2 Dogs Media

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing, handling digital and traditional marketing for three boating equipment companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 2 Dogs Media?

Our website was sitting on dated code, which was negatively impacting our SEO.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

She ran a thorough audit, which included an evaluation of our SEO standings, internal link health, and instances of 404 errors on our site. That allowed her to adjust photos and assets to their proper sizes for increased site speed and improved UX. 

After the review, it was clear that there were some areas that needed improvement. She collaborated with us to enhance the website at that point. Following the audit, she completely recoded our site, rebuilding it on WordPress. 

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with Jill (Owner). 

How did you come to work with 2 Dogs Media?

I found her through a Google search. Initially, I wanted to do a site audit to evaluate the quality of our existing code. Their website came up, and I reached out to them. We immediately got along, and we employed her to handle an audit of our site to discover where we were failing and how we could improve.

How much have you invested with them?

For the audit and site rebuilds, we spent about $8,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2018, and our collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Her work contributed to an increase in users and sessions on our sites. She improved our SEO, which allowed for those improvements. We’ve seen amazing growth in people coming to our site. 

How did 2 Dogs Media perform from a project management standpoint?

She’s driven to respond to emails as fast as possible, which keeps the project moving. Jill met all deadlines for the site rebuilds and has been timely in all areas. We communicate through email, phone calls, and Google Hangouts. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Jill cares about the companies she partners with, making sure they’re satisfied and growing. She carries that burden on her back and wants to be the best for us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes, I’m uncertain about how to make changes to the site. In those cases, she often redirects me to WordPress tutorials to increase my knowledge. Sometimes, I want a quick answer but can appreciate that she’s aiming to help me learn on my own.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear outline of your goals for the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of outreach and education at an environmental conservation organization. We provide tools and resources for other land and water conservation groups to support the work they do on the ground.

One of my main responsibilities is overseeing and managing our collection of websites. We leverage these platforms to educate our members, the public, and legislators on the various work that we do.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 2 Dogs Media?

Our goal is to properly and fully communicate our resources to individual supporters to help them access the appropriate tools. Because we work with a variety of causes, we have a series of websites that can’t be melded together. We want to build a specific brand for each website that can educate and engage key stakeholders on that issue.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

2 Dogs Media converted all of our websites to WordPress platforms. Within each site, they integrated customized functionalities that allow us to update and share specific content and improved our conference proposal and request for proposal (RFP) processes. Users have the ability to share information from the sites, like job or real-estate listings.

2 Dogs Media hosts most of our platforms and they’re currently updating one of the websites. They continue to provide ongoing support and make changes or fixes on a need-by-need basis.

What is the team composition?

We work with Jill, the owner of 2 Dogs Media.

How did you come to work with 2 Dogs Media?

We shared an RFP that detailed the project and about 30 companies sent in proposals. We narrowed it down to about 5, then conducted an interview with each. In the end, we chose 2 Dogs Media for their price, experience in the nonprofit area, and level of technical skill.

Additionally, 2 Dogs Media offered a consistent partnership. We knew we wouldn’t be handed off to an administrative representative and we’d always have access to someone who was knowledgeable about the development process and prepared to answer our questions.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we’ve spent $20,000–$25,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2014 and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We receive compliments on the website’s design. With 2 Dogs Media, we’ve been able to improve our internal processes in terms of website management and maintenance. Our staff can access all of our platforms through one universal login and easily update or upgrade the content. We’ve also streamlined our organizations digital RFP application process. 2 Dogs Media’s level of technical knowledge helps them figure out what tools work best for each application.

How did 2 Dogs Media perform from a project management standpoint?

We generally communicate a couple of times a week. It’s been extremely beneficial to have one person on our project who is familiar with our websites and our general organization. 2 Dogs Media is very responsive to our requests and quickly answers all of our questions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

2 Dogs Media is very knowledgeable about WordPress technology. They provide unique customizations that completely align with our needs. Also, I know that 2 Dogs Media offers other services related to marketing strategy and, based on their level of expertise, once we have a budget for that I plan on using them for those services as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As 2 Dogs Media grows, I think they could benefit from building up their team. Sometimes, it’s difficult for them to respond because of the multiple projects they are working on. It hasn’t been a big issue for us, but it’s something I think they should consider for the future.

Any advice for potential customers?

Clients should understand their goals and objectives before entering into a partnership with 2 Dogs Media. I also recommend that they have someone on their staff to learn about the technology behind WordPress. That way, they’re able to take full advantage of the platform and leverage it to help their business internally.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of operations at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts. We’re a nonprofit arts and music school, and the largest independent community music school in New Jersey.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 2 Dogs Media?

Our organization has three main programs. One is the Performing Arts School, where we teach all instruments and voice. It also encompasses our musical theater program. The second branch is the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which includes 15 ensembles of young players from grades three to 12. The third and final branch is the Paterson Music Project, which involves bringing music programs to underprivileged communities. Our goal for this project was to educate people on the broad variety of work that we do in our community.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had previously engaged another company to redesign the site, but the project was done very poorly. We had some very specific ideas on the design we wanted due to the RFP we initially sent out, and due to the fact that we’d had a bad experience. We provided 2 Dogs Media with an in-depth description of what we were looking for, and the team got to work right away. The whole process took about a year, which was in line with what we were expecting, and it was a great experience overall.

What is the team composition?

I communicated solely with Jill (Owner, 2 Dogs Media), who then liaised with the rest of her team.

How did you come to work with 2 Dogs Media?

We found them while doing online research on development companies that had experience working with nonprofits. I saw some of their past work, and it was very much in line with what we were looking to accomplish. We also spoke with several previous clients of theirs, and they were all very happy with the experiences they had with 2 Dogs Media. We ended up bidding out to three companies and choosing 2 Dogs upon hearing back.

In terms of what stood out to us, their team answered our questions thoroughly and intentionally in a way that demonstrated their understanding of the project. They also maintain a very reasonable cost structure; the value they offer for the price sets them apart from their competitors.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2018, and the new site launched in June.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our board members have been very pleased with the new design. With the old site, they would often avoid referring people to it, as it failed to effectively represent our organization. The new site tells our story in a clear and concise manner.

We’ve also gotten fewer calls from prospective students and families, as the website facilitates and streamlines the connection to our registration portal. From a marketing standpoint, we’re still currently gathering metrics on the sites performance.

How did 2 Dogs Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed fantastically. Whenever we had questions, Jill would respond quickly and answer thoroughly, but in a way that we could understand. She very effectively bridged the gap between art in the design process and technology in the implementation process, which was extremely helpful for us. She also communicated clearly and transparently on timelines and where we were in the project.

Depending on the phase of the engagement, we communicated anywhere from weekly to daily. Since she’s still hosting our site, we still talk about twice a month. Jill understood us and our goals very early on, and we worked well together on a personal level. She provided substantive suggestions while also accommodating our requests in terms of specific images/content we wanted to include. She takes a collaborative approach, which made for a very smooth project.

Any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear understanding of what you’re looking to accomplish, and make sure that the person on your end that communicates with their team can accurately convey project goals.