August Ash

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Marketing Director of an other industries company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a Landscape Supply company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire August Ash to accomplish?

• Refreshed Web Design and Improved Functionality
• Combine multiple existing websites
• Position website for ecommerce without fully launching

SOLUTION

How did you find August Ash?

Referral

Why did you select August Ash over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from August Ash were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Take the existing 3 websites and combine the content and material into a higher functioning and well-designed website. The website was to be readily usable for both contractors and homeowners as our 2 main audiences. 

We requested the following:

• Online catalog - equipped to move into e-commerce in the future 
  • ability to do mass updates/changes via spreadsheet and sync with site
• Coverage Calculator
• Inspiration space for projects
• Events
• Quote/Delivery/Pick-Up request form similar to cart format
• As much autonomy as possible post-launch

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Completed Site with required features functioning

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

I would say we stayed on track timeline-wise. However, I do think there was a little disconnect as far as how much time our team would need to complete our tasks. 

Additionally, I didn't love that the main source of communication was basecamp. I found the tool to be clunky and also felt like I wasn't able to communicate in a timely fashion often making scheduling meetings more time consuming with longer turn around times. 

What was your primary form of communication with August Ash?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I thought they had a down-to-earth approach and an eagerness to work on our project. They explained things to the team during the proposal phase that made team members feel like they could understand the scope of the project even with little-to-no background in website development and design. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something August Ash could have done differently?

A few things to go over:

I mentioned communication earlier. However, to reiterate, I didn't like the communication platform. I felt like there was often a lag in communication especially when work times didn't align. 

There were several times when it felt like there was a disconnect or lack of communication in general which led to frustration.  

Example A: When we agreed to pay August Ash for the full development and design of the site, it is understandable that an additional $1,000+ fee for fonts would catch us off-guard. I think that any additional costs that will be at the expense of our team should be discussed prior to moving forward on the design front. I understand the need for webfonts and that the design team selects them based on their expertise but we weren't given the opportunity to discuss budget for this and had to backtrack when we were presented with what to purchase it wasn't a good fit budget-wise. I would recommend this become part of the process before mock-ups are drafted. 

Example B: From the very start of this project we indicated that it was important for our team to have autonomy and control over our website post-launch. But, unfortunately, had to bring this up multiple times throughout the process and it did feel at times like there was resistance.

Example C: We tried to give the best scope of the project prior to starting about how many products we had and I felt a little frustrated that we were told that the August Ash team underestimated that scope and what was needed and therefore would need to increase the phase II plan. We knew there would likely be adjustments and that is what we signed up for. It was frustrating to have to share the adjustment was needed even though we had not added services. It felt like August Ash had not scoped correctly. 

I think the Q&A process is too short. It took several weeks to finish populating content and to learn the site and how it worked. I felt like I had to hurry up and figure out what wasn't working correctly and it just wasn't a natural flow. Now I fear that there will be additional bugs/permission issues that I didn't find during that timeframe and will now be billed for them. 

Along that same line, considering the need for our team to have full permissions on the site, I felt like I kept having to ask for permissions and it seemed like that should have been done before passing the baton and training. Similarly, I am worried there are still things that will present themselves and now I will have to put in a ticket for them. 


All that said, overall, we are very satisfied with August Ash and the team. They were very accomodating, kind and helpful throughout and we are very satisfied with the end result. We appreciate the hard work everyone put in and I hope this feedback is helpful. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP Sales and Marketing of Molin Concrete Products

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We design, manufacture and install structural and architectural precast.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire August Ash to accomplish?

• Build out a new website
• Digital marketing campaign

SOLUTION

How did you find August Ash?

Allied executives peer group

Why did you select August Ash over others?

• High ratings
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned
• Great repport with their head of business development

How many teammates from August Ash were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Paid Search (Google Ads): Strategy, ad copy, keywords, up to 4 campaigns.
Remarketing & Display Ads: Up to 3 campaigns with ad creation & optimization.
SEO: Quarterly technical audits, on-page optimization, monthly keyword monitoring, competitor analysis.
CRO & UX/UI Optimization: Quarterly analysis with heat mapping.
Digital Measurement & Reporting: Monthly performance reports.
Collaboration & Ideation: Semi-monthly calls and quarterly business reviews.
GA4 Audit & Update: Full analytics setup, event tracking, filters, and goal setup.

