Straight North is an industry-leading digital marketing agency with 100+ experts leveraging data, tech, and exceptional service to deliver revenue growth.
Since 1997, we’ve partnered with thousands of businesses to customize and execute successful campaigns that generate results – and earning us 100s of 5-star reviews.
We provide leading SEO services to many types of businesses across a wide range of industry verticals. We have experienced, specialized teams focused on B2B, B2C, ecommerce, local, national, small business, and enterprise campaigns. We keep our finger on the pulse of the SEO industry, ensuring that we always employ the latest proven methods.
Our paid advertising services include campaigns running on Google, Bing, Facebook and Instagram. Our skilled team combined with their mastery of AI-driven bid/budget management technology helps us keep you on top of your competition.
Our team of web designers, developers, copywriters and project managers are experts in UX, CRO and SEO and focus on creating websites that generate sales leads.
Our creative team supports every component of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy – from an engaging on-site experience to a powerful paid social ad – to capture your audience’s attention.
Contact us today to find out why 100s of agencies have made Straight North their last agency.
Min project size
$1,000+
Hourly rate
$100 - $149 / hr
Employees
50 - 249
Locations
Chicago, IL
Year founded
Founded 1997
Languages
1 Language that we service
English
2 Locations
Chicago , IL
Charlotte , NC
No have been added yet...
Pricing Snapshot
Min. project size
$1,000+
Avg. hourly rate
$100 - $149
/hr
Rating for cost
4.5
/5
What Clients Have Said
Straight North offers competitive pricing for web design and digital marketing services, with project costs ranging from $2,000 to over $300,000. Clients report high satisfaction with their value for cost, responsiveness, and ability to deliver measurable results.
Clients appreciate Straight North's proactive approach to setting and meeting deadlines. Their structured project management process ensures timely delivery and keeps projects on track, contributing to overall client satisfaction.
Significant Increase in Lead Generation
Clients report a substantial increase in lead generation, with some experiencing up to a sevenfold increase in qualified leads. Straight North's effective SEO and PPC strategies are key contributors to this success, helping businesses capture more leads and improve their ROI.
Strong Client Relationships and Support
Clients highlight Straight North's focus on building strong client relationships and providing ongoing support. Their dedication to understanding client businesses and offering tailored solutions is highly valued.
Room for Improvement in Customization
While Straight North provides effective SEO and web design services, some clients note a desire for more customization options in their web design offerings. This suggests an area for potential enhancement to better meet diverse client needs.
Responsive and Transparent Communication
Straight North is praised for their responsive communication and transparency in project management. Clients value their regular updates, clear reporting, and consistent check-ins, which foster a collaborative and trusting partnership.
High-Quality Content and Copywriting
Clients commend Straight North for their high-quality content creation and copywriting services. Their ability to produce engaging, SEO-friendly content that aligns with client goals and industry standards is a standout feature.
"It will take a while for the SEO to take effect, but Straight North's work during the last 2 years have essentially doubled our incoming web leads."
Nov 9, 2016
VP, Manufacturing Company
Anonymous
Manufacturing
Chicago, Illinois
51-200 Employees
Phone Interview
Verified
Straight North developed a new website and marketed it online with the goal of lead generation and sales growth.
Straight North has provided a double in leads in the past 2 years of online marketing work. They have made some minor mistakes but generally produce positive results.
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this
client over the phone. Below is an edited
transcript.
BACKGROUND
Introduce your business and what you do there.
We are a manufacturer of high-shear fluid processors primarily used in the pharmaceutical industry. We work within a niche market, producing high-end equipment for a small number of customers that rely on our expertise. I am the vice president.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?
The primary purpose of our website is an information tool for current customers, allowing them to use our tools more efficiently. Our old site was out of date, and we needed a version that would synchronize with our SEO [search engine optimization] efforts.
SOLUTION
What was the scope of their involvement?
Straight North designed and launched our website, also providing SEO work for it. We're not using pay-per-click advertising at the moment.
How did you come to work with Straight North?
We received a few quotes and selected Straight North mainly because they'd been in charge of our SEO prior to developing our site as part of their work with our parent company. We were able to get a better deal in this way, and Straight North came highly recommended.
How much have you invested with Straight North?
The development cost of our website was $30,000. We spend another $20,000 per year on SEO.
What is the status of this engagement?
We have been working with Straight North for 2 years [since 2014] and have an ongoing relationship.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?
It's still a bit early to gauge the full impact of our website. It will take a while for the SEO to take effect, but Straight North's work during the last 2 years have essentially doubled our incoming web leads.
How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?
We are currently looking at improving our own project management skills and plan to use Straight North's approach as a model for our own processes. This speaks highly of how they were able to guide us through the collaboration.
