Upgrow

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a supply chain software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Upgrow?

We needed help driving demand for our business and reducing our costs per lead. We also wanted to increase the quality of the conversions that went into our marketing funnel.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Upgrow provides PPC for us through our Google, LinkedIn, Bing, Instagram, and Twitter channels to increase our leads and quality. They’ve also helped us with the migration and shut down of the website of a company we acquired.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with Dany and Ryder (Co-Founders), Russel (PPC Manager), and Brian (Senior PPC Manager).

How did you come to work with Upgrow?

They were referred to me by a former colleague.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent around $400,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our industry costs per lead have been half of what the average is. Overall, they’re a great partner helping us massively with our business.

How did Upgrow perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been fantastic; they’re highly communicative, stay on budget, and have been responsive and flexible with our organizational changes. In terms of tools, we’ve been using Basecamp and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to optimize our PPC spend is outstanding; they ensure that we have the right audience segmentation and constantly curate the titles of the list to avoid gaps in spending.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — they’re fantastic, and I’d recommend them to everyone.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ensure that you’re providing solid feedback, that you’re having good communication with them, and that they’re embedded with the business and its goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of Pandia Health. We provide telemedicine services as well as the delivery of medication for birth control and acne.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Upgrow?

We were looking for a partner who could understand the quirks and challenges of advertising telemedicine, and who understood the HIPAA compliance that needs to be taken into account. Because our founder is a professor and a doctor, we had a lot of very informative content but needed to change the content to be more consumable, with the ultimate goal of increasing conversions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Upgrow has provided consulting for our PPC and SEO. They’ve created our SEO strategy, outlining our campaigns and helping us with the creation of content as well as copywriting. They’ve analyzed our keywords, backlinking, snippets, and tracking. They’ve also helped us gain insight into the use of landing pages. To improve our onboarding funnel’s user journey, they’ve recommended specific tools like Hotjar and helped redefine our whole lead flow within Google Analytics.

Upgrow handles our Google Ads and Bing ads. At their recommendation, we’ve also implemented Google Shopping.

What is the team composition?

Our contacts include Danny (COO). We have four or more points of contact at Upgrow, depending on the project. People we have frequent contact with include the analyst for Google and Bing ads, the supervisor for paid ads, and our main contact for Upgrow’s SEO services. 

How did you come to work with Upgrow?

Upgrow had prior experience with telemedicine, which helped us choose them over other providers.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $1 million with Upgrow — that includes both their services and our budget for PPC advertising spend.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Upgrow in January 2019, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because of Upgrow, we’ve been able to scale our advertising efforts. We’re looking forward to a long-term partnership with them. 

We’re between first and third place for many of our keyword rankings. We’ve seen improvement in direct conversions from the blog that we’ve optimized using Upgrow’s recommended content format. We’ve seen a lot of Upgrow’s recommendations, like redesigning product pages and implementing Google Shopping, result in real traction in terms of improving conversions.  

How did Upgrow perform from a project management standpoint?

Upgrow really excels at project management, and Danny is very organized. They’ve suggested Basecamp, which I now use with all of my direct reports company-wide. Upgrow has created dashboards — which I love — so that I can view performance metrics anytime. We coordinate via biweekly meetings and Slack, and Upgrow has been very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Upgrow has been very nimble. If something’s not working in our advertising, we make changes. Their project management is especially impressive. They really understand our company’s goals, develop KPIs, and track data that helps us understand what changes to make.

Upgrow sees this as a partnership and collaboration, so their success is our success. They’re always looking to improve our bottom line. They’ve been extremely responsive even in areas that fall outside of their contract. I’m a big fan of Upgrow’s services.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not sure whether this is an area that they could improve on, but our company came to the partnership with ideas about what we wanted to do in our advertising and SEO. Upgrow eventually helped us realize that we needed to focus on other strategic initiatives in order to achieve our goals, and maybe they could have shared that expertise upfront. I’m not sure whether they could’ve done that from the beginning, though — maybe we just weren’t listening.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you want an agency that is going to understand your goals and implement plans to help you get to those goals, Upgrow can get you there. They do that through great project management and implementation. They’re not the least expensive, but they’re worth the investment because their results are good.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a senior marketing manager at a medium-sized bank with three major divisions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Upgrow?

We needed their team's expertise in digital marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Upgrow supports our digital marketing efforts, focusing on managing our Google Ads campaigns. We regularly meet with them to discuss our goals and marketing requirements, and their team then kicks off the research process to identify the solutions we need.

They help us generate engaging strategies and keywords that we can use to elevate our online presence and determine if those are financially sustainable for us. After running tests to determine each solution's efficacy, we expand on more keywords and strategies to secure more market shares. They also help us design the landing pages for the Google Ads campaigns they run, which we also use across all our digital campaigns.

What is the team composition?

We work with two resources from Upgrow, each of them focusing on our campaigns and growth strategies.

How did you come to work with Upgrow?

Our manager interviewed several firms, and Upgrow's team stood out because they had the technical skills we needed. Additionally, they were a small agency, which we saw as an advantage.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership began in February 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Upgrow has created conversion-friendly landing pages, which have allowed us to secure evident boosts in conversion rates — something that we haven't achieved before. Their expertise and dedication have elevated our business on a financial level and helped expand our footprint in the digital world.

How did Upgrow perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via email and conducted regular Zoom meetings. Upgrow has dependable project management skills despite being a small team. They work proactively while remaining detail-oriented, and we appreciate their team for employing that work ethic.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We're most impressed with Upgrow's strong business acumen.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything that needs further improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take time to educate them on the specifics of your business and your project goals. Marketing work requires two-way interaction — while Upgrow has reliable skills, they'll need your guidance to effectively work towards meeting your exact needs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Marketing Project Manager for an RIA in the Bay Area. We provide wealth management and financial planning services to clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Upgrow, and what were your goals?

