback from our clients and partners. We’re now more confident in our online presence. We’ve since launched viral marketing campaigns that feature the site.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We clicked well with their team, getting to the crux of our requirements quickly via high-level meetings. They are communicative and available on WhatsApp, email, and phone. We enjoy our seamless collaboration with them.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have a great attitude and strong work ethic. The team delivered the website two months after the first meeting, an insanely fast pace. In-person and remote communication are both effective.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They are a young, vibrant, and fast-growing agency. There’s always room for improvement, but there are no major issues with this project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Clear Thinking IT is a national IT support, telecoms, and consultancy partner with several enterprise-level clients. I am the founder and managing director, overseeing all aspects of the running of the company. I also serve as CIO on a contract basis for larger enterprises.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We have partnered with Bird Marketing Limited not only to rebuild our website but also to partner with us to deliver a full suite of digital marketing services for our mutual clients.

What were your goals for this project?

Initially, we wanted to transform our current website as we had grown from a locally based company to a national brand and needed our online presence to reflect this. We tasked Bird to rebuild our site on WordPress and assist our staff on training to keep it updated. The look and feel had to adhere to our brand guidelines and remain consistent across all of our marketing materials.

We also sought a single preferred partner for digital marketing services that we could recommend to our clients moving forward. Previous attempts at finding partners proved difficult, but Bird Marketing Limited filled the gap perfectly.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected Bird Marketing because they are the go-to marketing agency in Essex. We had been in contact with a few other companies in the past, and, from our initial contact, we could tell immediately that Bird Marketing Limited understood how we liked things to be done.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

After our kickoff meetings regarding the brief, we outlined clear goals for our site redesign. We needed a corporate-style website to reflect the new growth we had achieved over the years. Additionally, since we offer security vulnerability assessments as a service, it was paramount that our website was impenetrable from a security vulnerability perspective. Bird Marketing Limited built our site on WordPress, which allowed our in-house technical team to easily update and edit certain areas of the website.

After completing the site, they’ve stayed on as digital marketing partners, offering our clients a range of services such as web design, SEO, PPC and, more commonly, support and security maintenance. Our services complement each other very well, and the partnership has been extremely fruitful for all involved.

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with Phil (Founder, Bird Marketing Limited) and Lewis (Account Manager, Bird Marketing Limited). We had several meetings and discussions throughout the different stages of the project and now contact their support team if there is anything we are unsure about or want changed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Bird Marketing Limited assisted in building a website with the right overall appearance. We’re now more confident that our online presence is accurate to who we are, and both current and prospective clients have commented positively on the new site. It’s also helped us close a few important contracts.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

When working with past vendors, we felt like some of our ideas were lost in translation, but this isn’t the case with Bird Marketing Limited. We communicate directly with the team members who are working on our projects, which has proven to be extremely efficient and useful when conveying key points. The support team is also quick to help or resolve any issues. As a support company ourselves, we can attest to how effectively they work.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We’ve had a smooth experience so far. As we’ve seen ourselves, not all companies suit each other as partners. However, Bird Marketing Limited and Clear Thinking IT work extremely well together. Not only have we helped each other with our services, but we’re also able to deliver effective, combined service packages for mutual clients. This is a collaboration done right.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are always areas of improvement for any company, however, Bird Marketing Limited has done an excellent job of growing as a company while running a tight, efficient business.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the managing director of a national homeware store. We supply products to both wholesale and retail shops, as well as online stores across the country. Most of our products are reproduction antiques, but we also manufacture our own chair line. I’m responsible for overseeing the company—from product creation and distribution to digital marketing—and making sure everything runs smoothly.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were using a custom-built stock management system that connected to a Volusion-based e-commerce site. The platform was managed by a different company, and it was quickly becoming outdated. It wasn’t an ideal setup, and we didn’t have room to grow our business. The existing site wasn’t optimized for mobile devices, so when Google added load time and mobile-friendliness to their ranking algorithms, we experienced a decrease in sales.

Basically, we were behind the market in terms of technical innovation. We needed to find a new agency to bring us up to speed and provide ongoing maintenance. We wanted to partner with a forward-thinking firm that the offered high-end web design and support we needed.

What were your goals for this project?

Our main goal was to modernize our site, stock management system, and digital marketing campaigns. We didn’t really have a fixed target. Our archaic website was hindering our business, so we just wanted to clear a path for growth.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

There was a bit of a language barrier with our previous partner, so we were looking for a new vendor based in the UK. I collaborated with our company’s other directors to put together a strict set of criteria to help guide our decision. We wanted to find the agency best suited to our specific business needs.

