Motava

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president, CEO, and co-founder of Cloud City Supply. We’re a CBD retail business with a brick-and-mortar location, a web operation, and an Instagram store.

What challenge were you trying to address with Motava?

Our goal was to be found. We’re a new startup in a market that people have a lot of questions about — CBD vs. THC; are we a dispensary or not? — and we were looking to identify what differentiated us and our products.

First, we wanted to build a website to help people understand who we are, what we’re about, and what our products are. We were also looking for e-commerce functionality where people can subscribe to us and place orders.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Motava built the website from scratch, creating a custom look and feel to ensure we didn’t end up with a canned design. Now that the site has been up for a few months, we’re optimizing product pages, the car system, and refining the look and feel.

One of the highlights is that Motava created an education section called CBD 101. Our industry can be confusing and overwhelming for some people, so we have a repository of information. Finally, there are blogs and a feed of our Instagram page as well.

The site is built on WordPress and WooComemrce. It was very easy to integrate our LightSpeed POS and now to add plugins to help facilitate features.

What is the team composition?

At least three people are working on the project: a developer, a maintenance resource that deals with one-off asks (holiday specials, product adds, etc.) and a larger-scale developer who focuses on designing and redesigning the product pages. There may be 1–2 other people in the background as well.  

How did you come to work with Motava?

They actually supported a website and did social media outreach for my mother’s business, so they were a known entity to me. After hearing their quote and vision, we decided on them.

Motava’s team is also local, and community is very important to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $15,000–$25,000 with them to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since March 2021, paying them monthly. We’ll have a small retainer going into the future to update our inventory and change it to reflect in-stock products, promos, and tie-ins to our Instagram.

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

We’re not at the point where I have access to a dashboard to track metrics and performance, but I know we’re getting traffic to the site in the form of people checking out our events. Additionally, our suppliers have done a good job listing us on their store locator features, which funnels traffic to our site.

The one solid piece of data I can provide is that the holiday deals that Motava has implemented this year has led to countless transactions. We’ve seen an astronomical increase in activity over the last 3–4 months.

Whatever they’re doing in the background regarding SEO, in conjunction with our own efforts on Instagram and event press, is driving people to our website. Additionally, we seen Instagram-only customers transition to our website.

How did Motava perform from a project management standpoint?

I’d give them an eight out of 10 in this regard. We probably started the website creation a bit later than recommended, and we could have been more aligned on milestones and documentation. I come from the corporate world where even when work is happening in the background and stakeholders are busy, vendors send status updates. Motava could have done more of this because there were times when I was in the dark. A 1–2-line email would be sufficient for this need. On the flip side, when Motava did reach out, they had a fully formed product.

We normally communicate through email. If there’s a longer list to go through or something to demonstrate, we’ll schedule a Zoom call to screen share. When there’s a misunderstanding, both sides are quick to hop on calls and issues are resolved within the hour. Since the website has launched, they’ve been extremely responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Motava’s senior partners and owners want to make sure that the clients are happy with the end product. They asked a fair amount of questions up-front regarding style and what we wanted to accomplish, and they’ve researched plugins required to integrate features.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so. We did a lot of groundwork with the design and layout, and we knew we’d have to optimize after the launch. Having some more communication — even screen captures of what they’ve done — would be helpful, however.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Think ahead of what you’re going to need next month or the month after that. We were too focused initially on getting something up that we could have done better to think about what features we wanted down the line.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our organization owns and manages commercial and residential real estate.

What challenge were you trying to address with Motava?

Our company had a website, but it wasn’t user-friendly, and it had minimal information listed. We wanted a website that seniors could easily access and find information about our 55 + mobile home park.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Motava took our existing website and revamped it. They worked with me, because I had specific information in mind that I wanted on the website and I wanted it to be user-friendly. 

Motava added new information and forums for our viewers, and changed the format so the website could fit on computers and mobile devices. Every problem we incurred, Motava found a way to solve it.

Midway through our relationship, Montava expanded their SEO services and helped find many 55-and-older senior magazines and articles around the country to attract potential tenants and RVers.

They also worked on setting up RV forms on the website and wrote a blog. Motava is very creative.

What is the team composition?

In the beginning, I worked with Victor (Managing Consultant & Senior Partner) and Robert (Senior Consultant & Partner). As Motava grew, they added more people to work on different tasks. I worked with multiple developers on the back end. It depended on the issue, but everyone was helpful and great at their job.

How did you come to work with Motava?

They were recommended. At that point, Motava was a young company, but they had fresh new ideas.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in January 2005, and we sold the Park in 2020. However, our relationship with Motava is ongoing. I’ve already talked to them about revamping another website.

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

The website was easy to use, colorful, and informative. It became our main avenue for advertising our mobile home park. I also had tangible evidence that their efforts were successful, because we kept records on how potential tenants found our mobile home park.

