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In today’s customer chat, Morphio CEO Eric Vardon speaks with Danny Gavin, Founder of the digital agency Optidge.
Danny wears many hats: family man, public speaker, entrepreneur, and professor.
After finishing business school and getting his MBA, Danny took an internship at Blinds.com but later realized he wanted to start his own consultancy. So he did.
In 2010, Optidge was born and Danny now runs a team of ten. His agency helps businesses grow through search marketing, web design, PPC, and other services.
But he didn’t stop there. Being well connected to the Chair of the Marketing Department at C.T. Bauer College of Business helped him pursue his teaching passion and become a Professor of Digital Marketing. Danny educates students on SEO, Google Ads, and Facebook marketing.
Today’s episode focuses on:
- Why digital marketing can’t be neglected in a company’s overall growth strategy.
- Finding the right balance of tools for your business.
- How to differentiate your agency from the competition.
- Managing a remote team and the future of hiring.
- What’s next for Optidge.
Why digital marketing can’t be neglected
Danny observed that many businesses still don’t understand the importance of digital marketing in today’s world. There are websites that aren’t responsive to mobile devices, optimized for search engines, or connected to digital channels.
It’s hard to blame them. What we learned ten years ago still applies today but the landscape rapidly changes. Digital marketing is not made for everyone either. It’s for those interested in learning, excitement, and constant adaptation.
The current global situation has shined a light on businesses not keeping up to date and it needs to become a bigger conversation.
Finding the right tool stack
Optidge believes tools are a very important and integral part of how an agency works. It’s hard to find one tool, especially for SEO, that does everything. Some are good for technical audits while others excel at keyword research.
Budgets for tools have increased and created a situation where agencies need to discover a good balance through the process of elimination. Danny suggests businesses experiment with different tools until they find their own unique stack.
Differentiating your agency
There’s a lot of agencies out there. You have to be different. Optidge is a small agency that has intimate relationships with every client. Danny and his team are personally involved in every step of a project.
Having a smaller agency allows there to be greater communication between everyone involved and it creates a fun culture. Danny says his background as a professor and religious man also influences how he runs the agency. Integrating his values and personality positions his business uniquely among others.
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Going remote isn’t so scary
The global situation has forced businesses to go remote. For many, it’s the first time. Danny was a big believer in the office. It brings people together. It keeps the human element of business intact. When Danny almost lost one of his best employees, he reached out to other businesses to learn how to manage a successful remote team.
He realized that it isn’t the end of the world and that having a remote agency is extremely beneficial. While there are still some quirks to work out, Danny is looking to continue growing his remote team. Websites like Acadium have been a priceless resource for finding interns and new hires.
What’s next for Optidge
So, what’s next for Optidge? Danny is mainly looking to expand the agency’s cross-channel strategy. Customers are everywhere. They’re on different channels and seldom convert on a single touchpoint. Optidge is building its marketing funnel, remarketing tactics, and connecting them all together.
Additionally, Danny is preparing for Google’s next huge update. This algorithm change will put a big emphasis on Google’s Core Web Vitals: metrics that measure page speed, user experience, and similar elements of a website.
Danny is also looking forward to the many changes and updates Morphio will be releasing in the near future to help him and our other happy customers continue growing their businesses faster.
