Vanspec Marketing

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a fitness equipment company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vanspec Marketing?

I had zero experience in direct-to-consumer businesses, so I had to build everything related to my business from scratch, from product development to the website and marketing. Thus, I've leaned on Vanspec for web design, branding, and advertising.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vanspec has designed and developed our Shopify website and branding from scratch — they’ve taken our input and made it a reality. We’ve just launched a social media marketing (SMM) campaign, so we don’t have a lot of data on that. The team is also doing SEO and helping us with Google Ads and Meta Ads for Facebook and Instagram.

What is the team composition?

Landon is my main point of contact, but we’ve had a couple of meetings with a few of his team members. He manages the entire project and puts other people in charge of different sections of it.

How did you come to work with Vanspec Marketing?

My partner in this business referred me to them. He’d used their services in the past, so he introduced us, and we had a fairly brief conversation. Vanspec Marketing laid out some of their skill sets and offerings. After talking to a few other companies, we decided it was best to go with Vanspec. Then, we dove deeper into what their roles and responsibilities would be. They were very detailed and explained everything extremely thoroughly. Throughout the entire hiring process, their communication was fantastic.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2024, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Vanspec Marketing has taken our concept and made it a reality. This is an ongoing process, so we’re going into phase two shortly. There have been very few, if any, hiccups throughout the process. We have some analytics, and we’re outperforming anything we’ve anticipated.

How did Vanspec Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything has been perfect. There hasn’t been a time when Landon hasn’t been able to make a meeting. He gives updates throughout the week and is always ready and on call. If he’s not available, he will let me know when he’ll reach out. We use Basecamp as a project management tool, and we have weekly meetings to go over what steps they’ve accomplished. We do our testing and approval through every different page they build. Besides Basecamp, we also communicate via phone and email.

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

Landon has been an absolute blessing throughout this process. He's extremely knowledgeable, gives a lot of great points of view, and has been exactly what he said to be. I'll work with him again when I have another project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Vanspec's professionalism and willingness to make anything work have been impressive. I’ve had pretty grand ideas, and they’ve never said something is impossible — they’ve always found a way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The customer will be the one being waited on. If you want a project done quickly, it won’t be possible just with Vanspec's work. Stay on top of yourself and the tasks they give you, and everything will go smoothly and faster than you anticipated.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP US Sales and Distribution of Haskalife

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Haskalife is a functional food brand that manufactures and sells haskap berry products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vanspec Marketing to accomplish?

• Develop and launch a new e-commerce website
• Supporting strategy and execution of digital marketing strategy

SOLUTION

How did you find Vanspec Marketing?

Referral

Why did you select Vanspec Marketing over others?

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

How many teammates from Vanspec Marketing were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

A new Shopify e-commerce website and the development, creation and management of a paid ads strategy using Facebook, Instagram and Google ads platforms.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For the website project, the measurable outcome was a fully functioning e-commerce website with graphics and supporting content in line with our brand identity. The digital ad campaign is an ongoing project, but the initial outcomes were ideation and creation of image, graphic, and video assets.

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

Vanspec was excellent in terms of timeliness and responsiveness. As a startup with no website development experience and very few employees, we frequently needed support in terms of design, functionality and SEO strategy, and we appreciated the patience and professionalism of our project manager especially.

What was your primary form of communication with Vanspec Marketing?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The most impressive aspect of our work with Vanspec Marketing was their flexibility and nimbleness. As previously mentioned, we are a start-up with very few employees and needed to frequently change meeting times, deadlines, and website content. They were able to adapt to our changes and to our fluid staffing in a thoughtful and professional way.

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

Our budget for this project was relatively small. I look forward to working with Vanspec on a larger project so we can take advantage of their additional capabilities.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry is a five generation family farm based in the beautiful Fraser Valley, British Columbia. I am the Marketing Manager that oversees all online and offline marketing activities for our company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We upgraded our company website about six years ago. Three years ago, we also launched our e-commerce site that provides online shopping and home delivery services to consumers. As the two sites were developed by different vendors and managed by different marketing agencies that failed to deliver their promises, our SEO and e-commerce continue to perform below our expectations.

