Separating from the Herd
We are a full service digital agency. This means whether you’re looking for a logo, a website, branding, digital marketing, content writing, ads creation + management, campaign planning, design services, SEO optimization and more, we have you covered.
A Cutting Horse is a riding term – the horse was trained to help separate the sick cow from the herd. That cow would then be nursed back to health, and then released back into the herd. This is our inspiration – many of our clients come to us because something isn’t working for them. We help refine their brand identity, website and marketing strategy, and then release them back into the busy online marketplace with a standing chance to fend for themselves and stand out in a crowd.
Being primarily online, we have clients across North America, however our home base is in Ottawa and the surrounding area.
Focus
Portfolio
PrintersPlus, Production Case, Ergo Mania, Unleashed on 42, Shop Local Ontario
Shopify Site - Unleashed on 42
This business needed an ecommerce website quickly. They wanted to launch, and then add the online store component.
We chose to use Shopify, to allow the kennel staff to easily be able to manage their products and track inventory from the front desk.
User Integration - Shop Local Ontario
This client required a Magento site, in order to have the option for vendors to upload their own products & manage their store pages.
Letterhead, Business Cards - Production Case
This client wanted a full re-brand of their digital platforms, and their physical ones. In this example, we show their letterhead and business cards.
Magento Build - Production Case
This client needed a website refresh and wanted the user friendliness of the Magento back end.
Instagram Boutique - Unleashed on 42
This doggy daycare wanted to focus on their online story. We built & designed their website, but also took a unique design approach to their social media platforms.
With a unified brand look, they have now set themselves apart from other dog businesses, and identified themselves as a full concept brand.
Wordpress Website - Hulshof Carpentry
This client was looking for an aesthetically beautiful website design to match their construction work.
We used strong colour choices, bold linear patterns & images, and lots of custom imagery.
Organic Social Media Marketing - Shop Local Ontario
We have steadily built an organic following through social media best practices for Shop Local Ontario. Heavily rooted in Instagram, but across multiple platforms.
Printers Plus - Oracle/SuiteCommerce Build
For this client, we had previously built their Magento website. When they wanted to integrate with the Netsuite ERP system, we eventually moved their website to the Oracle / Suite Commerce system.
This process included a redesign, and sync with their ERP system.
Reviews
the project
Web Dev for Education Consultant
"The team was very patient and responded quickly."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the president and founder of our company, which provides various types group and private consulting to students heading to post-secondary - some examples of our services are: discovering an education pathway, finding free money (ie: awards), understanding OSAP and understanding the first year of school.
For what projects/services did your company hire Cutting Horse Creative?
We had to fire our web developer, who took one month and didn't really do anything in that time. Time was of the essence due to the time lost, so we needed a company who would be able to not only help us get our website ready for launch, but do it quickly due to the time we had already lost.
What were your goals for this project?
We needed to get our website completed and up quickly!
How did you select this vendor?
Alison was recommended to me through a group of businesses run by women in the Ottawa Valley.
Describe the project in detail.
We wanted our website finished, which needed to have 36 information sessions set up with dates, times, etc. to allow for tickets to be sold using Square.
What was the team composition?
Alison was our point person.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Alison's ideas were very insightful to help us with our first ever website - we have had compliments on it from many people.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Alison was great to work with. The team was very patient and responded quickly.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
I was impressed with Alison's website knowledge level and suggestions made - since this was my first experience with a website, it was nice to speak with someone who could explain things to me in layman's terms, as well as respond to my many questions !
Are there any areas for improvement?
Nothing I can think of.
the project
Website Upgrade & Fixes for Orthodontist
"I was impressed with their ability to tackle the project right away based on my instructions..."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
My company handles digital marketing for associations and small businesses. I am the sole proprietor of the business.
For what projects/services did your company hire Cutting Horse Creative?
I hired Cutting Horse to work with me on a client project for an orthodontist’s website overhaul.
What were your goals for this project?
Update backend functionality so it was more user friendly, rearrange current template and formatting
How did you select this vendor?
I worked with their team lead on another bro bono project and she was great to work with so I chose her company for this client.
Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.
They updated the website’s backend to give us a drag and drop editor so we could handle basic updates ourselves like blog posts. They fixed page templates and revamped the layout of the homepage. They also provided advice and guidance on issues we were confused about and gave us clarity on our IT infrastructure overall.
What was the team composition?
I worked directly with the team lead, Alison Boudreau, and she managed the project with her team of developers.
Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?
The website was static because we couldn’t edit it. Now we can have an up to date site with new content all the time which helps us with better SEO and reaching new patients.
How was project management arranged and how effective was it?
Alison was an excellent project manager and communicated effectively every step of the way.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
I was impressed with their ability to tackle the project right away based on my instructions and get right to work. There were no delays and we got help pretty much as soon as we agreed on terms.
