8bitstudio®

BACKGROUND

Could you give a brief description of your company and what you do?

Our main company is Mount Olivet Rolling Acres, and we work with people with developmental and other disabilities. We provide a full range of services for them, from going into the family homes and helping them to have group homes, having adult day services and, recently, we branched out into another division of home help. A lot of times, it’s the elderly, going into their homes and helping with some cooking and cleaning. We have skilled nursing staff if someone needs home healthcare as far as nursing goes, whether it be post-operative diabetic healthcare, and so on. That’s the project that I worked with 8bitstudio on, for our new home healthcare division.

What is your role in the organization?

I’m the marketing and communications director. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

When you approached 8bitstudio, what was the business challenge you were trying to address?

We wanted to make a separate website from our main website. We’ve run our community for more than 45 years, serving people with disabilities. So, we have that recognition of an organization that works with people with disabilities. We wanted to send a kind of signal that we can help other people as well; the general population, the older population, anyone who has any sort of medical need that we need to come into their home. So, that was what we were trying to figure out how to do. One of the tasks we wanted to do was create a separate website so that it wasn’t still tied into our historical service area.   

SOLUTION

Can you tell us more about the scope of the work with 8bitstudio? Did it include design, development, training, and support?

Yes. Pretty much all inclusive. We started out with what we wanted it to look like. They gave me some ideas, we bounced ideas off of each other, and they designed it. I would send them the content of what we wanted written in each of the sections, and they put it in there. It was very easy: No fuss caused.

Is this in a separate content management system from your main site?

We are contemplating switching and having them help design or redesign our main website now as well. So, yes, it’s completely different than what we have currently for our main website.

Will you be able to edit the website yourself, or is it something that 8bitstudio will continue to maintain and update?

Yes. We’re able to do small, minor changes. I’m not going to go in and try to change graphics around or do anything like that. But, yes, I can edit some content and do the small changes, which is something that we wanted to do, too. We wanted to be able to go in there, make those changes, and not have to rely on someone else to do it for the life of the website.

What was your process for selecting 8bitstudio to work with in the first place?

We started doing some TV commercials earlier, back in November, which got me thinking. We came up with the plan to do a website, and then I talked to our ad rep for the TV station and asked for recommendations. She gave me a list of different design places that she’s worked with or that her co-workers have worked with.

I went down the list, and I went to their websites. I didn’t really like some of things that some of the other places did. We wanted to keep home health site really simple because of the people that we’re trying to reach. We just wanted it to be really clean and simple and easy to use so that they didn’t get frustrated and click off. I liked the smaller studio with 8bitstudio. The other websites that they have designed really looked what I wanted ours to look like as well. So, I gave them a call.

Can you give us a sense of the size of the initiative, either in a cost range or a personnel work-hour figure?

If I remember correctly, our total cost was between $6,000 and $7,000.

When was that completed?

We went live a couple of weeks ago. It was probably the first or second week in March [of 2014].

How long did the project take?

About three months. For a lot of that, they were waiting on our end. We didn’t have a whole lot of visitors; we were brand new. We had to go get some pictures to put on the website. We had to figure out exactly what we want to put on there. So, it took about three months to get everything coordinated and put together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you describe any initial results or qualitative feedback that you’ve received about the work?

As far as outside people, a caseworker told me it has good information that she could use for her clients that need that sort of service. Internally, within the home heath team, I think everyone’s pretty happy with it, likes the way that it looks, and that it is easy to use. My boss always jokes, “For an old guy like me, I can use it.” We’re happy with the way that it looks and flows. Now that we’re growing, hopefully, we’ll see that people will find our website and then contact us based on that.

How would you describe 8bitstudio’s performance?

They were great to work with. This isn’t something that I’ve done before, so I don’t have anything to compare it to, but it was great working with Matthew [Schroeder, the owner and creative director of 8bitstudio]. If I had a question, I would send him an email, and I always got a response within the same day. A lot of times, it was within an hour. I really liked that. They were really responsive to my questions because it was a learning process for me.

