OuterBox

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.

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 a digital marketing manager at Tronair, a global leader in the design, manufacture, and sale of ground support equipment (GSE) for business, commercial and military aircraft. Comprised of over 1,500 products, Tronair's GSE is used by over 350 unique aircraft platforms.

For what projects/services did your company hire OuterBox?

We wanted to enhance our overall website strategy.

What were your goals for this project?

The main short term goals were to increase traffic and leads to our website.

How did you select this vendor?

They were consistently on the top of the list during our initial research. Their credentials speak for themselves.

Describe the project in detail.

We had a number of initial calls and emails for them to understand our objectives. We had in-person meetings once we were far enough along on the proposed strategy. OuterBox performed an audit of our various websites as we have multiple brands. They provide recommendations for how to enhance web traffic for each site, paying special attention to certain sites. From there, they developed a plan for SEO and PPC using KPIs to determine performance.

What was the team composition?

We work with a number of people on their team with expertise in specific subject matters. We have a main point of contact to discuss items as required.

Can you share any statistics or metrics that speak to the quality of their work and impact of the engagement?

Our overall traffic has grown significantly, so they’ve exceeded our expectations.

How did the OuterBox perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication is great. All of our questions are answered promptly. They have a portal that allows us to send a note and it's routed to the appropriate person. We have a detailed plan for clarity on timing and cost. We have check points in order to review KPIs and make necessary adjustments as required. They give us monthly results in an easy to understand format.

What impresses you about the OuterBox?

They have an ability to share a complex solution in an easy to understand manner. They make it work in a way that delivers results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, they’ve done a good job so far.