Are there any areas Straight North could improve?
The communication wasn't flawless. Many of Straight North's processes hinge on personal tasks, rather than the bigger scope. A few things were missed, but this didn't impact our deliverables or experience very much.
What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Straight North?
Not particularly.
RATINGS
4.5
Quality
4.0
Service & Deliverables
"The work was good, but it did take a few iterations to get right. Our site had a few issues both before and after the launch, which held us back a bit, but the work was good overall."
Schedule
4.0
On time / deadlines
"There was one scheduling mishap during which our expectations were not managed appropriately. It wasn't a big deal, but Straight North also wasn't perfect."
Cost
5.0
Value / within estimates
"Straight North was much less expensive than some of the other quotes we received. The value we received was good."
Willing to Refer
4.0
NPS
"We did refer Straight North to another business unit. If I was to put my reputation on the line, I'd want my friend to make their own evaluation and look for competitive bids.
Web Development for Industrial Company
Web Development
Less than $10,000
Jan. - Apr. 2016
5.0
Quality
4.0
Schedule
5.0
Cost
5.0
Willing to Refer
5.0
"Straight North has been overall helpful and usually found the most economical way to solve an issue."
Nov 1, 2016
Director of Marketing and Sales, Industrial Company
Anonymous
Manufacturing
Chicago, Illinois
11-50 Employees
Phone Interview
Verified
Straight North revamped an obsolete website and also provided some digital strategy advice to make the website a marketing assett.
Straight North provides wonderful client service and produced a website that employees and customers love. Straight North has a strong project management process.
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this
client over the phone. Below is an edited
transcript.
BACKGROUND
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am the director of sales and marketing for a foundry located in Northwest Indiana. Our company pours gray, ductile, and white iron through a shell-mold casting process.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?
As with most foundries, we employ an old process and technology. Our website was around 10 years old and hadn't been updated for a while. We didn't have a strategic process for our online presence at the time, but we knew that we needed to improve our site. We wanted to get more information on it, as well as make it faster and mobile-friendly.
SOLUTION
What was the scope of their involvement?
Straight North has redeveloped our website. They also made a presentation detailing where we stood with our current website and what opportunities there were for it. They showed us the need for SEO but we didn't find it necessary at this point. We're within the beginning stages of understanding the organic search field. A part of this decision had to do with the traffic volume our business has, compared to someone selling t-shirts, for example. It may not make 100% sense to have SEO services in our market, but we will consider it in the future.
How did you come to work with Straight North?
We had considered a couple of other options, but Straight North took an interest in what we did as a company and had good follow-up. We wanted to choose a partner that had worked with many company types, not just online ones. It made sense for us to go forward with a company that has worked out very well professionally.
How much have you invested with Straight North?
The cost of our project with Straight North has been between $3,000 and $5,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We first discussed the project with Straight North in early December of 2015. We made a proposal relatively quickly and started the work in January 2016. The site was launched in April. The project is complete, but, as with anything online, the site is always changing. Whenever have the need, we contact Straight North and they're usually quick to respond and get us up-to-date.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?
The nice thing about Straight North's approach was that they understood that we didn't want the full gamut of a website. We will eventually get there, but we just want to be up-to-date with the 2016 timeframe, instead of having a turn-of-the-century type of website.
We were very satisfied with how everything went about. Quite a few internal members have mentioned how much they enjoy the website. A number of customers have also commented on how well the site is organized. They're now able to find information quickly. By looking at Google Analytics, we've seen that there is a nice flow from the homepage to the directions and locations page, or to general information about out products' tolerances.
A handful of leads have come up through our website, mainly due to the mobile-friendly version we currently have. People are educating themselves on our site before making a purchase, so it was imperative for our company to get to this point.
How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?
Straight North has been appreciative of the information we've provided from our end. It's been a good relationship, from the initial process to the final launch.
What did you find most impressive about Straight North?
Straight North is a very professional company to work with. They've done a good job of requesting feedback and improving the process. We could tell that this was an important issue to Straight North. I made a point of notifying their management team on what a good job our developer did.
Are there any areas Straight North could improve?
Anything I could mention would be nitpicky. Everything has worked out well with Straight North.
What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Straight North?
Clients shouldn't hesitate to ask for help. Straight North has been overall helpful and usually found the most economical way to solve an issue.
RATINGS
5.0
"I'd recommend Straight North to anyone looking for a website developer. We didn't use them for SEO, but I'm sure that that would be a good experience as well."
Quality
4.0
Service & Deliverables
"There were a couple of minor errors or typos after the website was completed, but the overall quality was good."
