Convertiv

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Growth Marketing of Constructor

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

AI Based Search and Product Discovery for Retailers

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Convertiv to accomplish?

• Increase brand awareness through paid advertising and SEO
• Build pipeline through paid advertising and SEO

SOLUTION

How did you find Convertiv?

Referral

Why did you select Convertiv over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Convertiv were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

• Paid advertising (Google + LinkedIn)
• SEO
• Landing page optimization
• Website migration. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Justin put together some great recommendations for optimizing our paid advertising strategy on Google, and we have seen an increase in inbound leads and sales qualified opportunities in just a couple months! 

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

Best in class project management! Convertiv assigned a project manager (Sabrina) that is very organized and makes it easy to keep projects on track. Projects are delivered on time, and if something will be delayed, there is proactive communication. The team at Convetiv is very responsive to our need and questions.  More of a personal preference, but Convertiv uses Jira as a project management tool and our team primarily uses Asana. It would be helpful to only manage projects in one tool. 

What was your primary form of communication with Convertiv?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Convertiv follows through on what they say they'll do, are realistic on their goals, and are a pleasure to work with. They really feel like an extension of our marketing team. 

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

Convertiv uses Jira for project management and it can be difficult to keep track of all of the ongoing projects in there. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an ever-expanding real estate advisory firm with a wide range of services and markets that all need to be featured on our web properties. As a member of the marketing team, it's my job to make sure that the website reflects the excellent quality of service our company provides.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Convertiv to overhaul our 10+ year web presence and consolidate it into one sleek, high-performing website with a beautiful frontend for our clients and a powerful backend for our team.

SOLUTION

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

We interviewed many web dev agencies but Convertiv was the only one we encountered that offered the rare mix of elegant design and innovative development.

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

With the expert guidance of our dedicated project manager, Emily, our team moved through the different stages of the project, including UX/IA/Web Kit, Design and Documentation, and Development, Implementation and QA. Every Convertiv employee we worked with was knowledgeable, responsive, and a lot of fun. The training was extensive and very easy to follow.

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

Our project manager Emily managed all our communications and scheduling, but we also worked very closely with experts from the design team, the development team, and even with the senior leadership of the company, who frequently joined our weekly status calls to weigh in on our progress and make sure we were happy with what we were seeing. Having that level of connection to everyone, not just our project manager, made me feel like an extremely valued client and partner.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback on our website, both internally and externally, has been overwhelmingly positive. As thought leaders in our industry, it's important that our online presence is top-tier, and Convertiv has helped us achieve that and then some.

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

Convertiv kept us on schedule with weekly meetings and an extensive, organized project hub built in Jira, which Emily updated and documented within minutes of our requests and meetings.

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

What I love and respect most about the Convertiv team is that they are just as excited and invested in your project as you are. They will cheer you on and celebrate with you when you accomplish your goals. They'll offer support and guidance when things get difficult. And they're also humans who understand that life gets in the way and sometimes even the best-laid plans get derailed, and that flexibility and understanding are key to a good partnership.

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

I can't think of anything that Convertiv could have done differently. They learned everything they could about our complicated, multi-layered project and any bugs or minor fixes that popped up were taken care of quickly and effectively. I couldn't ask for a better team!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I run the marketing department for a company in the cybersecurity space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Convertiv?

We brought in Convertiv to help us with a couple of projects. Firstly, we needed to get a more consistent digital marketing program in place. Secondly, we needed to work on getting our website revamped so it could capture more leads and help us increase our conversions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Convertiv first helped us build some models to help identify pipeline requirements to meet our targets. Then, they worked with us to help us identify various paid programs that we could leverage to generate more leads. Currently, they help us execute our paid media programs.

As for the web development side, when we first engaged with Convertiv, we had a legacy website. We worked with them on a project basis to add more capabilities to it as possible. The site had many limitations, but they helped us build a more robust and easily usable navigation system and a resource center. They also helped us build different modules and other elements that would fit the existing website.