When Vanspec came on board, they provided us practical and effective solutions to upgrade our websites and improve the sales performance of our e-commerce site by designing and executing online ad campaigns that achieved the targets that we had set for Vanspec.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We had worked with several marketing agencies in the past, and one of the key issues we encountered was their high staff turnover rate. We continued to experience our project managers quitting in the middle of the projects, and projects eventually fell apart due to the constant change of staff. We decided to work with Vanspec because they have shown us the efficiency and consistency of their service. The dedication and professionalism of our project manager, Landon Gartner, show us that this is the company that we are comfortable and happy to work with for a long term.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

Vanspec helps us to manage our company website and e-commerce site. They monitor any technical issues occurred on our two sites and provide solutions in a timely manner. At the same time, they also help us to improve the online presence of our sites as well as our SEO performance. In addition to the site management, they also implement digital marketing strategies and execute online advertising campaigns for us on a regular and project basis.

The project communication is done on Basecamp, and their response is always quick and helpful. The marketing tools used including Wordpress, WooCommerce, Google Analytics, Google Ads. Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, YouTube Ads, SEO, etc. The key deliverables are conversion rates, sales performance, and ad performance.

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

Our project manager, Landon Gartner, is the main person in the Vanspec team to work with us. We also work with Josh White, who provides IT and web development support to us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Vanspec helped us roll out our "10% Off First Order" ad campaign for our e-commerce site in this past October, and below are the results that they delivered: Online Store Metrics for October Orders: 41 (+193%) New Customers: 19 (+280%) Promo Code Redemptions: 6 (+100%) Revenue: $8,523.33 (+190%) Conversion Rate: 1.84% (+20%)

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We communicated on Basecamp almost daily, and the communication is efficient and effective.

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

Many of the marketing agencies that we've worked before liked to talk about the "big picture" and left us to figure the steps to achieve the results that we would like to see. Vanspec is unique in a way that they are there to guide us every step of the way. The are doers, not talkers. Vanspec knows what they are doing, provides constructive suggestions, and delivers what they promise.

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

Everything is going well so far.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My brother and I are realtors for Hugh & Mckinnon Realty. However, we work as partners and independent contractors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vanspec Marketing?

I was doing all of our social media marketing myself, but it was a hit and miss. I didn’t know enough about the workings of Facebook and Instagram. It seemed simple at the time, but then Facebook started changing the rules, and I couldn’t keep up.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vanspec Marketing works on SMM and PPC. We initially talked with them about our business and what we were trying to do. They’ve been flexible to try different things. We run ads and see how they do on penetration — if it doesn’t come up with the numbers we’re looking for, they tweak it. Also, they send us detailed reports on ad campaigns to see the exposure we’re getting.

What is the team composition?

Landon (Founding Partner & Digital Marketing Specialist) is my go-to contact. We don’t have to talk to different people; he explains everything to us and tells us why we do certain things.

How did you come to work with Vanspec Marketing?

They reached out to us. They saw what we were doing on social media, and we were already looking for someone to take over our marketing because we felt we couldn’t do an adequate job. We chatted with Landon, and what they had to offer sounded pretty good. Vanspec Marketing seemed to have all the right ideas, and they proved it with various ads we ran and the cost per click.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $8,000 CAD (approximately $6,000 USD) in a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together for a year, since January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The ads they’ve put up are professional-looking, and many people have commented that they see us on social media. When people see our ads, we get lots of likes, shares, and so on. Also, Vanspec Marketing has considerably brought down the cost per click, so we’re getting more bang for the buck.

Moreover, working with Landon has been great; he’s attentive. Sometimes we question why we’re doing something, and he explains us. Overall, he takes the time to explain how metrics work, so it’s been a good engagement.