Schedule
5.0
On time / deadlines
"We never had any issues meeting schedules or deadlines."
Cost
5.0
Value / within estimates
"There were no additional add-ons to what we initially agreed on. The cost was reasonable, given that the site was started from scratch."
Willing to Refer
5.0
NPS
"I highly recommend Straight North.
Digital Marketing for Food Production Company
Other Digital Marketing
$200,000 to $999,999
Jan. 2012 - Ongoing
4.5
Quality
4.5
Schedule
4.5
Cost
5.0
Willing to Refer
5.0
"Straight North optimized our website and we've seen organic traffic and leads grow."
Oct 24, 2016
VP of Marketing, Food Production Company
Anonymous
Food & Beverages
Chicago, Illinois
201-500 Employees
Phone Interview
Verified
Straight North works to enhance lead generation and brand recognition for a client in a niche field.
Straight North is commended for growing lead generation and giving clients great access to senior managers that know all of the accounts.
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this
client over the phone. Below is an edited
transcript.
BACKGROUND
Introduce your business and what you do there.
We are a contract manufacturer in the food industry, specializing in ingredients for companies which either sell them or further use them in the processing of their products and brands.
I am the Vice President of Marketing for the company.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?
Obtaining sales leads is crucial to us, as well as building visibility, credibility, and messaging. We wanted to ensure that we would be getting inbound sales leads by becoming increasingly visible to our customers in the marketplace. There is a lot of unique messaging which we send out through our website and email using Straight North.
SOLUTION
What was the scope of their involvement?
Straight North has provided SEO-focused [Search Engine Optimization] digital marketing. Our website was created by another company, but Straight North optimized meta tags, title tags, and keywords within it, only as it relates to SEO. They also work hard to generate relevant back links and blogs for other sites which is key to driving our success in SEO. Straight North also works with us on the development and execution of customer emails, which we send out about 18 times per year. We take care of social media in-house and don't engage in pay-per-click work using Straight North, although they could do this. We do employ a paid Google Ad Words remarketing tactic with the help of Straight North, but this isn't really pay-per-click.
How did you come to work with Straight North?
We were working with an agency which didn't do a great job reporting, although they had a good strategy and messaging. I vetted the best Chicago-based agencies, wanting to work with a local one. We came up with 3 options for digital marketing since this is the only field I wanted to work on. We have around 25 million dollars in sales and 350 employees, so I was looking for a more middle-market firm, one which understood and valued mid-sized companies. The vendor also needed to understand the business-to-business sector, since this is what we do. I vetted the best options online and Straight North popped up, I have also worked with them in the past and they provided excellent execution.. They're client-focused and do a very good job of reporting and laying out plans, allocating resources in order to make sure that plans are executed. I feel confident that Straight North will do the work that they set out to achieve.
How much have you invested with Straight North?
The cost of Straight North's services is around $100,000 per year. It's not a huge sum, but this is a comfortable level for us.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with Straight North almost 5 years ago and have an ongoing relationship.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?
Straight North optimized our website and we've seen organic traffic and leads grow. It all has to do with SEO efforts. Straight North instituted a new reporting system called GoNorth, which categorizes all our calls and qualifies them as online forms. I am able to go in and look up leads in real time, qualifying them myself on top of what Straight North has already done.
We receive a full report from our account manager once a month, allowing us to know exactly what's going on and what Straight North is allocating against. At the end of the day, I've seen our organic traffic and leads grow. Our page visibility is heading in the right direction as well. These are the 3 key areas which we've addressed with Straight North, and every one of them is improving and doing better. Straight North's team has their eyes on the ball.
How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?
We have an account manager as a key contact. She has access to all our resources and directs items to where they need to go when we want it. Another account manager from Straight North is focused more on any changes which we need to make on the website, as well as customer emails. Straight North is dialed into our business, and there isn't much that they don't understand. Straight North is always looking for new learnings about what we do which would allow them to do their job better.
What did you find most impressive about Straight North?
Senior management access is unique to Straight North. I know one of their owners, and almost the entire management team, which matters to me. Straight North's team is familiar with the accounts and stays close to the business.
Are there any areas Straight North could improve?
The only area that comes to mind that would be to establish key goals specific to our business during up front planning. This was completed after we began execution of the tactics. Everything done by Straight North has aligned with our goals, but I like to know that, in the case of any hurdles, everyone will have their eyes on the target. Other than this, I can't think of anything that Straight North could do better on a day-to-day basis. Social media isn't one of their services, and we've taken it in-house, but social media is not a part of Straight North's offering and that has worked out fine for us.
What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Straight North?
