CB/I Digital

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Miz Mooz is a footwear company specializing in women’s fashion. I primarily work in the e-commerce space, developing the e-commerce platform & operations, monitoring the marketing projects we work on, as well as seeking new opportunities in the online space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CB/I Digital?

We needed help with website development and marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CB/I Digital has helped us re-platform the site; they redeveloped our Magento 1 website and launched a new Magento 2 website.  Additionally, they have been involved in all the customizations and integrations built into the site. Some of these connections include integrating with our ERP for fulfillment, Shipstation, Taxjar, Klaviyo, Loyalty Lion, Order management, Marketplace integration, Advertising Channels, and more.

Any feature we have requested, CB/I has helped us to find the best partner and tool and integrate it into the site architecture.  The team is involved in the day-to-day site management; they give us support, keep the site up to date, and ensure the website is running smoothly every day.

For their marketing services, CB/I helps serve our branded content on Google, Bing, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Criteo, and other social channels. CB/I has detailed weekly reports and suggestions that help us to evaluate our campaigns and optimize our performance. They have a good understanding of building a full-funnel approach and will collaborate with you to build a campaign that is scalable and can help achieve long-term goals. Working together closely we are able to find opportunities to improve efficiencies in all aspects of the customer journey.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with CB/I for a few years now, so a few different people have been on the project.  Jeremy (PPC Specialist) is our direct contact for the marketing side. On the other hand, we mainly work with their team in Vietnam. Tony (Developer) and Kristine (Business Analyst) are the account managers for the development side. They understand our business well and can communicate to their larger team our business needs.

How did you come to work with CB/I Digital?

A friend recommended them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $200,000–$1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2017, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We can see from site performance and sales YoY that our growth has exceeded expectations and this is because of the hard work of everyone involved in the site on a day-to-day basis, which includes CB/I.

How did CB/I Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is excellent. They do great development work and know what they need to do when tasks are more complex than they initially seemed. The team tackles them and invests extra time to get them done.

We communicate via phone calls & emails with the marketing team and mostly emails with the development team. However, they are always open to using more direct and immediate communication. For any larger projects, we will use a shared document that allows us to manage timeline & tasks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

CB/I can work with a broad range of clients because they offer support and expertise for diverse e-commerce services. Therefore, they can evaluate your website and determine which service approach would be the best to look at in order to help grow your business.  They are also constantly improving their services and are always looking for the newest and best ecommerce tools.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.  CB/I Digital is an excellent partner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I lead eCommerce, Marketing & IT for a manufacturer, wholesaler and direct seller of knives, swords and edged tools.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CB/I Digital, and what were your goals?

Our wholesale eCommerce platform was a bolt-on to an outdated and no-longer-supported ERP system. We endeavored to replace it with a modern, intuitive and scalable user experience that would serve our existing client base while laying the foundation to pursue different B2B sectors as well as D2C with minimal added cost or overhead.

SOLUTION

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

We evaluated several vendors based on existing relationships and trusted recommendations. Rather than dictate platforms, we let the potential partners demonstrate their understanding of our needs and their approach to solving those. This allowed us to narrow the field based on the chosen platforms, then focus on who was the best cultural fit for our organization. While cost was not the primary factor, it certainly did not hurt that CB/I was the most affordable option.

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

The project entailed a 3-tier Magento multi-site configuration tied to our legacy Infor ERP. The domains included an overhaul of our primary B2B wholesale site MasterCutlery.com, a new premium tier B2B wholesale site MasterCutleryBrands.com and a consumer shopping destination at SharperEdges.com.

Extensive communication with the ERP was accomplished through a middleware provider called Clarity Ventures on the developer's recommendation. We also integrated taxation (Avalara), payment processing (FirstData) and shipping (Shipstation). As a result, we can manage all 3 sites including product catalogs, finances and inventory from a single admin interface.

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

We worked primarily with a Vietnam-based Project Manager who guided her team and translated our requests. Language was rarely an issue. The benefits we gained from the overseas way outweighed any impact from the time zone difference. The Founder played an integral role in discovery and scoping. We had assurances that he would be available for any major issues which thankfully were none. The Business Development Lead was committed to establishing a strong relationship and remained in touch to ensure that we were happy with the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project took substantially longer than expected due to complications of integrating with the ERP. This was generally by no fault of the developers who put in substantial extra effort to support the process. In the end we are very pleased with the result and just now beginning to see the results which include increased conversion rates and increased average order value.

