OptFirst Internet Marketing

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of a marketing group in New Jersey. We are marketing navigators for small to mid-sized companies. By sub-contracting a variety of professional service providers, to execute our overall marketing plans, we are able to offer nimble and specialized results. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Optfirst?

I was in the market for a digital marketing partner to work on multiple accounts I oversaw. Many of my clients have a learning gap when it comes to SEO, so I was looking for a vendor that could help translate the process and communicate best practices to them.

What was the scope of their involvement?

For one of my recent clients, Optfirst provided SEO strategy, web development, and other digital marketing services such as paid ads. They continue to provide similar services as needed for others.

For each client, they also provide in-depth analysis and reporting of metrics. Their team works directly with me as a liaison and invoices the client directly for full transparency. 

What is the team composition?

I work with an assigned project manager, unless we're working on a more complicated project that may require a specialist to join the conversation. 

How did you come to work with Optfirst?

Optfirst was referred to me by a trusted partner. I liked that they were a smaller company, which meant they could provide more personalized attention to my clients. I didn't want to work with a vendor focused on chasing after large contracts, since I service smaller to mid-sized customers.

After an interview process and grace period, I felt comfortable incorporating their services into several contracts. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been collaborating together since January 2016.

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

Optfirst has increased traffic for many of my clients, meaningfully raising conversion rates. Their work has exceeded expectations and provided successful, measurable results.

Their dashboard tool provides robust reporting and is better than anything I've seen from competitors. It allows us to track real-time metrics, so we understand what's working, while revealing immediate adjustments needed. This makes the whole process more manageable and successful overall.

How did Optfirst perform from a project management standpoint?

Their customer service is second to none. For friendliness and accessibility, I'd give them a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10. There's always room for improvement but they are leagues ahead of other vendors we have worked with and always working to grow. 

We conduct monthly check-ins to review metrics, projects, and discuss future initiatives, and they're very accessible, if any issues pop up in-between. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They've been a great fit for my clients due to their scalability. Although they have the capacity and talent to serve a large firm, they're highly adept in serving smaller to mid-sized businesses. Unlike other vendors we have worked with, the staff we communicated with has remained consistent, enabling us to build a rapport. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Invoicing communication.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I have a criminal and civil legal defense law practice in Coral Gables, Florida.

What challenge were you trying to address with OptFirst?

We wanted to increase our online presence and generate additional clients.

What was the scope of their involvement?

This was our first big push to generate more online leads for our website through organic search engine optimization (SEO) and the integration of keywords, which has been successful so far. In addition to the SEO work, they have also done some content and design finessing for the site. They help me to post a blog—the entries for which I write myself—and maintain the site with changes both as needed and at my instruction. During the time we have worked together, I have appreciated their work enough to expand their tasks to also managing pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. By and large, I leave the details to them since I trust their expertise, so I don’t know the intricacies of their process. Sometimes they approach me with recommendations and sometimes I send them requests. Having this engagement be a limited time commitment for me has been incredibly helpful.

Some of the website changes they have completed have included highlighting a certain area of the practice or modifying certain links. One big feature they implemented gives clients the ability to pay online using their credit card. OptFirst charges a monthly fee for their services, and I am able to cancel at any time should I wish to do so. But they get results, and I have stayed with them for over a year now and will continue to do so as long as they continue to produce the quality service I have come to expect.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with Adam Lakowitz (VP of Sales, OptFirst Internet Marketing).

How did you come to work with OptFirst?

My offices get a lot of telemarketing calls from companies that do search engine optimization, but OptFirst came to me through a recommendation from a networking group. Because someone whose opinion I trust referred them to me, I decided to give them a try.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend US$1,250 on their services per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with OptFirst around November of 2016, and the relationship is ongoing.

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

Since I engaged OptFirst, I have seen about a 35 percent increase in calls. In terms of clients themselves, this business is a numbers game, in the sense that you are more likely to find a good fit if you have more options. From the larger volume of calls, we have been able to find a number of pretty good matches. Their work has enabled me to expand the quality of my client base and has generated a different area of work for me.

How did OptFirst perform from a project management standpoint?

