Go Fish Digital

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a professional services firm specializing in Microsoft Dynamics GP and D365 solutions. We are based in Virginia Beach, VA and have a staff of 13 people. Our clients are scattered across North America and depend on us regularly for ERP and CRM systems support, upgrades, training, and related reporting concerns.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Go Fish Digital?

We engaged with Go Fish for advisory and implementation services related to a complete overhaul of our site, www.keelcompany.com. They provided expertise for layout, design, content, hosting, and SEO.

What were your goals for this project?

Our ultimate goal for the project was to have Go Fish deliver a contemporary website with more relevant content that could be accessed from all platforms and browsers.

SOLUTION

How did you select Go Fish Digital?

We interviewed several firms, all with great reputations, and ultimately selected Go Fish Digital. We appreciated their diligence, their willingness to meet at odd hours, and their professionalism in terms of follow-up. Go Fish leadership was involved in the presentation of their proposal and worked with me directly to negotiate terms and set expectations.

Describe the project in detail.

This was a blank-slate website project - we didn't have a preconceived notion for layout or design. We just knew we wanted something new, very different, and effective in terms of communicating the value of KeelCo. The project kicked off with a series of questionnaires and interviews that resulted in several design proposals and final selections. Go Fish worked with our team and copywriter to support site layout/content and provided the necessary expertise for all related template designs and Resource Page endeavors (blog posts, white papers, etc.).

What was the team composition?

I'm not exactly sure of the team on their end. We had calls every other week for the first 6 weeks of the project, then weekly thereafter until just before go-live when we seemed to huddle daily. Our Go Fish Project Manager, Candice, was on every call and in every meeting from the very beginning. She was great! I believe Blake was our lead developer, as he was on almost every call as well. There were several other Go Fish professionals that drifted in as necessary - the communication and responsiveness along the way was first class.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I am 100% satisfied with the website and recommend Go Fish Digital unconditionally. Our feedback from customers and vendors alike has been incredibly positive.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Effective project communication is the hallmark of success for any professional services deliverable. Go Fish had this nailed and was willing to work with KeelCo on our terms and tools for document share and progress tracking.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Candice - as mentioned she was our Go Fish Project Manager, and we were all so favorably impressed with her organizational acumen and task management/follow-through skills. We never expected the project to be completed in line with our timeline and budget, but that is exactly what happened.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and founder of Lamppost. We are a brand insights and consulting firm that works with organizations large and small.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Go Fish Digital, and what were your goals?

As a relatively young company that was beginning to grow, we needed a refreshed site that more accurately reflected the nature of our work and our client roster. Our initial site was very text heavy, and undifferentiated, so we hired Go Fish to provide a more robust, visually-engaging site, while still being easy to use and nimble for future modifications.

SOLUTION

How did you select Go Fish Digital and what were the deciding factors?

It was quite an easy decision, actually. We had planned on meeting with 4-5 different companies, and the 2nd team we met with was with Brian and his team at Go Fish. After the meeting, we actually cancelled our other sessions and went with them right away.

We just connected with the team, and there was a strong sense of synergy with their company vision. Cost was secondary, as we felt like we had the right team in place to handle whatever we needed - BUT once we reviewed and negotiated the price, they were right where we needed to be.

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

The initial meeting went so well that we actually bypassed a formal kickoff meeting and went straight to a briefing session. We reviewed our current site (now the old site!) and discussed what was essential to maintain and what we needed to review.

We ended up agreeing on building out a managed WordPress site...and were given a few different design options to choose from. From there they hit the ground running...and only had about 2-3 different check-in/progress sessions to make sure we are continually aligned.

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

We worked with three people - but honestly they were all seamlessly interchangeable. Everyone from backroom on out all knew exactly what we were working toward, and we could speak to anyone of them with ease.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The number of new business proposals that mentioned how great our site was more than doubled. Furthermore other companies in the industry have commented on the design during conversations.

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

They are so easy to work with - so often times it was a simple phone call or even text to check out a screenshot or two. Like I mentioned earlier, it was like we were working with someone on our team, so we just worked in ways that worked best in the moment.

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

From our perspective, we are not web designers, nor search experts. The team took the time to review our goals, and translate that into a design in ways that we never thought possible.

Furthermore, their consultation in ways we can build the site for SEO was just incredible - they made a tricky subject extremely simple to digest.But beyond their technological expertise, they were just an incredibly easy and fun team to work with. To us, the rapport (both professional and personal) just make us feel like this was a company that we WANTED to work with, not one that we HAD to work with.

