LLT Group

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a co-founder and the COO of Street2Ivy. We offer a platform that allows small and medium-sized businesses to engage in a diverse e-marketplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LLT Group?

We wanted to clearly depict our branding and our messaging to increase the awareness of our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LLT Group conducted market research to determine the persona of our customer base and structure our website in a way that appealed to that population. They established branding and design standards for our company, including developing a new logo, new content, and a vibrant color palette. The last upgrades to our website included boosts in functionality, improved member services, and enhanced vendor profiles. We retain LLT Group’s services to provide ongoing guidance for short- and long-term strategies for how to best engage on social media platforms.

What is the team composition?

We have a team specifically assigned to us, but I work directly with a project manager and the director of sales.

How did you come to work with LLT Group?

During the selection process, LLT Group was engaging and transparent. They were passionate about our idea and assisting us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in 2017 and have ongoing projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received an outpouring of positivity regarding the visual aesthetics of our branding and our online presence. We consider it successful because of the interaction we’re having with vendors that want to get involved and members that are interactive. What started as an idea on a sheet of paper has become a reality for me and my business partner.

How did LLT Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They are truly full-service and willing to help at every juncture. They understand our vision and what it means to us to have it realized.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve worked with several different marketing and branding agencies, and in some cases, we didn’t completely understand what we were receiving other than the logo and materials. LLT Group has been thorough, however, in offering tangible deliverables and a plan of action that would accomplish our goals.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve run into some complexities inherent in the project, but nothing that ever compromised our progress.

Any advice for potential customers?

Especially for small businesses or entrepreneurs, it’s important to know what your vision is. And in order to accomplish your goals, you have to be open to having your ideas challenged.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a leading international supplier and technology licensor for petroleum refining, gas processing, petrochemical production and major manufacturing.  I work in the Crafts and Service group where we provide maintenance and support for all the operations in manufacturing and research.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LLT Group?

We have non-dollar value parts, that is - parts left over from previous projects and work orders, which reside across multiple locations and buildings. We would routinely buy more of the same parts because we didn’t know what we had on site. We needed someone to develop a customer-focused, material master database so that we could track and inventory all our parts and pieces.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We met at their headquarters and brainstormed for about an hour before agreeing on an approach. We told them the look and feel that we wanted, they drafted a proposal, sent it over to me, we made a few adjustments, and then they proceeded to develop the site using WordPress as the platform.

Users can search for parts using filters like size, dimension, or metallurgy. We also have pictures of all the parts so that users can see what they look like. When a user places an order in our system they automatically receive an email notification confirming their order, and then automatic notifications after that tracking their order status from being pulled off the shelf through delivery. The system enables us to set minimum and maximum quantities and run reports so that we know when we’re low on parts.

What is the team composition?

We met with one of the founders at our location to discuss the overall need.  When we had a good handle on whether LLT could develop what we were looking for I and several other team members met LLT at their headquarters for a follow-up meeting. There we met with the agency principal, a web designer, a programmer, and a few other team members.

How did you come to work with LLT Group?

We knew we had an issue to solve, we just weren’t sure how to go about it.  There are many stock material management systems one can purchase off the shelf yet, they did not have the look and feel that we wanted.  We wanted a customer friendly database that allowed one to easily search and filter products, provide status updates throughout the process, as well as provide pictures of each product in the inventory. I knew there was something out there because so many other sites have similar functionality to what we were looking for such as a checkout or shopping cart option.  Initially, we identified and began working with another company and soon came to realize that in the end we wouldn’t have what we desired. After that, I began doing more research online and found E-Commerce based systems, which seemed to align with our needs. We didn’t want a stock management system, we wanted something that was customizable.

Using Web Designers as a keyword while searching for vendors, LLT’s name came up several times. As I read about them, I decided to give them a call, and after the call, I knew they were the right fit for us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in June 2017, Phase 1 launched in March 2018, and we’re moving into Phase 2 to make refinements based on beta testing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Through the beta test we have recouped 50% of our return on investment. Within the first full year of deployment, we anticipate to recoup our return on investment.

