Business Assist

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of an insurance business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Business Assist?

We engaged Business Assist to help with SEO and marketing to promote our business and generate clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Business Assist has generated leads for us by revamping our website and optimizing it for search engines. We’ve developed keyword guidelines based on our industry, and the team has conducted keyword research and identified target keywords. Although they’ve helped us with some Facebook marketing efforts, they’ve primarily focused on improving our SEO to generate more leads through our website. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 8–9 team members from Business Assist; Steve (Director of Digital Strategy) has been our main point of contact. 

How did you come to work with Business Assist?

We’ve had a longstanding relationship with Business Assist. I initially met Steve through a networking group; I got the sense that he was trustworthy and well-versed in SEO, so we started working together.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $250,000–$300,000 AUD (approximately $160,000–$195,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Business Assist in July 2011, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen great success since working with Business Assist; they’ve consistently generated qualified leads, which has helped us substantially grow our business over the years. Business Assist has become our prime source of generating new, good-quality opportunities. They’ve been responsible for attracting about 90% of our leads, 25%–40% of which typically convert to customers. 

Rather than just delivering results, Business Assist has gone above and beyond to fine-tune their strategy to maximize our success. They’ve been proactive partners and consistently shifted their approach to keyword research. We’ve had to hire more staff to support the business they’ve generated, which is a testament to their success. 

How did Business Assist perform from a project management standpoint?

Business Assist has been a consistent and reliable partner over the years. They’ve always met deadlines. I’ve been responsible for project delays when we’ve had them, and they’ve pushed me to provide information or feedback when I’ve drug the project along. 

Their team is very professional and knowledgeable; they have the right experts to help with our needs. We have bi-monthly or quarterly meetings depending on project initiatives. We used to meet in person, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve shifted to virtual video calls. Business Assist sends monthly progress reports outlining our website hits and campaign responses. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Business Assist has dedicated significant effort to learn the nuts and bolts of our business, which has shone through in their results. They’ve been highly invested in our success and paid close attention to detail when training new staff members, which we’ve appreciated.

Whenever they’ve added a new team member to our account, they’ve thoroughly briefed them ahead of time. As a result, new team members have quickly added value to our marketing efforts. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing Business Assist could improve on; I’ve been happy with the partnership. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend utilizing Steve and the Business Assist team’s expertise and being open to trying new strategies.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Director and Chief Marketing Officer of the ICON Hospitality Group. Icon Hospitality Group has several venues and I can honestly say that our last major acquisition was only done with full confidence knowing that the Business Assist team will be there with us every step of the way in growing this business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Business Assist?

When I was forming the ICON Hospitality Group, I knew I needed a digital marketing agency that could grow our functions revenue profitably. We also wanted to ensure we have the right functions at our venues to enhance our position in the eyes of our target market

SOLUTION

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

I was actually referred to Business Assist by 2 different people who both commented on their willingness to understand our business and deliver tailored digital marketing campaigns

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

Initially, we wanted assistance with organic social however after several discovery sessions, Business Assist strongly recommended we commence with Google Ads and tailored landing pages. We are glad that we listened, as quality function leads were quickly delivered at a very low cost per lead. We hired someone internally to manage our organic social however the strategies and creatives are developed by Business Assist.

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

We have dealt with 8+ people however the 5 main team members are:

• CEO Steve
• Digital Marketing Manager Amy
• Tech Guru Dewi
• Account Manager Sue 
• PPC Manager Jenn

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Business Assist are responsible for over 50% of all our quality function leads and the cost per lead is way below our expectations and experience with other digital marketing agencies

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We know exactly what is happening with regular email communications and fortnightly video calls and comprehensive, transparent monthly reports. We have a dedicated Account Manager who is very responsive and we also have access to their digital strategists via regular meetings and emails. We also have access directly into their project management system so we can ask questions of the whole team, upload and share files etc.

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

The investment of time Business Assist has committed to understanding our business is very impressive! The series of business needs workshops is something I have not experienced before.

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

No, we could not be happier with Business Assist