RivalMind

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own and operate a pool table billiard service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RivalMind?

We needed help with digital marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

RivalMind has developed a website for my business. Now, they help me market it on Google.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with 5–6 people from RivalMind, including developers and strategists.

How did you come to work with RivalMind?

A friend referred me to them.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent over $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in the summer of 2021, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since I partnered with RivalMind, I was able to quit my second job to focus entirely on my business. The quality of their work is very good overall.

How did RivalMind perform from a project management standpoint?

RivalMind is very dedicated and transparent, and they’ve performed well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

RivalMind’s dedication and willingness to be detailed and transparent are outstanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everyone can always be better, but I can’t think of anything RivalMind could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do your homework.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a business development strategist and marketing partner for AEIS. We’re an employee benefit and life insurance brokerage, and we help small groups place their employee benefits. I work on our social media and SEO initiatives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RivalMind?

Our website was severely outdated, and we hadn’t dedicated any resources to building our website’s SEO. We engaged RivalMind to help revamp our website and drive more online traffic.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

RivalMind has rebuilt our website from scratch and rewritten all of our website content. The team also helps write our blogs, manage our location pages, and other monthly SEO initiatives, such as our Google Business page. 

What is the team composition?

We work with roughly 5–6 team members from RivalMind, including, Matt (Director of Operations), Harley (Head of Search Marketing), and Josiah (SEO Strategist). 

How did you come to work with RivalMind? 

We found RivalMind through a referral from another insurance brokerage. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $15,000 for the website revamp, and we now invest roughly $1,300 monthly.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with RivalMind in December 2020, and the partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

RivalMind has been great to work with, and they’ve done a good job improving our website’s SEO. The new website is well-designed and much easier to navigate; it’s also become a powerful branding tool. Our original website seemed to deter people from working with us, and the new one feels much more inviting.

Before revamping our website, we received minimal online inquiries, and the ones that came in were typically unqualified. Since partnering with RivalMind, we’ve received at least one qualified lead per month, which has made us really happy. We’ve also received significant positive feedback from new leads regarding our site. 

How did RivalMind perform from a project management standpoint?

RivalMind does a great job from a project management perspective. They answer all of our questions and are immensely helpful when it comes to SEO. Additionally, they consistently include all the appropriate team members in email communications. They do a great job following up with us, which we really appreciate. 

Life can get really busy, and they’re very proactive; they nudge us in the right direction when it comes to meeting quarterly blog deadlines. They’re very flexible when it comes to writing blogs and brainstorming topics. We work in a tough market, so it’s been great to see them implement our feedback and make valuable suggestions for alternative topics. We feel like they really listen to us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

RivalMind cares about what they do and wants to see us succeed. The team is very knowledgeable, and they deliver on all their promises. They don’t make us feel like any other client. Instead, they take the time to explain their thought processes and teach us about SEO in layperson's terms. Furthermore, they’re willing to help us with individual tasks, even if they fall outside the project scope. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing they could improve on; RivalMind has done a great job learning from their very minor mistakes. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend trusting RivalMind with your project and following their lead. They know what they’re doing, so listen to their suggestions, because they have your best interest at heart. I also suggest taking advantage of their writers, because they’re fantastic.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a minister for the Chicago Church of Christ and oversee our creative and digital marketing efforts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RivalMind?

We felt we had an opportunity to create a more attractive outward-facing image, especially given our powerful domain name. One of our strengths is community building, but we wanted to infiltrate the community further and help more people. Our primary goal was to improve our website and SEO and develop a well-defined vision with sequential goals.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

RivalMind started by conducting a robust competitor analysis and helping us workshop new brand messaging. Then, they helped us refresh our brand by creating new color palettes, revamping our existing logos, and illustrating new graphics for our website. 

The team has also redesigned our website and transitioned it from WordPress to another platform. They’ve created custom code, implemented new plug-ins, and optimized the site for SEO. Additionally, the team has written new website content in the form of blogs and articles and optimized the site for SEO. Since launching the new website, they’ve also started managing our Google Business listing for one of our church locations.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Andrew (SEO Strategist), who onboarded us, Matt (Director of Operations), who outlined the process, Harley (Lead SEO Strategist & Account Manager), and Jessica (Senior Project Manager). Since launching the site, we’ve also worked on SEO initiatives with Josiah (SEO Strategist) and another team member.

How did you come to work with RivalMind? 

We were looking for a professional partner to revamp our website, and our chief administrator shortlisted a few service providers. After meeting with them, we felt like RivalMind had the most professional pitch and understood our goals, so we contracted them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested roughly $45,000 in the partnership with RivalMind. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We initially engaged RivalMind in September 2021, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have any quantitative metrics, but we’ve been pleased with the incredible graphics they’ve illustrated. RivalMind has created a brand aesthetic that works really well for us. Additionally, they’ve made our website feel more current and engaging. While our members were active, to begin with, the new branding has made them more excited to share the website. They’ve used it as an invitation card for people, which is a big deal. 

