SharpNET Solutions, Inc

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own a math learning center franchise in Atlanta Georgia, and am also on the board of directors for the Atlanta marketing coop, representing 30 franchisees in the greater Atlanta metro area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SharpNET Solutions, Inc.?

Hired Shaprnet Soloutions for SEO and PPC services along with digital strategy for the broader group.

What were your goals for this project?

To increase qualified web traffic to our individual center web sites, to increase our online visibility score, to convert leads into qualified prospects and to help guide both my individual center and the Atlanta Coop on effective digital marketing tactics and strategies.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had worked with this vendor on previous projects while with another company and was impressed by the quality and diligence of the work.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Shapnet Solutions had several preliminary meetings with us where they learned much about our messaging, operations, brand identity and particular weaknesses, in order to offer both my center and the Atlanta Coop Marketing Board, a variety of options and services tailored to our specific needs. We primarily engaged them with SEO and PPC services, with an emphasis on SEO and gaining online visibility and presence.

What was the team composition?

Sharpnet has made their full team available to us, from the CEO/Owner, to account reps, SEO specialist, marketing and content specialist to their technical and IT team to get advice and execute strategy to resolving an issues that arise.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results of their work have been nothing less than dramatic. In my particular case, my franchise website went from an online visibility score of 2% to now close to 50% over a 12 month period. Search terms that are being tracked now and are part of our content and PPC strategies have increased at a exponential rate, from no top 10 search terms to over 40 terms ranking now in the top 5. Traffic, leads and overall web activity have continued to improve on a monthly basis, without a single month since engagement of declining results. If anything, we will increase our marketing spend with Sharpnet and make them even more of a critical part of our overall marketing strategy.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Sharpnet Solutions has been extremely professional in both communication and responding to any requests that we have thrown their way.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The depth of knowledge gained from being an original player in the SEO space and watching its manifestations over the years, cannot be overstated. Advice and strategies come from a place of experience and success, from testing and pushing constantly the limits of what new technologies can and most importantly what their limitations are, so the money we spend is not wasted on outdated or conversely not widely adopted technologies in the marketplace.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Sharpnet Solutions is a results oriented business and with great results has come an influx of new staff. This can very occasionally lead to some time loss on communication but has really never proven to be a real issue.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of a digital marketing agency for small to mid-sized businesses. We handle anything that a company might need from a digital marketing perspective, including web design, SEO, 3D animation, LinkedIn services, and more.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SharpNET Solutions, Inc?

I was looking for a white label company to support my clients’ projects in a cost-effective way. SharpNET Solutions, Inc has clearly met those needs and continues to exceed them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we engage a client, it’s important to gauge their digital footprint and see how their site interacts with Google. SharpNET Solutions, Inc helps us perform an in-depth assessment of our clients' materials. The team compares the site to Google’s algorithm changes, notes any current or upcoming trends, and provides a set of strategic recommendations to modify the site.

From there, they help our clients manage their SEO and PPC. By analyzing the market space, they’re able to look for qualified traffic and increase conversions. Implementing trackable metrics also helps our clients set goals and lower their conversion costs.

What is the team composition?

We work with an SEO lead and a PPC lead. I also interface directly with their CEO.

How did you come to work with SharpNET Solutions, Inc?

One of my clients referred me to SharpNET Solutions, Inc. After talking with them, I was impressed by their exceptional communication skills. They were able to take the technical components of SEO and convey it to business owners in a comprehensible way. I felt confident that they could speak effectively with my clients without getting caught in the details.

How much have you invested with them?

Their pricing is very cost-effective. We’ve spent over $100,000 on an annual basis.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since June 2012.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since working with SharpNET Solutions, Inc, our customer retention rate jumped to nearly 73% after the first year, which is unheard of for digital agencies. They’ve given us an edge against our competitors because they provide remarkable expertise and services that we can’t find anywhere else.

On the SEO side, they have a much better grasp of industry trends because they work with so many clients. They’re able to see changes across multiple verticals, so they’re not distracted by new fads that indiscriminately drive traffic. Rather, they target qualified traffic to provide stronger conversions.

From a PPC perspective, we’ve yet to work with a company as good as SharpNET Solutions, Inc. They excel at bringing conversion rates into a manageable space, tracking metrics, and cutting conversion costs.

How did SharpNET Solutions, Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

I trust SharpNET Solutions, Inc to assist my clients without a lot of handholding. The team treats our customers like their own, taking the time to provide adequate support. They’re conscious of our clients’ needs and remain patient with them. Every month, they provide a complimentary report about their progress, key results, and future targets.

Furthermore, they understand the client engagement process enough to help us close deals. Not only do they provide crucial information for us to onboard our clients, they’re also extremely proactive and educate us to be more effective. With their support, we’re able to increase customer retention and keep clients happy.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The relationship we have with SharpNET Solutions, Inc is the most protected and valuable connection I have out of all of my vendors. Some of our clients who started with us six years ago are still with us today thanks to SharpNET Solutions, Inc. The team prioritizes customer service, and I appreciate how responsive they are. They do business the way I do business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing sticks out to me for improvement. At the end of the day, they’re a top performer that other agencies look up to.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president of Iconic Digital Studios, a video production company that primarily works with small and medium-sized businesses. We usually make training, corporate, and promotional videos.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SharpNET Solutions, Inc.?

We needed more exposure in the Denver market, particular on Google.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SharpNET Solutions optimizes our website, mainly working on organic traffic. We wanted to increase exposure to the website through Google Ads and PPC. They do some social media posting, but the focus is on SEO. They also help with some of our clients’ websites.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager.

How did you come to work with SharpNET Solutions, Inc.?

We met through a mutual business associate.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $4,000-$5,000 a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SharpNET Solutions has achieved results that are better than any other firm we’ve worked with. Video production is a competitive field, and SharpNET has done a good job getting exposure, especially in the bigger Denver market. Most of our best leads come from the website because SharpNET has created an effective combination of keywords and phrases

We’ve been able to focus on building and growing our business because of their work. We started with virtually nothing for organic keywords, and now we have hundreds of first-page ranking keywords.

How did SharpNET Solutions, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re attentive and always reach out to let us know if they need anything. We have open and honest communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re results driven and have a guarantee of success that’s unique in the industry. They focus on keyword growth instead of just putting together phrases that are ambiguous and that no one is searching. They’re great at targeting and focusing on primary keywords that make us appear the most on Google.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’ve done excellent work. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.