How did LLT Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They were responsive, and have continued to be as we move into Phase 2. They delivered on all of the Phase 1 timelines. They would send the results to us, we would evaluate, send feedback, or approve it, and then we would move on. We worked together and I’m very pleased with what we developed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I worked closely with Rahul (Agency Principal, LLT Group), and was impressed with his attention to detail. The entire team was attentive and responsive, but he was very involved in the project, always on top of everything, would give us advice or follow up with us, and made us feel like an important customer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have a programming background, so it might have been helpful to take more time upfront laying out all options and suggestions, even if they were out of scope suggestions. I was pleased with our Phase 1 launch yet, we may have reaped the benefits of a few more brainstorming sessions, or back-and-forth, at the start of the project as doing so may have identified some of the Phase 2 wishes upfront. I don’t know if LLT has worked on a project like ours before, so that may not be realistic, but that is just another path forward.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It would have helped our project if we had spent more time brainstorming with them at the beginning, so I would suggest that to anyone. Spend time upfront writing down as many ideas as you can, and get as many eyes on it as you can. That way, you’ll have ideas from developers, programmers, designers, and graphic designers; there will be a lot of different ideas to work with which helps you in the long run.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We have two companies: a research and development lab that focuses on science innovation and company building, and a portfolio therapeutics company that converts injectable drugs into pill form. I am the vice president of business development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LLT Group?

We are getting a lot of attention from big pharmaceutical companies because of our therapeutics company. We needed to create a more professional presence and websites that reflected our growth. Our lab has been around since 1995 and its site was not reflective of the comprehensive story we needed to tell. We needed a team to modernize our look and provide better content for potential investors, partners, and employees.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re developing both websites from scratch and have created logos for both companies. They also modified the lab logo for use in a new venture arm. Since we have a market presence already, the logos aren’t a major departure from our original branding. They are more modern and fresh, but remain within preexisting parameters.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with the CEO during the onboarding process. We now work with a coordinator who manages the relationship and pulls in designers as needed. I speak with a few of those designers, but most of our communication goes through a central point of contact. They have a lot of people on the backend I don’t interact with directly.

How did you come to work with LLT Group?

I found them in an online search for creative agencies. I liked a site they did for one of their clients and spoke with their CEO. I was impressed by his passion and his interest in our business. They came and met with us and we felt their approach and operations would be a good cultural fit with our company.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2018 and the project is ongoing. We plan to work with them until our launch in the fall (2018).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve done a great job and have delivered on everything we’ve asked for. They are open to feedback, are good at communication, and they stay on top of things and move quickly. The logos are a positive change and they’ve done well with the websites.

How did LLT Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We have an iterative process and we enjoy our collaboration. Most of our communication is by email but we speak on the phone occasionally.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re creative, responsive, and service-oriented.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. I would like to speak with them more on the phone but they do a good job through email. All our calls are very helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a vision for what you want and what you hope to accomplish. If you have a dedicated internal person who can give guidance and direction and stay engaged with the project, you will have better outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of business development for a sheet metal fabricator.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LLT Group?

Our website was very antiquated and not well designed, so we wanted to build a new site. We were looking for a company to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They designed and developed a new website from scratch. It wasn't an e-commerce site at first, but we turned it into an e-commerce platform after it went live. LLT Group also developed our second e-commerce website, which is not out in the marketplace yet. We're handling SEO for the first website, but LLT Group will be managing SEM and PPC for our second site. While the first site is custom-designed, the second site is based on a theme.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with a project manager and a couple of developers.

How did you come to work with them?

The relationship started before I joined the company. Our director of marketing and our president wanted to find a firm that was knowledgeable about how millennials use the Internet. Millennials are getting into the workplace and bringing their buying habits into the business world. We were looking for somebody who was in tune with that, and LLT Group had the expertise we needed.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2016 and launched the website in August 2017. The e-commerce site launched in December 2017. We're currently working with them on our second site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our e-commerce website has been generating considerably more traffic than we had in the past. LLT Group got us to the point when we could start doing SEO ourselves and get on the first page of Google searches. Our second website is now very close to the launch.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very responsive and great communicators. We had regular meetings (we're located not far from each other), and they always had answers to our questions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They bring a lot of great ideas to the table and make themselves available when we need them. Also, they did a nice job on the design of the current site.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they did a great job. There are some advantages to developing a website on a template because some things are easier to plug in. On the other hand, our customized site has a unique look.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have a clear timeline and clear expectations. Also, be prepared to give them the information they need when they need it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the co-founders of Sour Fish Events. We’re an event planning company, creating events from concept to execution and primarily focused on 5k trail races.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LLT Group?

