OuterBox

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the marketing manager for Ultrasabers.com, a manufacturer and online retailer of toy lightsabers inspired by the Star Wars franchise. I direct all strategic initiatives for visibility and direction in our marketing efforts.

For what projects/services did your company hire OuterBox, and what were your goals?

We have been in the industry since 2005, but our niche product wasn't widely known. As it became known, it was discovered by users who were searching for highly competitive keywords that are typically owned by the Star Wars franchise such as "Lightsaber" or "[Character name]'s Lightsaber".

In order to maintain visibility we wanted to keep association and ranking for those terms where we could as well as any others, while growing our authority in the emerging keywords such as "Custom Lightsaber" or "Build your own lightsaber". We signed on with OuterBox for their SEO knowledge and tactics to accomplish this goal.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I needed a good SEO agency, so I literally did a search for "Best eCommerce SEO agency". I couldn't think of a more cutthroat and competitive keyword. Ranking first organically isn't an easy task, and everyone wants to pretend they're the best SEO agency, Obviously if you're ranking first for a keyword THAT competitive, you're good at SEO.

We had bounced between a few agencies over the years, and our own team has a fairly high level of knowledge of SEO practices and tactics. We met with the company's founder who immediately found holes in our website's plan and even gave us a few quick win tactics to try out during that initial meet and greet call.

It wasn't just that he was forthcoming and generous with the knowledge that appealed to us, but it was his ability to explain why doing something like "Adding the registered trademark symbol next to your business name" would improve your ranking (We now know that it's because users trust a business with this more than a casual name they've never seen, so they'll be more likely to click our result, so our click-through-rate would increase, which is an indicator for Google that a site is a good result).

The team here has been fantastic to demonstrate their knowledge and consistently backs it up with up to the date knowledge of the changing SEO world.

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

The team here spent their time reviewing our site, putting it through the paces from various tools like SEMRush, AHREFs, lighthouse scans, etc, and other manual reviews for usability, conversion rate optimization, etc and provided a comprehensive report of where we stood as a website.

They highlighted successes, and put a spotlight on issues that would need to be resolved, and even prioritized the order in which we should be tackling these issues. We spent quite a bit of time discussing the nuances of how we could present our business, and how careful we wanted to be to be clear that we were not associated with Lucasfilm or Disney.

Their team took no time to understand and even suggest the best way to market using industry keywords without stepping on toes to preserve our relationship with Disney. We identified a list of extremely competitive and some broad keywords that we wanted to rank for such as "Lightsaber" (singular and plural), as well as something more unique to our industry like "Custom Lightsaber".

Their team did not hesitate to set expectations around the difficulty in targeting broad keywords, but gave their commitment to try. Spoiler: We're currently ranking #1 for "Lightsaber". The most broad and competitive keyword possible for our company. Campaigns launched within 4 weeks of onboarding, and their communication was consistent through the whole process.

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

I work directly with two members of the OuterBox team: a Senior SEO Strategist and a Marketing Account Manager, but have worked with as many as eight at a given time ranging from PPC to Email services.

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

In August of 2018 we had 156 keywords ranking in Google's top 10 placements. As i of October of 2021 we now have 3.8k keywords ranking in the top 3 placements. We've never had such a forward approach to our Organic growth and traffic, nor have we had such detailed planning and logical methodology to WHY we would take these steps.

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

We meet with the Outerbox team every-other-week, to review completed actions, discuss monthly performance, and to go over any upcoming opportunities for a change in our strategies. The team communicates regularly throughout the week when pertinent information is available such as news from Google about a change in the algorithm, a sudden shift in ranking, etc.

Work is managed in ActiveCollab where users are assigned and tagged with due dates. I think we've only had a single project go over timeline, but that was because I missed an email.

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

SEO just seems like a second nature to them. Nothing is "odd" or surprising. Most agencies want you to think they've got some secret sauce or put on a smoke and mirrors show so that you believe that they have some crystal ball or secret connection. It's ridiculous. Outerbox puts it in plain English.