Their overall approach to project management has been fantastic. One such service they provide is forwarding me emails that are sent through the site’s “Contact Me” page, which I appreciate because it ensures that I never miss an enquiry. Adam also sends me regular reports on the site’s analytics, although I don’t typically look closely at that. I can’t speak highly enough about their communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing about OptFirst has been the personalized customer service and their results. They stand behind their product, and I have been able to hold them accountable for their work. I feel that I have gotten a great deal with their services for the cost. OptFirst does what they say they are going to do, and I am very satisfied with them. I would highly recommend their services.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own a holistic center. It is a clinic specialized in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture.

What challenge were you trying to address with OptFirst?

We had a pretty good website that was designed very well with good content, but we were missing the SEO. Over a period of time, I got some experience with SEO. I didn’t want to do pay-per-click or advertising because it didn’t work well in the past. I was looking for somebody who would do SEO organically. I was looking to be on the first page with organic SEO. That’s how I found OptFirst.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Right now, they do organic SEO, I wouldn’t say it’s strictly SEO work. Pay-per-click is pretty easy stuff—you just pay and set it up. With organic SEO, it’s a lot more complicated. They also update any content on the website if I need to. There are several third party websites that list our clinics, so they update my listing information.

They also provided a mobile website, which was not working properly before. They first customized it and made it happen. I hope that when potential clients look for my business on the phone, they see a website that is functional and somehow brings people to our clinic.

How did you come to work with OptFirst?

I found them through a business networking organization, BNI, because I am also a member of it. I have known them for a couple of years prior to choosing them to manage my website. They provide SEO work for many clients in the Miami region. When we met, they did a study on my website and presented it to me.

On the first impression, they satisfied me with the information they provided me, explaining how they work. After comparing them to several SEO providers, I chose them. I thought it would be a good fit to try them. I tried several different companies before, spending money over the years, and I had never achieved what I've already achieved with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve been working with them for more than two years. This is ongoing. The reason why it is ongoing is that I am very satisfied with Optfirst.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I get statistics every month. From my point of view, I’m not a person who would remember numbers, but everything is in the statistics. I see the statistics, and then I don’t need to remember what results are coming in. How I measure my success is not only through statistics. That is helping me when I have the time to sit down and see which keyword is ranking, which is not, or where we have to improve.

I can test the success of their service through people that found us through the website and became clients of ours. For me, that is the most important. We do have more incoming phone calls from people that don’t know us from other sources than from our website.

They definitely helped our business grow. I’m not new in the field. I’ve been in the business for a decade. I am a business owner, and I don’t deal with computer stuff. So before, I did have this website, but it was just a website. Clients never found me. I was trying to teach or learn myself, so I know how much it takes to get where you want to be. I tried different companies with little success.

How did OptFirst perform from a project management standpoint?

Anything I need, I get a quick response. It’s just immediate. I don’t have time to call, so I just shoot an email and will get a response in a minute. We also meet once in a while to see where we are and what needs to be done. I really like them. They really try to do the best for you. I am very satisfied with them.

What did you find most impressive about OptFirst?

I will mention that you will not only get the service, but you will get to your goals. I don’t have any doubt that these guys can do what they promise. You also get the personal attention and human aspect, which is rare in people that deal with computers. It can sometimes be hard to talk to them, but they are really great. They have this aspect where they call you if you need, and they understand your problem and try to solve it.

Are there any areas OptFirst could improve?

I don’t see anything negative. They are doing great. They are doing everything that they can. I can’t think of anything right now because everything depends on your goal. When you have a goal, first of all, you, as an owner, have to know what is your goal? Where do you want to go? What is it that you want? Then you follow the path. You always will have to be in charge. You cannot just give the SEO company the full power. You also have to interact and help them know what you want and where you want to be. It’s communication, and I think that I have that with them.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with OptFirst?

We are living in a modern world. If you are not present, and you live in a big city (like Miami) where there is a lot of competition, you need to use the power of the IT world. A lot of people only build beautiful websites, but they’re missing the point of SEO. They have to find the right professionals to help them to be on that first page of Google or whatever search engine. It works for me. We are a small business. Thanks to their work, we are now much more visible than we were before.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Jeffrey R. Davis, PA, is a personally injury plaintiffs' attorney that has a small firm that exclusively represents injury victims in civil litigation.

What challenge were you trying to address with Optfirst?