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

None really.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

AMA Triangle is one of the largest chapters of the American Marketing Association. With 500 local members, AMA Triangle is committed to meeting the needs of marketing professionals through local events and programs. We foster a community where authentic connections are the norm and expanding your career is a given. As a nonprofit organization, the AMA Triangle is governed by an Executive Board, with one-year terms. During the 2019-20 board year, my role was Vice President of Special Projects. I led the strategy of the website redesign project, coordinating internal feedback and working directly with Go Fish Digital as their client point of contact. In 2020-21, I will serve as the President-Elect and succeed as President in 2021-22.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Go Fish Digital?

Our chapter's website was in dire need of a redesign; the last time we had a design refresh was 2016. The backend user experience of the site was challenging for our communications team to manage, and everything was incredibly out of date. We wanted a fresh look and feel, streamlined UX for web visitors, and easy back-end use for our team. We had internal capabilities to handle the copywriting and editing, some analytics set-up, and provide strategic guidance, but Go Fish Digital handled all of the design and development work.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were mostly qualitative; we wanted site visitors to easily find the information they were looking for. We also wanted clear CTAs to help drive our business outcomes: event registrations, membership applications, sponsorships. And, of course, consistent tracking and analytics to provide us the data behind how visitors use our site.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our team compiled a list of potential vendors, and conducted online research. We met with the team at Go Fish Digital and were blown away by their immediate understanding of our organization and needs, as well as their articulation of how they would approach a site like ours. As a marketing association, we knew we needed an agency that understood our mission and goals, as well as one that incorporated SEO into every step of the process. Involved in the selection process was our President and Executive Board. The President and I vetted our options, met with Go Fish Digital, reviewed the proposal(s) and presented our recommendation to the Board for approval.

Describe the project in detail.

This was a complete overhaul of our site from start to finish: concept, strategy, design, development, and ongoing support. To start the project, we completed a discovery/research survey, highlighting our goals, pain points, design elements (and sites) we liked/didn't like, among other questions. From there, we worked with Go Fish Digital to revamp our information architecture. Then followed wireframes, page layouts, mock-ups, and dev pages. Throughout the project I served as the primary point of contact, providing initial guidelines and collecting internal feedback from our team. I also provided final approvals for site elements.

What was the team composition?

Our team from Go Fish Digital was a team of 4-5 people, I believe. We had a dedicated project manager, as well as a team of designers and developers. They collaborated with us using Basecamp, a project management system our team was familiar with (we use it for our own project management). The team from Go Fish Digital didn't change, and if one team member was out of the office (vacations, etc.) they seamlessly covered any questions we had and kept to the deliverable dates. Go Fish Digital collaborated with a few other members of our AMA Triangle team, as well as one of our third-party vendors.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw drastic increases in our Google Analytics: organic sessions increased 1000%, organic session duration increased by 170% and our organic bounce rate decreased by 30%. Qualitatively, we've received incredibly positive feedback from our communications team, and other AMA chapters across the nation have provided positive feedback on the design and layout of our site.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I've worked with (and at) various agencies and working with Go Fish Digital was probably the easiest and best experience I've had. Their use of Basecamp was great, because it allowed our team full transparency into the conversations their team was having, and kept us up to date with the status of the project. We knew what was being worked on, what they needed from our team, and how we were tracking against our goal launch date. After our site launched (February 2020), Go Fish remained accessible to us via email, and continues to be quick to respond to our questions and help us troubleshoot minor issues.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by their ability to understand our needs and translate them into clean, fresh, modern design that was also functional. On top of that, their communication was top-notch. We are a volunteer-run organization and most of our work occurs outside the traditional 9-5 hours. The team at Go Fish Digital was flexible with meeting calls and times, and incredibly patient with our team if we missed a deliverable. They always communicated where we were in the process, if there were delays they'd explain why, and we were still able to keep our launch date within our goal (Q1 2020).

Are there any areas for improvement?

Our project went seamlessly; I can't think of a major area of improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the general manager for SimpleTexting, a text marketing platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Go Fish Digital?

We were looking for some help with SEO.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided a lot of guidance and structural changes to optimize the site. They also built backlinks to the site. We also worked with them closely on keyword research.

What is the team composition?

We've worked with 5-6 people from their team.

How did you come to work with Go Fish Digital?

They were hired as a reference by our founder.

How much have you invested with them?    

We've invested $30,000 – $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in June 2015, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They generally contributed to a one hundred percent increase in links year over year to the site. We've really appreciated their SEO efforts and outreach.