The more the client understands, the less friction there is to accomplishing projects, and the faster they can execute their agenda. Their dedication to testing, experimentation, data collection and application for SEO tactics is completely unique. It seems that they've found a way to literally reverse engineer Google's algorithms through testing. We're very impressed.

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

I don't love the back-linking strategy. Essentially we are presented with a list of websites that come as recommendations for collaboration each quarter, but the costs to facilitate the blog posting and linking are an additional cost. With that said- the results cannot be disputed, and it is worth every penny. It is just an awkward conversation each time.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and chief executive officer of In Ink Ghostwriting. The team at In Ink Ghostwriting specializes in every step of the book creation process, from drafting, writing, and editing to design, layout, and printing.

For what projects/services did your company hire OuterBox, and what were your goals?

My goals were to increase my company's visibility among potential customers and to drive more sales. I hired Outerbox to help me revamp my website and to harness the power of Google Ads.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I wanted a company that was a verified Google partner and where a dedicated team based in the United States would work on my account. I also wanted a company with a proven success record. Outerbox met all those criteria.

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

Our engagement began with a discovery phase where my designated Outerbox team learned about my company, my goals, and the issues I was facing. Then, they developed an SEO and conversion optimization plan that would increase traffic, leads, and conversions for my company.

Outerbox also outlined how they would make these tasks happen, which included creating Google Ads campaigns, implementing a robust SEO strategy, website code updates, and recommend new content to target specific keywords that target my top pages. Throughout the process, my Outerbox team has delivered on these goals and we have adjusted our approach as conditions evolve.

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

I work with a dedicated sales consultant, a project manager, an SEO strategist, a marketing account manager, and a paid media specialist.

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

Since implementing our SEO and PPC plan, In Ink has seen tremendous growth in site traffic and visitors. Many visitors tell us that they have found us by searching for specific keywords online.

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

The Outerbox has clearly managed my expectations and met deadlines. We use an internal communications forum called ActiveCollab to communicate and send materials to one another. We have a monthly reporting meeting where the team updates me on ongoing projects, implemented changes, and plans for the upcoming quarter. My team is always planning for the next 12 months, and each month is another step towards meeting my goal of boosting visibility and increasing client conversions.

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

The Outerbox team is professional and fully understands the challenges my company faces. And if I ask a question that doesn't have a readily available response, someone from the team does the research and answers my question. They follow through on their deliverables and seem invested in the success of my company.

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

The ActiveCollab communication function is a little wonky sometimes, but that's a technical issue rather than an area where the Outerbox team needs to improve.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of the company. We are many things but the pertinent thing is that we have an online hardware store with over 7,000 products that we ship from our brick and mortar store.

For what projects/services did your company hire OuterBox, and what were your goals?

We opened a new website in November. It was carried over very poorly and our rankings continued to decline so after six months I decided to hire a firm to help.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

This vendor had been contacting me through the spring basically asking if I would be interested in their service and that at site like mine had a lot of easy quick wins they could set up and get me moving back in the right direction.

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

Outerbox has done design work on my website that made it look far more professional and "high end." They have done significant research into my company and spent a lot of time talking to me by web video so that they fully understand what my goals are and my products. Overall they have had obvious initial success with the rankings of my store and my impression of their operation after seeing results and spending hours on calls with them is that they are highly competent.

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

I have worked with or spoken to 5 or 6 members of their team through the process. One from sales, one from some sort of strategy planning position, one from design, and a few from the technical SEO area.

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

We have trended up consistently since they started working on my website and it is during the time of year that historically our search traffic is in a downtrend. So I believe they are making a significant impact on my search results from what I've seen over the first four or five months.

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

The give me clear guidelines on what to expect. They have me approve it and make modifications if I have input (which happens often), and then they give me full reporting on what has been done once it's implemented. This makes it very easy for me to see what I am getting and where the work has been done.

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

Overall I think it seems they have a very efficient running operation. As a business owner I know what wasted time and energy costs. They get a lot done quickly with a clear and concise workflow. But they are also professional enough that it does not seem hurried It is efficient and progress naturally moves right along for them and for me. I don't feel like I wasted time on any calls with them.

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

Saying they could do better would be to assume an industry standard that is very high I think. So no.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder/CEO of Flush Packaging. We design and distribute custom packaging for e-commerce businesses.