Our SEO rankings have improved significantly since working with RivalMind. We’ve become the second or third search result when people search for churches in Chicago, which has been good. I’ve also received more requests asking for directions via Google Business. We’ve been pleased with the results of the SEO reports so far, but I’m excited to continue monitoring our SEO growth. 

How did RivalMind perform from a project management standpoint?

RivalMind has managed the project well; they’ve been responsive, respectful, and amenable to feedback. Andrew did a great job outlining their thorough processes up front, and Matt listened to our goals and helped us define critical outcomes, which was helpful. 

The team has worked iteratively to create a final product that aligns with our vision, and we’ve really appreciated their efforts. They’ve pointed us in the right direction and provided great leadership. Furthermore, Jessica has communicated effectively and provided realistic timelines, which the team has consistently met. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been impressed with RivalMind’s professionalism since the beginning. After our initial meeting, they sent us a video outlining their vision for our partnership and the opportunities they could provide us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing RivalMind could improve on.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

RivalMind will match your energy, so you can enable them to do their best work by being responsive, diligent, and invested. Be prepared to engage their requests and provide feedback so they can deliver your project to the best of their ability. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Illinois Pulley and Gear, a small manufacturer of made-to-order timing pulleys and gears for original equipment manufacturers (OEM) equipment producers or robotics and packaging machinery. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RivalMind?

We wanted to improve our online presence to help pick up new, larger customers. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we started with RivalMind, we set up a plan for the engagement. During that process, they recommended a complete rebranding and corresponding website revamp. Those parts of the project took about six months to execute. 

Once we completed those portions of the engagement, we expanded their services to include SEO. We wanted to bring in more organic traffic. RivalMind is continuously iterating on their SEO efforts. 

Next, we plan to integrate e-commerce solutions into a portion of our business. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with five teammates, including Matt M. (Director of Operations), the president, and a team lead. Over the years, several teammates have cycled through the project. 

How did you come to work with RivalMind?

RivalMind reached out to us. They sent us a letter introducing their company, and within 15 minutes of receiving the letter, I got a call from their president to confirm receipt. Their speediness caught my attention. We decided to meet with them to see what a partnership could look like between us. 

Their timing was really good — we were looking for website services because we weren’t happy with our provider.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested over $66,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership began in March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Before working with RivalMind, we only got 150 visits to our site a month. From those visits, we’d maybe get one customer every three months. Now, we’re getting 3,400 visits to our website a month and 6–9 small customers a month. Every once in a while, we get a bigger customer, which is one of our primary goals. 

Our site traffic is still steadily increasing after two years of partnering with RivalMind. Within this year alone, we’ve gone from 2,600 to 3,400 visits a month. 

How did RivalMind perform from a project management standpoint?

RivalMind performs very well when it comes to project management. Every month RivalMind sends a report on our site traffic and SEO. They’ve laid out every step of the project and the exact costs of each piece of the project. During the website and branding revamp, they gave me regular status updates. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I had a lot of companies approach me before about website development and SEO that promised a lot, but I was never confident in them. However, RivalMind convinced me that their services were the right choice for me. I couldn’t be happier with the outcomes of our partnership.

Working with RivalMind has really paid off. They told us what would happen during our partnership, and it has happened exactly as they predicted. No other company I’ve talked to about SEO has convinced me that my investment would pay off. RivalMind has delivered everything they said and more. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

RivalMind’s strength isn’t in their communication. I coordinate with a team lead and copywriter, but I’d appreciate having a 10–15 minute phone call once a month to discuss their progress during the previous month. We used to have those meetings, but they’ve fallen by the wayside. 

Also, about a year ago, their team lead and top staff left RivalMind’s team, so they had to bring new people to our project. While RivalMind quickly brought on new teammates, the abrupt change interrupted our smooth workflow. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You need to ask a lot of questions and probe deep into what they want to do. Let RivalMind provide background on what they’re doing so you can educate yourself and get the most out of the engagement. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager at Caring Network, a parent organization for pregnancy centers in the Chicago metropolitan area. We have seven centers to provide services to women who are unexpectedly pregnant. I also work on both client services and donor relations and communications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RivalMind?

We initially hired them to revamp and redesign our website. Later, we also engaged them for SEO and social media management (SMM).

SOLUTION

)What was the scope of their involvement?

RivalMind redesigned our website; they rebuilt the entire site from scratch. Currently, they provide ongoing SEO and SMM services for us. For SEO, they create content and optimize our pages to improve our Google search results. The team writes one blog post a month and updates pages to ensure they’re optimized for search engines. 

