About
Built in Asbury Park. Trusted across the country.
Next Step Connect has been helping local businesses get found, get chosen, and grow since 2014. Here's who we are and how we work.
Founder
Meet Mike Forgie
Mike started Next Step Connect in 2014 with one laptop and a handful of freelance clients. No investors. No fancy office. Just a deep understanding of how people actually search for and choose local businesses.
Since then, he's worked with businesses in dozens of industries: roofers, car dealers, pool builders, lawyers, accountants, fitness studios, apartment complexes, and more. The common thread: every one of them needed more customers, not more marketing jargon.
Mike still leads every client strategy. When you work with Next Step Connect, you're not handed off to a junior account manager. You're working with the person who built the system.
2014
Founded. Over a decade in business.
12+
Industries served.
Top Rated
Recognized on DesignRush.
Asbury Park
Based locally, serving nationwide.
Approach
How we think about marketing
We only target people ready to buy
Impressions and vanity metrics don't pay your bills. Every dollar we spend targets someone actively searching for what you sell, in your area, right now.
We build systems, not campaigns
Campaigns end. Systems compound. We install an SEO, ads, and content presence that keeps generating leads long after the initial setup.
We tell you the truth
If something isn't working, we'll say so. If you don't need a service, we won't sell it to you. Monthly strategy calls in plain English, not 30-page reports full of jargon.
We don't do contracts
Every client stays because the results are worth it. If we're not delivering, you can leave. That's how it should work.
Podcasts & interviews
A digital marketing agency led by an actual digital marketer
AI: The Freelancer's Secret Weapon, with Jordan Wilson on Everyday AI
How Mike builds local authority using AI signals
Fast wins for local SEO, Google Business Profile, and Local Service Ads
AI tools, SEO secrets, and community engagement for local marketing
Results
What our clients have achieved
100
Car buyers in under a month, under budget
Northeast Motorcar
$115K
Revenue from a single ad campaign
Whitelabel Roofer
450%
Maps visibility boost in 6 months
Roofing Company
9
New clients in one month, "life-changing revenue"
Payroll Company
3,019%
Visibility jump in 14 days
Apartment Complex
80
Leases signed for a brand new building
The Arthur Carteret
These aren't hypotheticals. They're real results from real businesses we work with. See our full local SEO, AI visibility, and advertising services.
Ready to see what we can do for your business?
No sales team. No runaround. Just a straight conversation with the person who runs the agency.
Have a question?
Text us and get a real answer, not a bot.
Text Us Now (732) 784-8847Usually responds within the hour
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