For what projects/services did your company hire OuterBox, and what were your goals?

We hired OuterBox to help us with our initial SEO growth efforts. Due to our small team size, we knew it was going to be difficult to give SEO the attention it requires and OuterBox played an instrumental role in making sure we were

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

It was fitting that we found OuterBox through a Google search. They showed up as a top result which helped solidify our confidence in their ability to help us achieve great Google results, as well. They were willing to work with a small but growing company which was a condition we required in order to work with an external team.

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

The team at OuterBox researched our products and helped us develop a strategy for addressing the "low hanging fruit" on our SEO checklist as well as provide us with a macro perspective of what a healthy SEO campaign would look like for us. They helped us establish a baseline for where we currently stood and outlined multiple campaigns around keywords that we were able to track month to month.

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

We worked with a project manager, an analyst, developer, and copywriter. Each had unique perspectives to offer. When we met via video calls, everyone was present to discuss their contribution to the project and debrief our performance for the month.

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

We were able to rank in top positions (positions 1-3) for many of our highest-value keywords all through the development of content on our website and tailoring of page titles and descriptions.

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

Their project management tools helped track everyone's contribution to a task and made it very clear to see what still needed to be done by who. There was a little bit of a learning curve and at times felt redundant but it did keep our projects organized and on track.

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

I was very impressed at the level of enthusiasm towards the success of our company. It felt like they were a part of our own team who wanted us to succeed. The team was very personable, as well.

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

In our experience, it seems that towards the end of our engagement, their was less pro-activeness and more of a "cruise-control" perspective of our request, although I am positive this was a result of our budget restrictions. At the end of the day, we experience significant growth and put in place many practices that we use in-house today.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We manufacture soccer training equipment. I am the owner of the business.

For what projects/services did your company hire OuterBox, and what were your goals?

Search engine optimization for my website. Goal is to improve our organic search results ranking and improve the customer experience on our website.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Research and interviews. Factors were their competence, the people I'd work with, and flexibility with a small business to work within our budget and not nickel and dime over a little extra work to do it right. I also wanted a firm who knew what they were doing and understood my business so I can focus on my own tasks.

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

To provide me with and execute a plan of action each month with strategic steps to complete each month in given areas from the homepage design, category optimization, and product page optimization with the end result to improve the ranking with keyword updates, homepage optimizations with title tags and descriptions based on research for my field. In the end, we expect to see an increase in revenue year over year while increasing the conversion rate.

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

We work closely with 3 people. A project manager and 2 SEO specialists.

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

SEO takes time. We are in the phase of focusing on the priorities of building a solid foundation by fixing errors, setting up analytics, analyzing historical data and using the latest insights for google to find us and rank us to the keywords we want to be ranking for. We have seen a bump in keyword ranking we have focused on over the past 2 months. I expect it to continue to improve as we build on the early success. We call this quick wins right off the starting line.

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

We pretty much work entirely through a program called ActiveColab. We are able to tag and follow up on individual tasks through this online software. When we video conference, we use google meet. We video chat once a month to go over my results from the previous month and have the opportunity to ask any questions for the previous month or the next.

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

I need to work with people I like. Makes it easier to get on calls and video conference. Sounds odd, but it's important for me to work with people I get along with well and I can trust to do the job as I wear many hats and cannot micro-manage. They need to be motivated people and you can sense/see that when you work with someone. You don't know what SEO firms do all day. We know we're working with people who are hungry to see our company grow and have more online success.

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

Too early to nit-pick. Nobody is perfect and I want to allow some more time to pass to see if things start to become comfortable and the foot comes off the gas pedal. As long as the effort and creativity to find a way to improve and adapt continues, smaller issues will be swept under the rug. All I care about is the bottom line.. improvement every month.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a marketing advisor at factorydirectblinds.com, an e-commerce company. We ship window coverings nationwide and dropship any type of window covering.

What challenge were you trying to address with OuterBox?