Research – Kick-off meeting, persona and branding exercises, content inventory, analytics review.
Plan – Sitemap, wireframes (up to 5 pages), UX/UI presentation with 1 revision.
Design – Visual mockups (homepage + 4 interior pages), 1 formal revision on homepage, content plan.
Build (Drupal 10 CMS) –

Responsive design, accessibility, site structure, navigation
Components (hero banners, images, text grids, videos)
Product pages (filter/sort, technical info), project pages, news, resources, search, contact forms
Basic animations, SEO setup, QA testing, admin training
Launch – Google Analytics setup, redirects, performance testing, DNS configuration.
Support – Post-launch bug fixes (2 weeks) + Peace of Mind Plan for 12 months (security updates, backups, server checks).
Assumptions – Hosting on approved platform (e.g., Pantheon), DNS via Cloudflare, no 3rd-party integrations included.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

August Ash met all deliverables and completed our web development.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes, they met all deliverables on time.  They responded to our needs in a timely manner and with professionalism. 

What was your primary form of communication with August Ash?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They speak their language well and have the ability to break concepts down so others not in their industry can understand.  All the employees we dealt with were extremely friendly and great at what they do.

Are there any areas for improvement or something August Ash could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Science, Single-Species Planning of a non-profit company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Wildlife conservation planning

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire August Ash to accomplish?

• Design a new website
• Build the new website structure

SOLUTION

How did you find August Ash?

Previous website development partner

Why did you select August Ash over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from August Ash were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

August Ash worked closely with us to evaluate our existing website, to design an updated site with a new look and feel (including numerous mockup iterations for our approval), and to improve key interactive features on the site including searchable document libraries. They also helped us identify an optimal post-launch hosting solution and guided us through the process of selecting an effective site maintenance plan.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

1. Thoughtful external evaluation of existing site
2. Iterative design options with wireframes
3. Final site design that reflected our wants and needs
4. Reponsive site build that incorporated our ideas and suggestions
5. Final build of new site that was ready on our proposed launch date

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project management was efficient and effective. Cassidy did a great job overall, keeping us on task and on track. The developers were very responsive to our suggestions and our needs across various elements of the new site. 

What was your primary form of communication with August Ash?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The entire team was really friendly and low-key, yet professional. They're really great people to work with!

Are there any areas for improvement or something August Ash could have done differently?

There was some ambiguity around whether specific tasks were included in the contracted scope of work. If possible, it would be good to have more specific detail around what is included in the proposed work and what would constitute a new work order. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of an insurance brokerage firm.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is a life insurance brokerage firm that operates at both the national and local levels, offering a superior portfolio of insurance products and services and an extensive national account market. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire August Ash to accomplish?

• Refresh Public Website

SOLUTION

How did you find August Ash?

Previous Vendor

Why did you select August Ash over others?

Worked with them previously

How many teammates from August Ash were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Design a homepage and website compenents that better reflects our company’s desired brand perception. Upgrade the website from Drupal 9 to Drupal 10, this will include core, custom themes,
contributed, and custom modules. Post launch support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

They designed a homepage and website components.

They upgraded the website from Drupel 9 to Drupel 10.

They provied post launch support.

August Ash fulfilled the items in the proposal.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Items were delivered on time. The final website design is satisfactory. Unfortunately, many of the items we wanted were outside of the scope within the original quoted proposal. 

There is some frustration and confusion around using their communication tool, Basecamp, as a customer.  We would have preferred to just use email.

What was your primary form of communication with August Ash?

Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Local company.

Are there any areas for improvement or something August Ash could have done differently?

We would prefer to not use the company’s messaging tool for communication but instead use email only. 

Some items took a while to get resolved until one of the other web developers stepped in and resolved it right away. It seemed there could have been some miscommunication.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Digital Programs Manager of a nonprofit organization.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advocates for a meaninfgul unity between science, philosophy, and religion by publishing a consequential and large book in 27 languages to a worldwide audience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire August Ash to accomplish?

• Drupal website redesign and build with custom module work
• A Mobile-first website with best-possible user experience

SOLUTION

How did you find August Ash?