When it became clear that we were stretching the website’s capacity as far as it could go, we worked with Convertiv on a whole separate project around launching a new website. They were responsible for doing the competitive analysis, identifying some of the key capabilities that we needed on the site, building the information architecture, and ultimately designing, developing, and launching the site.

Convertiv integrated an accordion feature to the website where people can see the key capabilities of our platform as headlines, and they can also click on each one to see their descriptions in more detail. They also created a great visual element where we can use and update different screenshots based on the capability that our customer is highlighting. It ties the visuals more clearly to the descriptive text.

Our resource center was also revamped with new iconography, and they built out a much clearer UX based on the use cases of the people coming into our site. In addition to that, they added a sticky “request demo” button that appears all over the site, which has helped drive in greater conversions and inbound requests.

Additionally, we hired Convertiv to do an SEO analysis to provide us with a recommendation plan. They spent a lot of time looking at our content, website, and keywords. Then, they delivered an extensive list of recommendations for the types of content that we would need to develop to gain visibility for those keywords, which was really helpful for feeding the site.

What is the team composition?

On a day-to-day basis, we work with four people from Convertiv, including a project manager, an SEO lead, a design and web development lead, and a VP, who oversees everything. I know that 6–8 other people have worked on the project behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Convertiv?

They were recommended to one of our board members around two years ago. We brought them in on a couple of projects to see how they worked and whether they were a good fit for us or not. Since then, we’ve continued to expand our relationship, and we’ve also recommended them to others.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $250,000–$300,000 over our two-year engagement with Convertiv.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working around September 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen an increase in our inbounds, and we’ve gained more visibility on the first page of Google search results. Additionally, we’ve seen an increase in the volume and quality of our leads, helping us get more conversions and opportunities.

How did Convertiv perform from a project management standpoint?

Convertiv manages the project quite well, and we have regular check-ins every week. They’re very diligent about documenting and following up on any actions needed on either side. Furthermore, when we run into miscommunication issues or hiccups, they’re very open to discussing them. Overall, they’re a very good partner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Convertiv’s overall knowledge of the digital marketing space is impressive. Additionally, they have a fantastic ability to bring the right mix of people to the table based on our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Convertiv knows much more about their industry than us, so it would have been good if they started a little slower so that we could have understood some of the language and topics that we were going through initially.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with them to make sure that you have a very clear plan in place, and document your specific objectives and expected outcomes so that you can then track them. Additionally, be really open to feedback, whether things are going well or they need to be rectified.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing and sales operations for a global electrical component manufacturer. Our products are used across every region and market for anything from IoT to Aerospace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Convertiv?

As a 90-year-old manufacturing company, we have a small internal marketing team and don’t have the resources we need to modernize. We rely on Convertiv to fill a gap in our knowledge base and to help us with web design and development, as well as digital marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped drive our digital transformation through branding, design and development work for our new platform. Our site wasn’t on a modern CMS, so they rebuilt our website from the ground-up. They used WordPress and developed a web app with parametric search built on AWS. They also made our site API enabled which will give us the ability to connect and share our product information with distributors and marketplaces.

What is the team composition?

Our team is comprised of 5-6 people, including our account lead, Tom (Associate Digital Producer, Convertiv), web developers, SEO experts, digital advertising experts, and graphic designers.

How did you come to work with Convertiv?

They had an outstanding business relationship with our CEO that predates when I was hired. During my interview process, I met with them, and ultimately decided to take this position because I knew that having a partnership with Convertiv meant that I had the resources I need to do my job.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of our annual retainer is about $300,000, and all-in we’ve spent about $500,000 which includes the development of our web app, photography, branding and digital marketing support.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in January 2018 and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been an integral part of taking a 90-year-old manufacturing company and helping to drive us through a digital transformation. Compared to just a few months ago, our site has majorly been improved. It has a modern infrastructure that is going to enable us to scale.