I would ask, “What if we do this?,” and because they know more than I do, they would say, “OK, that’s good. We can do that. Part of it we’re going to change a little bit more because this will help you in this way", whether for search engine optimization or that sort of thing. So, just the responsiveness of Matthew and his team was great. Sometimes, if you work with someone, you feel like you can be a pest sometimes if you don’t know what you’re doing exactly. I just didn’t feel that way at all when I was working with them.

Looking back, is there any area that you think 8bitstudio could improve on or that you would do differently?

Honestly, I don’t think so. I was really pleased with their design work, and their responsiveness was great. They had good ideas to give me because I didn’t know exactly how we wanted it to be. I just gave them a couple of ideas and websites that I liked, and they took it and ran with it. They were just fantastic to work with.

BACKGROUND

Can you give a brief description of your company and your role?

I own a human resources and organizational development consulting firm. I basically serve as the external HR resource for small businesses. I’m the president and founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

When you approached 8bitstudio, what was the business challenge that you were trying to address?

I wanted to have a visible, credible website so that when I give clients my card, they have a place to go and learn more about me. I didn’t have a huge budget to work with, so I was going to try to create my own website. But, it would not have been as professional as I wanted it to be. In contacting 8bitstudio, he was able to work with my budget and give me a really nice looking site.

What were your goals for the website?

I wanted it to have a bio about me because, in my business as a consultant, it’s about the relationship that they have with me. So, I wanted it to say who I am, what I stand for, and what I can do for their business. I wanted it to list testimonials. In researching, someone takes 30 seconds to look at your website and make a judgment, so my goal was for them to see something really professional that would make them want to contact me. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of the project?

They did my website, my logo, and my business cards.

Why did you select 8bitstudio to work with in the first place?

I was actually referred to them. Funny enough, I put a posting on Facebook saying, “Does anyone know of a good Web designer that isn’t outrageously expensive that I should contact?” One of my Facebook friends said to call this place.

Can you give a sense of the size of the project, either in a cost range or in a personnel work hour figure?

I’d say my total investment for everything [website, business cards, and logo design] was within about $5,000.

How long did the project take?

It was around May of 2013 when we started working on the website. I launched it in August. That’s really because of me, taking forever with my Web copy.

Are you still working with 8bitstudio?

He does ongoing work. We just did some updates to the website. We did a new design layout for my business card. So, I’m still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of the results of the project, are there any metrics or feedback that you can share that indicate the effectiveness of the work?

People compliment me on the website and say that it’s really nice. 8bitstudio sends me, at the end of each month, my metrics from the site traffic and where it’s coming from. Each month, it gets better. I get more hits there from my Google searches and people stay on certain pages longer.

How has the work impacted your business?

When I ask someone to go to my website, I’m excited for them to see it because I think they’re going to be impressed by it. Prior to that, when I created my own, I almost tried to discourage people from going to the website. I feel good about it. I feel like people see it. Everyone who has seen it tells me they’re impressed by it.

Is there a way for you to generate client leads from your new site?  

Yes. I have a contact form. I also have an area where people can sign up for the newsletter.

How would you describe the performance of 8bitstudio?

My main contact was Matthew [Schroeder, the owner and creative director of 8bitstudio], and I know there’s a team that works there. The one thing that stands out for me is I would have these ideas, and I would call him and say, “This is what I’m thinking about doing.” He didn’t hold back in giving his recommendation and why. He talked me through it if perhaps my idea wasn’t a good idea. I always appreciated that. In the end, I have a better site because of that.

One example is on my banner pages, and trying to put too much text on them. He said, you’ve got a banner page and someone’s not going to take the time to read an entire paragraph, full caps. So, you want that to be short and sweet to catch them. I wouldn’t even have thought of that because it’s just not the field that I’m in.

I really appreciate the recommendations and just their design help in general. Even with the redesign of my new business card. I had a completely separate idea, and I sent it to him. By the time we talked through it, we ended up with something totally different that I liked better.

Is there any area that you think 8bitstudio could improve upon or that you would do differently?

Not off the top of my head. I can’t say I have any complaints.

Do you have anything else to add?

They’re obviously good at what they do. I’m happy with the work they’ve done. I am a repeat customer because I’m working with them yet again on redesigning my card and updating my site, and I’ve referred people. That’s probably the best compliment as a business owner, is someone who comes back and someone who refers people.

BACKGROUND

Please give a brief description of your company and your role.

I run a dog boarding and training facility; a small one. It’s a brand new little kennel. We’re in the country about three miles out of Shelly, [Minn.,] so it’s very remote. But, I get clients coming from Grand Forks, Fargo, and Crookston. They come from more than 50 miles away to board their dogs here. I started this business last year in January, and it’s growing a lot. I do boarding, training, consultation, and I write articles in some small papers about dogs. I have another business, Eagle Tree Horsemanship, where we have a horse clinic and horseback riding lessons.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

When you went to work with 8bitstudio, what was the business challenge that you were trying to address?

The first time was with the horse site. I first started working with Matthew [Schroeder, founder of 8bitstudio] in 2006. We’ve known each other for years. So, when I started with the kennel, he designed that whole website, too. It is so beautiful. Everybody loves it. It’s just different, it’s unique, and he just hit it right again. 

SOLUTION

What other services has 8bitstudio provided? Which of them has had the greatest impact on improving your business?

Definitely my website. I’m 50 miles away from Grand Forks and Fargo, but when people go looking for pet boarding and training, my website comes up. For people from Grand Forks, it comes up on the first page out of the 128,000 other websites. The website is what’s been giving me the customers and the very great feedback. With my blog, he’s taught me how to use that blog. He created my Facebook page and told me how to manage that page, plus my own personal page. That gives me a lot of customers.

He’s also made me a [promotional banner], a big tarp one that you can fold and roll and hang up. You can have it hanging it in your kennel, but you can also bring it out to events. He made me beautiful business cards. He has made cards for me, he has made flyers, but what’s more important is that he is very business savvy, and he helps me. I can ask him questions, and he’s always ready to take time to answer them and give me his thoughts. He has set up a Google Calendar and taught me how to use the Drive. He helps me structure my business, so it gets easier for me to do.

Do you manage the website yourself now?

No. That’s through him. The only thing I manage on my website is my blog. I don’t want to have to do anything like that. I leave that up to them.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative, either the cost or personnel work hour figure?

It was about $6,000 for the website. [For the remaining work,] I can’t remember. We have a lot of ongoing business together. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How would you describe 8bitstudio’s performance?

I don’t know what I would do without Matthew and 8bitstudio. They’re young, and they’ve got all these wild good ideas, but they’re also very good with business. They’re very great people to work with and patient, too. I just would never want to go anywhere else. They’ve got a heart and soul. You can tell that they like what they do, and they want to do their best. I feel very lucky that I’m working with them.

He’s always figuring out a little extra touch and stepping it up one level. It’s always exciting if you want him to do something. I just let him do it because I trust him.

When working with 8bitstudio, was there anything unique or special about them compared to the other companies that you may have worked with in the past?

They’re very professional and very business savvy, but they’re also very personal. They’re very good to listen to what you want and your ideas. They’re very respectful because they take all your suggestions and ideas, and then I trust him and leave it to him. He comes up with a lot of ideas. Then, he comes back to me [for feedback]. He’s just a 110 percent into his work, but he’s very respectful and professional, and a very nice person to work with. I can only say good things about them.

Is there any area that 8bitstudio could maybe improve on or that you would do differently?

No. I wouldn’t know what it would be. I think they know. I feel that they’re not at a standstill. I feel they’re always looking to better themselves. I think the wheels are constantly turning at 8bitstudio, mentally and physically. I feel they’re always moving forward.