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

Project management was centralized through a primary counterpart on their Vietnam team. We collaborated through Google Sheets and docs. Later, on my request, the team adopted Bugherd which has been very effective in communicating and tracking requests.

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

The team has been extremely flexible throughout the project. While everyone endeavors to avoid scope change, we encountered substantial modifications throughout and there was never a hesitation on their part to accommodate our needs.

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

My timeline was overly ambitious for an ERP integration. While CB/I acknowledged this challenge, perhaps they could have voiced greater concern. To their credit, they handled the complications and overruns gracefully.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of Lowbrow Customs, a retail direct motorcycle parts brand and supplier.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CB/I Digital?

We hired CB/I Digital to monitor our SEO results during a platform launch. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

During our initial 90-day partnership, they monitored the results of our SEO and backlinks before, during, and after the launch of our e-commerce platform. Since then, we've expanded the partnership — CB/I Digital offers SEO and custom software development services on a monthly basis. Their team works to increase our site's UX and deals with technical issues. They also provide my team with insights on how we can improve our website to increase conversions or user enjoyment. If we approve those improvements, CB/I Digital's team will implement them. 

CB/I Digital's team also conducts regular keyword research and optimizes all of our written content. They rewrite underperforming blogs and articles and create new blog content. They focus on everything under the umbrella of content-based and organic marketing, including market research, keyword traffic, and backlinks. CB/I Digital has their hands in everything we do — they're really helping support my business. 

What is the team composition?

Eric (Project Coordinator) is my main point of contact, but I've communicated with Mike (COO) several times. 

How did you come to work with CB/I Digital?

I met Mike at a small entrepreneur gathering and started a discussion with him about their team helping maintain our organic traffic during our site transition. I knew that I didn't have to worry about the SEO details if I had them on board — they had my best interest at heart. I signed an initial 90-day agreement with them and then expanded the partnership.

How much have you invested with them?

At first, our monthly investment was $3,000, but we've scaled it up to $5,000 a month. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with CB/I Digital began in January 2020, and it's ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don't have specific numbers, but I get a monthly detailed Google Analytics report from them — all our metrics have increased over the last few years. I can't attribute all of our growth to CB/I Digital, but anything they've focused on has improved, from year-over-year organic traffic to user conversions. Our company has grown quite a bit because of the increased metrics we're experiencing with CB/I Digital. 

How did CB/I Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

CB/I Digital's project management is amazing. We recently transitioned to a new project manager, and the process was seamless. Since CB/I Digital's developers are so good at communicating, I only use them for programming projects. Their team is very fast — they complete projects within a few days and cover testing and implementation. We don't use any specific project management tools across our partnership; I directly convey my requests to Eric. Typically, we communicate through email, but we also have monthly Google Meet calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I've worked with other development vendors before, in conjunction with CB/I Digital. However, CB/I Digital's team is very familiar with my company, our software, and our operations, so they now handle 100% of our development. I appreciate that I don't have to train a new company. I get a lot for my investment in terms of teammates and brainpower. 

CB/I Digital over-delivers — they go beyond their promises and bring a lot of ideas to us that help our company run smoothly and increase UX and conversion rates. CB/I Digital is like a part of my team. They're tech-savvy, and I know that they can oversee my company's progress, so I don't have to worry about it too much. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing for CB/I Digital to improve. Their team asks me that same question every month, and at this point, they've implemented all the constructive feedback I gave them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd advise customers to be prepared to put the work in on their side of the project — customers need to communicate clearly. Both parties involved in the partnership need to be focused on working together. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO & Founder of a digital platform for kosher retail

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CB/I Digital, and what were your goals?

Mobile app development combining our existing Shopify store with an added aggregator feature

SOLUTION

How did you select CB/I Digital and what were the deciding factors?

We sought recommendations and spoke to various candidates. CBI was selected on the basis of their impressive talent (interviews) and their practical & cost-effective proposal

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

CBI build our app partly from scratch and partly by by customizing an out-of-the box product made for adapting Shopify stores. The project took several weeks and involved weekly meetings with our team and a designer. CBI provided a schedule in advance, were responsive to feedback and delivered on time.

After completion, we transitioned to CBI to maintain both the new app and our website.

How many resources from the CB/I Digital team worked with you, and what were their positions?

A project manager and a business development person in the US and a technical team in Vietnam worked on the project and continue to provide support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are very happy with the app and with CBI's ongoing support

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

The team is responsive and communicates via slack or email.