Since we have a long sales cycle (2+ years), it's hard to prove ROI at the moment; however, we are seeing an increase in leading indicators and top of funnel pipeline growth that will put us in a strong position to hit our future goals. Through their hard work, they've been able to make an old school manufacturing company into a cool modern brand that is seen as innovators and thought leaders in the industry.

How did Convertiv perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very well organized and they document everything. They use InVision to show us their creative work. This makes it really easy for me to share what Convertiv is working on with our management team or distribution partners and sell them on a concept.

Internally, they use Jira, but we also have weekly meetings and I talk to Tom on a daily basis. Working with them is like working with an extension of our internal team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re able to see the full picture of how different pieces work together cohesively.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s any room for improvement. Any restraints have been because of our budget.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Their services might seem expensive, but when you put the expense in relative terms, such as headcount and average deal size, you quickly see that you are getting a bargain, given the quality of work delivered. They’re good at guiding their clients, assessing the situation and determining their needs now and in the future. Their expert advice helps their clients spend wisely and reduce waste in marketing spend. When you have an opportunity to grow your business and work with a company like Convertiv, you need to grab it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a multinational software vendor supporting marketers in the healthcare, retail, and financial services industries with a single point of control over their data, analytics, and campaign orchestration activities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Convertiv?

We initially engaged Convertiv to replace our underperforming PPC and SEO vendor. We quickly realized their expertise and expanded our scope to improve our online digital presence with microsites and a revamped website.

What were your goals for this project?

Our primary focus was to generate leads at all funnel stages. A secondary goal was to establish ourselves as a trusted resource for thought leadership content that was easily accessible. Convertiv was tasked with creating a digital ecosystem that added value to the consumption and utility of this content.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We initially engaged with Convertiv following a small previous experience, but, as this project was a larger undertaking before committing additional work to them, we undertook an extensive review among our collective professional networks of their expertise.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Convertiv was responsible for working with us to define and refine our strategy and strategic goals; coming to the table with thought-out ideas that would support the tactical execution of our strategy; reporting on the performance of each channel we deployed; handling the media buying; developing the digital creative, and supporting backend technology deployment.

What was the team composition?

I work most closely with our account manager, who is top notch. Outside of that, I work with team members responsible for each campaign channel (e.g., SEO, PPC, websites) as well as a principal and their reporting team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Marketing qualified leads (MQL) from the channels that Convertiv support have increased by 250% from 2017–2018. As far as paid media, which is one of our most expensive channels, our primary metric is program yield; Convertiv delivered a yield of 34:1 or 100% over their target yield metric.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We communicate easily with online tools, weekly meetings, and regular on-site meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their digital team is outstanding and by far the best I've worked with. They are highly competent with all aspects of coding the technologies we work with, and are willing to come to the table with ideas about how things can be done better, faster, and so forth. More importantly, they have the confidence to tell us when something is not a good idea, but are always willing to go the extra mile to achieve our goals.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Scoping out campaign channel projects prior to launch would have been helpful. They should also make sure both parties are aligned on the campaign objectives.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I oversee digital marketing and creative branding for Extreme Networks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Convertiv?

We needed a new website. Our industry had changed in the years since we developed our original site and our company completed three acquisitions. We needed a platform to reflect all of our new products and entice our customers in a modern way. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Convertiv team was involved from the beginning of development. They helped create the user journey and customer mapping flow. From there, they designed and developed the site on WordPress. Their developers built the site to allow for future scalability and they implemented SEO tools to help with search result rankings.

Additionally, their team spoke to key stakeholders of our company to ensure everyone’s voice was heard and considered in decisions.

What is the team composition?

My account manager was Ted (Director of Client Services, Convertiv) and I was in regular contact with the founders and the project manager. There were 4–5 teammates I interacted with on a regular basis.

How did you come to work with Convertiv?

We had worked with Convertiv on our original website. Our VP of global marketing stayed in contact with their team and we let them know about our new project. After discussing our needs and their offer, we decided to move forward with them.

How much have you invested with them?