How did Go Fish Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They're super responsive. Whenever we need anything, we can jump on a call with them. They're very organized, nothing slips through the cracks. We used Basecamp as well as ad hoc and biweekly scheduled calls for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're really able to offer the whole package in that they have expertise in technology, content writing, outreach, and PR. They really span the whole gamut, which is really nice. We don't have to go to several different agencies, we can work with one that's capable of doing it all.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we've been really happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to give them a call and get to know them. They're great to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Global Digital Marketing Manager for our company. Our company has over 500 employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Go Fish Digital?

We hired Go Fish Digital for Digital Marketing (organic).

What were your goals for this project?

The goals for the project was to help improve our company's content, social profiles and positive PR's position in Search Engines.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We researched 5 agencies that were suitable for our needs and Go Fish Digital came through with the pitch that we believed provided more value to our business.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They started with series of development meetings and questionnaire to understand our needs, business and our goals. Once we are all aligned on the same page, they provided a thorough project plan along with the expectations. There are ongoing meetings with Go Fish Digital to understand the next steps and also understand what we have achieved so far. They have a very dedicated team that believe in what our company believes in. They are always bringing new ideas to the table that sets them apart from other agencies who mostly rely on client's feedback and directions.

What was the team composition?

We work with everyone that is involved in the project. However, they do have a lead strategies that handles the road map of the project to ensure we are moving towards the right direction.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the goals for the project was to push down negative reviews of our company. The team was able to achieve those within 6 months of the project, which I believe is a normal time period. This helped our brand presence in Search Engine results, which provided positive growth to our organization.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

There are constant communications between both companies on a regular basis. They assign tasks & goals to each tactics or strategies, which ensures they are no hold ups on the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have a positive approach, and they're not be afraid to tell the truth. Good project management.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We are very satisfied with the scope we currently have with them. I would definitely recommend them to any company that are need of any Digital support or Online reputation management support.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the e-Commerce Manager for a gardening company. We are one of the largest suppliers of Dutch bulbs and perennials to the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Go Fish Digital?

Influencer campaigns

What were your goals for this project?

Increase brand awareness Increase visits to our websites Increase social media followers

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We read their case studies and received a demo from them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

First we had a demo of their influencer marketing program. Once we hired them we had several meetings to discuss our companies goals and to understand our brand and demographics. From there we developed a plan of what type of influencers we were looking for. We had all communication set up on Basecamp so everything was well organized. They then provided us a list of available influencers that would well represent our brand. Once we picked our influencers GoFish handled all the project management between the influencers and the brand.

What was the team composition?

We mainly just worked with one person and she did a great job.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received 92.9K campaign impressions, 503 sessions from the website, 14 links from coverage and an estimated media value of 38.5k.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was very easy to communicate through Basecamp and very well organized.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was very impressed with their organization with the influencers. They communicated very well and everything ran so smoothly. It was nice that they managed the back and forth communication between influencers, managing the contracts and planning the campaign. Gofish handled all of the project management which made it easy on the brand.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former marketing manager and current marketing consultant at Reston Limousine, which is one of the largest transportation companies in the Washington D.C. metro area. It’s headquartered in Dulles, Virginia and has been in business for 30 years. It has more than 250 vehicles and about 450 employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Go Fish Digital?

We wanted to increase our website traffic and improve our search rankings because the Washington, D.C. market’s competitive.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Go Fish Digital directed technical SEO and content marketing campaigns. Their team began with an SEO audit to update our efforts. They did keyword research, competitive analysis, schema markups, and local search. Their team also optimized the website for mobile platforms and used software tools to provide data for reports. We tried PPC campaigns for about 6 months of the engagement but abandoned those efforts because executives wanted to return to an organic search strategy.

Their team developed infographics for the website and blog posts. They issued the press releases for the posts and reached out to media sources. For example, one of the posts featured the top 50 engage spots in Washington, D.C. It was a customized map that generated traffic to the website for years.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was Brian (CEO and Co-Founder, Go Fish Digital). We also worked with Russell (COO, Go Fish Digital) and a team of 4–5 people including two content creators.

How did you come to work with Go Fish Digital?

In 2013, we wanted to revamp our website. I launched a nationwide search for website designers and our shortlist included two in market agencies. We ended up going with another company, but Go Fish Digital impressed us with their presentation, so we kept them in mind. When the revamp was done, we wanted to focus on SEO efforts and selected them for their capabilities. Their team had impressive experts who could also talk to us without using jargon. We felt comfortable with their credibility and that their team could meet our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We had an annual contract of about $54,000 with Go Fish Digital.

What is the status of this engagement?

We had a contract with Go Fish Digital from 2014–2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the first year, we had an 89% increase in our organic search traffic due to their strategies. We also had an 85% average monthly increase in our leads.