My advice for companies choosing a digital advertising agency is to be sure they are a fit for the agencies core competency. Straight North will vet this as well because they want to work on what they do best and ensure that they have satisfied customers. Straight North is SEO and digital-marketing-driven, without delving into social media. They are middle market and B2B focused. If a company is looking for an agency with these areas of expertise and emphasis, Straight North will very likely be a great fit.
RATINGS
4.5
Quality
4.5
Service & Deliverables
"There are certain pieces which we know best ourselves, so we've had to make changes and revisions to the work. It isn't really Straight North's fault."
Schedule
4.5
On time / deadlines
"Strong here."
Cost
5.0
Value / within estimates
"Straight North stuck to costs."
Willing to Refer
5.0
NPS
SEO for Real Estate Agent
Web Design
$10,000 to $49,999
July - Aug. 2016
5.0
Quality
5.0
Schedule
5.0
Cost
5.0
Willing to Refer
5.0
"I've told several people about Straight North and their new platform already. The site is straight, simple, and very well-organized."
Oct 13, 2016
Real Estate Agent
Anonymous
Real estate
Chicago, Illinois
1-10 Employees
Phone Interview
Verified
Straight North works with a solo real estate agent to create an online brand that makes clients feel like they are working for a large, professional agency.
Straight North is commended for producing a wonderful website that improves the client's brand and image. Straight North is recommended for simple but attractive web design work.
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this
client over the phone. Below is an edited
transcript.
BACKGROUND
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I sell commercial real estate, including office buildings, shopping centers, industrial buildings and car dealerships.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?
I wanted to create a new, state-of-the-art website which would reflect a bigger company than my company actually is.
SOLUTION
What was the scope of their involvement?
Straight North provided web design for me. I don't rely a lot on search engine optimization, so I didn't request this.
How did you come to work with Straight North?
Straight North's owner is a good friend of mine and he told me about a new platform for small business websites he was developing. I'd been bugging him to help me for some time, but he told me to wait until a new platform that Straight North was working on would be rolled out.
How much have you invested with Straight North?
The total cost of my project with Straight North was between $3,500 and $5,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
I started working with Straight North in early-July 2016. The site was launched in August, but I plan on making some tweaks to it.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?
I've told several people about Straight North and their new platform already. The site is straight, simple, and very well-organized.
I have gotten extremely positive feedback. The site is still new, so it hasn't made an impact on my business yet, and it's difficult to gauge its impact in general. The purpose of having a website was to have my name online. More importantly, I can include a web address on for lease or for sale signs, which allows clients on my website to obtain information on the property they are interseted in.
How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?
Straight North had good response time and I only had to answer their questionnaires and follow-up on the designs. The process developed by Straight North is efficient and simple to operate.
What did you find most impressive about Straight North?
Straight North's team was dynamite. They went beyond what I thought would be done. The design process was simple, which was important to me. Every time that Straight North came up with something, it was very good.
I was shown samples of the new platform, but Straight North hadn't worked in commercial real estate until that point. I was a little skeptical, but Straight North managed to pull it off. Looking at my site, someone would think it was made for a big company.
Are there any areas Straight North could improve?
I don't think so. I'm sure that I'd be giving the exact same feedback if I didn't know Straight North's owner.
What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Straight North?
I would confirm to any client that they made a good choice in working with Straight North.
RATINGS
5.0
Quality
5.0
Service & Deliverables
Schedule
5.0
On time / deadlines
"Straight North met every deadline. I was the one to delay the process."
Cost
5.0
Value / within estimates
"There was never an issue of additional work costing more."
Willing to Refer
5.0
NPS
"They were great.
Website and SEO for Payment Processor
Web Design
$10,000 to $49,999
May 2016 - Ongoing
5.0
Quality
5.0
Schedule
5.0
Cost
5.0
Willing to Refer
5.0
"Straight North has a great tech specialist as well as people running each department."
Oct 7, 2016
VP of Sales and Marketing, Payment Processor
Anonymous
Financial services
Chicago, Illinois
51-200 Employees
Phone Interview
Verified
Straight North is engaged to create a better website that is easier to use and more attractive for customers first impressions.
Straight North is commended for producing a beautiful and interactive website. Straight North is recommended for website projects.
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this
client over the phone. Below is an edited
transcript.
BACKGROUND
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am the vice president of sales and marketing for a payment processing consulting firm. We specialize in medium to high-risk businesses. For the past 15 years, we’ve worked with merchants from all over the globe, assisting them with securing a quality payment processor.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?
Our website was a bit clunky, slow-moving, and outdated. We wanted to improve the reception that our website was getting from people who found us. We’ve worked with design and marketing firms over the years, but we did not have a great experience with some of them.
SOLUTION
What was the scope of their involvement?
