Stolber Digital Marketing Agency

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Sports Carnival. We build sports scheduling and league management apps as well as sports websites.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Stolber Digital Marketing Agency?

We were looking for a partner that could increase our SEO position and bring in qualified leads from our target areas.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Stolber Digital Marketing Agency oversees our SEO efforts to raise our organic search rankings. We began by researching keywords that we wanted to target and created a Google account for our site. From there, they worked to optimize our on-page SEO by adjusting our meta tags to match our keywords, monitoring our progress, and checking our click flows. 

We’ve just started getting into building some A/B tests. That means taking a technical look at how people interact with our webpage and figuring out what’s most likely to convert them. They’re noting down what’s working and what’s not from those tests.

What is the team composition? 

I pretty much communicate with Trevor (Founder), and then there’s Deepak (SEO Consultant) who does the on-page optimization and meta tags.

How did you come to work with Stolber Digital Marketing Agency?

I found them through a Google search. Based on the knowledge that I had about SEO, I liked what Trevor had to say, found his pricing to be fair, and saw that he was local.

How much have you invested with them?

It’s been about $6,000 to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked together since September 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since working with Stolber Digital Marketing Agency, we’ve been watching our search rankings go up. For example, we’ve jumped from the 20th position to the top spot for “curling software.” We also rank fourth or fifth for “ax-throwing software,” now. Additionally, “facility scheduling” has been successful.

How did Stolber Digital Marketing Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done well with communication. We mainly get in touch through email but will do Zoom calls if needed. As for updates, they have tools to generate reports automatically, and I receive them biweekly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team’s overall knowledge of SEO and the technical aspects involved are impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You need to know what market you’re going after.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a mental health services agency, and I’m a therapist there, in addition to being the CEO. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Stolber Digital Marketing?

We needed somebody who could help us develop our website, grow our SEO efforts, and expand our digital presence. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Stolber offers more than a little bit of what we are using, but they helped us redesign our website. They also help us develop an SEO strategy and edit and organize our content so that we can be relevant and findable in general organic searches. 

They do all of our website monitoring, so whenever we have an issue with the website or hosting platforms, such as loading time, they monitor that. Their team fixes problems and does overarching monitoring to make sure our website is growing and maturing well.

They also make sure our website is relevant in our niche, findable, and well-optimized. We had a website, but you could pretty much say they had made a new one for us. 

The SEO strategy is collaborative. I’m pretty familiar with the market and our competitors, but they do help us out by comparing our website with similar competitors and larger organizations. I’m pretty familiar with the vibe of the website and how I want it to look. 

What is the team composition?

My main points of contact are Trevor (Founder) and Deepak (SEO Consultant). I haven’t worked with everyone there, but I’ve also worked with at least five people. 

How did you come to work with Stolberg Digital Marketing?

I was contacting organizations that I found through Google. I conferenced one organization, and the guy I talked to was honest, saying we were too small of an organization and that they were out of our price range. 

However, he also recommended somebody he knew who did a good job and could work with smaller companies like ours. I interviewed that person, and we had a long discussion over what I’m looking for and what he could offer. Then, I essentially tried Stolber out. So far, I’ve been really happy.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested a total of $5,000 so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership with them began in January 2020, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I definitely have seen an increase in web traffic. They send me a monthly monitoring report on the overall web organic growth, web page views, and other things like that. Then, they send me quarterly updates on brand monitoring and reports on website load times.

How did Stolber Digital Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has probably been their weakest point because they’ve been growing as an organization. Sometimes, I’m dealing with Trevor, and then a certain project gets handed over to Deepak. Then, sometimes I should have been talking to Deepak instead of Trevor. 

I chalk that up to them being a small and growing organization, which we are too, so I’m not really thrown off by it. At the end of the day, nothing gets really dropped. Sometimes, it can just be a little confusing over who is in charge of what, but that’s not the end of the world. 

To communicate, I just send them an email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very cost-effective, they do a really good job, and they’re really accessible. As far as a small company like mine is concerned, their services feel like a really good fit — I’m not paying for anything that I don’t need, but I’m getting a good value for what I pay for. 

One of the things that have really impressed me while working with them is that Trevor really does take the time to teach me about how things work. 

I was really clear upfront; I told them I didn’t want to just pay for a service. I also wanted to learn how some of this stuff works, partly because I want to do some of it myself and make informed choices. 

Trevor was very amenable and flexible. We set up calls, and he teaches me about things. When I ask him how to make changes to websites, he’ll teach me how to do it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I suppose they could improve on letting me know about the general turnaround time because I’m so unfamiliar with the world of website development. Sometimes, they’re really fast in responding and fixing issues, but sometimes issues take a bit longer. 

I’m not saying they’re not working at it; it’s just hard to know how quickly they’re going to respond or how quickly an issue will be resolved. If they were to tell me that, I would be able to calibrate my expectations. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It would be important for anybody to be involved actively. The recommendation I would give is that if you really want to get your most value out of working with them, try to learn some stuff yourself and be able to engage with them at that level so that you can ask the most sophisticated questions and probably get the best value. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal of an accountancy and tax compliance practice in Cardiff, UK. I’ve been in the industry for 20 years, and I’ve run my own business for 10 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Stolber Digital Marketing Agency?