How did Motava perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very good. I did not have any complaints. We were always talking, and I could always reach them — sometimes even after hours. We all worked well together. We mainly talked over the telephone, but we also communicated through emails and text messages.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Motava was very hands-on and paid personal attention to our account. They also had a vision of how far we could go and how good the website could be. When Motava started, they were young and had great ideas, and that continued throughout the relationship. All in all, they were great at keeping people interested.

Are there any areas they could improve?

For me, there wasn’t any area for improvement. They were innovative and open to new ideas. I believe they will continue to move forward and do a great job with any company they work with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communication is the best tool. Talk to Motava about your goals and give them as much information as you can.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a window covering company that does custom blinds and draperies.

What challenge were you trying to address with Motava?

We wanted to address our web presence and marketing.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team performs SEO services for us. They also interface with Yelp and Google to help my site get more exposure. As for marketing, they’ve helped with my budget and different marketing programs.

We had a website designed by another company. The team first redesigned that website before creating a new one. They also helped with content.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with at least four people. Some of them dealt with print media, web content, and analytics. There were also members of their team that dealt directly with Yelp and Google.

How did you come to work with Motava?

They were recommended by someone else I know in business.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $25,000 a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in early 2019.

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

I’ve been satisfied with their work. My company is busier because of their services. We’re receiving much more web traffic and phone calls.

How did Motava perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they perform very well. We set up goals, and they pretty much meet them. We communicate through phone calls, email, and text.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate their responsiveness. When I call them, they answer the phone. The team takes care of whatever I need.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As far as I can tell, no. I’ve had three companies do this, and they’re the best out of the three so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have an idea of your goals and what you want to achieve. They need the parameters to work with.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and physician at a cognitive behavioral therapy and medical hypnosis practice.

What challenge were you trying to address with Motava?

I didn’t have a website for my business, so I contacted Motava to build a site for me.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Motava has built three websites for me since we began our collaboration. They’re currently working on a fourth website for me. They built our main website and built sites for medical studies I’ve been a part of and a website with at-home resources such as videos for specific issues I work on with my patients.  

What is the team composition?

Victor (Managing Consultant & Sr. Partner) is my main point of contact. I also work with Robert (Digital Marketing Consultant) and Jason (Content Marketing Manager). 

How did you come to work with Motava?

I don’t remember since it’s been so long since we started working together. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I began working with them in May or June 2008, and their work with me is ongoing. They develop new sites and provide maintenance. 

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

They have given me great guidance. I love working with Victor and his team. They’re smart and personable. If there is ever an issue with any of the sites, I just send them an email and it’s fixed immediately. 

How did Motava perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re always responsive. Even if I email them outside of regular business hours, I still get a quick response. Their customer service is excellent. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s been a privilege to work with them. They listen and get the job done quickly while delivering beautiful work. I feel very fortunate to have them. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and owner of an assembler of circuit boards. We have two locations in California.

What challenge were you trying to address with Motava?

We’ve relied on Motava for a variety of digital services—from creating our website to managing our SEO efforts.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Motava originally developed and continues to upgrade our website. In one of their most significant contributions, they implemented a sophisticated backend that allows for the management of our users and site orders.

On the marketing side, they routinely create semi-monthly newsletters that we sent to customers and prospects. They target the appropriate keywords and generate SEO-sensitive content to increase our traffic. They provide us with weekly reports on our SEO performance and partake in monthly meetings with our marketing team to discuss new efforts.

What is the team composition?

Initially, I mainly interfaced with Brandon (President, Motava) but now I work primarily with Victor (Managing Consultant & Senior Partner, Motava). Alex (Senior Consultant, Motava) and Jason (Content Marketing Manager, Motava) have also offered us their expertise.

How did you come to work with Motava?

While my memory is slightly fuzzy, I believe my friends recommended Brandon to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around $60,000 a year, so it’s been around $900,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2005, and we’re enjoying an ongoing relationship.

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

The quality of their work has been excellent. I’d attribute most—maybe even 80%—of our annual 25% growth to Motava’s work. Our revenue has increased dramatically, thanks to their marketing services.

They’re able to quickly understand requirements, so I never have to waste time on a long explanation. They’ve been a phenomenal partner who knows what they’re doing.

How did Motava perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate regularly via email, and they’re very responsive. We usually hear back from them within an hour or so.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their professionalism, flexibility, and response rate are unparalleled. I’ve also been impressed by their ability to diagnose specific problems, which is crucial when you’re running a small business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m having a hard time thinking of anything. They’re probably the best company we’re partnered with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep your inquiries discreet and descriptive. They’re a smart team that’ll definitely lead you in the right direction.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the head of content & product marketing for Moovweb, a software company with a HQ in San Francisco. Moovweb developed a full stack solution to website speed, geared at enterprise eCommerce websites.