We were trying to increase our rankings with Google searches and so we were looking for a SEO company. We had not worked with another provider before.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They have been great to work with. They have increased our sales over 150% within six months. They were able to do a lot of research within that six month period and dive into what we need to do. They have increased our ranking on page one of Google with good keywords. They continue to build content for our website monthly and update it as necessary. They have also assisted us with the launch of a new website and have been able to make recommendations for that. Anything they ask for, they are able to implement it quickly.

They have had a high staff turnover rate which has been the only drawback. Otherwise, everybody has been great.

How did you come to work with OuterBox?

Our CEO did a very extensive search for companies and then interviewed many companies over a couple of months. The location didn’t matter to us. interviewed over a couple months, sat down and talk about it. OuterBox seemed to fit us well. They were very open to and made us feel comfortable. Also, we liked that they are a small company and that their staff is personable.

How much have you invested with them?

Around $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2016 and the work is ongoing.

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

When we first started working together in 2016, we were doing about $5,000 in sales a month. In July 2017, we did $91,000 in sales; it is impressive that they have been able to increase our sales by that much. A lot of the credit goes to them because we don't do a lot of marketing and our conversion rate continues to increase with their recommendations.

Our website content continues to get better because their staff is grasping the knowledge and understanding of our products. Each and every day we have more visitors to the website. Overall, it has been a good experience.

How did OuterBox perform from a project management standpoint?

They use Basecamp to communicate back and forth. Sometimes we get frustrated because they do not call with pressing information, so you have to constantly be on your email. That is a drawback about their communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Jen [Jen Kinney, Director of Search Engine Marketing] has been our account manager from the beginning. When I give her an idea, she is able to elaborate and expand on that idea. She continues to show that we can grow as a company. She leads her team very well and they are able to provide quick turnaround time if we need it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their communication. There has been a high turnover rate which it makes it hard sometimes as new people come onto our account. People can be on your account one month, and the next month they are gone; we have to get people up to speed on our products, our goals, and our vision whenever this happens. They still respond well, but I hope the turnover rate improves.

Please describe your organization.

Jet Dock Systems is a manufacturer of drive-on docking systems for boats, personal watercraft, and sea planes. We provide walkways and a floating docking system that works like a lift, allowing users to drive their boat directly on top of it and get out.

What is your position?

I am the director of sales, marketing, and IT.

What business challenge were you trying to address with OuterBox?

OuterBox handles our SEO and website development.

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

We don't engage in any print marketing anymore. Everything my company does is online. We handle our own pay-per-click campaign, but OuterBox is in charge of SEO and website marketing, including social media platforms. OuterBox is in charge of some content marketing, as well as making press releases for our company. OuterBox also hosts our website, and has developed a mobile-responsive version of it.

How did you come to work with OuterBox?

Our original web developer had quit the business, and we were looking for a new company. OuterBox had great rankings and everyone we asked about them seemed to like the company. They were also a local company, which was a great help. We could actually meet with OuterBox and know who we were talking to. The ones that originally made our website were a company that we'd known for years, so we wanted the same kind of relationship now.

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

The monthly cost for OuterBox's services is $2,250, which doesn't include web hosting and development.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with OuterBox in 2004. We have an ongoing relationship.

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

My favorite part about OuterBox is that they come up with new ideas every month, and continually develop their work. Our results have gone up fantastically since we've started using OuterBox on the SEO side. We don't engage in a lot of print advertising. We've also been able to drop our pay-per-click spending since we've gotten good organic results. As a result, we're saving money by using OuterBox. We don't sell online, so it's harder to say if an increase in business is strictly due to OuterBox.

We have virtually zero downtime on our website. We track organic and paid visitors, as well as total visits and time spent on the site. Since our last rebuild, the time on site has increased, as well as the total number of clicks. After making the site responsive, we also changed out our photo and video galleries, making it much easier for customers to find items, based on OuterBox's suggestions.

How did OuterBox perform from a project management standpoint?

OuterBox sent me really long reports in the beginning, which I didn't really need. They were able to break those down and make customized versions. OuterBox likes to contact customers every month. I don't necessarily need or want that, so we've moved interactions back to quarterly intervals. I receive the news and briefing that I want, and only call OuterBox if I have questions.

What distinguishes OuterBox from other providers?

