With a team of over 30 digital marketing specialists spanning various domains, including web design, copywriting, SEO, Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and more, Excite Media exemplifies the power of synergy. It’s not just about design or strategy; it’s about the harmonious fusion of both to maximize clients’ digital marketing investments.
In this exclusive interview, we will learn more about Excite Media and its philosophy from Scott Maynard. From their “customer hat” approach to website design and digital marketing campaigns that get “real world results”, to their innovative work culture — Excite Media’s story is one of passion, perseverance, and a genuine desire to radiate positivity into the world.
Maynard, who co-founded the company alongside his high school friend Nathanael Hubbard, takes us on a journey to explore the inner workings of Excite Media, from their four-day workweek and flexible hours to the remarkable impact of their positive work culture on their team and clients.
Q. Let’s start with Excite Media’s journey since its establishment in 2006. How did it all begin and what are the key milestones that have shaped your agency’s growth?
Scott: It’s fun to look back on the journey, not just for Excite Media, but for the evolution of the technology that transformed the industry. It’s a relatively young industry, but it’s seen a huge rate of change over the last 20 years.
When we started back in 2004 (under our previous name SnapSoft), many businesses still didn’t have a website, so the majority of our work was simply getting businesses online. We like to think we did this with creative flair in line with the “modern” aesthetic, although looking back at some of our initial work sometimes has me thinking otherwise! Having said that, my baggy jeans were also very cool at the time.
With many of our clients’ competitors not yet having a professional website, we found that our clients stood out from the competition and gained more business by having a professional online presence. As the 2010s arrived, the marketplace started getting crowded, so businesses had to be intentional about their “online marketing” (which was the more popular term until “digital marketing” reigned supreme).
We were gradually introducing Digital Marketing into our offering, with Google Ads and SEO being our main channels. SEO in particular has seen the biggest changes. Fortunately, gone are the days when you could rank by listing every suburb within a 100km radius in your website footer, in white text, and on a white background!
Fast-forward to today – Digital Marketing services account for over 75% of our business. We enjoy working with clients beyond creating websites for them because it allows us to drive the results to help them grow their businesses.
Q. What would you say sets Excite Media apart from other digital marketing agencies?
Scott: Being an established business, we’re fortunate enough to be able to think long-term with everything we do. We try to find the right-fit clients whom we know we can get positive results for, rather than taking on every project that comes our way.
But I would say it’s genuinely our team that sets us apart. The shared knowledge we have across our specialists, combined with the culture of genuine care for our colleagues and clients, translates into happy clients who are seeing positive results for their businesses.
Q. Could you provide insights into your approach to website design, particularly the emphasis on a UX-first approach, lead generation, and copywriting for conversion?
Scott: We find the best approach (and often most overlooked), is boiling things back down to the target audience. Websites convert best when the customer feels the site is speaking directly to them. That’s where having a deep understanding of the audience is critical.
To properly craft a website, we need to understand the mindset of the audience, their place in their buying journey, and their potential objections. It’s amazing how much of a difference it makes to put your “customer hat” on when developing a website strategy.
Q. The adoption of a 4-day workweek and flexible working hours is quite interesting. How has this impacted your team’s productivity and the quality of your work?
Scott: We’ve always tried to offer as much flexibility as possible to our team, so when we heard about the concept of a 4-day workweek in 2019, it certainly piqued our interest. After some careful planning, we embarked on a 3-month trial.
We chose Wednesdays as our “work-free day” and have enjoyed the way it breaks up the week. It’s great seeing how different members of our team spend their Wednesdays. For some, it’s a hit of golf, learning an instrument, or getting outdoors. For others, it’s simply a way to keep on top of their “life admin”. The feedback from our team has been overwhelmingly positive, and we can’t imagine going back to “the old way”!
Q. Excite Media has a positive work culture. Can you elaborate on some of the elements that contribute to this positive atmosphere?
Scott: Our philosophy has always been to focus on “Team Happiness” first and foremost, as we believe that a happy team produces great work and will look after our clients. We actively collect feedback from our team on a weekly basis, so we can have our fingers on the pulse of what’s working and what needs to be improved.
While the positive culture is something we’ve actively worked on instilling as a business, it’s really the amazing individuals on the team who keep the momentum going. We’re proud of our team, and it’s extremely rewarding seeing the sense of camaraderie, the peer-to-peer support, and the positive acknowledgment of each other each and every day.
Q. Looking ahead, what are Excite Media’s goals and aspirations for the future?
Scott: Well, we’re looking forward to the next phase of evolution in the industry, which we believe will be centered around AI. The crazy thing is, we’ve only just seen the tip of the iceberg of what AI can do. We’re experimenting with how the early AI technologies can help our clients accelerate their marketing, and what new opportunities will be presented.
With the AI revolution starting to become mainstream, it will be interesting to see what the next Internet superpower will be. With Google having been the dominant force over the last 20 years, will there be a new player to make a challenge? There are certainly exciting times ahead of us!
To keep up-to-date with Excite Media or leverage their valuable services, visit their website or connect with them on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