For what projects/services did your company hire Motava?

We hired Motava to perform a technical SEO audit of our multiple domains, as well as in-depth competitive keyword analysis. We were just after a website re-write and in the midst of migrating our blog from on CMS to another, deciding on URL patterns, and considering merging a few subdomains. We had also recently pivoted into a new / emerging category, and needed to dial in on the right keywords to target.

What were your goals for this project?

1. Fix whatever is broken

2. Figure out a game plan for near term and long term improvements

3. Begin to see results while the audit was running. (this is an important one.. Motava was willing to be flexible and work with me to plan out deliverables throughout the project, which enabled us to implement changes and begin to see improvements within the first half of the project).

How did you select this vendor?

I've worked with Motava in the past and was very impressed by the level of knowledge and expertise Victor and team have in regards to everything SEO. I first found Motava through organic search. I was looking for SEO vendors that focus on the technical aspects of the trade. I had a skeptical CTO that was burnt in the past, and we vetted 5 vendors until we choose Motava for that project.

Describe the project in detail.

• Technical SEO audit: on-page, broken links, redirects, site structure, URL patterns, etc.
• Content audit - auditing content on 2 main domains, in comparison to that of our leading competitors. Suggesting keystone pieces, etc.
• Competitive keywords analysis- looking into the organic and paid keywords our leading competitor focus on
• Keyword research - looking into what we rank for, as well as identifying the most relevant keywords to target with content and ads based on research into a handful of relevant phrases and companies.

What was the team composition?

Victor and Alex working on the project.

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

We are consistently seeing QoQ growth in new, non-branded, relevant keywords we rank for on the first page of the SERP. We have transformed from a site reliant on direct traffic to that driven by organic traffic, thus improving the quality of our audience while expanding our reach. We are also seeing consistent growth in organic traffic, leads, and opportunities.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We mostly communicated via email, but we did speak a few times to go over the details of the audit, before, as it was released section by section, and when we got the full document and data.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

• The depth of knowledge and experience Victor and team have acquired. Motava's audits are far more in-depth than many of the so called audits I have seen from other SEO and SEM professionals. We are talking hundreds of pages of analysis and recommendations and all the relevant data.
• Flexibility in planning and delivering the project 
• Professionalism. Victor was always open to jumping on a call to dig into the details and answer any questions we might have as we were building out our sites and digital strategy.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of at this moment.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president at Studio BANAA. We’re a small architecture interior design company that works on a range of commercial and residential projects.

What challenge were you trying to address with Motava?

When we launched our firm, we needed a website to showcase our projects. We used an online company to create one using templates, but the final product didn’t meet our standards. We engaged Motava to design a fully customized site that displays our highly visual work as visibly as possible. We also wanted to reinvent our name and our branding.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We first explained our goals and visions for the website. We shared our projects and our existing branding. We worked with one designer to reinvent our company name, our logo, and other branding elements. Motava offered valuable insights into the process. They then showed us how to better arrange our content across a site. They designed an intro page and put our branding in the footer of each page. They found the optimal places to include our elevator pitch and our branding graphics. Motava also incorporated SEO to link searches of our old name to our new name and website.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with Victor (Managing Consultant & Senior Partner, Motava) and Robert (Senior Consultant & Partner, Motava).

How did you come to work with Motava?

We’d known Victor and Robert for quite some time. We were familiar with their work for much larger clients in the past, and they had an excellent portfolio. Our work styles meshed well because we had that pre-existing relationship, making the decision to work with them on this project that much easier.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2017, and the partnership is ongoing. 

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

The new website has brought us leads in ways that our old site never experienced. Motava continues to work with us to further evolve its content. Their custom design helped us see more possibilities for website content—such as animation and videos—to better appeal to audiences. We’re highly satisfied with our partnership.

How did Motava perform from a project management standpoint?

The project ran smoothly from start to finish. Motava listened carefully to our needs. We had specific requirements about how we wanted the website to look. They accommodated many changes and feedback sessions with ease. They also send us regular updates on their progress. We communicate via email and keep track of requests with Google Docs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Motava listens to us very carefully. As a result, they designed a site that meets our needs and vision.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve the timeliness of fulfilling our requests. However, we did send them a high number of requests.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Use their recommendations for SEO and web presence. Be as clear as possible about your goals and what you want Motava to do for your website. Knowing your requirements and your desired end product will ease any partnership with a vendor. Motava can also help you refine your vision.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of Lifetime Activities. We’re a service provider of facility management, lessons, and other sports experiences throughout the San Fransisco Bay Area.

What challenge were you trying to address with Motava?

We approached Motava for an entire website redesign to increase UX/UI. Additionally, we wanted to improve on our online presence to gain customers.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began the project by designing the new website with Motava. We had a few brainstorming sessions and exchanged concept ideas. From there, they created a mood board and final proposal, which we approved and they implemented.