I first reached out to Stolber for some research in the digital marketing niche, which I required as an accountant. I was looking for some digital marketing experts to answer questions related to their accounts and finances. 

Then, I was having speed and crashing problems with my website and certain parts of it and buttons weren’t working. I couldn’t fix it, so I hired Stolber Digital Marketing Agency. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, Stolber performed an analysis of the website and came back with a scope of work explaining the errors they’d found and proposed improvements. The specialist in my IT department is very knowledgeable in these areas, so I got a second opinion from him. 

From there, we had a round of questions with Trevor (Digital Marketing Consultant) based on the proposed improvements, and he was quick to reply with a detailed analysis and explanation. That led us to believe that he knew exactly what he was talking about.

He gave us a breakdown of the timeframe and pricing, including a flowchart of exactly what would happen at each stage. They got on with the work from there.

They got the website up and running, then tested it and showed us reports of the areas they fixed and updated. After that, they proposed working on another area of the website, which they felt would improve the speed even more.

They’ve done a lot of other work for me, including giving advice and guidance on SEO and PPC. They’ve sent me keyword research and methodology for producing backlinks using Quora.

They’re now with my offsite IT department to implement a content delivery network (CDN). They’re not charging an additional fee for this, and are just doing some extra work as added customer service. 

What is the team composition?

Trevor has connected me to four people, and he’s my direct point of contact. All conversations are with him, and he CCs me on email exchanges when needed.

How did you come to work with Stolber Digital Marketing Agency?

I first saw Trevor on someone else’s LinkedIn feed and liked what he was talking about. He seemed to be an expert in the industry. I checked his credentials and website and realized that he’d been specializing in digital marketing for 20 years.

I connected with him and we started discussing things over time. If I had a query regarding SEO, I would ask for his opinion. Trevor was kind enough to do some research with their personnel and give me some insights. It’s rare for people to just open up and offer support, so this led me to hire him. 

How much have you invested with them?

The cost so far is around $400, which we’re paying through PayPal.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work first started in September 2020, but I’d been receiving advice and guidance from Trevor since March 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Before they started working on my website, my page load speed was around 20 seconds, but it’s changed to 1.4 seconds on a desktop. The score on Google PageSpeed Insights has gone up from around 20% before to 60%, which is the highest it’s ever been. My mobile load speed used to be nine seconds, and it’s gone down to four and Stolber is still working on the server software to improve it.

They fixed the error that was causing pages to not load properly. They delivered everything they promised within a week, and they continued to test for another week after that. Above and beyond that, they’re doing additional work for free, which is fantastic.

How did Stolber Digital Marketing Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They send us email updates along with reports from GTmetrix and Google Lighthouse. Trevor replies to my LinkedIn and email queries immediately, and he points me in the right direction on things that aren’t going to cost me money.

Their project management is a breath of fresh air. If it’s urgent, email replies are immediate. Otherwise, they can take a couple of hours, if they’re just updates. The information they’re sending me is strictly what I need to see, so I don’t have to spend ages on the phone or email. 

The communication is fantastic. I’m kept in the loop at every stage. They’re exceeding expectations for the price frame. Their competition charges 30–50% more. Stolber provides freelance rates with an agency-level quality of work. 

They’re clear with the scope and flow of work, and they’ve delivered everything before the deadlines. They’re brilliant from a management point of view.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was looking to get PPC management from a UK agency, but Trevor sent me a report on what that agency would charge me for and gave me his in-depth knowledge and understanding of the industry. Based on that, I was able to take a step back and not hire the firm. He didn’t pitch for the fee; he just gave me clear insight as to what I should be looking for and what I can expect for the money. I saved myself £2,000, and I’ve moved forward with Facebook advertising instead of PPC, which is more within my range.

Even today, I noticed that my website was linking to some malware. I reached out to Trevor and my IT department about it and within one hour, they ran an analysis and told me they were in the process of removing the malware. They’re currently correcting credentials and advised that I use this specific application. He could’ve offered additional services and charged more, but he just referred me to the software to use. His approach is a breath of fresh air and I trust his opinion.  

They stand out in terms of integrity, honesty, and trust. They’ve been open in showing me what things cost and why, and they don’t upsell services. Their level of expertise and knowledge are absolutely fantastic. I’ve worked with many freelancers and marketing agencies before, which over-promised and under-delivered, lied or only provided a limited amount of knowledge, based on what we could afford to pay.

Stolber is impressive because of the quality of their work, their level of knowledge, and turnaround time. They’ve blown all of the competition I’ve dealt with before out of the water, and I’ve dealt with both corporate majors and small freelancers. I can’t praise Stolber enough.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s been a win-win all around, so far. I’m happy with the pricing and quality of work. I don’t know whether they could offer me more services, but I’ve been clear about what I want and don’t want. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

They should put their faith in Trevor. He has integrity and honesty, so he should be given the ability to do what he’s good at. I have a strong, grounding knowledge in digital marketing, and now having someone I can trust is great.