How did Vanspec Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is good; Landon is my only contact. We let him know if we want to run an ad, and he gets it up on different channels. We communicate over email, text, and phone calls; it depends on what’s going on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really have a grasp on social media. I check Twitter and Instagram, but I’m not social media savvy. I don’t understand the marketing and advertising part of our ads, so we need them to get the best exposure. Vanspec Marketing can fill what’s missing in our business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

To be honest, I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. We’ve been pretty happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with them. If you want to build a social media presence and your business lacks marketing and social media, Vanspec Marketing seems to know their stuff.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the financial controller of a solid and liquid waste company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to refresh our website and increase our presence on social media to help drive gross revenue.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We had previously worked with VanSpec for basic web marketing work. The team at Vanspec met with us and addressed our concerns, questions and comments. Their suggestions for getting the most value for our spend, their ability to take our asks and produce timely, professional results have been the deciding factors.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

1. Website update - specific requests from us to update pictures, make the information user friendly and succinct, with page details and tabs that made the site easier to navigate. Also to generate quote requests
2. Social media - increase our presence on Facebook and Instagram - increase the number of hits, likes, comments via digital ads
3. Blog creation - to disseminate useful information about our company and our services using key words and phrases that would be flagged by search engines

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

Landon, founding partner, is our main contact. We have also worked with some of the team members (2 in addition to Landon).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Increased presence on social media based. Top notch work on the deliverables.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Extremely effective. They often wait for us. Their response time to questions and deliverable dates always meet or exceed expectations.

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

Their knowledge of the digital marketing forums was impressive. Their recommendations for us as to where to get the most value for our spend. Their professionalism, timeliness and turnaround time is excellent and very much appreciated.

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

No. When something doesn't work as anticipated or revisions are requested they listen and respond quickly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an independent author that does public speaking. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vanspec Marketing?

I needed support with my website and marketing efforts. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vanspec Marketing put together and designed my website. I had a website before, but it wasn’t professional, so they started from scratch. Currently, they assist me with my personal blog. I send them the blogs for them to edit, make them look nice, and post them on my website. In addition to that, I’m opening my new consulting business. Therefore I needed some updates on my website.

They also manage my social media, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. The social media management work is a joint effort. Sometimes they give ideas, sometimes we provide ideas, and we come up with something great together. For instance, we did a really interesting Facebook virtual launch for my newest book.

We also think of brainstorming ideas to create marketing posters. I’m not doing much public speaking these days, so they help me with marketing ideas to sell my books— It’s all about the marketing of the books right now. 

What is the team composition?

I usually work with 2–3 people.

How did you come to work with Vanspec Marketing?

Many years ago, I was looking online at the University of the Fraser Valley for people that needed experience in social media marketing. I was looking for somebody who was just starting out and would not charge me a fortune. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around six years ago. We finished our third phase of the book launch in March 2021. We’re still in contact, and Vanspec Marketing still works for me but not as much as before. It all depends on the project we’re doing. However, they’re still on my admin site as operators.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All of my numbers have improved since working with Vanspec Marketing. The virtual launch was a success. There’s always been a steady growth in clicks and website visits. I’m not sure about the percentage, but they’re all up.

How did Vanspec Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Vanspec Marketing has always been really good at doing what I ask them to do. We typically communicate through phone calls, emails, and text messages.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Vanspec Marketing authentically wants to see their clients succeed. When we started working together, they were fairly new. They’ve really grown with their knowledge and success. I’ve gotten them other jobs with other companies, and everybody seems really pleased with them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s something Vanspec Marketing could’ve done better. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Have an action plan and regular meetings to discuss and brainstorm.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a supervisor at a heavy equipment repair company that works on forklifts and heavy machinery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vanspec Marketing?

We needed support to develop our website since we didn't have one. The biggest issue we heard from customers was that they had no way to refer us, only through word-of-mouth. A lot of the time, when they couldn't get a hold of us through email, they were looking for another resource. Our main goal was to increase awareness and encourage people to reach out to our company through the website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vanspec Marketing has designed and developed our website from scratch. We've provided the team with ideas of what we required, and Vanspec Marketing has returned with two web templates. The team has asked us what we wanted to change about the templates and what we liked about them. Vanspec Marketing still monitors and keeps our website updated.

Vanspec Marketing has offered us social media management, but we didn't need it. 