First, we made an extensive list of available agencies. We searched Google, social media platforms, directories, and ranking websites like Clutch. We recorded each candidate in a spreadsheet, noting specific details like the quality of their reviews, their distance from our office, and their Google rankings. We wanted as much information as possible about each vendor so that we could confidently make a decision. After assessing each potential partner, we submitted a brief document to each qualified agency and timed their responses. We wanted to get a sense of their communication skills. We exchanged emails, scheduled meetings, and requested proposals from each candidate and recorded that information into the spreadsheet. Looking at all of the data, Bird Marketing Limited was the winner. They met all of our criteria, so we decided to make them our new partner.

Describe the project in detail.

We started with a big kickoff meeting where shared all of our issues and listened to their proposed solutions. We discussed the best e-commerce platform for our business and ultimately decided on Magento. After three weeks, Bird Marketing Limited sent over a draft of the site’s homepage for our approval. We were blown away by their work overall, but we requested several changes, and they made them willingly. Once we signed off on the homepage, they started working on category pages, product pages, and other miscellaneous pages using the approved style and theme.

After we had the designs laid out, they started to build the Magento platform and integrate it with our new stock management system. The team made sure that all of our required functionalities and features were working properly. Once they completed the final testing phase, we launched the website. We currently have a support and security plan with the Bird Marketing Limited team. They update our system as needed, making sure we’re using the latest technology and trends.

What was the team composition?

I only spoke with my project manager and their lead developer, but a large team of designers and developers worked on my project. I met a few of them in our initial discovery meeting. I’m not sure exactly how many resources they provided, but I know that hey completed the entire project in-house. I requested that they refrain from using any freelancers or outsourced staff.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results have been a bit interesting. We initially saw a drop in web traffic after we launched the new e-commerce platform. The Bird Marketing Limited team warned us that this would happen. It was a completely different website than our previous iteration—new URLs, new content, new images, new layouts, new categories, and new price points. The only thing that stayed the same was our domain name, so it took a while for the Google algorithm to recognize the changes we’d made.

After that short lull, our business took off rapidly. We’re now ten times the size we were before launching the new platform. We’ve had to move to bigger warehouses three times to accommodate our increased demand. We’re kicking ourselves for not reaching out to Bird Marketing Limited sooner. Both our staff and our customers are happier now that we have a new website.

In each phase, they delivered before the deadline. For the design, they promised a draft in four weeks, and we had it in three. For development, they completed the build and integrations about two weeks before their original estimate. We’re used to working with companies that go over schedule, so the lack of overrun was a huge benefit in working with their team.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They pride themselves on their smooth website design and development process. The team was excellent in accommodating our requests and any last-minute changes we made. As we’ve grown, we’ve continued to rely heavily on their support. At this point, they feel like part of our in-house team. They’re highly communicative, responding quickly to email and phone calls. We’re also free to visit their office if we have to go over something more complicated. We probably meet in person once a month on average. We enjoy working with their team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I’m most impressed by their efficiency and their attention to detail. Usually, you have to choose speed or quality for development projects, but they deliver both. Additionally, they’re willing to share their techniques. When we were speaking to some vendors during our selection process, they guarded their methodologies. Bird Marketing Limited, on the other hand, was completely transparent.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They’re reluctant to expand their service offering. We feel like the Bird Marketing Limited team is capable of providing a variety of other services. With that said, I understand that they want to stick to what they’re good at, and I respect them for it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the managing director of Cadogan Gifts, a giftware wholesaler. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our website’s design was extremely dated, and its custom system was built on archaic technology. We needed someone to overhaul its front- and backends.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the site to have a fresh look and feel that enhanced our customers’ experience.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A mutual provider recommended them. 

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

After extensive consultation, Bird Marketing identified Magento as a suitable platform. Being a global company, we required multiple customer groups with different price ranges, shipping options, and tax configurations. Initially, we had six websites that targeted different niches and business types and used different systems. Bird Marketing unified these onto one platform and migrated our existing client database. They now provide ongoing support. 

What was the team composition?

We worked with the managing director and several developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Customers have remarked positively about the site. Our online turnover has increased dramatically, and our admin time has dropped now that we only have to update one site.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was a smooth process throughout, and Bird hit the launch deadline.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We have a quite a complicated business, so I was pleased with the time Bird took to understand how we operate, and how to offer us the most benefit. Their support team responded to us quickly and resolved our issues with outstanding speed.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

While Magento has served me well, it can be quite clunky in some areas.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and director of E-Rider Ltd. We’re an electric moped and motorbike online retailer with a growing community of customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed a vendor to redesign our website and assist with our SEO and PPC efforts.