We have never marketed ourselves in any format and we wanted to try and become available to potential clients on the internet. I had a website but didn’t do much with it. We’ve tried to work with different companies but were unsuccessful, so SEO never got off the ground.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The initial project was keyword research in order for them to revamp my entire website. They revamped the site from a content standpoint and also from a format standpoint. They did things behind the scenes that I didn’t even understand. It made it work a lot better with mobile phones. Before their work, you couldn’t look up the website on a phone. They added some features that allow people looking for certain topics and keywords to find me and contact me in a very easy way.

We moved into content and I gave them some blogs and they had me give them topics that were relevant. They focused me in on things people really wanted to hear about, like the law against texting and driving, for instance. In addition, we had some ongoing discussions about how to refine my audience and further target my contacts. For example, I didn’t have an answering service and that was a game changer for me. They explained to me that I was probably losing a lot of business based on the time people were clicking and looking at my website. If they wanted to call me at that time, they couldn’t. They changed that so that I could get text messages and emails directly from my website. They gave me a lot of great direction in terms of shaping my advertising campaign.

How did you come to work with Optfirst?

The reason that I was attracted to Optfirst was that my gym uses them and has a very extensive marketing campaign. I was taken by the way they were approaching educating potential customer and clients about the services that the fitness center had available. I learned quite a bit from the various emails and communications I was receiving from the fitness center. I asked them what company they use and they told me it was Optfirst.  They told me that Optfirst was located in the same town where I practice and that they were very accessible. I reached out to them and talked to Adam [Lakowitz, Chief Operating Officer].

He not only came to my office within a few days but came with a very easy-to-understand presentation. I always found that SEO firms spoke in a language that was very unfamiliar to me and I was always turned off. Adam dumbed it down in a way that an injury lawyer could understand. I appreciated that immensely. He also pitched me with a way of approaching a business arrangement that wasn’t “trust me and let’s hope for the best.” It was more the fact that they would deliver results and if we weren’t satisfied, we could try something else or move on. They let me know it would be a working relationship with interaction and meetings and development and participation. It was a good fit. I would highly recommend them. One thing they told me was that they only wanted one injury lawyer, which is a big deal to me. I don’t want to work with an SEO firm that’s servicing my competitors. I was impressed with not only their approach but their results.

How much have you invested with Optfirst?

I spend $1,500 per month with them. The contract will be $18,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in January 2017, and the work is ongoing.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Their work has changed my processes. I haven’t focused on analytics. What’s important to me is the phone has been ringing, and I’ve been getting new cases where the clients tell me they found me on the internet. Optfirst is targeting the right people.

How did Optfirst perform from a project management standpoint?

Their responsiveness has been instantaneous. If I send an email or make a phone call, they’re always available. In the beginning, one of the suggestions they gave me was to get video comments from clients about the services they received from my firm. They were available to meet with my clients, at my clients’ convenience, and videotape them. They spurred me on to contact additional people. We also set up Google accounts for clients so they could post Google ratings and reviews along with Yelp reviews. They were as available, transparent, and accessible as possible.

What did you find most impressive about Optfirst?

I get the feeling that each member of their organization knows about every account and is hands on with respect to involvement in it. Whenever I call, the person on the phone knows who I am, knows what’s going on with my account, and knows what I’m calling about. It doesn’t matter who I talk to, whether it’s the owner or their new hire. That tells me their managing themselves in a way that’s all-hands-on-deck. That’s one of their biggest assets, I think.

Are there any areas Optfirst could improve?

I think every business can improve. I wish they could explain to me more of what I should be doing in terms of what I could do to solidify the client review or feedback when I'm finished with a case.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director and owner of LF Legal Solutions, which is a translation and multilingual marketing agency that offers translation services in over 200 languages. 

What challenge were you trying to address with OptFirst?

Our goal was to reach a wider audience of law firms that need certified translation services. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

A different company originally designed our website, and OptFirst replicated the design in WordPress for better SEO [search engine optimization] results. We also do SEO, write newsletters, and handle blogging and networking.

How did you come to work with OptFirst?

We found them through a professional membership and networking organization. They reached out to me to provide this service.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with them for 9 or 10 months, and the relationship is ongoing. 

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We’ve been working well together over the last 10 months. We’re looking forward to more results in another 3–4 months. So far, the site’s been performing exponentially. They provide an analytics dashboard that I can check anytime, and there’s been a significant increase in leads.

What did you find most impressive about OptFirst?

They’re very professional. They respond almost immediately to our questions, comments, edits, or requests. That’s definitely a plus.

