Meet the Value-Driven Digital Experts at Blue Compass

Blue Compass was founded on the ideals of forward-thinking services and a welcoming workplace. Seeking a shift from the internal competition ingrained in most agency environments, our co-founders Drew Harden and Cary Coppola set out with a powerful purpose: to create a positive, team-oriented digital marketing and web design company based in Des Moines.

The culture is tailored for team members to feel encouraged to create, collaborate and communicate together to make the largest impact for our clients. In 2007, Blue Compass was born, creating a fun, energetic atmosphere where our team could thrive alongside the growing and fast-paced demands of the digital world.

Our harmonious, integrated vision translates to our mission: to provide a clear digital direction by serving as an extension of each client’s team. Since teamwork comes naturally to Blue Compass team members, we’re able to provide cutting-edge, custom solutions in line with each of our client’s goals with strategies designed to enhance their digital presence. When our data-driven developers and digital marketers put their minds together, we bring out the best in each other and in our clients. Our strong camaraderie enables us to provide the clarity our clients need to succeed online. Amidst so many seismic shifts in the digital realm, we’ve stayed true to our roots and continue to focus on providing the clarity we’ve promised from the beginning.

Dedicated to Digital from Day One

Like many small businesses, Blue Compass began as a dream. And like many ambitious business leaders before them, our founders, Drew and Cary, started out in their respective basements. Lacking stability and benefits, two core principles drove their early days: a commitment to a fun, positive company culture without drama or gossip, and a desire to fully embrace all things digital as a full-scale web design and digital marketing agency in Des Moines. Through networking, numerous coffee outings and strong knowledge of the web, Blue Compass acquired our first clients. On September 28, 2007, Blue Compass launched as an official business.

 Later that year, huddled over Cary’s Motorola Razr flip phone in his basement, the two-man team landed our first major client, a pivotal moment that propelled us to our first office in West Des Moines and the hiring of our first team members. Three office upgrades and 30+ hires later, Blue Compass has transformed into the award-winning digital marketing agency it is today. Most recently, Blue Compass expanded to encompass our West48 Conference Center, which has quickly become a hot spot for local business gatherings and events. This space has allowed us to host regular digital marketing workshops to share the latest trends and updates with marketing professionals in our community. Our continued interdepartmental growth is the direct result of the key values ingrained into each of our team members from day one, driving our vision to become a trusted voice in the ever-evolving digital landscape—and having lots of fun while doing it.

We Live Our Values Beyond the Buzzwords as an Extension of Your Team

At Blue Compass, our values don’t come from a handbook—they come straight from the heart. We believe in values that are put into practice every day in the work we do together and on behalf of our clients. It’s not hard to walk the walk when we truly believe in the work we’re doing. More than that, we respect the trust our clients place in us and let their goals and unique requests define the exciting work we get to do every day. Our clients are up to a lot of cool things, and celebrating success together is our ultimate indicator of a job well done. When we invest in our clients, our team members and the values that drive us, we get more than results—we get lasting relationships that help us serve as an extension of each client’s team. The principles at Blue Compass’s core include:

We firmly believe that the strongest foundation for a productive team is a positive mindset. Being optimistic allows us to approach every client and every project with an open mind that fosters a collaborative spirit and creates space for innovative ideas. Striving for positivity means striving to be our best, and it shows in our work, which offers the highest care and consideration for each client’s goals.

The digital world is constantly developing, and our team has advanced right alongside it, adding mobile app development, custom content management system (CMS) creation, SEO, content marketing, user experience services and more to our comprehensive digital capabilities over the years. Growing our collective expertise is a fundamental goal we all share as we strive to be the most knowledgeable experts in the web industry. Passion can’t be taught, so we’re lucky it comes naturally to each of our team members who all commit to learn and educate one another for a unified team across departments.

At the end of the day, positivity has a clear impact on productivity. Because we’ve eliminated barriers like negativity and inter-office competition, we can tell you there’s nothing stopping our team from giving our all. Our frequent laughter and goofy shenanigans go a long way in inspiring our team to have fun completing the highest quality work for our clients. We are our best when our Des Moines digital marketing and web development teams put our minds together, allowing us to produce work we are proud of.

Because our team members take the time to check in on each other and step in when needed to deliver our best work, we’re able to be the efficient, responsive partner our clients count on. Every client team is staffed with our digital experts from their respective disciplines, but the end result is the clear digital direction clients know they can expect from a team that works together. We don’t just meet promised deliverables—we exceed client expectations and open doors to new opportunities through a prominent digital presence. 

