dorsay

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a community development financial institution. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with dorsay? 

We’re trying to raise our profile in the community and with clients. We’re a nonprofit organization, and while we’ve been in operation for 30 years, we haven’t had a high profile. We’ve hired dorsay to help us achieve that; we want to build awareness about our group among clients and community members through social media. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

dorsay is helping us draw the attention of small business owners to build awareness for the services that we provide in terms of technical expertise and access to capital. 

What is the team composition?

We work with two people from dorsay at any point in time. 

How did you come to work with dorsay?

I found them through an internet search. We did our due diligence with dorsay to know about their team and learn more about their agency and the services they provided. We also did some interviews with other prospective vendors. That was how our relationship started. 

How much have you invested with them?

On average, we spend around $4,500 per month. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2020, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our most objective success metric is the increase in inquiries and loan applications we receive from businesses. Since we started using dorsay and refining the way we solicit applications, we’ve seen an overall increase of about 25%–30% in applications, which is quite significant for us.

How did dorsay perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is exemplary. The team requires little supervision or oversight once the parameters for the project have been set up. To communicate, we typically use phones or emails. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their responsiveness is impressive. On top of that, their name includes the word “creative,” and that’s highly appropriate — they’re truly creative. Their founder has a creative mind in approaching the ways we conduct business. They use the best technologies; the team has brought us access to various tools, such as Google Ads. Overall, they’re great at pushing the envelope for us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. They should simply keep on doing what they’re doing. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Compare a few agencies. I highly recommend using dorsay. If you judge them in comparison with their peers, you’ll know that they’re highly successful. It will also be a rewarding experience. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Main Street Pontiac is a nonprofit organization focused on the revitalization and historic preservation efforts in downtown Pontiac, Michigan. I am a co-founder, previous president, and currently serve as Treasurer. I serve in the promotions committee focused on promoting downtown Pontiac.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire dorsay?

We hired Dorsay to create new branding and a new website that was visually enticing, helped better promote downtown's businesses, and was easy to navigate. Also to help co-manage our social media,

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Dorsay is one of the local businesses in downtown Pontiac which is incredibly important to our organization. We checked out different website developers and their showcase websites. Dorsay provides clean aesthetics, easy to navigate menus and info, and helps with keyword searches for making sure the site gets on the top of searches.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Steven's team first created our branding based on vision/design boards and community input. Branding included new logos and color scheme that better represent our organization. From the branding, we moved on to website development. Steven's team took the lead on this one based on what they would find useful as a business in downtown. The final result is a great site that promotes businesses, points to resources for small businesses, and is consistent with our new branding.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked mainly with 3 people - Steven as the main project lead, 1 employee for branding and logo work and 1 employee for website content.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Other local businesses are positively commenting on the website, the directory, and the grant resources available. Visitors/tourists of downtown Pontiac are navigating to the site to learn more about what downtown has to offer.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Steven is very easy to communicate with via email or phone. The team was responsive and quickly made updates as needed.

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

The ability to work with minimal direction after a vision and branding theme have been established.

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

Potentially more progress status updates could be useful. But as a nonprofit knowing that most of our internal resources are fairly tied up, his team working independently was very much appreciated.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a childcare business with five centers located in and around Philadelphia, PA.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire dorsay, and what were your goals?

We have been using Dorsay to revamp our website that was created several years ago, as well as for SEO work and online marketing associated with the foregoing.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We were introduced to Dorsay and their owner, Steve Childs through a marketing firm we were using. The deciding factors were price, competency and reliability, and Steve Childs himself. Steve is a great guy, trustworthy, excellent at what he does, and his business has been growing quite nicely over the past several years as a result.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We have had numerous meetings with Steve Childs to discuss the scope of the project, as well as the ongoing work associated with the project. Dorsay is excellent at explaining work they're going to be doing, how the pricing works, what to expect, and then regular updates as things progress and work is being performed. I am not tech savvy in this area, so the best description I can give is they did a revamp of our website to improve the look, layout, and speed of the site.

They have been doing SEO work that has been fabulous at driving traffic to our website (pre-pandemic that was very helpful), they update our website regularly for us with blog posts and articles, and positive customer reviews we receive elsewhere, they have assisted us with our efforts at hiring by assisting us with and teaching us how to work with Indeed, and various other smaller work.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Steve Childs, the owner, has been our primary contact, and has his company has been growing he has hired more people who we've been quite happy to work with too. Rachelle and Jon are project managers at Dorsay, and they have been extremely attentive and professional in their work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Before the pandemic killed the childcare business through our inability to find staffing, Dorsay's work was critical in helping us keep all of our centers full all of the time, which translates into significant revenue increases from their help. In fact, the revenue increases more than offset all of the costs of working with them to a degree where working with them is a no brainer.