To improve our search result ranking, they began a Google Ads campaign for us. Motava also managed our social media accounts to promote our summer camps and other offerings. They geared the keywords toward our specific demographic of parents and the community at large.

What is the team composition?

They provided two project managers, Victor (Managing Consultant & Senior Partner, Motava) and Robert (Senior Consultant & Partner, Motava). The team also consisted of multiple designers and web developers.

How did you come to work with Motava?

We did a broad Google search for local designers and web service providers. After Motava’s portfolio caught our interest, we reached out to them. Their proposal was professional—Robert and Victor explained their entire process and showed a high level of expertise. Their SEO skills and competitive pricing combined to put them above the other design firms we considered.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $28,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from April 2017–July 2018. Though our contract ended, the Google Ads campaign is ongoing, and we expect to collaborate on future projects.

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

After starting the campaign with Motava, we saw an increase in summer camp participation and overall site traffic. We now receive compliments from users on our website. We’re thrilled with how it looks and functions.

How did Motava perform from a project management standpoint?

They were highly communicative, and we could always get in touch with our project managers. Motava considered all of our feedback and utilized it throughout the process. They were a timely team, and any delays we experienced were not from their end.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciated their communication style—everything was organized and explained to us.  Motava's extensive SEO and web design knowledge made working together an educational experience. They were a reliable partner and willing to go beyond what we asked for. Overall, they’re a friendly, strong team to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Because we primarily used them for their design and SEO skill sets, we provided most of the written content. However, it would’ve been beneficial to see more of their copywriting capabilities.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of a flooring installation company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Motava?

We needed help expanding our online presence and representing our company. The agency we had been working with was old-fashioned and wasn’t meeting our needs.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team helps us manage all areas of online visibility. They work with a few popular home design and renovation site for our advertising purposes. Their team creates site content and our regular newsletter. Motava also helps us increase our search engine ranking by creating key terms and redesigning parts of the site.

What is the team composition?

They provide between 3–4 teammates, depending on the need of the task.

How did you come to work with Motava?

After expressing my disappointment with our previous vendor, a friend recommended them to us and our relationship has grown from there.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2016 and the continue to provide services for us.

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

The biggest difference is how our site traffic and sales have increased since Motava began working with us. We’ve also seen an increase in our walk-in traffic. Our users report that they’ve heard of our website and read reviews on us, so our visibility has grown, too.

How did Motava perform from a project management standpoint?

They are excellent to work with—they are occasionally so efficient I can’t keep up with them while still doing my daily job. They have regular follow-ups with me and manage the project well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We value their creativity—they initiate ideas I hadn’t thought of. Overall, Motava is a consistent team to work with.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of corporate communications at Heffernan Insurance Brokers. We provide business and personal insurance packages, employee benefits, and financial services products to a variety of niches.

What challenge were you trying to address with Motava?

We launched a completely revamped version of our website and I was looking to implement an SEO strategy that aligned with the new platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our first priority was to correct operative problems on our new site’s backend that were causing broken links and incorrect page redirects. Once the backend was optimized, we started planning our SEO strategy. Together, we browsed our collection of web pages and analyzed our performance in terms of design and visibility across various search engines. Motava formed distinct targeting strategies and web content for a variety of niche markets that focused on establishing credibility for our more specialized audiences and improved the digital presence of our more trafficked pages. The team determined the most valuable keywords and the most profitable SEO strategies for each site.

For one of our newer subsidiary companies, Motava is running campaigns to increase its performance in Google searches, setting up a business profile, and planning additional strategies focused on visibility. They also reach out to different associations related to one of our targeted markets that might be interested in partnering with our organization. For example, we’re currently working to reach the home care industry and we have monthly discussions to track our progress on that front.

What is the team composition?

I mainly work with Motava’s managing consultant and senior consultant.

How did you come to work with Motava?

I found them on Thumbtack. I interviewed about five different companies, but chose Motava based on their responsiveness, communication skills, and their proposed strategies. Also, they’re located about an hour from our office.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2016 and the partnership is ongoing.

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

Our visibility has significantly improved and our web traffic rates have increased across the company, but specifically for our smaller niches. We’re getting a great rate of return and more people are filling out contact forms or requesting quotes with our company.

How did Motava perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of project management, Motava is outstanding. We communicate every other day and they are extremely responsive. I can expect an email response or follow-up call within a day. In addition to their customer service, the team is also very knowledgeable about SEO strategy. They're always available to speak to our internal representatives and external partners and discuss their work in an understandable, yet detailed, manner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate their efforts to understand our business’ unique culture and values. They understand that we’re trying to be different, so they go the extra mile to assure they understand our goals and find the best solutions to get us there.