Smalby

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Construction Administration of Cobble Creek Custom Homes

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Luxury custom home builder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Smalby to accomplish?

• Renovate existing website.
• Create a well-structured and organized website means that search engine crawlers can easily navigate and index the content.
• Design a website with a modern visual appeal.

SOLUTION

How did you find Smalby?

Cold Call

Why did you select Smalby over others?

Company values aligned

How many teammates from Smalby were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Renovate and redesigning our outdated website by developing a new web-design that is visually stunning and optimized for peak performance to provide leads.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Visually stunning website with fantastic content performance while providing SEO and search visibility.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Clearly understond our website requirements, goals, target audience, and brand identity. Constant communication on project planning timeline. The process included a large amount of collaboration which was a very important factor in this relationship. There was a clear plan which was excuted with constant communication and defined by mutual respect and trust.

What was your primary form of communication with Smalby?

Virtual Meeting

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

Collaboration was key. However, the drive and communication given by the team were unmatched.

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

We are extremely happy. If I had to come up with an area of improvement, it would be post-launch support and training. This still a continuing service, but it could have been somewhat more efficient at first. Having said that, no complaints whatsoever. Very happy! 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner/Operator of Oak City Hardscapes

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Oak City Hardscapes designs and builds decks, patios, outdoor kitchens, and retaining walls for homeowners in need of outdoor living solutions. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Smalby to accomplish?

• An attractive website
• Generate leads
• Marketing advice

SOLUTION

How did you find Smalby?

Referral

Why did you select Smalby over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Smalby were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Design Logo, business cards, flyers 
• Design and build website 
• Assist with google business profile and keyword searches 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We have received multiple leads from our website that have turned into contracts. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

During the website design-build phase of this project, we had about two virtual meetings per week to make sure we were on the same page with the look and feel of the site. After the site was built, we have had consistent monthly check up meetings for site updates and to make sure our marketing needs are met. We received the completed website ahead of our schedule as we were in the stage of going full time with our company. Whenever we need website updates, they are completeted promptly.

What was your primary form of communication with Smalby?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The most impressive attribute of Smalby is their passion. We get a very personalized experience from Smalby and can tell they truly care about the quality of the work. 

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

We have been very happy with our experience with Smalby. I cannot think of anything they could have done differently although it is our first time working with a company of this nature. We have had no reason to discontinue our relationship with them. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and chief engineer of a small windows and doors manufacturing company. We sell nationwide, and our manufacturing is handled by cloud servers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Smalby?

We were focusing on a product called OpenUp, a kitchen-to-outdoor pass-through window that opens at 90 degrees. We wanted to sell the product nationally and online, focusing heavily on everything being electronic.

We had been through this before with an earlier product, and I did much of it myself. I didn’t want to do it this time; we wanted to do it faster and better.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially hired Smalby to get the website up to speed. We had sold the product for a while, so we had technical drawings, photographs of existing projects, and videos we produced. We gave Smalby the collateral to create a more dynamic and attractive website out of our minimal site.

We’ve continued to increase our engagement with Smalby. They now manage our SEO work, website, and Google Ads to drive people to the site. They’ve also connected our website forms to HubSpot to manage all potential clients through the selling process, created some blog posts, and got them to start ranking.

What is the team composition?

We’re mainly in contact with two people. Harry (Small Business Owner) is the mastermind behind the whole project, and another teammate handles HubSpot and Google Ads. We don’t have personal contact with him because a sales manager is coordinating the work. I’ve basically got the ball rolling, set up the project, and provided the drawings and other backups they needed to fulfill their mission.

How did you come to work with Smalby?

We looked for someone to help us with marketing and our website.

How much have you invested with them?

We started with $2,000–$2,500 and are now up to about $4,500 plus over $2,000 monthly spent on Google Ads.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2023. In January 2024, we added the Google Ads budget, going from a small engagement to doubling the size of our financial commitment to them. Our partnership will always be ongoing; we’ll never make another move in this direction. We’re as happy as we can be.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We went from almost zero business for this product to a pace now approaching $1 million in annual sales. As a marketing budget, it’s a nominal cost, and we’ll be heading up to $1.5 million–$2 million over the next two years.

We have a seven-year growth plan that we’ve been able to compress, and Smalby has done very well in six months. By the end of the year, we’ll be at our maximum goal. Overall, we wouldn’t be able to do this without Smalby managing this activity for us. We’re window experts, not marketing experts, so having them is vital.

How did Smalby perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve delivered everything in a timely fashion and kept the budget well; we haven’t had any surprises. If they make a suggestion for improvement, we listen to it and increase engagement. We control the ad spend, but we’re happy to follow their recommendations, so we’ll continue to do so.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

We’ve been in contact with Harry for a long time. He takes our directions and then manages the other members’ activities. We don’t have to get down into the weeds with how he does his work; we just have to give him the direction, and he makes sure it all happens.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve led us in a direction. They’re not holding us back; they’re moving us forward.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’re happy with the engagement. They’ll have to add more resources if they continue to grow, but they’ve added what is needed and handled the project so far. 

When we agreed to this interview, we told them they’d have a better marketing presence, but they shouldn’t forget that we’re an early client, so they shouldn’t get so busy that they forget about us.

Like any growing small business, they must keep up with their staffing and structure. Nonetheless, they’re not showing any sign that they can’t handle this growth, so we expect to be with Smalby for a long time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Small business clients must understand the nature of their business and their goals. They should also have a growth plan and a product that is profitable enough to support the investment. If you have a plan with an investment and its timing, you can give all that information to Smalby so they can serve you.

Overall, you have to be clear about what you want and be willing to commit to it. Smalby will create a plan that suits your financial budget and what you’re trying to accomplish.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Partner, Operator of Dunning Custom Homes

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Luxury Custom Home Builder

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Smalby to accomplish?

• Increase visibility
• Develop a website
• Grow revenue

SOLUTION

How did you find Smalby?

Friend

Why did you select Smalby over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Smalby were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Develop a new website, get the website ranked in top 3 search results for several predetermined key words.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Increased monthly leads by many multiples of the pre-Smallby figures. Smallby easily contributed to adding 5-7 million in revenue to our yearly figures by increasing our visibility and improving our digital brand.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Quick to respond and delivered all items on time. Great to work with.

What was your primary form of communication with Smalby?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The personal attention Smallby offers clients is unmatched. They take a unique approach to every project that is perfectly tailored to your needs as a client. Our business model is very unique in custom residential construction. Our sales cycle is very protracted and we never build the same home twice. Smallby took the time to get to know our business model so that we could take the best possible approach to pitching potential clients on what we offer. 
Anyone could have done the work to improve our SEO and gotten us a functioning website, but it is the personal touches Smallby offers that give us a competitive advantage.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of Square One Development Group llc

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a builder specializing in high-end residential homes, new homes, and renovations. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Smalby to accomplish?

• Build a website

SOLUTION

How did you find Smalby?

Referral

Why did you select Smalby over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Smalby were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Build a website that is sleek, modern, striking, and easy to navigate and that reflects the work we perform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Weekly updates and consistent communication were key.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes, a schedule was provided in the beginning with deliverables, and they met all milestones.

What was your primary form of communication with Smalby?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Smalby's willingness to listen to what we wanted was unique.

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

No, we were pretty happy.