We wanted to have updated, professional looking websites that were mobile responsive. We have a separate website for each of our two events. Our goal was that they be visually stunning, easy to navigate, and able to convey the right amount of information.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They made the WordPress sites for us so we can easily edit the minor differences. Having that was huge because we had the shell of the website that was ready to execute, then we edited the details. Once they’re finished building, our team tests it to make sure all the links, file uploads, and multimedia uploads work.

Our website is very graphic rich with very bright colors. The important information is at the top and as you scroll down, there’s information that’s more detailed. They understood how important that is to make sure that when people are landing on the page, they’re getting that useful information right off the bat.

We’ve had them do other projects for us as well, such as a lot of the merchandising designs. They’re an ongoing partner. A few times a year, we work on the merchandise items together.

What is the team composition? 

I’ve been able to email Rahul (Agency Principal, LLT Group) directly and he hears the top line of the project. He then assigns us a team or one person depending on the scope. With the website development, we worked with several different people, but each time it was outlined in the project scope who we’d be working with. 

How did you come to work with LLT Group?

We did a quick Google search and found they were one of the higher rated web development companies. We talked with around 10 companies. After talking with Rahul a couple of times, we realized they were the best fit for us. They were a good find.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2013 and the work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve always been able to take our design ideas, and nine times out of 10, they hit it out of the park on the first try. There have been a couple times we get something back that isn’t exactly what we were looking for, but they take our revision and make all the necessary edits. They come back and typically, with the second design, they’re more in line with what we want. 

We hear feedback on our t-shirts and medal designs all the time, and it’s overwhelmingly positive. We know our consumer and what they want, so we relay that to LLT Group. 

How did LLT Group perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s easy for me to communicate with them. I’ve never felt like I was repeating information that I’ve given another person. It’s very helpful when everyone is on the same page and you don’t have to regurgitate information that you’ve already given. We use email and phone calls and have had face to face meetings. They’re super responsive. I’ll send an email and usually get a response usually the same day. They’re very professional and easy to talk to. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Whether it be the website or merchandise, they can take our loose ideas and turn it into exactly what we’re looking for. They take our vision and make it happen. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't have any areas for improvement in mind; we're happy with them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re really good at what they do but it comes with a price tag. Make sure you’re not wasting your money by having them work on something and then totally changing it. Make sure you want to fully proceed and not change direction too many times. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a vice president at a wholesale distributor of exterior building products. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LLT Group?

Our website was about ten years old, so we needed an entirely new one.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first thing they’re doing is designing and developing a WordPress website. It’s going to be an informational site and they’re doing everything from scratch. They’ve spent a lot of time conducting surveys and questionnaires and setting up meetings and dialogues with our team to understand who we are and what our website needs.

In the beginning, they asked for a list of our top 100 accounts and their corresponding websites so they could understand who our customers are. They want to understand the technology people are using, and how advanced or un-advanced the industry is, to better identify what we need on our site. There have been three iterations of the home page so far and we’re about 80% there. The site should launch at the end of May or early June 2018.

Second, they’re giving a new face to our online presence. We don’t want to look like we’re from the 1990’s, so they’re going to make it more vibrant with some social media management. Finally, they’re going to start doing a little SEO once we get a little closer to the finished product. We need the help because we have a lack of that focus for our current website.

What is the team composition?

We have a dedicated project manager, and we’re working with a design lead who has an internal team she uses.

How did you come to work with LLT Group?

I got to them by word of mouth actually. Someone else who works here had used them a long time ago, so I reached out to them. I was researching at least six or eight other agencies too at that point.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2018, and we envision it being about a five-month process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I sent the first draft of our home page to two of our main manufacturers and the feedback from them was an instantaneous homerun. They were amazed at how well they had done with what was just drafted. I’ve also been talking to a diverse panel of people in our industry that I’ve put together, and they are all onboard with what I’ve told them so far. So those two parameters have been making me feel really good about the product.

I can’t speak too much on the quality of their service or the ROI yet, but the people I've interacted with and the dialogue that we've had are all very positive. It has all kept me energized. I've never once second-guessed hiring them. We definitely found the right people at the right time and I'm very happy with our partnership.

How did LLT Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication is clear and expectations are well set out. There is also a timeline with written responsibilities on it. We’ve both been highly responsive to questions if anything's needed.

