Effortless Marketing

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the directors of The Relaxing Wellness, and I oversee the day-to-day business administration operations and financial compliance of the company. I’m also a registered massage therapist (RMP) and osteopath. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Effortless Marketing?

We needed somebody who could create a functional website for us. As a result, we reached out to Effortless Marketing. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Effortless Marketing has put together a website and provided a digital marketing package for us. The website has gone through a few iterations, and the first one was text-heavy. Through Google Analytics, we learned that people weren’t reading anymore; they preferred bullet points and videos. Because of that, we revamped our website to make it more visually appealing and user-friendly. It had plenty of embedded links, including ones that redirected to our booking software and app. In a way, we followed the Internet gods as we played what I affectionately called the Google Game. Viola (Owner & SEO Consultant) and Erika (Digital Marketing Strategist) provided us with guidance for this effort. 

The current website is more interactive. It has a blog page, and our team members’ profiles are listed. Our services and prices are also shown. We’ve deliberately made the services page as simple as possible for people to understand what they’re seeing. In other words, this version gets to the point faster. People make their decisions in 30 seconds or shorter; in 3–4 clicks, people lose interest in the service, so I’ve highlighted the importance of simplicity for this project. 

Effortless Marketing also handles our SEO campaigns. For us to pop up on the first search results page, their team prompts us to do many things, such as responding to Google reviews. They also prompt us to have more social media interactions via Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. We have to be omnipresent in these channels. Moreover, their team creates pop-ups on our pages and writing blogs. They also help us come up with monthly plans, such as featuring products and therapists. Overall, our relationship is synergistic. If I drop the ball, I’ll get a prompt from them. 

What is the team composition?

Apart from Viola and Erika, I also work with Petra (Digital Marketing Specialist). 

How did you come to work with Effortless Marketing?

Our team was looking for a web developer who was personable and diligent. We asked our colleagues in the same market space, and we were referred to Effortless Marketing. We also had a few interactions with other companies, but they were too techy for us; they didn’t truly listen to our needs. By contrast, when we found Effortless Marketing, we knew they were what we needed. 

After being referred to them, Viola asked us investigative discovery questions. We liked each other from the outset. Then, she put together a proposal that showed us their pricing and offers. She highlighted what they could do within each of their service tiers. From there, we communicated back and forth, telling us what their team needed from ours. That was the start of our engagement. 

How much have you invested with them?

In the seven years that we’ve dealt with them, we’ve spent close to $100,000. On average, we spend roughly $1,200 a month with them to meet most of our needs, excluding additional costs for website tweaks and developments. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2014, and the partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t dive into ROIs and other success metrics other than what Google Analytics shows us, which include organic growth and bounce rates. So far, our metrics fall within industry standards. On top of that, we receive positive feedback from users about their interactions with the website. We take that as a plus since we’re operating in an industry where no news is good news. Overall, people find us, and they book and interact with us in a fairly simple manner. 

Further, Viola and Erika have always been honest about calls to action. They tell us whatever we need to do. As we evolve and grow as a business, we need to be more in tune with what’s going on in the marketplace. As a result, apart from what Effortless Marketing is doing, our business consultants make sure that we stay relevant and current. Overall, we have a decent team that helps us maintain our position. We’ve been happy with their services and haven’t required a change in providers. 

How did Effortless Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is truly good. In fact, our team is the usual cause of bottlenecks. When important things need to be finished, Erika follows up with an email highlighting notes and action items. From there, it’s up to me to get back to them and follow up. Overall, they have a great turnaround time.

To communicate, we use emails, notes, and pen and paper. We don’t use any other project management tools. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I have a great relationship with Viola. She’s attentive to my needs, and both she and Erika go above and beyond our expectations. They not only do our digital marketing; they also help me when I have technical problems, such as issues with my Outlook account or our servers. If I shoot them a quick email, they respond within an hour. If I find broken links on the website, I simply send them a screenshot and a description of the problem. They’re on it quickly. Overall, Viola and Erika are Johnny on the spot when issues come up.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. Things get dropped even with realistic expectations, and that happens to me and them. We’re all busy; it’s a two-way street. What matters is that when I reach out to them about something of importance, they’re on it. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Express what you want and be sure to ask for help. Don’t be afraid to engage them in discussions. If you hear anything you don’t like, speak up; they’re open to alternatives. They can hatch plans with you and mesh together with your team. At the end of the day, simply ask what you want from them. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a water treatment business in Calgary, and we have customers not only throughout the city but also outside of it. We’re a husband-and-wife company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Effortless Marketing?

