BLKDG

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing specialist for a nationwide craft brewery. We were founded in 2009 with the focus on making good beer through canning Florida. Our owner was born and raised in the state and what’s to make beers that represent Florida and Tempa culture. We’re distributed in 45 states and 15 countries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BLKDG?

We had an outdated website that was created when the company was still very small. Essentially, it was an outdated WordPress site that wasn’t able to update without crashing. We constantly had issues with its slow speeds and regular crashes, so we wanted to bring our site into the 21st century with them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After looking at the old site, they determined that we should start from scratch for the new one. They sat down with us to ask for requirements and key functionalities of the site. From there, they build out a complete front- and backend product for us. 

One of the main site features is a beer finder that allows users to locate our products by inputting their location. We have a shipment database that shows where beer is available in a certain city or zip code. They build out a custom interactive map that was much more powerful than what we had before. Using WordPress, they faced the challenge of creating a custom solution while working with our current system. 

What is the team composition?

I had two primary points of contact, one was a senior team member and the other was our account manager. He would relay all of our comments and requirements to the development team. There were a few other people that we interacted with when one of our main contacts wasn’t available.

How did you come to work with BLKDG?

Our parent company is based out of Colorado, which is also where BLKDG is based. Because they were local, our parent company had already hired them to overhaul another site. The partnership was successful, so they suggested that we work with them as well. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We first started in December 2018, and our initial launch was in March 2019. Our team still calls on them for maintenance and updates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In my job, I interact with our users frequently and would avoid directing them to our website before our engagement with BLKDG. After this redevelopment, our website is a home for all content related to our company, and I can direct people there with confidence that they’ll be able to find what they’re looking for. It’s organized and houses all the necessary information. The backend is also easy to manage. 

How did BLKDG perform from a project management standpoint?

Even though we had one designated account representative, other team members would hop on our questions over email if he was ever unavailable. There was never a time that I went more than a day without hearing from them. Even if they didn’t have a solution right away, they assured me that they were researching answers to our questions. Overall, communication was great. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Even now that we’re working on maintenance only, I can still count on them to quickly answer and implement responses to my questions. They’re always responsive and helpful for anything that we need. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. They do a good job and are fun to work with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

To kick off the project, we jumped on a large conference call to get to know each other before moving into business. That made our communication great because we developed a personable relationship.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Pursuit LLC. We offer a sporting license management system.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BLKDG?

We were going through some rebranding and needed a full website update. We needed to create something that’d work for our company from a visual and strategic level, incorporating SEO tactics as well.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BLKDG built the creative assets. They designed the look and visual feel as well as the user experience. After that came the full design and implementation. Their team also made sure we’re doing the right things for SEO and that our Google search rankings were correct.

BLKDG did all the rebrand as well, including the creative design and visual components. 

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact throughout the project has been Brian (Digital Marketer). However, Jonathan and E.J. (Co-Founders) would often be part of the process, just not the day-to-day.

How did you come to work with BLKDG?

I’ve known Jonathan for a long time and had used him on past projects. We had that established relationship. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in Q2 2019 and is ongoing. We’re still working through bits and pieces and some fine-tuning.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website launched a year ago. Since then, we’ve seen organic traffic growth. Our project is all about downloads and getting people to sign up for services. We saw a bigger impact just with a redesign and rebrand; our fresher look is enticing for our consumers to come and download our platform. 

How did BLKDG perform from a project management standpoint?

BLKDG is super streamlined and very efficient. We never suffer from a lack of communication or late deliveries. Everything gets taken care of super fast, whether it’s our edit rounds or presentations, was spot on. We’ve used screen shares to communicate and InVision for the initial presentation of BLKDG’s ideas. Since then, we’ve emailed every day and have a weekly phone check-in to see where we’re at with the project. Brian is an amazing project manager.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service stands out to me. BLKDG is very in tune with their clients. They deploy proactive thinking using research and data to present why our brand or website should look and feel a certain way. I appreciate the vision and strategy behind each design; it shows intentionality and attention to detail.