If there's a deadline, such as if they say they will do something on Friday, then they have it ready on Friday or before work opens on Monday. We’re about a month behind schedule, but it isn't because people are missing deadlines. It's just because so much dialogue goes on between us.

We’ve also been utilizing WebEx and sharing screens to show ideas back and forth; we're trying to animate our logo. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re really genuine and they have a great passion for the business. They’re taking great, youthful talent in the tech field and putting them in a good environment. They’re also motivating individuals who are still up-and-coming. When you walk in there, you feel real energy with their team.

The CEO also isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. If we’re discussing something, he’ll take the time to fix things on the spot.

Are there any areas they could improve?

A little into the project, there was a bit of out-of-scope work that we wish we would have vetted out during the initial process, but I can't blame them for that because we didn't see it either. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of sales and marketing for DS Containers. We manufacture steel cans for consumer products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LLT Group?

As our company started to grow, we realized that our in-house designed website wasn't efficiently conveying our message or branding. As a result, we engaged LLT Group to redesign our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Once the project began, we communicated our goals for the redesign. As a company, we’re focused on manufacturing excellence and customer service. We needed a consistent branding strategy that accurately expresses that message across the platform. We also wanted users to easily navigate the site and get the information they need within a few clicks. LLT Group implemented a UI/UX design that accomplishes those objectives, while also emphasizing both the history of our product line and the innovations we continue to develop.

The completion of that project led us to seek out further services from LLT Group. Their agency principal gave an excellent presentation on the digital design services they offer. We’ve since taken advantage of their creative design expertise to develop new content for industry directories and print advertisements.

Another large project they were involved in was the modernization of our pitch deck. We had created a now outdated PowerPoint presentation to use in front of new clients. LLT Group integrated the new branding and content, so everything is consistent with the refreshed site. They incorporated animations to present our company in a more dynamic and positive light. We frequently collaborated and sent revisions back and forth throughout each project.

What is the team composition?

They assign a team leader for each project to act as our primary point of contact. We communicate with multiple people during meetings, but I can’t speak to the total number of individuals working on each project.

How did you come to work with LLT Group?

I wasn’t involved in the hiring process, but I believe our former marketing manager contacted them several years ago.

What is the status of this engagement?

These projects took place from 2015–2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We didn’t have specific metrics to compare their work against. I mostly seek internal input to determine a project’s success. We share and discuss the created content through a peer review process of sorts. LLT Group’s work has been met with great enthusiasm. We’re pleased with the results.

How did LLT Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re easy to work with and are extremely organized. We’ve met in-person and used conference calls to discuss multiple projects. Their team possesses various skillsets and that facilitates meaningful discussion. Our ideas are often vague, but they’ve done a great job of capturing what we mean and moving projects forward.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most important aspect of any engagement is the quality of the final product. The ads, website, and pitch deck are great. Working with a skilled and communicative team has made each project more enjoyable. They’re responsive, prompt, and professional.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We don’t have a lot of internal resources for digital design, so we often gave LLT Group primitive concepts to work from. They have a lot of creative and talented people that can breathe life into concepts. I’d recommend them to companies seeking that kind of partnership.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager for a company that manufactures flow-testing equipment for fire protection systems. We specialize in fire hydrants and fire pumps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LLT Group?

For years, people recognized us by our product name rather than our company name. We decided to change the company name to the product name so that people could better identify us, which required a logo and brand redesign.

Additionally, we’ve had our previous site for five years, so it looked dated, lacking adequate e-commerce capabilities and mobile optimization. We wanted to update our site design to reflect the new logo while also improving user functionalities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the most part, LLT Group developed the overall brand design, which became the focal point for our new marketing efforts. They pioneered our branding campaign by updating our logo and color schemes to reflect the new company. They then redesigned our site’s UI to match the new logo and enhanced its e-commerce functionalities using WooCommerce. To support our marketing campaign, they also developed and implemented a print marketing strategy.

What is the team composition?

We worked with multiple project managers who oversaw various aspects of the project. One project manager coordinated the site design while another worked to develop our other marketing collateral. We currently work with a few other team members to maintain the site.

How did you come to work with LLT Group?

We found them online and contacted them. After a bidding and interview process with other companies, we chose them.

How much have you invested with them?

