SEO Idaho

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the publisher of Christian Living Magazine, and founder of Christian Living Ministries Inc. We bring the hope and promise of God's love and word to people around the world through our website, www.ChristianLivingMag.com, and through our niche magazine which is available for free pickup throughout SW, Central and SC Idaho; or via mailed subscription.

For what projects/services did your company hire SEO Idaho?

We have worked with SEO Idaho exclusively for our web design and maintenance needs, and SEO education.

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

The original publisher (who I was working for at the time) found SEO Idaho, although I'm unsure how. So when we bought the magazine the following year, the original website was already in place. Adam was so thorough in his knowledge and in training us on the back-end of the website, there was no doubt that we were with the right company for this part of our market.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Again, SEO Idaho built the original website that came with the magazine, and we did one pretty major overhaul of that website to keep up with current trends. Two years ago, however, it was time for a brand new website, to keep up with the trends, and add a shopping cart for products and magazine subscriptions. We are now a 501c3 nonprofit ministry, which brought with it some special needs.

Adam worked closely with us from the conception of the new website, through delivery, and continues to maintain all of our updates and any troubleshooting of issues (usually caused by the loose nut behind this keyboard). He and Matt are always quick to respond any time I have a question or a need.

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

I started working with Adam when it was pretty much just him, and have watched him build and grow this dynamic team of industry experts. Today I work with Adam, who is the founder and President, or Matt Edens, the General Manager.

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

I don't check my analytics as often as I should, but approximately a year ago we had about 3,300 visitors from 87 countries around the world. Earlier this week I was looking at our website analytics and we have more than doubled that with right at 7,300 NEW visitors to our website, and over 7,200 regular visitors. This is basically readership of free content - but we have also seen a significant increase in our paid subscriptions (mailed copies of the magazine to individuals) coming through our website.

Please know that we've had very honest discussions with SEO Idaho - we are first and foremost a print niche product, with a website. Our online results are greater than we had ever imagined, and with only minimal pushes from other sources to our website. The successful growth shown by our analytics has come from the way the website was developed. We know that as we start to promote our website more and more the numbers will become even greater.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

100% completion in a very timely manner. Generally, I email them if I have a question, concern, or issue, and it's addressed extremely quickly.

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

Most impressive? I'm probably their smallest client and yet they treat me like I'm their most prized possession - always going above and beyond to not just meet my needs, but exceed them; all the while explaining the whats and whys about what they're doing - and educating me on current trends and online expectations. They make our ministry shine through the website they've built and maintain for us!

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

I have no suggestions here. I know some business professionals believe that no one deserves 100%, that there's always room for improvement - but Adam and his team always seem to be one step ahead of me, and I'm so appreciative of that. My advice - please don't ever change!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and owner of Specialty Fulfillment Center, a private fulfillment company.

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Idaho?

We were struggling to capture online leads and work our way up on Google’s algorithm to land on page one of online searches organically. I reached out to Adam (President) and his team on SEO Idaho to helps us put a plan together for us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we started our engagement with SEO Idaho on a simple SEO agreement, where we were trying to see if we could build up our business presence. Luckily, we had a domain that had been around for a long time, so their goal was to take advantage of that and get us as high as they could organically, focusing on targeted searches to attract specific clients.

They took my website, revamped it, and provided web hosting for it, changing it from my old hosting provider and helping me cut hosting costs by half. From there, our engagement evolved into us hiring them to take care of our entire PPC campaigns.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with 3–4 people from SEO Idaho. Adam is great; he has been available to me 24/7. Matt (General Manager) also helps us, and Abi (SEO Team Leader) regularly tests our site.

We’ve also been introduced to a new person who manages our PPC campaigns and our Google account. Everyone at SEO Idaho has the same culture, philosophy, and excellent level of customer service — it’s unreal.

How did you come to work with SEO Idaho?

I was working with a different SEO company, but they didn’t like to have metrics to live up to, so I started looking for a new provider. I found SEO Idaho and around half a dozen other local companies searching online. After interviewing them all, I connected with Adam and his marketing philosophy the most, so I went with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

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

The challenge about our business is that we’re looking for very specific clients. Before our engagement with SEO Idaho, only one out of 10 leads fit our needs. Now, we’ve generated more leads in the last year than what we generated in past years combined, and nine out of 10 leads fit our business model.