Also, as a smaller shop, they’re nimbler and give us greater access to resources despite is being a small project. We have access to our project manager as well as a direct line to BLKDG’s founders, which is a better situation for our company. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would love to see more of a maintenance program. I’ve only run into one shop that has a true maintenance program, but that’s something I always look for: a program where I can pay a monthly retainer for someone to make quick adjustments. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Utilize all of their expertise. I regret using someone else to create content. BLKDG is so turnkey and knows exactly what they need; you can do the whole process with them instead of piecemealing it out to other companies.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a startup for people looking for sports betting and daily fantasy insights. We’re also serving people who like to watch the biggest games and interact with them through social media. The business is entirely online. I’m the owner and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BLKDG?

I needed help with marketing, and it was really all-encompassing. I wasn’t looking to have them do just a small piece. I needed to find someone who could understand my entire vision, brand, and goals. That way, they could encapsulate those characteristics into a website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a couple of initial meetings to map out a timeline, scope of services, and budget. From there, we went into the information-gathering or discovery process. 

They looked to understand my vision and goals, and, from there, they built a powerful website with integrated software.

Features include my daily fantasy picks, sports betting picks, and a portal where users can answer questions in real-time during games. Users can also follow along to see how they’re doing in relation to other users. 

The third component was a contest where people could follow along and answer questions while watching the biggest sporting event of the day in an attempt to win money. 

BLKDG created a feature so that when someone gets a question right, it turns green in real-time, and it turns red if they didn’t. We use Stripe as a credit card merchant and AWS for hosting.

What is the team composition?

I know of a team of six people, but I’m sure there were others involved. I started with Jonathan (Co-Founder, BLKDG) and E.J. (Co-Founder, BLKDG). They assigned Andy (Project Manager, BLKDG) to me, who was my point person throughout the process. Justin (Senior UI/UX Designer, BLKDG) was the head of design, Tyler (Web Developer, BLKDG) was the head of development, and there were some insular people here and there.

How did you come to work with BLKDG?

I was looking for a local company in Colorado that would be capable of transforming my vision, goals, thought process, and design ideas into a good experience for future customers.

I was doing some Google searches for web developers in the local area. I went through a portfolio of companies they’d worked with and websites they’d done. 

There were a bunch of notable names, but one that stood out to me was for a brewery and restaurant in our area. I knew the owners of that place, and I talked to them about their experience with BLKDG. 

They had built an app or a mobile website with functionality that showed users the closest restaurants, grocery stores, and liqueur stores that sold the company’s products.

Even though it was in an entirely different field, it showed that BLKDG could create aesthetically pleasing sites with serious functionalities. Also, the owner I talked to spoke really highly of BLKDG.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $25,000 and $50,000 with BLKDG.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with BLKDG in August of 2019. The website launched in January of 2020, but I have an ongoing relationship with BLKDG for tweaking campaigns. I’m looking into phase two, which would include building some more things into the website.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an owner and director of commercial operations for Boulder Boat Works.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BLKDG?

We wanted to build up our commercial presence on the internet and connectivity with customers via our website and email communications. Additionally, we wanted to look at our integrations with Salesforce and our CRM, as well as our overall customer database management.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We were going through an extensive rebrand and engaged BLKDG to revamp our website, bring in a new WordPress platform, and give us a progressive look that was consistent with the new brand.

The website was three years ago, and was, by and large, a successful project, so we continued working with them on continuous maintenance. Now, they also do SEO and Google Ads. They’re very precise with online resource allocation and dynamic about scaling our needs up and down, from SEO to more robust content that will get the customer experience we want.

We have monthly management conversations to get feedback on resource allocation on Google Ads and SEO. They’re a partner I look forward to continuing to work with. They’re great at translating our needs for our brand into day-to-day output.

What is the team composition?

There are primarily three people, which is a highlight for me. It starts with Jonothan (Co-Founder, BLKDG) and E.J. (Co-Founder, BLKDG). They’re both really good, dynamic leaders with definitive skill sets. They stay fully engaged as owners, which we really appreciate as well. Then, there’s Brian (Marketing Strategist, BLKDG) who handles tactical, day-to-day operations, and there’s no fall off from those two to Brian. We used to work with Celeste (Former Lead Experience Designer and Art Director, BLKDG) as well on some imagery, but hasn’t been for a while.