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

I was particularly impressed by the team's ability to understand the complexities of our operation and the limitations of the Shopify platform and help us adapt the tech and come up with practical workarounds.

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

While there's always a learning curve on any project, the grit and intelligence of the team has been evident at every stage.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a direct-to-consumer jewelry fashion brand, though we also have a small wholesale business. Our brand has been around for 17 years, with a lot of growth in the last three years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CB/I Digital Inc.?

Before taking on my position, I consulted with my current company and asked CB/I Digital to help me.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the early stages of the engagement, CB/I Digital reconstructed all of our technical SEO, revamping it for the site. The biggest change they’ve implemented is overhauling our digital strategy, including Google, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. They revised our entire campaign structure as well as the creative strategy in terms of assets. 

They opened up our Google channel to not just be for search, utilizing other areas of opportunity such as shopping, Google Display Network, and Performance Max. Additionally, they helped us with email and SMS strategies; the team provided oversight and guidance on best practices for six months until we found stability and brought those strategies in-house.

Currently, they provide ongoing SEO services and manage our PPC accounts and daily budgets. They turn campaigns on and off, handle the technical side, and deal with social media representatives. CB/I advises us on content strategy, including what we should create and its frequency, cadence, and best practices. We produce the content in-house.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with at least two account managers at any given time. Mike (Co-Founder & COO) is actively engaged in our project. We also work with 3–4 members of CB/I Digital’s technical team, and they bring in more teammates as needed. We always have 5–6 people looking after our account daily.

How did you come to work with CB/I Digital Inc.?

I've known the owner for years and have had a professional relationship with CB/I Digital for 4–5 years. I used to run another fashion brand that they helped me turn around. When I was consulting, they helped me out with a few other brands.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to CB/I Digital’s work, our return on ad spend (ROAS) went from the low $2s to the high $3s or low $4s. In terms of our year-over-year (YoY) growth, it’s just above doubled since Q1 of last year. Every channel is even more profitable than before. We’re hitting all expectations with what we want to do as a brand, and CB/I Digital has been very flexible to work with whatever we ask them to do. 

Before this partnership, we had a very basic digital strategy with a small number of campaigns on a six-month decline. CB/I Digital was able to turn the campaigns around within 30 days, and within 60 days, they were already on a growth trajectory. This has enabled us to double our sales, and our digital strategy has been on an upward path since then. Overall, CB/I Digital is a true partner, and they’re the reason we’re growing like we are.

How did CB/I Digital Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of project management, we haven’t had a single issue in the year we’ve been working together. One of their strongest points is that they can give a deadline and stick to it and the budget. If anything along the way needs to be considered, they’re very proactive about reaching out. Whether it’s the PPC campaigns or SEO, our team is the slow one, while CB/I Digital is always on time — they’re extremely on top of it.

We have a daily thread on Skype with our top management and another one on Slack with the account manager and our e-commerce team. We also have weekly meetings and reporting cadence, and we jump on more calls as needed. We’re in constant communication; not a business day goes by that we’re not communicating with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

CB/I Digital is extremely creative in molding and crafting PPC and SEO strategies specific to our brand and objectives. I’ve worked with companies that claim to be top agencies over the last 15 years, and I’ve found that they become formulaic and not that creative or flexible. Meanwhile, CB/I Digital has been flexible from day one. I also appreciate the number of resources and detail that CB/I Digital put into every account; I’ve never seen another agency put that much detail and that many resources for the same budget, either for PPC or SEO.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could bring more reporting and analytical data into the project to address e-commerce brands' issues. While their reporting is good, I want something that goes above and beyond and leverages their expertise to advise us on metrics and ways to look at them.

They’re working on that right now, though. CB/I Digital is creating a suite of tools to make it easier for us to have more data around, including product and traffic analytics to help their clients grow.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

CB/I Digital is good for brands that have already worked with agencies and already have some growth under their belt. My advice to anyone who’s changing or revising strategies is to trust the process and give it a little time because results don’t come overnight. That’s not to say that sales dropped; just moderate your expectations and listen to CB/I Digital.

I know a couple of other brands that have worked with CB/I Digital where it hasn’t worked out, and the common thread is that they wanted CB/I Digital to execute their strategy and guide the team instead of letting the team guide them. Brands doing well with CB/I Digital follow what we do; we take advice and trust the team’s judgment on the strategy, while they take our advice in terms of the creative side and the brand’s tone of voice.