Initially, we helped establish keywords we wanted and typical search items our customers might be searching for. RivalMind has also added keywords within our industry, and they’ve worked to help us rank for those keywords. As for SMM, they create monthly posts for Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Although they offer to reply to social media messages and comments, I’m usually the one responding. 

Additionally, they resolve any technical problems that occur with our website. Recently, we moved our site to the Duda platform, and RivalMind has switched us over to the new platform and equipped us to make changes to our site directly going forward.

What is the team composition?

Harley (Lead SEO Strategist & Account Manager) was our account representative for a long time, and he’s still involved in our account. Matt (Director of Operations) has helped us with the switch to Duda, Josiah (SEO Specialist) manages our SEO, and Sarah (Content Manager) helps manage our social media and blog content. We've also worked with Kourtlyn (Social Media Specialist​​​​​​​).

My company started working with them before I came into my role. We’re both in the Chicago metropolitan area, so when my company was looking for a web revamp partner, they talked to different companies in the area and settled on RivalMind; our main office is only 20 minutes away from their location. 

How much have you invested with them?

We have a monthly plan and have invested over $50,000 through the years.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in January 2018, when I came into my role. Our engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve increased our organic traffic thanks to RivalMind’s SEO work. Certain keywords have also had significant Google search ranking improvements over time. As a result of their SMM work, our audience in social media has increased. 

Regarding social media, content consistency has been very helpful, especially because we previously didn’t have that capacity as a nonprofit. Through LinkedIn, RivalMind’s work has provided exposure to potential future employees. The quality and consistency of our website content have also positively impacted how we show up online. 

How did RivalMind perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver things on time and are always quick to respond when we have an issue. For example, Matt sends me instructional videos to walk me through making changes on our site’s backend, which is very helpful. Overall, RivalMind provides more information than we request from them and do so in a timely manner. 

We mostly communicate virtually through emails and have check-ins on Zoom from time to time. They’ve also come to our office to meet us in person a few times. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

RivalMind’s personal touches and responsiveness are their main strengths. We can tell they’re looking out for our interests and want to help set us up for success. They equip us with everything we need — they’re a true partner. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any suggestions for improvement. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

RivalMind is a great resource, so utilize them as the experts they are. Go to them with questions because they’re more than willing to teach and equip, so you’ll get the most out of them by gleaning that information from them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a healthcare solutions company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RivalMind?

We wanted to develop a site for our organization. We wanted a reliable company to take our designs and build a website based on them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

RivalMind did web development for us using Duda as their main tool. In addition to that, they offered ad hoc consulting services for specific tasks related to our site, like creating a subdomain.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 3–4 members of their team, including Matt (CEO) and a project manager.

How did you come to work with RivalMind?

An IT consulting services company that we worked with referred them to us.

How much money have you invested in this partnership?

We spent $17,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work was great, and their team was easy to work with.

How did RivalMind perform from a project management standpoint?

They were communicative and stayed within deadlines and budgets. Regarding tools, we used email and Zoom meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their work was high quality, they committed to achieving our goals, and they were proactive in finding answers whenever they didn’t know something.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I didn’t think there was anything they could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be responsive to their emails to ensure they get your work done faster.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing communications specialist at a health insurance agency. We provide health insurance services to small companies. Additionally, we just opened a PNC division.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RivalMind?

We needed to update our website to a newer, revamped version. Although we were still bringing in traffic, our site was outdated. We needed to go ahead and change it into something that matched today’s space and society.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

RivalMind has done a complete website redesign for us. We initially went through the website with them, and they gave us a couple of forms to get information about what we were looking for. Then, they went ahead and used Duda to build the platform.

The website has headers and different sides. When people log into it, they can navigate it and see the call to action buttons at the end of each page. Currently, I’m learning how to use Duda to do corrections on the website in the future.

Additionally, we have an SEO package with RivalMind. The website is up and running, and we’re starting with SEO practices.

What is the team composition?

We work with 3–4 teammates. Jessica (Senior Project Manager) is the one that specifically helps us, but we’ve recently started working with an additional strategist.

How did you come to work with RivalMind?

We searched for small and local agencies. We went through many website development companies but weren’t happy with what we saw. One of the partners had a client in California that worked with RivalMind, and they talked highly of them. We checked out RivalMind’s website and had an interview call. Ultimately, we hit it off and were impressed with what they offered.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent less than $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2022, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just launched the website last week; now, we’re doing SEO to monitor what’s being brought in. Our previous website was doing its job, but we hope all the changes will help us drive more traffic.

How did RivalMind perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been fantastic. They’ve stayed within the budget, and we enjoy working with them. The team responds to us on time, and we can quickly reach out to them. Any time we set a deadline, they finish by that time or let us know there’s a hiccup; they’re very professional.