We prefer to keep the project costs confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work lasted from October 2016–December 2017. They completed the site within the first few months before proceeding to build our marketing materials.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We use Google Analytics to measure our site performance and track month-over-month development. While we noticed some resistance from our longtime users, we’ve seen noticeable growth in traffic and an increase in digital orders. We’ve also recently implemented new metrics to judge our print advertising, so we currently don’t have any feedback on that yet.

In terms of internal feedback, they met our logo design expectations. We wanted an original design that differed from the templates that other small companies used, and they produced strong deliverables.

How did LLT Group perform from a project management standpoint?

When we launched our projects, we would usually visit them onsite and then communicate through email and phone as the engagement developed. They usually responded promptly to our inquiries.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciated their dedication to our project. They didn’t just view us as another client; rather, they worked to understand our business and proactively sought different business avenues where they could provide support. With their insight, we considered them more a trusted partner than a vendor.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing particularly comes to mind. Of course, a faster response rate may facilitate communication, but they’re a small firm. As they bring on more clients, their personnel grows, so they’re always improving.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Customers must have a clear understanding of their current business state, their goals, and their internal limitations. One can’t go into a branding overhaul and expect corporate level design without the financial investment. Having clear, realistic expectations of what one wants to do and what is possible help to facilitate a smooth engagement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

At a corporate level, our company manages a lot of medical waste for companies across the world. Our division specifically manages product recalls for manufacturers and retailers.

What is your position?

I'm the senior marketing communications manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with LLT Group?

We had a website that was very outdated. The back-end structure – the way in which it was built, was very clunky. It took us a long time to make updates to the site. We were looking for someone to help revamp the entire thing into a WordPress site that was more user-friendly, easier to use, and then obviously a new clean look and feel that would better represent our brand.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They were responsible for the back-end redesign of the website. We haven't really leveraged them for SEO [search engine optimization]. We assumed that they would build our website in an SEO-friendly manner, but we didn't really use them for those specific services. They did graphic design for us, and that was a big thing that they've brought to the table for us. The website that they built for our division initially, that same design template is now being rolled out across different divisions across our company. It's kind of the standard template.

How did you come to work with LLT Group?

We had gone through several different providers. We wanted to stick with local companies. We're in Indianapolis and they're in Chicago, so that was still close enough for us in case we had to have in-person meetings. That was very important to us. I think one thing that sold us was that they were very responsive and very knowledgeable.

We did have an initial in-person meeting with them, and we just could tell that it wasn't a bunch of fluff. They knew what they were talking about and that they were experts at what they did. I think those are some of the key things that really sold us. We also looked at things like price, turnaround time and, considering all of those things together, they ended up being the best choice for us.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I would say all in, everything that we have spent with them, is in the $10,000 to $50,000 range at this point.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first started working with them in the spring of 2014, and the website was completed during the summer timeframe [2014]. We have since used them for another website early this year [2015]. In the past, we've had separate websites for different business units. The first one that we approached them with was for our environmental solutions business, and that's the one that we rolled out sometime toward the end of last year. Then, we applied that same look, feel, and design to our product recall business, which is what I was telling you about before. We rolled that out earlier this year – I think in March.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any feedback from this engagement?

We clearly felt good about the first website they built for us because we used them to build another one. We wanted to follow the same structure – the same look and feel. We were pleased with the aesthetics, the overall design, and how professional and clean looking it was. One of the nuances to our site that we rolled out this year was that we actually created both an international and a U.S. version, and it was important that we have a design that could apply in both markets, which they did a really good job of.

In terms of navigation, we also felt it was really clean. A lot of their suggestions were driving to a really good user experience, which we appreciated. We've been pleased with how they built the back-end of the website. It's definitely more streamlined than what we had previously. There were a couple of things we ran into lately where we are having to make some tweaks to what they did but, overall, it was definitely an improvement from what we had before.

What distinguishes LLT Group from other providers?

What I really appreciate about LLT Group is that they are so responsive. I feel like the customer is always first. We've had different changes in the scope of our projects or changes in parameters and I've had to go to them with last minute requests. They're always more than willing to help, no matter what, even if it's last minute. I really appreciate their responsiveness.

Is there anything LLT Group could have improved or done differently?

