What Led Zelst to Cut Reporting Time by 50%

Eighteen years ago, Peter Van Zelst and his wife Sarah started a small digital marketing agency called Zelst. What began as a one-man operation in their bedroom quickly grew into a thriving business. “We are now a team of 17-18 potentially,” Peter shares, reflecting on their remarkable journey. Back in 2006, the digital marketing landscape was still in its infancy. Peter and Sarah were determined to carve out a niche by helping clients be seen and get found online. “It’s all about basically helping our clients to be seen and get found, which is what our slogan is,” Peter emphasizes. But with growth came challenges, especially in the area of reporting.

The Reporting Nightmare

As the team expanded, so did the complexity of their reporting needs. Producing reports became a time-consuming and labor-intensive task. “It was taking us about 10 days in total to do that work,” Peter recalls. They used various tools like Moz, SEMrush, Ahrefs, LinkedIn, and Google Analytics, pulling data from multiple sources and compiling it manually. It was clear they required a more efficient solution.

Finding Swydo

In their quest for a better reporting tool, Zelst came across Swydo. The platform’s capabilities immediately caught their attention. Swydo integrated multiple data sources into one cohesive platform, streamlining the entire process. “Swydo has simplified our reporting,” Peter states, highlighting the platform’s impact on their workflow.

With Swydo, Zelst saw a dramatic improvement in efficiency.The time required to produce reports was cut in half. “Now, with Swydo, we’ve saved about 50% of the time,” Peter proudly shares. This newfound efficiency allowed the team to focus more on strategic tasks and less on data compilation.

Streamlined Client Communication

One of Swydo’s standout features is its ability to provide clients with a live dashboard link. This link allows clients to view their reports on their computer or download them as a PDF. “The idea that they get a link to a dashboard which they can read on their computer or download as a PDF is what our clients appreciate,” explains Peter. This level of accessibility and transparency has greatly enhanced their client relationships.

Customization is key in digital marketing, and Swydo excels in this area. Zelst can pull in live data and customize reports to suit their clients’ needs. “We can pull in data live, and being able to customize it in a way that looks quite nice to the client is important,” notes Peter.

This feature ensures that their reports are not only informative but also visually appealing.

Improving Client Satisfaction

Zelst’s clients have noticed the difference too. The quality of information they provide has improved, and the streamlined process means clients get the data they need faster. “Swydo has made our reporting more efficient and has improved the quality of information we provide to our clients,” shares Peter.

This has given them a competitive edge in the digital marketing space.

A Versatile Tool for Various Need

At Zelst, Swydo is used for more than just client reporting. It’s become an integral part of their internal processes as well. For instance, they use it for weekly catch-ups with clients, pulling data in real-time to discuss ongoing projects. One specific instance where Swydo truly stood out for the team at Zelst was when they needed to consolidate complex data sets into a single, easy-to-read report for a high-profile client. Previously, this task would involve manually compiling data from various sources into Excel spreadsheets, a process that took several days and was prone to errors.

With Swydo, however, they were able to automate this process seamlessly. “We had a client asking us yesterday because they were looking to compare previous months. We used to send and include a PDF in the tool drive folder, but now we just give them a link to the dashboard. It’s all there, live, and up-to-date,” Peter recounts.

This not only saved them significant time but also impressed the client with the professionalism and real-time accuracy of the reports. Swydo’s ability to pull in data live and present it in a user-friendly format proved to be a game-changer in maintaining client satisfaction and trust.

Support That Stands Out

Customer support is crucial when adopting new software, and Swydo has not disappointed. “We like it. We find it really useful. It’s helped us an awful lot. I think generally the help is very good,” acknowledges Peter. Having a responsive and helpful support team has made their transition to Swydo smooth and stress-free.

Zelst’s journey with Swydo is a testament to the power of finding the right tools to support your business goals. From their humble beginnings to becoming a team of nearly 20, Swydo has been an invaluable partner in their growth. As they continue to help their clients be seen and found, Swydo will be there, simplifying their reporting and enhancing their efficiency every step of the way.

Join us for a walkthrough today and discover how to transform your reporting, supercharge your efficiency, and crush your agency goals.