What is the team composition?

We've worked with three teammates from Vanspec Marketing, including a web designer and the company's owner.

How did you come to work with Vanspec Marketing?

We found Vanspec Marketing online. We used Yellow Pages, but it didn't work out. We heard about the team because they were doing social media for a company in Abbotsford, which is a large garbage disposal company.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $6,000–$8,000 CAD.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Vanspec Marketing about eight months ago, in January 2024. The team took 8–9 weeks to finish the website, and we're still engaged with them to keep it updated.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've definitely seen more engagement since Vanspec Marketing launched our website. We didn't think we would get as much traffic as we've received because we're a small company. Our customers can compliment our website and general digital strategy, something we didn't have before because we had no digital footprint.

We're satisfied with the website built by Vanspec Marketing. The site has had one crash, but we didn't even know about it. Vanspec Marketing notified us, and fixing it took them a couple of hours. Besides that, we haven't had any issues and don't have to worry about anything.

How did Vanspec Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Vanspec Marketing's project management is excellent. We've taken a little longer to deliver some things to the team, but that was on our end. Overall, Vanspec Marketing is very quick. We communicate through email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Vanspec Marketing's communication is impressive. Additionally, having more than one route for the website layout has been nice. We've given Vanspec Marketing bullet points and things we wanted to see on the website, and they came back with multiple avenues for the website design.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I haven't had any negative experience working with Vanspec Marketing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend having a plan in mind when engaging with Vanspec Marketing. Don't expect the team to do everything for you because it's a lot smoother when you have your ideas in mind, and Vanspec Marketing can help guide you through that.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Sales of Sail Maui

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We offer commercial sailing and snorkeling tours. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vanspec Marketing to accomplish?

Build and Manage our Website

SOLUTION

How did you find Vanspec Marketing?

Other

Why did you select Vanspec Marketing over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Vanspec Marketing were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Website maintaince for nearly a decade. Wordpress. Several plugins. Blog site with backlinks. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

profit generated for our company

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

Professional, efficient, and skilled - Vanspec always took care of our needs and was a friend to us through the years.

What was your primary form of communication with Vanspec Marketing?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Our friendly and professional relationship, as well as the quality of work.

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

This company was great to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Director of Communications and Marketing of a non-profit company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Together with partners in Asia and Africa, we deliver programs that address the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of people affected by Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vanspec Marketing to accomplish?

• Acquisition of new donors
• Brand awareness for Effect Hope
• Awareness about Leprosy
• Fundraising

SOLUTION

How did you find Vanspec Marketing?

Referral

Why did you select Vanspec Marketing over others?

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

How many teammates from Vanspec Marketing were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Paid media strategy development for fall fundraising campaigns Meta ads execution, including A/B testing, monitoring and moderation, and analysis Copywriting for social ads

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Greater understanding of what motivates an online gift Insight into optimization opportunities on the backend Increased brand exposure in key prospect markets
• Cost per new donor acquired
• Clicks (cost and count)
  
  

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

During a busy season, Vanspec kept things rolling with our paid social campaigns, ensuring launch deadlines were met regardless of challenges that may arise along the way.

What was your primary form of communication with Vanspec Marketing?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They've been very nimble in responding to creative or campaign adjustments as they arise.

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

Not particularly, they've been able to deliver on time and on budget.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am President of Briere Production Group and Briere Transportation. Our companies provide audio, lighting, video and transportation for the live event industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to gain further traction specific to some our new service offerings in addition to brand awareness for our companies.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We searched online for digital marketing companies and shortlisted 5. Vanspec Marketing checked all our boxes.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

We had an initial meetings to discuss goals, strategy, timeline and execution. We we're very pleased with their suggestions and organization.

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

We currently work with 3 team members on our projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've noticed a substantial boost in website and social media channels in addition to the conversion we've set up.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We set up a project board to track ideas, tasks, approval, and completions. This has been very helpful to stay organized and on track.

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

They are a 1 stop shop with team members that can cover everything top to bottom.

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

I'm very satisfied with the results and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.