The only thing I'd say, and this is I guess the downside of being so responsive and accommodating, sometimes it can become hard for them to manage all of our competing requests because we do throw a lot to them. Maybe, sometimes, it might be helpful to have another project manager involved in some of the things. But, again, I just really appreciate them being willing to accommodate whatever we ask.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We have a couple different companies they've done some work for, but the primary company is Mosquito Squad. We're in the mosquito control industry.

What is your position?

I'm one of the principals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with LLT-Group?

We were looking for a new platform for our services. We had a website, but it was kind of Mickey Mouse. For the type of business that we're in and the volume of the business that we're doing, we needed to take it to the next level, or actually probably take it up five levels. We contacted them, and they just went through and redid our entire site. Also, planning for everything that goes with it, meaning blogging, SEO [search engine optimization], organic, pay-per-click, just putting a whole plan together and sticking to it, that's going to help us grow our business.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They did Web design, SEO, blogging, and social media. Not as much social media I would say. We already have our own Facebook page, so we're linking to that. We're spending a little bit of money on a monthly basis with organic, obviously trying to do all the right things, and have a process in place to start helping us rank higher for all the keywords and placement that you want to get within the area of the internet that we're trying to reach.

How did you come to work with LLT-Group?

I didn't actually choose them. At the time, I had another business partner, and a friend of mine uses them. Initially, we decided to meet with them, and they were definitely notches above the people that we had been talking to. The way I see it in the industry is, you have the people who don't have a big budget – they're with a firm, but they don't have the knowledge or the expertise to get you where you need to go – then you've got the mid-range, and then you've got the big boys.

Even though they're a small firm, they've got the knowledge and the expertise. You need to be willing to spend the money, because it's not cheap. There's a lot of things you have to do, and you don't magically start ranking for the top five keywords in your industry just because you built a website. You can build a website, and that's great, but if nobody can see you online, they're never going to find you. That's where they significantly helped.

Nobody has all the answers, and I think they're learning every day, but at the end of the day, it's all about traffic and how many people you can drive to your site on the Internet. I think they've done a great job.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I'm sure we're in the six figures. We started with one section of the site, and then we added a lot. We just added a whole video feature where we can upload all kinds of videos to the site and any type of news stories and things on the news that people can see. That was another three or four thousand. You keep finding ways to improve the site, and then obviously building all the landing pages for the site, organic, and pay-per-click. It's not cheap, but if you want to try to blow away your competitors, you have to be online.

What is the status of this engagement?

It's always ongoing. I think we contracted with them in January of this year [2015]. That was for the mosquito site. They built our other company's site last year, and that wasn't them doing the full work. At the time, one of our partners was involved in a lot of the design and mainly handled that. We're actually going to redo the whole site, and let LLT have a 100 percent input, instead of only 40 percent like last time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We haven't been able to analyze the data. We've been so busy. We're busy about two months out of the year, that's our sale season. We'll go back and analyze all the data once we get through the middle of August or so.

I can tell you this, without the shadow of a doubt, the volume of Web leads coming through into our business is tenfold higher. We also do a tremendous amount of marketing. I do a bunch of radio, and we tell people to Google us. We have a pay-per-click ad there, and they click on it.

In this industry, people want to go to a website, they want to read more about what you do and how it works. We feel like the more you can educate the consumer on the site, the more likely you are to get that business. We're contemplating putting together a whole "how it works," along with a lot more narrated video of what we do. Then on the back-end of our site, we may add a function where we can have employees login and do all of our training and develop our course online directly on the site. I would do this in conjunction with LLT-Group.

What distinguishes LLT-Group from other providers?

They're a lot more knowledgeable. It depends. You can look at it a couple different ways. When you look at it as building a website, that's one thing, but everything that goes with that website is another. I'm sure some people have one company build a website, and then they have their own people doing all their SEO and everything. I like the fact that they're good at both. LLT-Group becomes an extension of your business. That's what I like about them. It's not a low-cost item, but it's probably one of the most needed items in businesses.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

Honestly, some of it's my fault, but I really like companies to be proactive in what they're doing, what their timelines are, what you're spending, where the money is going, and having a detailed report and not having to ask for it, just so that the customer has a better idea of what's going on. They should just be able to provide a recap of all the information that they have, and it needs to be proactive in getting there. I think that can be improved.

To me, it should be a standard thing. It's not that they don't already have that information, because they do, but I feel like I shouldn't have to ask for it. I think it should just be a part of a summary that gets sent to the client every Friday.