How did you come to work with BLKDG?

A strong recommendation from someone at a third party (another one of our good partners) was given to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $75,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their primary success is intangible; it's them doing a really nice job of keeping the website dynamic and engaging. Several customers have said the website is best in class against our competitors, so we have a lot of faith that when we engage with customers, the site will back us up. It gives us a professional appearance and articulates that we’re a lifestyle brand. It’s eased my mind about how clean and tight it looks.

With Google Ads and a little bit of SEO spend, we’re getting a strong lead flow and ability to engage with customers. We’re seeing around 20 leads a week, which is good for our business that does 50-100 units a year.

How did BLKDG perform from a project management standpoint?

We talk once a month and receive a monthly report form Brain. We’re a really small business, so forming good partnerships is crucial. I’m on the road and the fly a lot, and that report keeps me abreast of what’s going on. It’s really spot on, so there’s little need for me to engage beyond that. I know we’re on a good trajectory. Additionally, their transparency is better than that of any provider I’ve worked with.

Our project management sessions start with a one-hour call or face-to-face meeting down in Denver. We put together an executable playbook in that meeting and then they go and do it without needing much handholding. As a small business owner, it’s great to know they can execute marching orders. It’s easy to work with them, and their willingness to engage as much or little as possible is the best.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their transparency and availability of everyone in their organization are amazing. From the owners on down, they’re dynamic and nice to engage with. It creates a great experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could always generate more leads, right? Nothing stands out aside from that. I’ll always hold them to account to do more with less, though, and they’re open to that challenge. Nothing stagnant or consistent. They’re committed to continuous improvement as much as we are.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the former marketing director at the Cannabis Trade Federation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BLKDG?

We wanted to redesign our website to reflect our brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Using WordPress, they redesigned our website to better represent our new brand. We met a few times to discuss our objectives and how we wanted things to look. They created a couple of iterations with different plugins and worked with HubSpot. They quickly delivered the framework for the site. In addition to the home page, they provided a site map that outlined templates they would use for each page.

We also consulted them on several other projects, like a data cleanup process in HubSpot.  

What is the team composition?

We consistently worked with 4–5 people, including their founder, chief operator, administrative liaison, and a designer.

How did you come to work with BLKDG?

They were hired before I was brought onto the team, so I just maintained our working relationship. They were great partners, and I wanted to keep working together.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $75,000 on the website, but combined with other projects, we probably spent over $100,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

The website redesign lasted from November 2017–March 2018.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our site’s traffic more than doubled compared to the previous year. People using the site said it was much easier to use, and we think it’s easier to add new content to. Additionally, our HubSpot contacts have tripled since we worked with BLKDG.

How did BLKDG perform from a project management standpoint?

They are local to us, so we were able to have weekly meetings for the first 4–5 months of our collaboration. Other than that, we communicated regularly through Slack, email, and InVision.

We faced a few challenges that we hadn’t anticipated and we needed the site’s functionality to improve, but they were really responsive. They developed creative solutions for what became a complicated project. They even worked a few weekends to make sure we were staying on track.

They were personable and great to work with. It was like working with a group of friends.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our project as very complicated, but they were able to understand what we wanted, execute, and deliver a great product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s not anything I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend them for sure, especially to local businesses. They’re experts in their field.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're a full-service web design, development, and internet marketing firm that works with small and large clients to deliver custom web applications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BLKDG?

As our business grew, so did our client list and the scope of our projects.  I began to delegate more work to outside vendors, and I knew BLKDG could provide a full list of needed services and required deliverables.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked together for several clients. A recent project was for a national industrial gas company. After we met with the client and performed a needs analysis, we spoke with BLKDG about supporting us. They have a full staff on hand, and can tackle the design, front- and backend development, UI/UX, database work, and e-commerce.

What is the team composition?

I work closely with the two co-owners. One is in charge of web/application development, and the other heads business development and project management. They have an internal team of about 10.

How did you come to work with BLKDG?

I knew about their company for a long time before we started working about them, and continuously heard great things and positive reviews.​

​​​​​​How much have you invested with them?