Online Search

Why did you select August Ash over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• High-quality portfolio

How many teammates from August Ash were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

A complete redesign of a 27-language website in Drupal, replacing an aging former website. The project went through a well-ordered 7-step process. We always clearly understood where we were in this process:

1. Research. User persona and site analytics review
2. Plan. Sitemap, Wireframes, user expereince discussion
3. Design. Mockups of representative pages of the new website, with feedback solicited from us.
4. Build. Fontend and backend software development, along with content migration by our staff during this time.
5. Launch. Handoff of a complete, functioning website to our 3rd party operations contractor
6. Post-launch support. Two weeks of assistance after website launched
7. Grow. Discussions about follow-up projects

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Each phase of this complex body of work has demonstrable outcomes that seem too lengthy to list here. Suffice to say: the design phase cultimated in visual documents we signed off on; the build phase produced a functioning website we were able to complete building by migrating content; and the launch phase resulting in a fast, mobile-friendly, standards-compliant website releasing that receive instant positive feedback from key stakeholders.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

August ash is extremely well-ordered. Frankly, their project management orderliness rubbed off on us, making us a stronger organization as a result. 

August Ash delivered on time with only one exception: the build phase of the project was delayed because of other projects August Ash had in progress. However, the cause of this was our delays and change orders in the prior phase, which caused our project to begin mis-aligning to their larger overall project portfolio. The delay in the build phase was therefore entirely understandable and caused no serious problem for us.

What was your primary form of communication with August Ash?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Most impressive is their core value of communication. They live this value, and it shows. They ensured we always knew exactly where things stood in the project. I can only count a few minor instances where a communication was delayed by a day or two longer than I would have liked. For a nearly 1.5 year project, that is impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement or something August Ash could have done differently?

It's possible that for clients like us, August Ash's upfront project planning and timeline might take into more detailed consideration the client's internal deliberative and decision-making processes. We had an aging but still-serviceable and functioning website, so the time pressure common to website projects was irrelevant for us.

Our organizational culture required more deliberations and buy-in from key stakeholders throughout the project. In some respects, despite our small size our deliberative process resembles that of a large corporation or government agency. I am fully confident August Ash is capable of delivering a project like ours in as little as 4 months! but given our organizaiton's culture it simply required 16 months. It's possible this could have been only 12 months if upfront planning had anticipated our protracted scheduling needs (although hindsight is always 20/20).

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of a financial services company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A full service financial solutions firm providing CPA advisory, wealth management, outsourced accounting and other services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire August Ash to accomplish?

• Website Posting and Maintenance
• Digital marketing and SEO (paid and organic)

SOLUTION

How did you find August Ash?

Our branding agency connected me with August Ash and recommended them.

Why did you select August Ash over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from August Ash were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The August Ash team is handling all of the website posting for me. As a sole marketer I needed partner who could take this off my plate. And August Ash has been awesome at handling thev volume of posts, including event pages, blogs, and others. The team is also reviewing many of our blogs and making SEO recommendations. We are also in the exploratory phase of paid search and are relying on the AA team to continue to help us with organic SEO.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our original content is performing very well when analyzing organic search rankings. Our conversions for form fills, phone calls, and newsletter sign ups are also growing each month which is great to see. We also have a good process in place for communication - utilizing Basecamp.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project management is done at a very high level. Communication is timely and responsive. I rarely/if ever have to follow-up and ask if something is being handled. Kassie is on top of things and organized and keeps it all straight. And Matt is incredibly talented with SEO and has really helped our content shine and perform much better than it would've without his efforts and expertise. 

Our firm is always producing content and the team turns it around quickly. We are also working through some development changes and updates now that we're about 5 months post launch with our new website and rebrand, and the team is super helpful in hearing my needs and gathering the team together to accomplish what needs to be done.

What was your primary form of communication with August Ash?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The team and company is both extremely smart and talented at what they do, but they are also very personable and fun to work with - which is a winning combination!

Are there any areas for improvement or something August Ash could have done differently?

An area of improvement could be in the area of creating a scope of work that is a little more detailed. In the end we get to the desired outcome, but as the client, I want to be sure that everyone involved is on the same page as to what the outcome is. 

And as I already said, communication is very good - but occasionally when I am waiting on a report or recommendation, it would be helpful to know approximately how many days it'll take to pull together or when I can expect it. But if I follow-up and ask for an update the team is quick to respond and let me know, which I appreciate.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Digital Marketing & Media Relations of Enterprise Minnesota

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Enterprise Minnesota is a nonprofit business consulting firm that works exclusively with manufacturers in the state of Minnesota.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire August Ash to accomplish?