We hired Upgrow to manage our current PPC campaigns across Google and LinkedIn and to implement campaigns on Facebook. We also look to them for strategy input and best practices.

SOLUTION

How did you select Upgrow and what were the deciding factors?

We looked at Upgrow and 1-2 other firms and ultimately went with Upgrow based on their reputation and familiarity with one of the founders.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

Upgrow quickly came up to speed on what we had previously done in our campaigns and quickly implemented best practices. They've since onboarded us to Facebook, increased the digital lead pipeline, and re-started our use of A/B testing and other optimization measures.

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

We have worked with 2 individuals at Upgrow and our primary contact is a PPC Manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The digital pipeline has increased even though spending on platforms has gone down. They've also been helpful in adding some new components to our projects such as on-platform lead gen forms.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

The main project management tool has been Basecamp, which has worked well thus far. We also have bi-monthly check-ins to keep us on track and projects moving.

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

The most impressive aspect has been their ability to quickly get up to speed with our campaigns and brand persona.

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

Communication could have improved at the onset of the engagement but hasn't been a problem since the early days of the relationship.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of CocuSocial. CocuSocial is a marketplace for culinary experience like cooking classes, baking classes, wine tasting workshops and mixology events.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Upgrow?

Upgrow set up and manages our PPC advertisement on Google, Youtube, Facebook and Instagram. Upgrow also did a comprehensive SEO audit and technical implementations.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal is to increase revenue while maintain profitability.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed a lot of marketing agencies before selecting Upgrow.

Describe the project in detail.

The project includes PPC advertisement on Google, Youtube, Facebook and Instagram as well as a comprehensive SEO audit and technical implementations. The vendor is involved in both from scratch since we haven't done any PPC or SEO before. They showed solid understanding and skills from the beginning.

What was the team composition?

There are four key people involved in our project. Ryder, the co-founder, lead our SEO effort. Danny, the co-founder, and Mike, the director of PPC, lead our PPC effort. Ben helped us on the technical SEO implementation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within a month, our SEO has shown great results. Our sessions have increased 18% and orders have increased 33% over a month. We are about to launch PPC this week and we are very excited to see the results!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication with the agency is easy and quick. We have biweekly meetings but I can communicate with them through Basecamp or email on a daily basis. Sometimes we schedule zoom meetings for complex issues.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I am impressed by their expertise in both SEO and PPC. They are also professional and dedicated.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Everything is great so far.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of Jurisco, a legal bonding insurance company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Upgrow?

We had recently ended a relationship with our previous SEO and PPC vendor. I needed a new agency to manage our PPC, Google Ads, and overall online marketing presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Upgrow manages our online marketing and advertising campaigns. The team aims to make our company imminently searchable and positioned for lawyers that require our services immediately. We track views, searches, clicks, and conversions.

What is the team composition?

Danny (Co-Founder, Upgrow) is our main point of contact. We also work with Einstein (PPC Specialist, Upgrow) and a few other teammates on search-engine marketing (SEM) and PPC.

How did you come to work with Upgrow?

I found them through word of mouth in San Francisco.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $20,000, which includes $1,500 monthly payments and a few setup fees.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2018 and the partnership is ongoing on a monthly basis.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the head of digital marketing at a database management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Upgrow?

We wanted to grow our digital and advertising footprint and acquire more qualified leads, so we were looking for a vendor to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We define a quarterly MQL (Marketing Qualified Leads) goal and Upgrow helps us meet it, managing everything regarding paid search, paid social media, and paid marketing. They oversee our Google Ads, Facebook advertising, LinkedIn, and Twitter campaigns.

What is the team composition?

We mostly work with an account manager.

How did you come to work with Upgrow?

The relationship had started before I joined the company in November 2018.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in early 2018 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They've helped us reach our MQL goals and our internal team is happy with the quality of their work. We have a long sales cycle, so it's hard to measure exact results.

How did Upgrow perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very organized. We talk three times a week via phone or email and we use Asana for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very methodical, diligent, and capable of learning and adapting.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They've been gaining more knowledge in the B2B tech stack, which is not a weakness, but rather an area in which they've been improving.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It's always helpful to have well-defined objectives.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior marketing manager of Alooma. We provide a cloud-based data pipeline which enables companies to compile their data into one destination.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Upgrow?

We hired Upgrow to help with our paid search efforts. Our goal was to create a clear strategy that helps us engage with our audience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we began the project, my business didn’t have any solid approach to paid search marketing. Upgrow audited our company to better understand our audience and positioning. They guided us toward which channels to use and how to shape our campaigns. Their team manages our PPC efforts using the two networks of Google Ads: Google Search and Google Display.

What is the team composition?

Danny (Co-Founder, Upgrow) is my main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Upgrow?

An employee of our company had worked with the founder of Upgrow in the past. I wasn’t a member of the team at this point, but we chose them for the project because of their past relationship.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$100,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since June 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've had a trial-and-error approach to the project, so we don’t have exact success metrics. We’ve been able to explore new pipelines and avenues because of Upgrow’s support. The impact of their team has been a positive one. There have been increases in the number of qualified leads coming to us. We’re pleased with the work they’ve done, even with our changing budget.

How did Upgrow perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re a very organized team, so they’re easy to work with. We have bi-weekly meetings, communicate through Slack, and they provide clear and regular reports on their progress. They communicate effectively and are very transparent, so we’re pleased with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service is valuable—they’re willing to put in the effort to achieve success. Responsiveness and transparency have been their strongest traits.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I haven’t had any issues with their team. I hope as they continue to grow, the high level of service they provide is maintained.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Nothing comes to mind. I've been completely satisfied thus far.