We spend up to $100,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

I've worked with them on various projects for the past five years. The gas client project was an iterative process that took about four months from concept to delivery.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They always come up with good solutions, even when our customers are vague about what they want. BLKDG is results and delivery based, and they can transform very rough concepts into resources that serve our clients well.

How did BLKDG perform from a project management standpoint?

They do an A+ job. They're very organized and flexible, and they always outperform my expectations. They’re communicative and transparent, and I can’t say enough good about our relationship.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The final product is always better than what we envision. We give them a rough idea of what we want, and it always comes out better than we expect in terms of look, feel, and usability.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no areas of improvement for them. I rate their work very highly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I suggest engaging with BLKDG early on in your project timeline, preferably during project initiation or project planning. Their expertise and experience can help streamline processes and workflows.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and founder of Pensford Financial Group. We’re an interest rate advisory firm that works primarily with commercial real estate firms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BLKDG?

We approached BLKDG to revamp some of our branding assets and update our web design. They were responsible for taking a bland set of data and making it more visually appealing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BLKDG initially worked on our branding assets, hosting a few rounds of discussion to go over color schemes and names. Since we’d already established an image over the past decade, we didn’t want the refresh to compromise our existing brand recognition. So, their team worked with us to create a new logo and a set of pitch books that kept to strict guidelines.

Afterward, they updated our website’s design to make the data more engaging. This involved interpreting our data into interactive graphs and adding a calculator function. We’re currently working with them to explore our SEO options.

What is the team composition?

We worked with different resources depending on the part of the website being redesigned. The owner was the initial designer, and his partner executed the graphs and calculators. At various points, there were three additional team members, but they were always led by one of the two senior staff.

How did you come to work with BLKDG?

A software developer that I work with recommended a few design firms, including BLKDG. Out of all the candidates, I was blown away by BLKDG’s portfolio, and we had great interactions with them. It was an easy choice from there.

What is the status of this engagement?

The branding and site redesign lasted 6–8 weeks from May–July 2018. We continue to work with them for an SEO project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

BLKDG’s efforts have contributed to a much better branding of our company. The site is vastly superior to its previous iteration and conveys a level of professionalism and expertise that we couldn’t get across before. With the SEO project in tow, I’m looking forward to their insights on what distinguishes us from our competitors.

How did BLKDG perform from a project management standpoint?

They were outstanding across the board. The team communicated clearly, were always prompt, and met deadlines. On top of that, they delivered exactly as promised. Once we reviewed something, it was easy to meet up and make a decision quickly before proceeding to the next task.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Besides their exceptional deliverables, they made it incredibly easy to work with them. They responded promptly to our inquiries, kept to the budget, and remained transparent throughout the process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Rather than coming to the project with preconceived notions of what you want, give them a vision and let them come back to you with ideas. Everything they brought to the table ended up being better than my suggestions; I eventually realized that I had to let them handle things because this was their profession. Once you tell them what you want, they just do it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Vintage Overland. We manufacture small teardrop camp trailers in a vintage style. My husband does the building and I do the marketing, all the business side of things, and a lot of customer relations too.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BLKDG?

I'd attempted to do a very simple website on my own. I’d brought in a web designer who was very technical because I couldn’t do the technical parts, but wasn't happy with the design produced.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I went through what I wanted each page to look like. I showed them what we'd done in the past—I had a lot of great photography to work with. They worked on the setup and layout and worked with my photos, color choices, and some examples I sent to them.

They developed and designed our website, using WordPress. They also worked on SEO and are waiting for me on for more in that area. I need to write some blogs and get some content to them. Soon they will put up an online store for me too.

What is the team composition?

I worked with four people. There’s the main contact, a technical person, and a graphic artist.

How did you come to work with BLKDG?

I heard of a few local companies, but I didn’t see anything I was impressed with for the price. I knew a few people who were freelancing, but none seemed to fit. I then met BLKDG through mutual friends in Denver at a meeting and found they were the perfect fit for us. They not only understood the aesthetics, but also were solid on the technical side. I really liked their personalities. I also liked that they were a whole team, which made me feel they had all the bases covered.

How much have you invested with them?

