Smart50 rank: 12
Revenue: $2,216,418
Growth: 103.53%
Founders: Llew Jury, 37
Head Office: Queensland
Employees: 40
Industry: Internet
Website: www.reloadmedia.com.au
One of the most frustrating aspects of digital marketing is the constant need to keep up with changes Google makes to its search algorithm, which affects rankings and can often completely alter the way a company goes about its search engine optimisation marketing.
These are the challenges faced by SEO firms such as Reload Media, whose managing director Llew Jury says the rapid pace of the industry provides the business with plenty of obstacles to overcome.
“The industry is becoming more and more accountable, which means less professional providers can't hide behind vague numbers. Everything is black and white.”
Nevertheless, Reload Media has managed to break out from the back of small-town SEO firms. The business has 40 employees, offices in New Zealand and London, and turnover of $2.2 million. Jury says there is plenty of potential in its international offices, where the company will be diverting quite a lot of resources.
Jury started the company to focus on what we felt was a lack of customer service in the SEO business.
“A real opportunity existed to perform digital marketing services in a way that wasn't being done. I saw an opportunity to focus on results and deliver real value to clients that wasn't being done by the players in the market at the time.”
Even during the financial crisis, business has kept up, with Jury saying more companies have chosen to divert marketing funds into new methods. “Our business was able to attract companies during that time and maintain them even when things started to improve,” he says.
However, there are other challenges, such as continuing to recruit good staff members and making sure the company continues to grow at a sustainable level.
Part of that means regular discussions with co-director Craig Somerville on business strategy and how the company can improve. Jury says sometimes he needs to take a step back from day-to-day tasks and focus on the overall business.
“A business that thinks it's perfect or can't improve is heading for a fall. You always need to be innovating and improving.”