In 2015, Go Fish Digital won two awards for their work with us. Their team as a finalist for Best SEO Initiative Award by Search Engine Land Awards and won Best Use of Search in Travel and Leisure by US Search Awards. They were also asked to present their work for us at the mid-Atlantic marketing summit.

Their content campaigns were innovative. Go Fish Digital got the custom content featured on BuzzFeed, national and regional media platforms.

SEO services can be frustrating for companies that want to improve web traffic or lead generation. Go Fish Digital was always willing to explain the challenges that we faced and provide practical solutions for us to implement immediately.

How did Go Fish Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team was always responsive. We worked with small and large SEO companies but even as Go Fish Digital grew, they were always just right for us. Their team responded to our questions quickly. When we refocused the search strategy, they were able to shift on a dime.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to translate highly technical information into laymen’s terms was impressive. This enabled me to explain our challenges and solutions to the executive team. Many SEO companies will throw jargon and reports at you to assure you that they’re doing their job. At the end of the day, it’s the website’s performance that speaks to their performance.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we got great results. Even though they grew, their team maintained a personal relationship with us. That’s unique, regardless of the industry.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take a look at their range of services. If you’re looking for SEO services, their team doesn’t just offer the technical aspects. Be clear about your goals. Your company needs to have the resources and staff to implement any SEO campaigns their team proposes. If you don’t, you won’t get results.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president of a credit card processing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Go Fish Digital?

We were looking to outsource development for building our own CRM. We also have three different websites, and Go Fish Digital has helped us with everything.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Go Fish Digital developed a complete CRM that we use to manage our salespeople. It’s a fully customized solution that caters to our needs. We initially looked at existing CRMs in the market, but they didn’t fit our needs.

I gave Go Fish Digital the main idea for the CRM, but they added their own ideas as well. The system is online and helps us oversee our salespeople. It has an automated report generation function. This allows me to generate a report in five minutes instead of days.

What is the team composition?

I deal directly with Dan (COO, Go Fish Digital), he’s an amazing guy. We met a few people from their team, and they’ve visited us a few times.

How did you come to work with Go Fish Digital?

I was referred to them by a friend who works for a large corporation. We started with a small project and continued with a larger one.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Go Fish Digital in June 2016. The first version of the CRM was finished within three months. We recently rebuilt it, and it was finished in December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Go Fish Digital did everything we asked for, and they’re up to date with the latest technologies. Their work has cut down my processing time and payroll. If it wasn’t for them, I would have had to add three additional people for the same work. We have salespeople outside the US, and they’re using the CRM software too.

How did Go Fish Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They were amazing at project management. We used emails to communicate. I have Dan’s cell phone number and email address, and can even contact him on weekends if we have an issue.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been impressed with their strong communication.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything was okay. I have no complaints.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

VP, Digital Marketing at AAG

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Go Fish Digital?

• Social Media Management
• SEO
• Online Reputation Management

What were your goals for this project?

• Improve our communication with consumers and to educate them through social media
• Improve our brand positioning through online reputation management
• Improve our rankings via organic search through SEO

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Through an RFP process. We considered approximately half a dozen vendors.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

• Search engine optimization
• Social media management
• Online Reputation management

What was the team composition?

Project manager and several specialists in the areas of SEO, ORM and SMM.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had great results in our online reputation management efforts, social media management and SEO.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Extremely effective. They were always available to connect to chat about the project status, answer questions, etc.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their customer service was impressive. As well, their attention to detail and results were impressive parts of working with GFD.

Are there any areas for improvement?

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a marketing manager/coordinator at Park West Gallery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Go Fish Digital?

We needed to hire a firm to work with us on various online reputation management initiatives and to help us create and implement new plans to improve the search engine optimization of our website.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to see measurable improvements in several metrics, ranging from overall review ratings to SERP placement.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We researched various vendors and the name GoFish kept coming up. We liked what we read about them online enough to request a meeting and initial proposal (which we also liked).

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They created a broad implementation plan to meet our review rating and SEO goals. Next, they established a robust BaseCamp site that spelled out exactly what tasks they're working on. We meet monthly to discuss overall goals/progress and we communicate frequently via BaseCamp to address new/daily issues.

What was the team composition?

We have a project manager and about two other GoFish staff dedicated to our project - and they seem to have various other remote workers who occasionally assist with tasks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have seen measurable improvements in our main review rating goal and there is also evidence of larger, incremental process as well. Our SEO work also seems to be moving in the right direction.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow is very effective. Their team is great at communicating and they're awesome at using BaseCamp as a tool to keep everyone on the same page.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They're very organized, easy to work with, and outcome-focused.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It might be nice to have a little more context/explanation behind some of the steps in their implementation plans, but really, we got everything we needed and were very satisfied and pleased with their work.