Smart Customers Deserve Smart Solutions

Posted by Sarah Mitchell on 4 August 2009 | 2 Comments

Tags: SEO, CRM, SharePoint, CMS, freelance, ECM, copywriting, graphicdesign, KnowledgeLake, Australia

One thing I enjoy about freelancing is you are exposed to many different business situations each with its own set of requirements and demands. The mandate is always the same: help them improve their business as quickly as possible with maximum cost effectiveness. While each customer is different, my involvement and the solution are often similar to other work done before. That makes sense since I specialise in developing content that helps increase profits and attract new prospects. Occasionally, I get a customer that challenges me.

Customised SEO Services
I’ve been doing a lot of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) work. I’ve teamed up with a talented graphic designer, Ryan Briggs, to offer a specialised service delivering continuous results to our clients. We differentiate ourselves by employing methods encompassing a complex and layered approach to increasing website traffic. It’s more than just developing keyword-rich copy and goes beyond an adword campaign. Businesses dependent on their websites, or expect their website investment to work for them, appreciate the additional service we provide.

A Smart Customer
Not long ago we entered into an SEO project with Clayko Group. Clayko is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner with solutions for Document Management, Enterprise Content Management (ECM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and a comprehensive service offering including hosting applications and outsourcing complex document scanning projects. They have long supported and sold the SharePoint product in Australia and New Zealand. SharePoint, in fact, is integral to many of their service offerings. Lately, Clayko has become a representative of the KnowledgeLake solution in Australia and New Zealand. The new addition to their portfolio prompted them to review their existing website and consider how it could work harder for them. It was the right thing to do at the right time and we welcomed the chance to help them.

A Conundrum
Clayko’s website was working for them and it wasn’t working for them. They had solid business reasons for their current design. They were reluctant to change but wanted to improve the traffic coming to their site. It was an easy decision to develop a new site for the KnowledgeLake business but I was at a loss on what we could do for their core business, which also happens to be the biggest part of their revenue stream. How do you leave a website just as it is and still improve the SEO?

A Smart Solution
Working alone, I probably would have admitted defeat and focused my attention solely on the KnowledgeLake SEO project. Luckily for Clayko and me, Ryan had an idea allowing them to preserve their current website and still drive new traffic to it. Within a few days, we had solidified our plan and proposed a solution that met their requirements but didn’t affect the overall cost of the project. It was an innovative resolution that worked for all parties.

The Beauty of Freelance Collaboration
This sort of thing energises me. I wouldn’t have arrived at such a neat solution. Ryan couldn’t have implemented the project without the help of a dedicated copywriter. We both appreciated the opportunity to play to our strengths. For me, having a trusted partner with complementary talents meant the angst was removed from the project and I know Ryan felt the same way. While we both value our freelance careers, finding a good partner has opened our businesses to more opportunity. Our customers are happy, too. Who doesn’t like to get a creative solution delivered quickly and within budget?