We communicate via phone calls, emails, and virtual meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a local, small agency specializing in tailor-made business solutions. They don’t work on huge corporate projects where customers get lost. Overall, RivalMind is a great company to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’re absolutely satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Check them out regarding anything you might need help with. They do more than just website redesign.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the customer service manager for Vertec Biosolvents. We sell environmentally friendly chemicals that replace petrochemicals. I oversee the marketing and advertising.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RivalMind?

We wanted to have a cleaner website and generate more traffic to increase business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, RivalMind did an SEO project; then we switched to revamping our website. They took our existing site, took all the information in there, and built another website on a different platform.

They’ve redesigned and relaunched the website, and now we’re back to SEO services.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with several team members; they’ve all pitched in and helped throughout the process.

How did you come to work with RivalMind?

It was a long time ago, but I believe they did a sales call.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $15,000 in the last couple of years, if not more.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2020, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen a direct correlation between their SEO efforts and an increase in website visits. We have more traffic coming through for request samples and more opportunities after they post an article or update the website.

How did RivalMind perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re highly organized and efficient. If the process isn’t working, they immediately get together to correct it. Overall, we have no complaints; there have been a couple of bumps in the road, but they’ve been due to a lack of understanding on our end. RivalMind is on top of everything; they always redirect the course and put us up to speed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication skills and services are outstanding. They’re quick to react and assist us. If they’re not available, they make themselves available. Moreover, their teamwork as a company adds value to their service because working cohesively is better. We can talk to anybody, and they fix everything instead of passing us from one person to another.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Right now, we have nothing to complain about. They listen to us, hear feedback, and correct it. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you follow their plan and timeline, everything will progress as it should. However, if you don’t participate, the project won’t work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of a physical therapy company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RivalMind?

We were trying to increase and improve our SEO for patients to find us on internet searches.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, RivalMind presented the options of what they could do for us. Since we started our business 10 years ago, website technology has changed, so the team proposed to create a new site, building it with current technology to help with SEO. The team has developed our new website from scratch. 

We requested that the site look good and work on any device very quickly because when patients are looking for physical therapy, we have a limited amount of time until they move on to the next company’s website. The team has integrated a plug-in that imports our Google reviews. We’re also making our site compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the RivalMind team will add a plug-in for that.

Currently, the team provides SEO services. We want our site to pop up with some of the most common keyword searches, such as ‘back pain’ or key treatment options like dry needling. 

What is the team composition?

Initially, we met with the CEO to begin the project. One teammate took the lead in building the site with a team underneath her. Now, we’re working with an SEO team lead.

How did you come to work with RivalMind?

My business advisor suggested them to me; he’s done some work with them and other clients of his. He generated the email that introduced me to RivalMind’s owner. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $10,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around July 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any hard data yet. However, we’ve noticed more calls where people reference our website since it went live a couple of weeks ago. 

How did RivalMind perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve been very impressed with their project management. They meet deadlines and stay within the budget; the team has been waiting on us more than the other way around. As for tools, we use Basecamp, email, and Google Meet for communication. We had regular meetings throughout the website’s development.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed with RivalMind’s level of organization and the experience they’ve had with physical therapy websites — it’s why we chose them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we have zero complaints with them. If anything, we haven’t been as timely as I would have liked. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’ve already recommended them to a friend who owns his own physical therapy company. RivalMind is the best, and they’ll save my friend time because they walk you through a schedule, making it easy to follow what they need. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the president and owner of an insurance agency that caters to financial institutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed an updated website and wanted to increase our visibility to financial institutions. We also have the goal of using SEO to increase our reach to prospects and potential clients.

SOLUTION

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

We felt a personal connection with RivalMind and knew that they would have our best interests in mind as we designed a strategy to get more clients engaged with our company.

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

RivalMind worked with us to learn our business and goals. They also helped with keyword research and performed an analysis of our competitors. We met with "our" team and made changes to the website, started a monthly blog, and focused on product descriptions that optimize SEO. We hold ongoing monthly calls to make adjustments and talk through ways to continue improved results.

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

They assigned a project manager to our account along with several other teammates that all contribute to the success of our strategy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since implementing our SEO strategy, we are ranking 1st or 2nd in several of our key product lines. Our site traffic is starting to grow and we are starting to have meaningful conversations with prospects. One of which has recently become a customer.

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

RivalMind is great at staying on top of the project and making sure we are completing tasks in a timely manner. Everyone I have dealt with there is easy to work with and very professional. We mostly email to communicate, but also hold monthly Zoom meetings share thoughts and ideas.

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

Their knowledge of the industry, professionalism, and willingness to learn our business stands out. They also have a genuine interest in our business and a strong desire to help us maximize our return on investment.

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

One of the challenges for us was the blogs. We have a very niche insurance business that is somewhat complex and hard to understand. We initially has some struggles getting the writers to create content that didn't need a lot of editing. However, we talked about that and they assigned a writer to us that seems to understand what we are trying to convey. The last blog they wrote for us didn't need one word changed!