Ryan Stevens Explains What's So Clutch About Clutch.co

Ryan is the Head of Operations and Partnerships at Clutch.co, a free platform for agencies to list their business and connect with clients, that has been around for 6 years. As the market changes, it can be difficult to find quality reviews that showcase trustworthy businesses in a meaningful way, and Clutch does just that. Going a step above just posting customer reviews, they will do a reference call to each individual reviewer and get reputable assessments. Dozens and dozens of sites have the same model but lack the reliability and the truth behind the reviews.

As one of the #1 Google rankings for “Vancouver SEO agency” in Canada, Clutch prides themselves on great content that is helpful for their intended audience and representing users' needs. Being favoured by google searchers is also a factor, but is always a constant battle to stay at the top, Ryan says they are continually finding ways to stay at the top and finding more buyers.

Working as an EHarmony, of sorts, between brands and agencies, is this “Project Matchmaking Service” that Clutch that is currently evolving. As they speak with users leaving reviews, they develop a wealth of knowledge about what makes a business successful and understanding what consumers want. Recognizing that not everyone wants to search for what they’re looking for from hundreds of agencies, they offer recommendations to help to make the decision for them. Ryan recognizes that this sort of service is going to be a big resource in the coming years especially as more and more brands move online and more content exolves.

Ryan stays on top of his “Marketing Game” with these resources:

• Hello Monday Podcast
• Search Engine Land
• Staying on top of customer reviews

Ryan says 3 things Business to Business Marketers needs to be doing in the next few months is:

1. Focusing on your clients and creating relationships (so you can send them to clutch for a great review!)
2. Manage and set expectations, do not over-promise. It WILL come back to bite you.
3. Pay attention to your email and contact forms. Make sure you have someone to reliably manage all incoming communication, as there is so much lost business simply because prospective clients do not receive a response.

Written by Juliana Bermudez