No need for time-wasting meetings, lengthy processes, etc. We agreed via email And everything was handled digitally. I was able to track the project’s process via a tracking program so I was always in the loop.
Are there any areas for improvement?
None, they were fast and effective and pleasant to deal with. I will use them again for this client and others without hesitation.
the project
Web Development & Social Media for Printing Company
"Very few companies can do what Cutting Horse Creative does for me. The end result is 100% success."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m VP of sales at Printers Plus Ltd. We're a printing and imaging specialist for B2B needs in Canada. We deal with federal and municipal governments as well as corporate clients.
What challenge were you trying to address with Cutting Horse Creative?
I was looking for a partner who could do social media marketing and support our website. We wanted someone to give us feedback on our website and potentially make design changes, as well as manage the backend of our Magento site.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Cutting Horse Creative is one of only a few firms that we've found in Canada that can work with Magento. Their team took us from a basic free version of the platform to an enterprise-level business website. They created multilayered pricing, which is a complex task.
They also support our work with universities and hospitals. To be an approved vendor with the University of Toronto, for example, Cutting Horse Creative makes it so our e-commerce site can communicate directly with their procurement system. They’re authorized in Jaggaer procurement that’s used by universities and colleges. They installed a punchout program that works with Magento and allows University of Toronto staff to purchase products directly from our site without leaving their platform.
On the marketing side, Cutting Horse Creative works with our social media to create campaigns. They also provide high-level reporting so that we’re eligible to receive marketing development funds for advertising campaigns funded by manufacturers.
What is the team composition?
I deal primarily with Alison (Project & Design Team Lead, Cutting Horse Creative). Any ask or request goes to her, and she pushes it out to the team.
How did you come to work with Cutting Horse Creative?
I found them through Indeed. I was looking for something pretty specific. Many companies were lacking the technical capabilities that I needed. Cutting Horse Creative can work with multiple software tools and platforms, so they ended up being the best. We started off working together on a few simple projects as a test, and now I've been using them for a couple of years.
What is the status of this engagement?
This project began in January 2018, and the engagement is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They've helped us quite a bit with our business, bringing us to a level beyond my initial expectations. Very few companies can do what Cutting Horse Creative does for me. The end result is 100% success.
How did Cutting Horse Creative perform from a project management standpoint?
I like dealing with just one person as it's so much easier for me. Alison is crazy intelligent. She's organized. She manages all of the developers, marketing specialists, and designers. She keeps that all together. We use QuickBase as a project management tool. They have access to it and keep it updated with all the technical details. Alison isn’t in a technical but she speaks that language.
We recently implemented a new software framework with Oracle. We hired Cutting Horse Creative to work on that project. Since the Oracle team works with Basecamp, both our teams agreed to use it as well. They used to use Jira, so I appreciate their flexibility and willingness to adopt the Basecamp platform.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I've worked with many other marketing firms, programmers, and web developers. In my past experience going back 25 years, every single company was exactly the same. They said they can do something but a lot of times they can’t deliver. Cutting Horse Creative is the only company that I can fully count on to deliver everything they promise and to do it on time. Reporting and billing are above average. They provide a bill that shows all of their work broken down by hours. Nothing gets done without my approval, and the whole experience is smooth.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No. If anything, they're teaching me and making me improve. They're always on the ball.
the project
Web Development for Hospitality Consulting Firm
"Their willingness to adapt and adjust to our needs while offering excellent suggestions sets them apart."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
Food Service and Hospitality Consulting firm. I am the owner
For what projects/services did your company hire Cutting Horse Creative?
Develop web site, marketing management and launch
What were your goals for this project?
Build brand awareness and sales
How did you select this vendor?
We received a referral
Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.
Full interactive Website development. Marketing plan management and launch
What was the team composition?
Project lead, web developers, writers, content providers
Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?
Excellent organization. They offer workable solutions and listen to their client's needs and wants. The end product was excellent.
How was project management arranged and how effective was it?
Daily/weekly calls with updates and feedback
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Their willingness to adapt and adjust to our needs while offering excellent suggestions sets them apart.
Are there any areas for improvement?
None that I can think of
the project
E-Commerce Dev for Office Furniture Distribtuor
"Their perseverance and value were impressive."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
ErgoMania strives to work closely with both customers and industry professionals to provide the most comprehensive ergonomic marketplace on the web. I am the president of the company.
For what projects/services did your company hire Cutting Horse Creative?
Web development and marketing.
What were your goals for this project?
Get a beautiful and comprehensive website and get conversion from marketing.
How did you select this vendor?
Word and mouth.
Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.
Built and started the marketing campaign for my website.
What was the team composition?
7 to 10.
Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?
Started my online store.
How was project management arranged and how effective was it?
Dedicated manager. Effective.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Their perseverance and value were impressive.
Are there any areas for improvement?
No.