What were your goals for this project?

Ultimately, wanted to improve our conversion rates and search rankings, which would, in turn, increase our sales and profit.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The did excellent work for one of our competitions, and we wanted a part in that success. We considered other digital marketers but decided that Bird Marketing Limited offered the best value.

Describe the project in detail.

Our e-commerce platform was dated, so Bird Marketing Limited rebuilt the site with more modern technologies. Then, they implemented new SEO and PPC strategies to support the updated site. Soon after, we decided to focus solely on SEO.

What was the team composition?

Lewis (Sales Manager, Bird Marketing Limited) is our account manager. We also work with an SEO specialist, a PPC specialist, and two other team members who built the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any statistics or metrics that speak to the quality of their work and impact of the engagement?

Since partnering with Bird Marketing Limiter, our website has secured the first spot on Google results pages for electric mopeds. The interface design is amazing, which has dramatically boosted our sales.

How did the Bird Marketing Limited perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very accessible and always willing to meet in person. They stick to schedules and consistently deliver high-quality work. We saw results much sooner than we’d initially expected.

What impresses you about Bird Marketing Limited?

I’ve heard about a lot of SEO companies falling short, but Bird Marketing Limited is different. The value we’ve gotten in return for our investment is excellent.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We ended our PPC campaigns. Bird Marketing Limited developed effective strategies, but they just weren’t as effective as organic SEO efforts. We redirected our budget to focus completely on SEO.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the divisional director for a medical recruitment company, GPS Locums. My role includes overseeing anything sales related within my department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Bird Marketing to design, implement, and customize an ERP system.

What were your goals for this project?

Our primary goal was to build a system that ties in all aspects of the business, making several separate systems obsolete. We also needed to move over from our existing system and make the switch as seamless as possible.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A similar company as ours referred us to Bird Marketing. 

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Bird Marketing built us a browser-based ERP using Laravel and JavaScript. It assists us with performing nearly every operation in our business. The system even helps our candidates and clients who can access it through their respective portals.

What was the team composition?

Since some aspects of our project were quite complicated, we held several face-to-face meetings. I mainly interacted with the director, our account manager, and one of the developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We have noticed many benefits with the system, although they’re hard to quantify. It has allowed us to make significant progress without having to take on any additional staff.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Bird Limited always met the quarterly deliverables we discussed for the initial build. We had monthly meetings moving forward to discuss changes and feature requests.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Bird Limited has an impressive ability to turn anything we threw at them into a reality within a short period. At some points, we were making constant urgent feature requests. I can safely say the Bird Marketing team exceeded all expectations.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

We had servers in place, but they were quite adamant that it would be best to host the ERP system on their servers. We are extremely pleased with the performance and speed, however, even though it’s slightly more expensive.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the e-commerce manager at FNX Bathrooms, and am responsible for all of our online marketing efforts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We approached them to completely revamp our website and to implement an onsite SEO strategy in order to increase our organic exposure.

What were your goals for this project?

We hoped to achieve a higher rank on Google and ultimately an increase in sales conversions.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them on Clutch. They were highly rated, their profile impressed us, and they were quick to respond.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

We needed a website with e-commerce functionality, and as we have previously used Magento, Bird agreed it was a good fit. It was necessary to be able to integrate with our existing stock system to easily manage products and orders. We wanted the frontend designed with conversions in mind. SEO was also an important element of the scope, with keyword research and on-site optimization carried out.

What was the team composition?

We had an account manager and two designers/developers. A minor part of the project was the stock management integration so the team at Bird liaised directly with the software developers, which went smoothly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The results have exceeded our expectations and the KPIs set out at the start. Our analytics show a 300% increase in the number of conversions when compared to this time last year. This is probably due to a boost in organic traffic, in conjunction with the improved design.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

There was good communication among all team members throughout the project. The speed of delivery matched our expectations and our teams collaborated exceptionally well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their knowledge of both web design and SEO is excellent. Their developers know all the SEO best practices, which made the whole project more efficient. I’m also very impressed with the on-going support we receive.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

There's nothing I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a website manager for a large e-commerce store. My main responsibilities include top-level customer support and driving website traffic and conversions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hit a standstill in terms of organic traffic rates. We called on Bird Marketing Limited to help us reach the next step with our digital visibility.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to move from the second or third results page to the first for a variety of competitive keyword searches. Overall, the main goal was to increase traffic.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Having heard of Bird Marketing before, I knew they were a reputable company with proven success.