Are there any areas OptFirst could improve?

I can’t think of anything that could be better.

Do you have any advice or suggestions for other clients to be successful when working with OptFirst?

I think it’s important to assess if you really need SEO to meet your goal. Have a thorough conversation with the team to understand what you’re getting into. Keep your expectations aligned with the way the process works. Many people want results immediately, and that’s not the way SEO works. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

AccuDock designs and manufactures floating docks for all market segments. Each dock can be customized to the customer specifications. I’m the marketing director.

What challenge were you trying to address with OptFirst Internet Marketing?

We needed to totally revamp our website in order to be more up-to-date with today’s technology. We also did a new brand identity at the same time. In addition, we started an SEO campaign to get more exposure to our website. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided the content and photos for the website, and Optifirst handled all the backend work. We requested an estimate button to make it more prominent. We didn’t have any drop downs at the top of the page, so we also made that change. We worked together to make sure certain parts of the website stood out, so customers were clear of what was available to them. We also started our SEO [search engine optimization] campaign, Google AdWords, and launched a shopping page on our website through them. We provided all the keywords, and they gave us suggestions based on the performance. With Opt First's knowledge and suggestion, we also recently AMPed [Accelerated Mobile Pages] our website. We meet every few months and go over the reports and see how things are performing. 

How did you come to work with OptFirst Internet Marketing?

Optifirst were already hired when I came onboard.

How much have you invested with OptFirst Internet Marketing?

Our monthly spend is around $7,500. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Optfirst in September 2015, and the work is ongoing.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We saw changes instantly in the leads that were coming in from the website. We have three forms on the website where people can request an estimate or contact us directly. When I first started, we were getting one lead a month. This past weekend, for example, from Friday close of business to Sunday night, we got 15 leads. They do an amazing job. If we didn't see results, we wouldn’t be spending that money every month with them. Out of those 15 leads, if one lead closes, we make our money back on what we’re spending. The site has been functioning well.

As far as SEO, we have 100 keywords, and 75 of them are in the top 3 positions.

How did OptFirst Internet Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Optifirst has been amazing. They answer emails quickly, and when I request something, it’s done within 24 hours. We communicate mostly through email and phone calls. I have a project manager I will work with regularly, but do work with the owner, John as well. 

What did you find most impressive about OptFirst Internet Marketing?

The project manager and owner, John have been fantastic to work with. We have a business relationship, but they’re very personal. They make you feel like you’re their only client.

Are there any areas OptFirst Internet Marketing could improve?

I can’t think of anything to suggest.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We encourage the body to heal itself naturally through blood flow. We do this by freezing the body, compressing its tissues, and warming it back up. We provide cryotherapy, compression therapy, and infrared sauna in order to accomplish those goals. I’m the owner of the company. 

What challenge were you trying to address with OptFirst?

We wanted to bring traffic through the door and gain more customers through our website, Facebook, Google SEO and AdWords, and so on. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

OptFirst is handling our online marketing. They put together the website, ran all our Google AdWords campaigns, and started running Facebook advertising two months ago. I had tried to do this myself and failed miserably. OptFirst is already doing a much better job on this end.

How did you come to work with OptFirst?

Ironically, I found OptFirst through a Google search. I talked to two other companies, but once I met John, their founder, in person, I was sold on their services. I was also able to review some of OptFirst's past performances and saw metrics which looked genuine. I visited those web pages, and it was all laid out perfectly.

How much have you invested with OptFirst?

In the beginning, when we were undergoing the website development, the scope was much larger. I estimate that the cost was 10 hours per week for three months. During the last several months, we've worked on SEO and marketing and used around two hours per week.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with OptFirst in July 2016. We're still with them. 

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

I'm very satisfied with OptFirst. When I initially started tracking the site, I saw a 20% increase in actual traffic through the door. The calls and/or texts we received increased by almost 40%.

How did OptFirst perform from a project management standpoint?

OptFirst's turnaround time has blown me away, and it's one of the main reasons I've consistently gone back to them. I can email them about something and see it done half an hour later, which is very impressive for someone as internet-illiterate as myself.

What did you find most impressive about OptFirst?

I'm in a new space, and not many people are familiar with cryotherapy. OptFirst has done a great job of delivering a very user-friendly and educational site. They took their time, looked at the market, and plugged any holes we had. Beyond response time, I've appreciated OptFirst's ability to get my message across clearly and concisely with people who were not very educated about the product.