OuterBox is responsive to what I need and want, so as long as the results keep coming in, I don't have to worry about details. OuterBox lets me know whenever something goes wrong. I can look at the data and call them if I don't like something, but otherwise, everything just flows.

Is there anything OuterBox could have improved or done differently?

I don't like the Basecamp software used by OuterBox, but they've recently changed this. There were occasions in which I assigned OuterBox tasks and they didn't get back to me. I saw that as lack of responsiveness, but they simply took care of the work and didn't get back to me. The few little kinks I've had with OuterBox have pretty much been solved.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the director of operations for ENP Coffee Co, a non-profit coffee company.

For what projects/services did your company hire OuterBox?

We engaged OuterBox to design a website and advise on web strategy.

What were your goals for this project?

The site needed to reflect our company goals. We wanted the design to draw people to the story behind our coffee while maximizing its functionality.

For what projects/services did your company hire OuterBox?

We engaged OuterBox to design a website and advise on web strategy.

What were your goals for this project?

The site needed to reflect our company goals. We wanted the design to draw people to the story behind our coffee while maximizing its functionality.

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

Our site saw increased traffic and an improved user experience. The design received a great deal of praise for its ability to express our story.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

OuterBox kept in touch with us regularly and was highly accessible. We always knew where progress stood at any given moment in the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team demonstrated a clear passion for designing the best possible site to meet every goal. They explained each stage clearly throughout the process, ensuring that each element served a purpose and provided value to our company. When any question or concern arose, I trusted OuterBox's experience and expertise to address them.

Are there any areas for improvement?

OuterBox exceeded our expectations in delivering a high-quality site design. We will definitely work with them in the future, and we highly recommend their team to anyone looking to improve their web presence.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of a real estate firm. 

What challenge were you trying to address with OuterBox?

We hired OuterBox to provide SEO services. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

I tasked OuterBox with generating a substantial amount of new leads for my company. We wanted to rank high for relevant keywords in every market. I gave them our budget, and they enthusiastically agreed to fulfill our requirements. 

What is the team composition? 

I talked to a couple of different people from OuterBox. Specifically, I sat down in person to meet with the two owners, Justin (Founder and CEO, OuterBox) and Nick (CEO and Partner, OuterBox).

How did you come to work with OuterBox?

I found OuterBox on the internet. I met with several different vendors, and they seemed the most informed in their field. They answered all my questions and then some. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together a couple of years ago from 2014–2017.

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

I don’t have any specific metrics or statistics I’m willing to share, but OuterBox absolutely made a positive impact on my business. They generated a ton of leads for my company. I haven’t experienced any issues with my site like bugs or glitches.

How did OuterBox perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly communicated through phone calls. I also met with the owners in person several times. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was the most impressed with the results OuterBox produced for my business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The main team leaders were really good at dealing with people.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I encourage potential customers to invest heavily in OuterBox. Multiple times, I personally discovered that it costs more not to work with a professional SEO provider. You spend more money in the long run than you save trying to do SEO in-house.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Senior Vice President of a financial services company, with niche real estate lending products.

For what projects/services did your company hire OuterBox, and what were your goals?

We hired OuterBox for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Paid Search. As part of SEO, they managed a lot of ongoing website content management.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Our parent company, Hunt Companies, Inc, highly recommended them.

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

They analyzed all of our historical AdWords campaigns and we met monthly to refine them and determine where to create new campaigns. In the same monthly meeting we also determined where content had to be enhanced, and how we could keep content fresh. We also kept up with all the required security updates for the site.

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

Five total: VP Business Development, Marketing Acct Mgr, Senior SEO Strategist, Senior Paid Media Strategist, and Copywriter.

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

Most recent metrics: Click-through rate (CTR) improved 15% YOY, we outperformed three of four largest competitors in keyword performance, and through September our impressions were up versus the prior year 32K, or 17%.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very smooth. Monthly meetings, communication as needed throughout. Good response times.

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

They are truly a one-stop shop for digital marketing.

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

The only downside for us, would be how to better integrate "old-world" marketing media (i.e. direct mail) that is still relevant in our industry. That said, it's probably not a concern for most other companies/industries.