• Design, build, and launch a new website
• Analyze and optimize our site's SEO profile
• Maintain website health through monthly updates and improvements

SOLUTION

How did you find August Ash?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select August Ash over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Serves manufacturing industry

How many teammates from August Ash were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Our company sought to perform a complete redesign and rebuild of our website, which included a full migration from our previous hosting platform and CMS platform. We enlisted the help of August Ash to provide technical, design, and UI/UX support because of their company history, professional demeanor, and experience in helping companies of our size and scope. 

We didn't have a huge budget and August Ash communicated options, solutions, and project details clearly throughout the process. We were able to hit all of our project goals on time and on budget. Our migration and rebuild was 100% successful, and a follow up SEO/optimization project with August Ash confirmed that, from a site architecture standpoint, we are utilizing current best practices and rank well within our market niche. 

Enterprise Minnesota recommends August Ash as a web development partner and we continue to use them to maintain and update our site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

During the course of the project, August Ash was on time and on budget. They clearly communicated needs, roles, responsibilities, and deliverables from both the client and vendor perspective, which helped all parties stay in line. They provided excellent guidance on design recommendations, including font, colors, layout, interactive elements, and site/page architecture. Every August Ash employee we engaged with was courteous, professional, and responded to our messages in a timely manner.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

August Ash sets an industry standard for how projects should be managed and communicated. We were well informed of progress, questions, and recommendations that kept our project moving forward on schedule. The August Ash team was (and continues to be) fully responsive to all inquiries and works to ensure a strong relationship and quality product after the project was completed. They want to remain trusted partners and ensure continued satisfaction with their work.

What was your primary form of communication with August Ash?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

August Ash brings a talented suite of technical and design experts to the table. They excel in their customer service and product development capabilities.

Are there any areas for improvement or something August Ash could have done differently?

We wouldn't recommend any improvements at this time. Enterprise Minnesota continues to utilize their services and enjoys having a responsive and informed web vendor to rely on.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Marketing of Catholic United Financial

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Catholic United Financial is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial services company, connecting people of faith, protecting their future and generously impacting parishes, schools and communities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire August Ash to accomplish?

• Creation of Digital Marketing Roadmap
• Narrow "cone of certainty" to make confident decisions surrounding the tools, and tactics necessary to execute an outcome-focused digital marketing strategy.
• Set baseline for strategic need to expand digital marketing efforts focused on driving awareness, engagement, and leads.

SOLUTION

How did you find August Ash?

Referral

Why did you select August Ash over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from August Ash were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Digital Marketing Roadmap included: Website technical audit, Digital Competitor Analysis, SEO audit, Keyword research, UX Journey Audit (CRO review), Digital Measurement analysis and plan.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The Digital Marketing Roadmap helped us set the baseline for where our company is from a digital marketing perspective. We hope to engage August Ash in the coming year to assist further with our digital marketing initiatives to create more brand awareness, consideration and lead generation.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

August Ash was very timely and responsive to all our questions and needs. We did our initial discovery meetings virtually and then met in person for the presentation of our Digital Marketing Roadmap.

What was your primary form of communication with August Ash?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

August Ash makes their clients feel special and valued. They also make everything about working together as a team. These qualities make it easy to work with them as I know that our values and interests are aligned.

Are there any areas for improvement or something August Ash could have done differently?

I do not think there are any areas that need improvement at the present moment, and I look forward to working with August Ash in the future!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the IT Manager of Indelco Plastics Corporation

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a plastics distributor, selling pipe, valves, fittings, tanks, etc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire August Ash to accomplish?

• Redesign of the website

SOLUTION

How did you find August Ash?

Referral

Why did you select August Ash over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from August Ash were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We wanted to completely change our website, easily receive orders and make updates to product listings easier. August Ash was able to get this all accomplished for us. We worked not only with their developers, but also the marketing team to get the best launch of our new website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We saw an increase in orders from our website. We also have a site that is easily manageable by our staff.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The launch of our new design was on time. Their team is always very quick to respond to issues or questions as they come up. They also include a more detailed follow up when we do encounter issues and how they resolved them.

What was your primary form of communication with August Ash?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They didn't just bring us an out of the box solution. They created a product that was easier for a end-user to manage.

Are there any areas for improvement or something August Ash could have done differently?

No.