DesignedbyCarla

What DesignedbyCarla does

DesignedbyCarla is a privately-held, founder-led digital marketing consultancy established in 2003 in Huntsville, Alabama, by Carla Stiles. The firm provides project-based marketing services to small and medium-sized businesses, organized around three core offerings: the Marketing Initiative (a strategic planning package combining SWOT analysis, SEO competitor research, content cluster strategies, and marketing phase roadmaps), Fractional Marketing (interim marketing leadership, SOP development, and team training), and Pinterest Marketing (a specialized paid social service). Supporting modules include Strategy & Design, Digital Marketing, Web Design, Content Creation, and Coaching & Courses. Technology delivery relies on standard third-party platforms—WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace—for web builds, with SEO, SEM, and PPC as the primary marketing disciplines applied to client engagements. Generative AI tools are used internally for content drafting and outlining, with all AI-produced text human-edited before publication.

The company operates a direct-to-client service model with Carla Stiles personally serving as the marketing advisor, supported by a team of 1-10 employees. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time project fees, with stated minimum investments of $2,000 for Strategy & Design and Content Creation and $3,000 for Web Design, plus ongoing fractional engagements and two-tier Pinterest Marketing packages. Lead acquisition combines a consultative sales motion—website contact forms with budget qualification ($1K-2K, $2K-5K, unlimited)—with a community-led content engine: a blog of over 100 articles, a YouTube 'Learn Something New' series, and active social profiles on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Medium. The firm is bootstrapped, with no disclosed external funding, institutional investors, acquisitions, or partnerships in the source material.

Name

DesignedbyCarla

Legal name

Designedbycarla

Website

https://designedbycarla.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DesignedbyCarla is a founder-led digital marketing consultancy based in Huntsville, Alabama, delivering project-based marketing strategy, fractional CMO services, Pinterest marketing, and web design to small and medium-sized U.S. businesses since 2003.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Marketing Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAFAEAD

Creative Concepting & Campaign Development

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Brand Strategy & Creative Services

Keywords

• Digital marketing services
• Search engine optimization
• Web design services
• Social media marketing
• Marketing strategy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Marketing Strategy & Consulting Services: Project-based professional services including Strategy & Design, Digital Marketing, Web Design, and Content Creation. Services are priced with investment starting points ($2K for Strategy & Design and Content Creation, $3K for Web Design). Revenue is generated through one-time project fees and ongoing consulting engagements through the fractional marketing program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

DesignedbyCarla provides fractional marketing advisory services and project-based digital marketing execution for small to medium-sized businesses. Core offerings include the Marketing Initiative (a strategic marketing guide with SWOT, SEO competitor analysis, and content cluster planning), Fractional Marketing (interim embedded marketing leadership), and specialized Pinterest Marketing campaigns. These are supported by Strategy & Design, Digital Marketing, Web Design, Content Creation, and Coaching & Courses service lines, all delivered personally by founder Carla Stiles.

Product overview

DesignedbyCarla is a marketing agency offering a portfolio of strategic marketing services centered around three core offerings: the Marketing Initiative (a comprehensive marketing strategy guide with SWOT Analysis and SEO tools), Fractional Marketing (personal marketing expert/advisory services), and Pinterest Marketing (specialized social platform marketing). These core services are supported by complementary modules including Strategy & Design (branding, logos, website design, SEO), Digital Marketing (competitor research, campaigns, budget planning), Web Design, Content Creation (social media management), and Coaching & Courses (marketing education). The company positions itself as a full-service marketing partner serving small to medium-sized businesses since 2003.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marketing Initiative A comprehensive marketing strategy guide that provides an objective overview of marketing strategies using tools such as SWOT Analysis, SEO Competitor Comparisons, Content Cluster Strategies, and Marketing Phases with specific goals. Includes a written outline, video overview, and online meeting consultation. Designed for business owners who need clarity and a step-by-step plan for their online marketing.
• Fractional Marketing Personal marketing expert service providing temporary access to an experienced professional developer and marketer, including leadership goals (SWOT marketing), marketing strategy development, budget planning, and execution (SOP) services. Designed for businesses requiring immediate marketing execution, team training, or one-on-one marketing growth guidance without a full-time marketing hire.
• Pinterest Marketing Specialized Pinterest marketing services leveraging the platform as a powerful marketing engine, citing 5x the consumer conversion rate of Facebook and higher spending among Pinners. Includes custom-tailored campaign strategies for target audiences and return on ad spend (ROAS) optimization, offered at two pricing levels.
• Strategy & Design Creative branding service including unique and impactful branding concepts, website designs, logos, and SEO strategies to create an impressive online presence for small to medium-sized businesses. Investment starting at $2K.
• Digital Marketing Professional digital marketing solutions including SEO competitor research, tailored campaigns and budgets, and conversion maximization strategies for small to medium-sized businesses.
• Web Design Website design service creating websites that work for businesses, focusing on crafting an online presence. Investment starting at $3K.
• Content Creation Social media management service providing creative strategy, marketing techniques, optimized posting times, and creative content management. Investment starting at $2K.
• Coaching & Courses Marketing education and coaching service to help business owners learn and implement marketing strategies independently.

Quantifiable outcome

• Client base doubled in 6 months
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• KlientBoost: KlientBoost is a digital marketing agency specializing in PPC, paid media, and conversion optimization. Comparable to DesignedbyCarla in the PPC/paid advertising portion of the service portfolio and SMB-to-mid-market client focus.
• Single Grain: Single Grain is a digital marketing agency offering SEO, content marketing, PPC, and social media services. Comparable to DesignedbyCarla in service breadth, though typically serving slightly larger clients and with a stronger content/education brand.
• Sculpt: Sculpt is a social media and content marketing agency serving SMBs with strategy, content creation, and community management. Overlaps with DesignedbyCarla's content creation and social media management offerings for similar clients.
• Disruptive Advertising: Disruptive Advertising is a PPC and digital advertising agency providing paid media, SEO, and lifecycle marketing. Comparable to DesignedbyCarla in digital advertising capabilities and SMB-to-mid-market client focus.
• Chief Outsiders: Chief Outsiders is a fractional CMO firm providing part-time and interim marketing executive services to mid-market and SMB clients. Directly comparable to DesignedbyCarla's Fractional Marketing offering and target customer pain point.
• Straight North: Straight North is an internet marketing agency offering SEO, PPC, web design, and email marketing to SMB and mid-market clients. Overlaps directly with DesignedbyCarla's core service mix.
• Lyfe Marketing: Lyfe Marketing is a digital marketing agency focused on social media management, content marketing, and SEO for small and medium-sized businesses. Directly comparable to DesignedbyCarla in target customer, service mix, and SMB focus.

Broad incumbents

• WebFX: WebFX is a large, full-service digital marketing agency providing SEO, web design, content, and PPC services. Operates at much greater scale than DesignedbyCarla but serves the same SMB and mid-market customer base with overlapping capabilities.
• SmartSites: SmartSites is a digital marketing agency providing web design, SEO, PPC, and social media services primarily to SMBs. Comparable in service mix to DesignedbyCarla, though operating at a significantly larger scale.
• Thrive Internet Marketing Agency: Thrive is an established full-service digital marketing agency offering SEO, web design, social media, and content marketing to SMB and mid-market clients. Larger and more diversified than DesignedbyCarla but serves overlapping customer needs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/designedbycarla
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@designedbycarla
• Facebookfacebook.com/designedbycarla
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/designedbycarla
• Instagraminstagram.com/designedbycarla
• Pinterestpinterest.com/dbcweb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DesignedbyCarla