Agnian

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the communications manager for a global financial services and technology company. We are based in Melbourne, Australia, with a secondary branch in London, UK. We also maintain smaller offices in the UK and various countries in Asia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Agnian?

We needed a website renewal. Each office had individual WordPress sites, but we wanted a singular, centralized site where we could manage all of our locations and refresh our look.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created a new website for us, designing the look and integration through Drupal. They also provided a way for us to manage it centrally. We had the general flow, branding insight, and style guide already determined. From that, they built the wireframe from scratch, and we provided the content.

We wanted to be sure that any page we created could be adapted for all our sites. For instance, not all of our product-specific pages or board members would be published on every site, but we wanted to be sure we could copy content to multiple branches.

We host the site, but they still provide technical updates. We’re talking to them now about establishing an ongoing maintenance contract so they’re on-hand whenever we need their expertise, or if something goes awry.

What is the team composition?

They provided a team of about three people. Our project manager was our primary point of contact. He dealt with our day-to-day needs, and occasionally put us in touch with a head developer when we had technical questions.

How did you come to work with Agnian?

We have another Armenian vendor for software development. We felt our money would have more impact with an Armenian developer. We had a shortlist of about four companies that stood out, and Agnian was the most impressive. They weren’t our least expensive option, but they listened to our needs and had the most experience. We felt they could deliver better than the other candidates.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost about $40,000 Australian [$30,697 US].

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from June 2015 to December 2016. Our company changed so fast in the middle of the project, which accounted for the project length. They were very patient with us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is so much better. It gives us all the functionality we wanted, and we’re delighted with how easy it is to manage. We have a new marketing manager. As a result, we’ve moved away from the original look they created, but we hope to use them again to make changes.

They provided an adaptable site that lets us create content and evolve as our needs changed. We’re able to tailor it ourselves, which I really appreciate. Now that we’ve launched, it’s easy to maintain on our end.

How did Agnian perform from a project management standpoint?

They did very well. Our contact was very responsive, and took his time to really understand what we were after. This was an iterative process, so he delivered what he thought we meant, then we had an exchange to get the product where we wanted it.

Most of our communication was via email, with catchups over the phone. We also visited Armenia a couple of times for face-to-face meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most important thing is how much we like them. They’re nice people who are easy to work with, and they genuinely want to deliver the best product they can. We’re really impressed by the attention they showed us, and we feel valued as a customer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only drawback was the time difference. If ever something needed a quick turnaround, the distance sometimes added a little extra time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you know what you want. Any delays or extra costs we experienced happened because we were still working out our project. The more prepared you are, the more they will be able to deliver.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing and sales for GlucoMe. We’re developing a diabetes management solution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Agnian?

We needed a website built and help with branding. We wanted to define target audiences and align our website’s look and feel and primary messaging so that it would be something intuitive, understood, and professional-looking to those audiences. This goes directly to the consumers, so it had to attract medical professionals, patients, and insurance companies. It wasn’t easy to combine three different messages into one website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started from scratch. Our company had just developed the product, so no marketing whatsoever had been developed.

I discussed with them what technology to use. In Israel, most of the companies use WordPress for many reasons, but after discussing my vision for the site now and into the future, they suggested Drupal might be a better option. It’s much easier to work with WordPress, but in the sense of flexibility for a startup, Drupal worked better. If my business plan was to remain the electronic brochures for five years, the decision might have been different. The final design and framework we have now took seven or eight revisions. They were bridging the gaps we had between the initial starting point and the actual thing that happened.

Before we decided upon what colors to use and how it would look, we finalized the product roadmap, the corporate vision, the messages, etc.

What is the team composition?

Our project manager is the main point of contact. For the branding, the project manager would work with a graphic artist. If there was something related to programming, the project manager would involve the developers. There were also two people doing the QA after it was programmed.

How did you come to work with Agnian?

We found them by accident. Several years before, I was involved with a company that was a startup whose website I liked. When I was choosing a vendor for GlucoMe, I looked at Israeli vendors, got in touch with several, and received proposals from them. I was close to going with another vendor when I received an email from the company whose website I’d liked years before. I asked them who developed their website and they said Agnian.

I looked at their website and decided to get a proposal from them, too. I asked for references and their portfolio and was impressed. Plus, their price was considerably lower compared to Israeli vendors for my scope of work.

How much have you invested with them?

The first part of the project was $20,000. Since then, there have been changes so the price has been project-based or per-hour. I have a minimal package for the website support. Some things are covered there.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2016, and the work is ongoing as we’ve made changes along the way. We’ve added several things and I’ll continue to work with them on the changes this year as well. We want to add pages and capabilities related to the distribution, programming, and framework.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything has been very successful because they did everything correctly from the beginning. Most of the comments I receive are from business partners (e.g., clinics, hospitals, distributors) and their feedback has been amazing. People like the site and think it’s innovative and professional—not old-fashioned and medical. It presents our company in the best way and it helps us stand out to be more like industry giants.

Also, after we had the basic infrastructure, it was much easier as the VP of marketing to add new things to the platform to fit a specific portfolio or audience.

How did Agnian perform from a project management standpoint?

The project was long-lasting and there were changes throughout which is normal with startups. Agnian was adapting very fast to our changes. It helped that we communicated quite a bit via email, Skype, and WhatsApp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m excited about their work. They’re very professional and dedicated to success. They are client- and service-oriented.

In terms of ROI, they are the best investment. They are ready to go to the end to accomplish this task. If they needed to do eight revisions, they did them. They’re motivated to go as far as they need to to accomplish the task even if it’s outside of their defined scope.

They want to be an extension of your team. They brainstormed with me and I always felt they were thinking like someone from the inside. Since we were starting from scratch, it was great to have someone on the outside thinking like us. They were willing to face the challenges together. They wanted the best result for our company. You get 100% dedication and commitment, which is game-changing in this industry.

What I expected was for them to challenge themselves and they did that in the best way. They challenged themselves even more than I would have challenged them. I was happy with their process; they were always thinking like they were in my position.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We’re a top-tier business school, based in London. We mainly work with international students across all major business programs.

What is your position?

I am the senior student activities manager. I lead a small team that supports student-led initiatives, such as conferences, career tracks, and student clubs. We help students practice particular skills, and assist with their professional development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenge that you were trying to address when you first approached Agnian?

The primary purpose was to professionalize our student-led conference websites. A number of our student clubs run high-quality conferences, but there’s a lot of variability with the websites that they use and develop. So, we hired Agnian to provide a high-quality basic template that our clubs could use for their conferences. We initially used them for one or two conference websites as a test.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the actual scope of work assigned to them?

As I said, we tested them out without only a few sites. We were happy with what they did, and they have since provided a template for all of our conferences. The scope has involved technical back-end as well as front-end design work, specifically on our clubs. They have not worked on the main school website, but on the student-led club websites and logos. They helped in terms of how these websites are set up and managed. They helped a little bit in terms of how we set up domain names and things like that, but not much in that area.

How did you come to choose Agnian as your partner?

We came across them because they’d worked with a colleague on another microsite in the school. They came highly recommended.

Can you provide a ballpark estimate for the size of this engagement?

It was from £10,000 to £20,000. [$15,000 to $30,000]

Is this an ongoing relationship?

Yes. We’re currently exploring some other options, such as logo redesign.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the quality of their performance?

I was satisfied with the quality of the test sites they used and, as a result, I was happy to roll them out further. We haven’t delved into the details, such as the number of visits to each site or anything like that, and I’m probably not going to until during the summer. However, from a project management perspective, they’ve been good and reliable. One of the things I like about working with them is that they’re flexible. Because we’re helping support a number of separate entities for the clubs, and we’re trying to customize what we’re providing, that level of flexibility is important.

When working with Agnian, is there anything that you would consider unique about their strategic approach or development methodology that distinguish them from other vendors?

They’re very competitive in terms of pricing, which has helped us test some solutions. Having that ability to test different ideas and services has been incredibly helpful. They have great flexibility and a capacity to adapt, at a relatively low price point, which has been wonderful. I’ve enjoyed working with them.