Describe the project in detail.

I compiled a long list of the most valuable keywords. The Bird Marketing Limited team considered these, but also provided suggestions for other high-traffic terms that I had missed. With thousands of products on the website, the team implemented relevant strategies on our site that immediately maximized traffic. Soon, we were ranking on the first page for many of our chosen keywords. After a few months, we were the top rank and began to see a lot of profit form the increased traffic.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, who was very knowledgeable and helpful. We were consistently updated on the campaign’s progress and results.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any statistics or metrics that speak to the quality of their work and impact of the engagement?

We’re now ranking first for a long list of competitive keywords. Originally, we had virtually no organic traffic, but now those rates make up the bulk of our overall traffic. Bird Marketing Limited generated these results within a year, and we’re still benefitting from their work.

How did the Bird Marketing Limited perform from a project management standpoint?

Bird Marketing Limited went above and beyond to get results. Their team’s level of availability was extremely beneficial.

What impresses you about the Bird Marketing Limited?

As a young company, they bring a vibrant energy to the partnership. They are driven and passionate about what they do, which really helps them provide results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No areas for improvement come to mind. They exceeded our expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a former digital marketing manager for a niche financial services firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bird Marketing Limited?

We needed to hire an outside company to help redesign our existing website and update its overall look and feel.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Bird Marketing Limited assisted with a website redesign. They updated copy, metadata, and rearranged its overall structure to yield a more modern UI/UX. The project is complete, but they’ve stayed engaged with my former company to provide further updates and support as needed.

What is the team composition?

I interacted with two developers from their team.

How did you come to work with Bird Marketing Limited?

They had already started the project when I joined the company and became their primary point of contact. Despite working within an aggressive deadline, they did everything they could to get me up-to-date regarding their progression.

What is the status of this engagement?

The redesign project took place in December 2017 and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After the new website launched, we saw an increase in traffic and overall consumer engagement. More people were visiting the site to get financial quotes and use our other services. Bird Marketing Limited created an accessible UX that made it easy for visitors to navigate our site.

How did Bird Marketing Limited perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re extremely responsive, accommodating, and available. They even worked with me into the late hours of a Friday night to ensure the site launched adequately.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate their ability to communicate, even if it’s just a confirmation email or a timeline estimate. I always knew exactly what was happening with the project and the timeframes they were working within.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be more forthcoming when it comes to making suggestions on how to improve certain aspects of the engagement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep the channels of communication open and proactively share your expectations for the project’s outcome.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the new business manager for Regis Mutual Management. We manage and create mutual insurance policies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bird Marketing Limited?

We needed to update our existing website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To start, I gave them a brief of what needed to be updated and rebranded. Bird Marketing Limited created a new WordPress site. They created two different platforms as the website isn’t just for the UK but for our Australian arm as well. The site also is used to track data and business enquiries. They designed new navigation, imagery, and color scheme. They updated the privacy statement to be in line with new GDPR policies.

One of the main challenges was finding a way to use the company’s primary color. The strong green shade is not user-friendly for web display. They had to figure out a way to use the color, but tone it down. It was an extensive process of creating test pages for us to review. There was a lot of sending edits back and forth until we got it right.

What is the team composition?

We communicated directly with an account manager and one other member of their team.

How did you come to work with Bird Marketing Limited?

They’re one of our company’s recommended suppliers.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around £8,000 (approximately $10,400 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around September 2017. The site went live in line with our ten year celebration in November 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The average time spent on site has dramatically increased. The bounce rate on the old website was very high. User traffic has increased a bit as well, but we don't do any marketing for our company. Our key metric is time spent on site, and that’s been the most significant improvement.

How did Bird Marketing Limited perform from a project management standpoint?

They used a project management tool, and we communicated entirely online. They’re quick to respond. The built the new site in a test environment that I could access whenever I wanted. I emailed them any changes and updates. They delivered everything on schedule, but we were slow on getting internal sign-off.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re really efficient and reasonably priced. We weren't asking for a complicated website, but they were able to come up with interesting designs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If they’d pushed back more about the creative when we were figuring out the color challenge, maybe we could’ve resolved that issue a bit quicker.

Any advice for potential customers?

Everything is done online. As a client, you must be prepared to spend a lot of time online in order to work with them. If that doesn't suit you, then Bird Marketing Limited isn’t the right fit. We felt it was much quicker and more effective to do it their way.