Straight North developed a new homepage for our site. Among other things, they cleaned up the submission forms, improved some of our text, and added reputational items. We may start using Straight North for pay-per-click management later on in our relationship, but not at the moment.
How did you come to work with Straight North?
I'd known Straight North for a while and knew that they were experts in the business. The company is located in my area. I liked having the ability to sit down and have things explained to me.
How much have you invested with Straight North?
Our website project has cost us around $7,500 so far. I can see us spending several thousand more on additional work.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with Straight North in May 2016 and have an ongoing relationship.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?
So far, Straight North has been great. It feels as though they're a part of my own team. I wear many hats within my business so I can't really concentrate on everything. They're ridiculously responsive and walk me through issues.
The reception of the site has been great among our colleagues. I attend many trade shows and conferences. It’s been great to able to give out new cards, tell everyone to check the page out, and hear positive feedback. The site is sexy, fast, and cutting-edge. We also want it to result in an increase in traffic, which I believe it will.
How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?
Everyone from Straight North's team has been great. I receive several emails from each one along with daily calls. The wheels are always turning and things that I don't think about are being brought up all the time. Straight North has a great tech specialist as well as people running each department.
What did you find most impressive about Straight North?
It always felt like our account was a priority with Straight North. Other firms I've used in the past shuffled us down the line after the contract was signed. While some other firms I've worked with may have had 1 to 2 people on the case, Straight North has 4 to 5. It's been a great experience and I'm excited about continuing to work with Straight North for the long-term.
Are there any areas Straight North could improve?
I can't say anything bad about them. Straight North provided exactly what I wanted from a marketing, design, and development team. They're also local, which is a great thing for me. The ROI has been much better than with other firms that I've used. I know that Straight North is growing fast, which is hard for any company. I haven't seen any issues yet, but I would advise them to keep the solid customer support up. They need to make sure that their whole team works just as great as the people I've been working with.
What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Straight North?
When working with any agency like Straight North, the client needs to be active. They're paying for the provider to work for them, so it can be easy to brush aside emails coming in and not make them a priority. This will lead to less of an impact on the project. It's up to the client to teach the agency about their business. My business can be a bit complicated for people to understand at times, so I've had to explain it in detail.
RATINGS
5.0
Quality
5.0
Service & Deliverables
"Everything has been above and beyond. Straight North asked for my feedback for every task and instantly addressed things accordingly."
Schedule
5.0
On time / deadlines
"Straight North is ahead of schedule on most things."
Cost
5.0
Value / within estimates
"I've worked with other firms and Straight North offers similar pricing. But what we've gotten from that has easily doubled the amount of effort and work done."
Willing to Refer
5.0
NPS
"I've recommended Straight North to several colleagues.
SEM for Auto Parts Manufacturer
Search Engine Optimization
$50,000 to $199,999
June 2016 - Ongoing
5.0
Quality
4.5
Schedule
4.5
Cost
5.0
Willing to Refer
5.0
"We started from zero, but we're doing very well now thanks to the help of Straight North."
Jun 15, 2016
Owner & Project Manager, Auto Parts Manufacturer
Anonymous
Manufacturing
Chicago, Illinois
11-50 Employees
Phone Interview
Verified
Straight North performs organic SEO marketing and manages pay-per-click advertising to grow the client's customer base.
Straight North's efforts have increased both leads and traffic, and overall business is increasing at a rate of around 30% a month. The team employs simple, streamlined project management via a single point of contact.
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this
client over the phone. Below is an edited
transcript.
BACKGROUND
Please describe your organization.
RevPart is a contract manufacturer. We offer quick-turn manufacturing services for our customers, including prototyping and short-run productions. We primarily work in the plastic injection-molding industry.
What is your position?
I am a co-owner and project manager of the business.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What business challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?
We wanted to increase our presence SEO-wise. The intermediary goal is to rank higher within Google, but the ultimate one is to get new customers. RevPart has been developed as an online e-commerce solution, and this is how we primarily get contacts for the business. We're looking for customers that have a need for our type of service.
SOLUTION
Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.
Straight North offers us organic SEO services and also manages our pay-per-click advertising. The goal of that campaign is to get new, validated leads. It applies to our SEO work as well, but with a different timeline.
How did you come to work with Straight North?
We found them online, through research.
Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?
The cost of Straight North's services for 2016 is expected to be around $10,000, including our Google AdWords campaign.
What is the status of this engagement?
We have been working with Straight North for one year. We have no plans to stop the collaboration.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?
All around, we've seen our website traffic go up, along with our validated leads. We receive inquiries from buying customers, so we have good-quality leads. Our business has seen a steady increase of around 30% per month. We're a relatively small company which was started from zero, but we're doing very well now thanks to the help of Straight North.