Overall, we spent a few hundred thousand dollars on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July 2017–July 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen an incredible jump in web traffic. Within the last year, we jumped between 60%–70% in organic traffic and our company became very popular in our industry. The site’s layout is cleaner and easy to navigate—and it is more compatible with Google search results. The overall structure and flow are smoother for users, which is a testament to the work Convertiv did for us. 

In a less quantitative measure, the improved site also received a round of applause from our executive team, so we're all very pleased with it.

How did Convertiv perform from a project management standpoint?

I was always confident Convertiv was on track during the project. They kept us updated through email, phone, Slack, and text, depending on the teammate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They knew exactly what we wanted and how to achieve it from the beginning. Their team took the right steps to finish the project on time and made sure we knew about every update.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Early in the process, my team wanted the project completed within six months and were disappointed when Convertiv set a one-year deadline. However, they explained the process to us, and we fully understood their timeline. They were able to calibrate and manage our expectations to create the best site.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You should trust their expertise—they know what to do and will deliver a high-quality product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing at Placester. We create real estate websites for individual agents and brokerage firms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Convertiv?

Our website was getting a lot of traffic, but our conversion rates were below industry standards. We wanted to improve our site’s performance to address this issue, so we hired them to help us audit and find solutions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We originally brought in Convertiv to conduct a technical audit on our WordPress site. We wanted to find any areas that were in need of improvement. We then walked them through the process of deploying changes on the site from staging to production to avoid bugs and overwritten code. These audits set the foundation that allowed us to move quickly through the rest of the project.

We now have them on a monthly retainer for conversion rate optimization (CRO) services. We identify specific pages on the site that are important to us, and they analyze user behavior to create new designs in accordance with our objectives. We go through the options they create together and A/B test it against the old page using Optimizely. Provided the new designs show increased conversions, which they usually do, we deploy it on the site.

What is the team composition?

I interact with a broad variety of team members, but I work most closely with the director of customer relations and an account manager. Tim (Co-Founder, Convertiv) has also been actively involved.

How did you come to work with Convertiv?

I worked with them while I was at another company, so I was very familiar with their work.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $60,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2017, and they’re still on retainer with us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Convertiv is very fixated on performance and data, which we really appreciate. Every time we complete a task, they help us understand the results. We run about one A/B test per month from design to implementation, and results have been overwhelmingly positive. Five out of the six total tasks that we’ve run have seen a 22%-45% increase in conversions.

How did Convertiv perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re always on time and always prepared for the next step, which I haven’t experienced with other vendors. We typically have weekly standup meetings and document progress in Jira. We’re also linked to their Slack channel and they’re extremely responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They don’t focus on one specific area of marketing like many companies in the industry. Instead, they offer a broad variety of marketing expertise and align their strategies across the board to tell the full story. They work collaboratively and get results.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind in terms of quality of work. We’d love to see them grow and implement their services across our business.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that you clear all roadblocks internally when you’re working with them. They work very quickly, and you need to supply them with the information they need efficiently. You’re hiring them for their expertise, so be open to new ideas and make sure your company is well-informed on what they’re doing throughout the project. Also, give them time to ramp up leading into the project. They take time to understand your product and your business, and each month has better results as they continue that process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Strategy Officer of Autura

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We keep vehicles, people, and communities moving safely.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Convertiv to accomplish?

• Rebranded website

SOLUTION

How did you find Convertiv?

Referral

Why did you select Convertiv over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Convertiv were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Convertiv will deliver a website that can be expanded upon by adding new web elements and pages as the product offering and company evolve. The program will follow a phased approach: 

• Phase I: Project Onboarding and Alignment, Web Support and Infrastructure 
• Phase II: Web Kit, Information Architecture and Wireframes 
• Phase III: Design and Design Documentation 
• Phase IV: Development, Integrations, Site Migration, and QA 
• Phase V: Post-Launch Support and Transition

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

On time and on budget.

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

Excellent project management. They keep everyone on track and move the projects forward.

What was your primary form of communication with Convertiv?

Virtual Meeting

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

Great work in the past - reliable and willing to work with you.

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

No