We hired Effortless Marketing to help us find unique ways to reach more customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Effortless Marketing handles all of our website-related projects, such as blog creation, SEO, and SEM campaigns. They also run our Facebook page and Twitter account and pretty much our whole online presence. 

In terms of SEO, we provide most of the keywords that we use. They review our list, and then they add more useful keywords. Then, we provide them the pictures and materials that we want to put together for content creation. 

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with Viola (Owner & SEO Consultant).

How did you come to work with Effortless Marketing?

They were recommended by a mutual acquaintance.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $150,000–$200,000 so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2011, and the partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

To measure success, we check how many leads we’re getting a week. So far, Effortless Marketing’s cost is reasonable for the number of leads that we get and the activity that our web page sees. Moreover, they’re easy to get along with and accommodating. The team is quick to make changes, and they’re one of the better vendors we’ve had when it comes to customer service and understanding our needs. Given that, I would highly recommend them to anybody. 

How did Effortless Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

We don’t use any project management tools at this time, but we mainly use emails and phone calls to communicate. We’re a small business, and we don’t have much time to delve into the metrics of our online presence. As a result, we rely heavily on Viola to ensure that everything’s running smoothly for us — she does a great job of doing that. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Viola and her team have a great understanding of the things we have to do to stay at the forefront of our market. They ensure that the money we’re spending is going to give us a return. 

On top of that, Viola is great at sharing anything new that comes out. She investigates new marketing items to see if it’s worth taking a look at and doing. We’re happy that she’s always gauging the market to see what other products she can bring to the table to help us out. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. We’ve been very happy with them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Viola is always on top of everything, so you have to be like that as well. Communicate with her in a timely fashion so that things don’t lag behind or get forgotten. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Britannia Bodywork & Wellness Centre. We’re an alternative health and wellness center, and we provide massage, bodywork, and treatments for people with chronic pain injuries. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Effortless Marketing?

We used to advertise ourselves through the Yellow Pages because that was the only marketing that people had before. We spent over $1,000 a month just to have an ad that would come out once a year.  Then, I realized that we were investing so much for a book that was already obsolete so I went ahead and focused on our online efforts. In the end, Effortless Marketing was hired to help with our website and online marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They help me schedule things to make sure I’m involved in our strategies such as the newsletter campaigns. They do all the background work and encourages me to integrate all the different platforms that we use. 

Moreover, they’ve helped us build a site that functions as a booking system, and they've also integrated our email marketing efforts so that we can efficiently connect with clients. On top of that, they’ve assisted me in aligning everything on social media. I create the content, and I run it by them. They then give me pointers on how to present the content. Right now, we’re talking about when they can teach me how to blog.

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with Viola (Owner). Then, we also work with Erica (Digital Marketing Strategist) and Petra (Digital Marketing Specialist).

How did you come to work with Effortless Marketing?

I met Viola at a Google conference that was here in our city, and it was way back when Google was just starting out. The conference was held at a university, and I first met Viola at a parking lot.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we’ve spent $40,000–$45,000. At the start of our partnership, we spent $550 a month, but currently, we spend $350 a month. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2011, and we’ve been working ever since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re really a word-of-mouth business and have been for the last 30 years, and the online portion we have is really a service so that we can be more accessible to our target customers. For the most part, when somebody hears us, then they can look online for us. We also track metrics through Google Analytics. 

We’re a brick-and-mortar business; we have a location and we have people coming in the door within our community. We’re not just virtually available. With Effortless Marketing Efforts, we've been able to nurture our social media and encourage people to come to us. As a result, we have a new way of generating income. 

How did Effortless Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve always had in-person meetings which have been really great. We meet once a month to go over our goals for the next month. If ever we don’t meet our goals, we continue to put them on to the next month. Additionally, we constantly create new business strategies to improve how we get information out to people that might value what we offer as a business. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate that they don’t just do things. Instead, they empower me to do the same things that they do for us.

Furthermore, Viola's enthusiasm, positivity, and lightness have been impressive. She provides more than marketing services, she brings a real lightness to any situation. We’ve developed a friendship over the years. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Having clear documentation around agreements and detailed reporting on their progress can help improve our relationship. We’re doing it now, but before I often didn’t know what was being done. Viola would often come and show me, but it was not documented. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go for it because it’ll make a difference. There are so many businesses that have no clue what they need to do online. For example, there’s a campground that we went to which was located in the province next to us. To get a hold of them, we needed to reach them through a phone number — nothing else. Small businesses like them could benefit from being online so that prospective customers could easily look for them because it could transform how they function.