How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?
I liked working with our project manager from Straight North. I appreciated that the project was funneled through one person, not requiring me to contact 10 different people in their company.
What distinguishes Straight North from other providers?
Even though I don't have a point of comparison, I am pleased with Straight North's services. Our business keeps growing and we're planning to increase our spending budget.
Is there anything Straight North could have improved or done differently?
Even more customers would be a good thing. So far, I've been very happy with Straight North. I don't have any comparisons for their company, but I'm happy with the service, and as long as I see the leads and traffic grow, I will continue to be happy with Straight North.
RATINGS
5.0
Quality
4.5
Service & Deliverables
"I think that Straight North has done a great job, but there is room for improvement in certain areas, like content production. I also wouldn't rate anyone a , to be honest."
Schedule
4.5
On time / deadlines
"There have been a few missed deadlines, but there was always an explanation for that."
Cost
5.0
Value / within estimates
"Even though I don't have a good comparison point, I find Straight North's costs to be reasonable. I received quotes from several different vendors, and chose Straight North."
Willing to Refer
5.0
NPS
"I would refer Straight North without hesitation to anyone looking for this type of service. Many of the other companies I received quotes from were not responsive at all, compared to Straight North.
Search Engine Marketing for Professional Sports Franchise
Pay Per ClickSearch Engine Optimization
$50,000 to $199,999
Jan. 2012 - Ongoing
4.5
Quality
4.5
Schedule
5.0
Cost
5.0
Willing to Refer
5.0
"Straight North provides suggestions and is very engaged in our work."
May 13, 2016
eCommerce Manager, Professional Sports Franchise
Anonymous
Arts, entertainment & music
Chicago, Illinois
10,001+ Employees
Phone Interview
Verified
Straight North provides pay-per-click, affiliate channels, email marketing, and retargeting and remarketing services to increase brand awareness.
Straight North met and continues to maintain the client’s marketing investment goal of 20 cents on the dollar while also increasing sales. The team is accessible and transparent, conducting calls every two weeks to review data.
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this
client over the phone. Below is an edited
transcript.
BACKGROUND
Please describe your organization.
I work for a professional sports team in Chicago that is very high profile and popular among fans and people who buy sports paraphernalia.
What is your position?
I am the E-Commerce Manager for the retail arm of my organization.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What business challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?
We wanted to increase brand awareness and visibility within a very competitive market.
SOLUTION
Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.
Straight North has offered pay-per-click, affiliate channels, and email marketing, as well as retargeting and remarketing services for us.
How did you come to work with Straight North?
I inherited their company. I compared Straight North to two other service providers, ultimately deciding to work with them.
Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?
The annual budget for our work is around $50,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We have been working with them for the past four years. The work is completely ongoing.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?
I am generally very happy with Straight North's results. We've set a target of 20 cents on the dollar in terms of marketing investments. Straight North has been able to maintain it for several years running, while still increasing sales.
How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?
They're accessible. We have a regular update call every two weeks, during which we go over data.
What distinguishes Straight North from other providers?
Straight North provides suggestions and is very engaged in our work. They've been very transparent as well.
Is there anything Straight North could have improved or done differently?
No. I am pleased with their overall performance.
RATINGS
4.5
Quality
4.5
Service & Deliverables
Schedule
5.0
On time / deadlines
Cost
5.0
Value / within estimates
Willing to Refer
5.0
NPS
Digital Marketing for Software Corporation
Other Digital Marketing
Confidential
Jan. 2008 - Ongoing
5.0
Quality
5.0
Schedule
4.5
Cost
4.0
Willing to Refer
5.0
"They pay attention to our company, [and] are responsive and easy to deal with."
May 5, 2016
Design Manager, Software Corporation
Anonymous
Information technology
Chicago, Illinois
10,001+ Employees
Phone Interview
Verified
Straight North provided a software company with web and design consulting, pay-per-click advertising campaign development, and search engine optimization.
The redesigned website and marketing strategy aligned the company with industry norms and received numerous compliments from upper management and staff. Straight North's responsiveness, strategic skill, and commitment to the project's success made a fantastic impression.
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this
client over the phone. Below is an edited
transcript.
BACKGROUND
Please describe your organization.
We're a $3.6 billion, 25,000-person global software and services company.
What is your position?
I am the design manager of the company. I've been with the company for 12 years, working in the global marketing department.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What business challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?
We needed a boutique design agency that could create trade show graphics, collateral, and web banners, but also a consultant for our website.
SOLUTION
Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.