What can we say? We like each other. We may get up to some good-natured antics from time to time, but we treat each other and our clients with the utmost professionalism and courtesy (though we reserve the right to bring out our silly side internally from time to time). There isn’t a mean spirit among us! Surrounded by a team that embodies all the values Blue Compass established early on, we continue to pride ourselves on an exceptional company culture that shines through in the expertise we provide to our clients.

Digital Marketing & Web Design Direction You Can Count On

Ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small family businesses, our clients are in nearly every industry, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Every client is unique, and we love finding the right approach for each. Whether outlining an SEO-first digital marketing strategy or designing a responsive web template, we aim to exceed client expectations every time. When it comes to the vast scope of the web, there is no one size fits all solution, but there are best practices and trends we stay ahead of to constantly have the latest recommendations and strategies for our clients.

Simply put, Blue Compass is a partnership, not a platform. When you start your relationship with Blue Compass, you are signing up for much more than a platform solution. Instead, you'll begin a long-lasting, positive partnership backed by an entire team of the best people in digital, design and development.

“We felt during our process that Blue Compass is a part of our team. It’s just an extension of our company. We refer to that with our investors, with our Board of Directors. [They’re] our marketing arm…These are people that care. They work as a team. They are always looking out not only for the best of their employees but their customers and their clients.” -Mike Ingham, Chief Sales Officer at HK Solutions Group

The Blue Compass process begins with getting to know our clients, understanding their business and ultimately defining the goals that will drive the growth they desire. We never lose sight of the big picture, even as we take a deep dive into the technical aspects of each client’s web presence. We have the time, resources and extensive brain power fueled by our dedicated Des Moines SEO team to translate our clients’ vision into reality. Our account executives and project managers oversee the scope of our projects and diligently keep clients informed along the way, while our digital marketing and web development teams work together to address the challenges currently prohibiting growth. It’s a proven process that time and time again has transformed the way our clients do business. Because of the trust we’ve earned from our clients and the success we share together, we’ve been able to evolve into the award-winning digital marketing agency we are today.

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Awards

Leading with our values has allowed Blue Compass to emerge as an award-winning digital marketing agency in Des Moines, helping clients around the world keep up with the ever-changing demands to stay relevant in an age dominated by technology. Our accolades include:

• US Search Awards: Best Use of Search B2B (SEO) - HK Solutions Group
• US Agency Awards: Best Company Culture During COVID Winner
• US Search Awards: Best Local SEO Campaign - Wolfe Eye Clinic
• Adobe Showcase Featured Website: Ruan Transportation & Spalding Equipment
• American Graphic Design Awards

Certifications

Living up to our value to continually grow our expertise, our certified web developers and digital marketers have earned a variety of credentials through continuing education and advanced training:

• Google Partner
• Google Analytics Qualified Individual
• Hubspot Academy Inbound Marketing Certification
• Hubspot Academy Content Marketing Certified
• MCTS: Active Directory
• MCTS: Network Infrastructure
• MCTS: Applications Infrastructure

Community Involvement

As a small business local to the Des Moines Metro, we aim to not only be a leader online but also in our community at large. We dedicate workdays for our team members to volunteer annually, assisting organizations including:

• Food Bank of Iowa
• Easterseals
• Meals from the Heartland
• YSS
• Ronald McDonald House
• Rebuilding Together
• And more!

We also maintain memberships in several community groups and leadership organizations:

• West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce
• Urbandale Chamber of Commerce
• National Federation of Independent Business of Iowa
• Technology Association of Iowa

In addition, Blue Compass is well-known for our inspiring company culture in West Des Moines, and co-founder Drew Harden regularly speaks at events dedicated to developing an inviting company culture.

Happy People Do the Best Work

It’s a simple sentiment, but it really is true: happy people are motivated, productive and committed to the company vision when they feel like a valued member of the team. And all of our team members are valued as our greatest asset driving the Blue Compass mission. We love what we do, and it shines through in everything we touch at Blue Compass. From team lunches in the Compass Cafe to regular touch base meetings with our clients, the positive atmosphere is evident in all the work we do together. After all, happiness is contagious!

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Find Your Clear Digital Direction with Blue Compass

For a clear digital direction you can depend on, Blue Compass is the best digital marketing agency to deliver on your goals. We’ve been doing digital since before it was cool, and now that your competitors have likely developed their own web presence, it’s time to realize what’s possible with exciting new solutions. Get in touch with our Des Moines SEO and web design specialists to get started elevating your web presence today.