$8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in spring 2017 and the project lasted four or five months. We continue to work together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve been very happy with the website. I wanted a simple, clean look and they listened and understood that. They took my ideas and polished them a little, then really stuck to what I originally designed. We were having a problem before with things crashing and contact pages not working. They made all of it user-friendly and we haven’t had any issues since.

How did BLKDG perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great and very easy to work with. If I email a question or provide some information, I hear back pretty quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re all such nice people and we really like them. They’re professional and keep on me when I’ve missed a deadline. They check in, but are very respectful and understanding of the position we’re in. They're also really conscious of our budget. They don’t try to get us to add more features than we can afford. They’ve been good to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the director of marketing for a small technical ski and snowboard apparel brand based out of Colorado. We have a passion for the mountains and providing our customer with premium, functional apparel.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BLKDG?

We hired BLKDG to rebuild our site.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to create an aesthetically pleasing site that conveyed our unique brand story and messaging while incorporating best practices in e-commerce. Our goal was to significantly grow our e-commerce channel.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We’d worked with them before, and it turned out great.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

BLKDG helped us build a new site from the ground up, with a focus on e-commerce and mobile functionality.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project lead and a developer from BLKDG. I was in touch with them as the Strafe project lead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We’ve seen a 25% growth in e-commerce this season, thanks to our new site.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

BLKDG did a great job of clearly and thoroughly breaking down the scope and determining associated costs. I also appreciated the clear and consistent communication between our teams. Since we were in constant contact, it was easy to work through issues that arose along the way. This process was effective and allowed us to build a new website quickly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We’re impressed with their ability to make things happen quickly. I truly enjoyed working with BLKDG. In fact, we still work together on other projects and will continue our relationship for years to come.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My organization is SNOCRU LLC. Our mobile app helps outdoor enthusiasts stay connected while they’re on the mountain.

What is your position?

I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with BLKDG?

We originally partnered with BLKDG for digital marketing, but as the relationship went on, my company lost some key members, and the guys at BLKDG stepped in as project managers. Their responsibilities evolved to include building and managing our store website.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

BLKDG originally helped market our app to drive downloads using Google AdWords, social media advertising, and content marketing. They now do front-end design and user experience work for both our website and our store website on WordPress. They have also helped a lot with email campaigns and have worked directly with our email automation company to create a design for our weekly emails. They led the charge on creating re-engagement emails and a weekly digest email. They set up our blog and now do the writing for that as well.

How did you come to work with BLKDG?

I had hired someone to help with my backend development in 2011, but he left and went to work for a PR agency, the same PR agency that Jonathan [BLKDG Co-Founder] worked for. We met through that PR agency, and when he left to start BLKDG, we began working together.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Originally, we paid BLKDG on an hourly basis, then we moved to $5,000/month in 2015. When things are really kicking in the winter, BLKDG handles our marketing and email, which is anywhere between $3,000 and $6,000/month.

Over the course of the relationship, we’ve spent between $100,000 and $200,000 with BLKDG, and I don’t regret any of it.

What is the status of this engagement?

The full-time relationship has gone on for three years, but Jonathan and I have been friends since the end of 2011.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

My company has consistently grown 40-50% each year, which is a combination of the quality of the work that BLKDG does for us and the quality of our app. When we first started doing digital marketing, our key terms were “ski”, “snow”, and “snowboarding”, but now we’re much more targeted. BLKDG has really fine-tuned the way we market our company and engage our users.

How did BLKDG perform from a project management standpoint?

In the spring of 2014, our head developer left us and we didn’t have a project manager. Jonathan stepped in and took over as project manager for a year, which really saved us. If it weren’t for him, we probably wouldn’t have gotten through the 2014/2015 winter, which is our most important season. He managed our group of developers and built our website that year. He really stepped up to the plate.

What distinguishes BLKDG from other providers?

They care. There are two partners, Jonathan and E.J., and they are passionate about what they do. When I’m in a painful situation, they’re in a painful situation, and when I’m in a good situation, they’re feeling good as well. We celebrate together and we cry together.

Is there anything BLKDG could have improved or done differently?

I don’t think so. Sometimes bandwidth is an issue, but I know they just hired two or three new people, which will help.