Straight North designed most of the graphics for our website. The implementation of design elements is done by our team in Israel, who are strict in terms of who will have access to the site and who gets to work on it. We use Straight North mostly for consultation on web strategy and design.
They provide SEO [search engine optimization], pay-per-click, and web design services. Everything on the site, except for the content, is created by them. They have advised us on content though, in terms of what we should write for specific searches. Straight North is not in charge of social media campaigns, but they've had a hand in the design of what goes on our various social media outlets.
How did you come to work with Straight North?
They were a local firm that we initially assigned to work on trade show graphics, small designs, and so on. The relationship grew in time, and they became an extremely trustworthy and valuable partner for us. They started working with our web team and everything blossomed from there.
Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?
The cost is confidential to the public.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with their company in 2008, when they were called Duffy Design Works. The relationship is ongoing.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?
We've received numerous compliments for our websites and strategy from our chief executive officer and other staff. We've aligned more with the industry strategy, and we consider the partnership with Straight North a success.
I don't have insight into particular statistics because that area is handled by another department but, given that the relationship is ongoing, there have to have been good results; otherwise, we would have changed directions by now.
What distinguishes Straight North from other providers?
One of the reasons for keeping them around for so long is the fact that they pay attention to our company, are responsive, and easy to deal with. We've become friends in time and have come to rely on Straight North to meet deadlines and get things done when our backs are against the wall. They're always there for us. I've worked with many vendors. One that treats each client as if they were the most important one, even though they're not, is a special thing to find.
Is there anything Straight North could have improved or done differently?
Since they're a North American vendor, our biggest challenge has been justifying the cost of working with them, compared to previous relationships we've had with less-expensive companies from around the world. Every year, we have a bit of a stumbling block during vendor assessments because of this. Straight North have been good in working with us and keeping their costs flat, instead of raising them year over year.
When dealing with companies from around the world, there will always be a cheaper alternative. We've worked with many vendors in Israel who have much lower costs. It does say a lot that we've kept a much more expensive agency. Straight North has justified its expense.
RATINGS
5.0
Quality
5.0
Service & Deliverables
Schedule
4.5
On time / deadlines
Cost
4.0
Value / within estimates
Willing to Refer
5.0
NPS
Webpage Design for Non-Profit
Web Design
Less than $10,000
5.0
Quality
5.0
Schedule
5.0
Cost
5.0
Willing to Refer
5.0
"Straight North is a good group of people whom I can't compliment enough."
Feb 9, 2016
Executive Director at Non-Profit
Anonymous
Nonprofit
Louisville, Kentucky
1-10 Employees
Phone Interview
Verified
The client needed a new, customized website with links to social media and a greater reliance on images. Straight North was selected to design and develop the website.
Straight North donated their services and produced a clean, user-friendly website within 30 days, leading to increased visibility for the client’s partners and a sizable donation. While the client wished it was easier to update the website, Straight North is highly recommended.
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this
client over the phone. Below is an edited
transcript.
BACKGROUND
Please describe your organization.
Dogs Helping Heroes is an organization dedicated to rescuing dogs and placing them with inmate handlers in order to get their basic obedience and service dog commands started. The dogs are then placed with a professional dog training team, and matched with a wounded veteran or first responder in need of a service dog that can mitigate disabilities and help emotional support.
What is your position?
I am the executive director of the organization.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What business challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?
We had a minimal website with basic information and not a whole lot of graphics. We needed help in improving it.
SOLUTION
Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.
Straight North created a full custom homepage for our website. We've not engaged in any marketing work, but we intend to do this in the future.
The page is user-friendly and integrates all of our social media links. People can contact us through it and donate time, money, or energy to our program. We've gained an online presence that is second to none.
How did you come to work with Straight North?
We found out about their company through a friend who had used their services and was very pleased.
Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?
Straight North offered us $7,500 worth of development work and a free year of hosting as a donation to our organization.
What is the status of this engagement?
The work is completed.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?
Straight North built a fully-functional website for us and they've been very helpful with anything we've needed. I'm new to the tech world, so this has been an important help. Anytime I contact them, it's because of a user-issue and me not knowing what I'm doing, rather than a problem with the website.
When people visit our website, they find what they're looking for easily. The information about what our organization is and the means to contact us, as well as stories about our dogs, is all cleanly displayed. We've been in touch with everyone from rescue organizations, to top executives that want to donate to us. The consensus is that our page is user-friendly and very professional.
Our aim was to tell the story of what our organization does. People can follow what we do in a clean manner. I had an idea for pictures scrolling through the main page. Straight North broke down the page into sections to make sure that the process that we present doesn’t not become visually overwhelming.
We've recently received a significant donation from a well-known person because of the professionalism of our website.