Are there any areas OptFirst could improve?

I would like to have 50% more people through the door, but I don't have any criticisms for OptFirst. I’ve figured out that the more I spend, the more return I get. I'm not ready to go higher in my budget, but this is no fault of OptFirst. I’ve advertised in local magazines and bus stops and never saw anything from it. OptFirst has saved me a ton of money in that regard since I was able to discontinue all of that and focus strictly on the online part. It's been a very positive relationship so far.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with OptFirst?

First and foremost, OptFirst is a boutique firm, from my perspective. They won't take on just any client and focus on customizing what the client wants for their website or advertising. I felt like I received individual attention, and it's been a good relationship. 

Please describe your organization.

We provide logistic solutions for companies wanting to transport their documents in the city of Miami. We deliver anything from medical records to lawyer briefs.

What is your position?

I am the owner of the company.

What business challenge were you trying to address with OptFirst?

I wanted to reach prospective customers that didn't come through recommendations.

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

OptFirst has provided a combination of on-site and off-site SEO services. They optimized keywords for me. There is a great variety of services in my industry, so the challenge was to find how my particular services could be marketed.

We also ran a couple of pay per click and online media campaigns on Facebook and LinkedIn.

How did you come to work with OptFirst?

I met one of their staff members at a networking event. I chose them based on our conversation and my prior knowledge of their company.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total cost of their services has been under $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I've been working with OptFirst for almost three years. The engagement is ongoing.

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

OptFirst has made improvements beyond my expectations. Our services are quite vast. I've gotten calls from The Boston Globe and The New York Times as a result of certain keywords for which we marketed the site.

When we first started working together, I ranked on page 20 of results for certain words. I am now on page one pretty much across the board for all my services. This has equated to an overall improvement. I went from getting one call per day, to twenty calls daily from people looking for services. Out of those, a large number translates to sales.

For my type of service, my company is the only one in my area with such a level of site optimization.

What distinguishes OptFirst from other providers?

One of the things that sets them aside is that they only work with one person in an industry, in one particular location. Like in my case, for instance, I’m their only client in Florida who does what I do. So it’s not like I’m getting the same website or optimization that some of my competitors are getting. What I’m getting from OptFirst is unique, and that’s very valuable.

Is there anything OptFirst could have improved or done differently?

The only advice I’d offer is that they may want to expand to areas besides SEO, in order to accommodate clients who are first starting out and don't have a website.

Please describe your organization.

We help medical providers and individuals with their claims against insurance companies. We work with both medical and property claims, either residential or commercial ones. On the medical side, we help patients review their medical records, and for medical providers, we review outstanding accounts receivable and attempt to collect from the health insurance company at that end.

What is your position?

I am the Executive Director of the company.

What business challenge were you trying to address with OptFirst?

We wanted to obtain more exposure on the internet. We lagged behind the competition in terms of SEO and Google rankings, often times not even ranking within the first five pages of results.

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

OptFirst elevated our situation through different campaigns. We currently rank within the first results. They developed pages within our site, based on our content. Our site was revamped in order to make sure that it would be optimized not only for full browsers, but also for mobile devices.

How did you come to work with OptFirst?

I met them through a networking group of which I am a member. OptFirst talked about their business during the event. I talked with their other clients and decided to hire them for my own business.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I don't have this information. I will say that I've been working with OptFirst for years. They initially helped me with one website, but the work has been scaled up to three, for my different business sections: one site is for property claims, one for medical providers, and the last one is aimed at patients. OptFirst developed all three sites.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together for over three years. I expanded our relationship even more because a lot more people have contacted our office as a result of their work.

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The first website that OptFirst worked on for me has reached the number one ranking in Google for its category. During the last two to three months, I've gotten at least two phone calls each day for our services. This was the reason for expanding our work to the other two websites my company runs.

What distinguishes OptFirst from other providers?

I really like that they only work with one client for each business type. I am a public adjuster and I know that OptFirst will concentrate on getting me to the first page of Google without having to compete with another one of their clients.

Is there anything OptFirst could have improved or done differently?

I provide my own content, so I would appreciate it if OptFirst could employ someone for this purpose. From a technical point of view, they work very well. The websites are great overall, but I have to generate my own content for them. That’s a potential area for growth for them.