In retrospect, are there areas in which you think they could improve as a service provider?

No. I’ve been really happy with the so far.

What advice, if any, would you give a future client of theirs?

I think having a regular dialogue has been useful. They are flexible and willing to listen and adapt as needed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We’re a technology accelerator, which means that we help young companies grow and put them in touch with mentors, potential clients, and possible routes to market. The young companies that work with us pay a monthly fee for space, and that can be anything from one desk to 30 desks within an office.

What is your position?

I’m the head of content.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenge that you were attempting to address when you first approached Agnian?

We launched here in March 2013, and we had a website put together quickly in time for launch, but it wasn’t really working for us. Then strategy comes in, as it does when the launch works, and we were doing quite well as an organization. The strategy that I wanted to put in place was to have a website that was driven by the members’ needs. Instead of being used only as a method by which companies could apply, it would be more of a news source and there would be a legacy of content on the site. I had the idea but needed someone to help me to turn it into a reality. That’s when Agnian’s name was first given to me.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail?

It was very much about the front-end design rather than the back-end development. I work with a developer here who almost acts as a consultant to me. He doesn’t work for Agnian, but he steers my thinking on the requirements of what we need from back-end developers. However, the front-end execution isn’t his specialty, and he’s the first to admit that.

We’re a central brand for several different projects. We’ve added to the existing website we worked with them on. We’ve also had a new project that needed a Web presence of its own, building it from the ground up, both front-end and back-end. We were more than happy to give that to Agnian. We have consistently expanded the amount of work we do with the company.

How did you come to choose Agnian as your partner?

What really got Agnian the work over a couple of other agencies is that they speak to us on a technical level. Many other companies want to send you a mockup and talk about the project in a far less technical manner. Agnian was far superior in that regard. They talked to my resident techie on a real code level on how it could integrate with what we already had. Their willingness to have that conversation and their ability to understand what we needed immediately was impressive. They also gave us some quick turnarounds and live example pages in staging. That’s why we decided to work with them initially and why we have continued to do so.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the quality of their performance?

There’s been a general uptick in stats since we went from the old website to the new one. The traffic has been better. Our stats have recently surpassed a few small-time tech news publications in the U.K. as well, which is very heartening. We now have a news function on our own website, and we know that adding a few good targeted news posts every week in financial technology will garner an extra 500 to 1,000 hits on average within the first seven days. We wouldn’t have gotten those hits with a static website. The dwell time on the site is longer, and the amount of page views per visitor is also up. That’s exactly what we wanted. There’s a lot more content on the website that users are getting interested in and coming back to see again.

From a project management perspective, I’m very satisfied with them. Responsiveness, flexibility, customer service, and accessibility are all strong suits of theirs. Given that they are an offshore company, the fact that they are so easily accessible is huge.

When working with Agnian, is there anything that you would consider unique about their strategic approach or development methodology that distinguish them from other vendors?

They had the ability to talk to techies on a very nuanced and detailed level, rather than trying to artificially inflate their pricing model by selling stages of work that are, in my opinion, not integral. They’re willing to go straight in at a code level and get you something up in staging in a matter of days. It allows you to move quickly, and it cuts out a lot of frustration and confusion.

In retrospect, are there areas in which you think they could improve as a service provider?

If they were more available on a person-to-person basis, I think it would improve things. They could come to our building, they could talk to our other stakeholders, and they could get more of a feel for our projects. They have come in and learned about us but, being offshore, they miss a bit of the one-on-one interaction.

What advice, if any, would you give a future client of theirs?

They are a great agency and they are, I’m sure, quite capable of holding themselves to deadlines and setting expectations. However, clients should provide leadership and expectations as much as possible. Keep to deadlines and keep within a brief. Set up your scheduling and expectations right at the top. Know what you need delivered within certain parameters. Let them know, right at the beginning, that it needs to be delivered by X date. Let them know exactly what needs to be delivered with that time frame, and then give them a clear cut off point. Hold them to it and make sure you’re very present. They need parameters to work within.