We now have a partners' page in which we include any institutions that have donated to our foundation. It's something that we didn't have in the past, and has been very useful in our work. Whenever I want to make any changes, I can see a preview site before anything is implemented. This has been extremely helpful as well, and it's something I really appreciate about their software.
How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?
The process was fun and quick. From the time we started up to the completion, there was a 30-day turnaround. They had a clean and neat timeline, requested the necessary information, and had the work up-and-running very fast.
What distinguishes Straight North from other providers?
Straight North is a good group of people whom I can't compliment enough. When they initially built the site, we were involved through every step, in terms of content and its overall look. They took us through the entire process and were very patient with us. This was important, given that I'm a dog trainer and not an IT person. Straight North's patience with me was comparable to my patience with dogs. I would ask the same question ten times and receive an answer every time.
Is there anything Straight North could have improved or done differently?
Our homepage is customized, so we have to contact Straight North for any changes we want to make. It's not a big deal, but it would be very helpful if we could alter the homepage as well. At the same time, they did such a nice job that there isn't much that needs changing. Also, I can't embed Youtube videos into the site; I have to link to them instead. It would be easier if we could do this. Again, it's not significant. I'm just being nitpicky.
RATINGS
5.0
Quality
5.0
Service & Deliverables
Schedule
5.0
On time / deadlines
Cost
5.0
Value / within estimates
Willing to Refer
5.0
NPS
Web Design for Dental Practice
Web Design
$10,000 to $49,999
5.0
Quality
5.0
Schedule
5.0
Cost
5.0
Willing to Refer
5.0
"The technical skill that [Straight North] demonstrated was amazing."
Feb 4, 2016
Owner, Dental Practice
Steven LeBeau
Healthcare
McLean, Virginia
1-10 Employees
Phone Interview
Verified
Straight North designed a mobile-friendly website, allowing customers to discover and interact with the client more easily. The project was completed within 6 to 9 months.
Straight North kept the project on track with strong project management and communication. The client felt the work was extremely thorough and has received positive user feedback, though they did note a desire for easier revision in the final review stages.
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this
client over the phone. Below is an edited
transcript.
BACKGROUND
Please describe your organization.
I am a dentist. My office is located in McLean, Virginia. I specialize in general restorations and orthodontics. My practice has been open for 31 years. We have a team of two dentists, plus hygienists and staff.
What is your position?
I am a co-owner and a dentist in the practice.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What business challenge were you trying to address with Straight North?
I've had a website since the year 2000. Our old version was great for laptop and PC use, but mobile use was not ideal. Everyone uses their phone for almost everything, which became our marketing challenge.
SOLUTION
Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.
They developed a mobile-friendly website for our practice. We really wanted to optimize our website for mobile traffic, since we saw that as a potential opportunity to expand our business.
How did you come to work with Straight North?
My cousin's son was working in Chicago for a group of dental website developers. He assisted me when I was building the second website for the practice. He later joined Straight North, which gave me a family connection. Aside from that, the technical skill that they demonstrated was amazing.
Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?
The initial project price was $15,000. Additional work amounted to an extra $5,000, approximately.
What is the status of this engagement?
We set a timeline of approximately six to nine months. Since I'm always involved with patients, I became the anchor in this undertaking. The work is now complete.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?
Every patient that uses our practice will receive an email or text through which they can rate us. We don't have the same tool for the site itself, but each person that has called us after visiting our site has been very happy with the experience. Our ultimate aim is for our website to act as a discovery tool for new patients.
What distinguishes Straight North from other providers?
They have a project manager that makes sure we are on par with the commitment we have accepted and with our overall goal. He never lets us fall behind in our schedule and is also committed to making sure that Straight North themselves are thorough. They acted as the expedition leader, and we followed. If we didn't, it was our fault.
Is there anything Straight North could have improved or done differently?
We didn't get to see the finished product until the end. This created a problem whenever we tried going back to change something. Something may be simple-sounding, but is more difficult than we'd imagined. For instance, our logo has three colors. Straight North inverted the colors on one of our pages. We wanted to clean it up, but we had accepted the logo before. At the time, it seemed to look better on the page.
Basically, on the final review stages, it would be nice if Straight North could allow for easier changes.
RATINGS
5.0
Quality
5.0
Service & Deliverables
Schedule
5.0
On time / deadlines
"The only problem I experienced was not being available enough for them. I was actually the anchor that was slowing us down."
Cost
5.0
Value / within estimates
"They conformed perfectly with the initial estimates. Marketing for a dental practice should be between the 1-3% range of total turnover. The website was within our cost limitations, therefore it was acceptable."
Willing to Refer
5.0
NPS
"I do it all the time.
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