SEO Idaho has honed in on our specific goal, and they’re getting great results.

How did SEO Idaho perform from a project management standpoint?

SEO Idaho’s project management is great, and they have excellent communication. They ask me for my opinion on several aspects, and I hear from them regularly. For example, Abi checks on me once a week.

In the beginning, they laid out a plan for me, and I was in touch with them all along the way. Additionally, we had an annual review with Matt and Adam a couple of months ago, where we went over everything that we’ve been doing and reviewed our goal for the next year — they’re really on top of everything.

We communicate via email and phone calls. Whenever I pick up the phone to call them, they always answer, and they respond to my emails within a few minutes. On Easter Sunday, I had a lot of spam emails coming through my address. The same day, I sent Adam and Matt an email, thinking they would get it until tomorrow. However, they both responded before 10 p.m.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s really hard to find a company that acts with integrity from top to bottom. However, Matt, Adam, and everyone else from SEO Idaho have nothing but my best interest in mind at all times. I’ve never worked with anybody that was truly invested in my success as much as they are.

The good thing about SEO Idaho is that they didn’t put us in the same box as other clients. They took the time to get to know me, my business, and my goals, and they custom-tailored the solution around that.

I was really impressed with how they took the time to figure out what would work best for us instead of just trying to sell me everything under the book. It was Adam’s idea to start by building up our SEO to see if we reached a comfortable spot and deploy some other strategies along the way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I struggle thinking about what SEO Idaho could improve on. If something, it would be good if they had a portal where I could see real-time data.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very upfront about your business, goals, and needs because they can only figure out how to help you if they get good information. I’m very vocal about what I need and want, so it’s really easy for them to hone in on what I’m trying to achieve and steer our ship in that direction.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a fly fishing manufacturing company that began in 2010. We manufacture our products in Boise, Idaho, and our product tends to be on a higher-priced scale.

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Idaho?

When we first started the business, we only had local state online merchandise for our customers. Then, as the business grew, we had to bring on international sales. As such, we had to enhance our advertising and marketing efforts to get a better reach on social media.

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we established the company, there was nothing like us in the industry so we had to educate our target customers on our products and explain to them why they were beneficial. They also helped us decide on important social media and business decisions.

SEO Idaho designed multiple logos and marketing materials for us over the years. On top of that, they created online videos to promote us. We’re currently working on our fourth website design project with them. They provide hosting services along with web development. Their main goal is to make browsing and sales easier for our end consumers. As a result, they’ve integrated Stripe into the site. 

What is the team composition?

Initially, I’ve primarily worked with Adam (Owner & Lead Developer). However, over the recent years, I’ve been dealing with one of his managers.

How did you come to work with SEO Idaho?

I did an online search for marketing and advertising when I started my business. Then, I was able to chat with Adam prior to him building SEO Idaho. A year later, Adam reached out to me, and we started working together.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I met SEO Idaho in June 2010, and we’re still working together.

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

Before, we’re only selling domestically, and now we’re selling across the globe. That has been possible through the team’s incredible online marketing skills. SEO Idaho has been our go-to when it comes to marketing, web design, logo designs, and more.

They’ve been extremely helpful over the years, and even though they’re a bigger company now, they still treat their customers well. That’s why I’ve jumped at the opportunity to provide this recommendation or reference. 

How did SEO Idaho perform from a project management standpoint?

They answer the phone when we call, and they’re extremely quick in returning our emails. We also discuss projects such as web design through video calls and meetings. More importantly, they make themselves available even during holidays when we need something.

They have a good project management process, and they’re able to share recommendations on various projects. The team is also open to providing feedback on how to save money. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They do what they say they’re going to do and in a timely fashion. I know that sounds basic, but in business, that’s huge.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve already improved by increasing their manpower over the past five years. Other than that, I honestly don’t have any issues. SEO Idaho is probably the only company I don’t have complaints with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a layout and scheme in mind if you have a graphic design-oriented project. That way, SEO Idaho will be able to take your ideas and create your project. If you’re not clear about what you want, you might not get in the direction you want to go. If you do have a solid idea, know that the team can follow through spot on.