There's all sorts of other measures of their work being successful that gets into mind numbing technical stuff about site visits, page clicks, and so on and so forth, but the revenue enhancement is really all we care about from a business perspective. In short, Dorsay's work has helped make us a lot of money!

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Constant calls, meetings, and emails every step of the way during a project, and for the ongoing work we receive regular updates that are quite detailed too. We aren't drilling down into the weeds about clicks, visits, speeds, etc., because the pandemic has forced our business to just coast for the time being. With no staff available, we can't take on more children, so for the time being we are maintaining the SEO work for the website, and they are providing us with assistance in our hiring efforts. The hiring is not going well, but that has nothing to do with what Dorsay is or isn't doing for us, rather, it's the ongoing pandemic.

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

Steve Childs and the results his Company has helped us achieve in terms of revenue growth. I can't say enough good things about Steve and his company, and I feel very lucky we found him!

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

Nothing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the downtown manager for the Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority. It’s a municipal agency that covers the boundaries of Royal Oak, Michigan. We mainly handle economic development in the downtown area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with dorsay?

Because of COVID-19, Michigan had a statewide lockdown for three months. We put together a grant program for businesses impacted, and we awarded $1.3 million to 92 businesses.

We required a specific website from dorsay where businesses could go for an online application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After we hired dorsay, we went through a design collaboration to ensure they were up to speed about our needs. We gave them access to our brand book so that they could mirror the site to our guidelines.

The website would be accessible to the public and allow business owners to apply. The site also redacted sensitive business information included by the owners.

The application would be sent my way for review. The site also included a contact form and FAQ.

What is the team composition?

My primary contact was Steven (Founder & Creative Director).

How did you come to work with dorsay?

I’ve seen the previous work he completed for Oakland County. We turned to Steven because he came highly recommended. We also needed something put together pretty quickly.

How much have you invested with them?

I believe we’ve invested around $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with dorsay in April 2020. The project concluded in June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team at dorsay developed a sophisticated website. The grant application process is concluded, but if we have any questions, we still go to dorsay for their services.

The feedback I received from the applicants was positive. They were blown away by the quality of the site and how easy it was for them to navigate. We haven’t received one complaint about the work at all.

In fact, our PR team reached out to us afterward. They were so impressed with the work that they wanted their contact information for future projects.

How did dorsay perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m not aware of what they use internally, but they met every deadline we gave them. Because of the COVID-19 emergency, we needed it done quickly, and their team met it with no problem whatsoever.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re responsive and accessible. Their team also has a great eye for design. Their forward-thinking attitude allowed them to incorporate impressive technologies into the website.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not that I’m aware of. I’m satisfied with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you know your outcome ahead of time. Don’t try to fly the plane while you’re building it. We were able to give them a list of what we wanted, and they went ahead with the project. Have a strong idea of what you want going in.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Nurish Brands. We produce natural, plant-based beverages.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with dorsay?

We initially engaged with them to build a brand-new website that captured the essence of our brand. We also wanted to display new packaging and products awaiting launch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Throughout development, we’ve expanded our relationship into other marketing and creative services. The team assists with social media strategy to build an emotional connection with the brand. Our natural products are healthy, but we want customers to look beyond that when buying them. They also create content for Facebook and Instagram. They even plan on developing an advertising strategy for our storefront and Amazon.

What is the team composition?

Several people have worked on our project. Steven (Founder & Creative Director) is my direct contact.

How did you come to work with dorsay?

We’re based in southeast Michigan. A little over a year ago, we moved our offices after receiving a grant to relocate. That’s how I met Steven initially.

When we were looking to engage and have a dialogue with web development companies, what we received from dorsay was a New York quality at an affordable price.

I think dorsay has a wonderful business model. They work with a lot of smaller brands. Steven was straightforward. We also liked their creative and strategy.

How much have you invested with them?

To date, I believe we’ve spent around $12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with dorsay started in October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re waiting for our new products and website to launch, but with everything involving COVID-19, it seems to be delayed. We plan on launching in July.

The new site has been showcased in front of potential target consumers. It’s been a universal thumbs-up from everyone. Their creative work is very engaging. What I’ve seen is something unique and playful that stands out in the cluttered media and advertising space.

How did dorsay perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m not sure about the tools, but their team is communicative and accessible. If there’s something we don’t like, they’re open to making changes. I’ve worked with creative companies in the past that were the opposite. The team at dorsay strives to understand what customers want from a creative and strategic point of view.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their combination of creativity and strategy. In my past experiences, you either get one or the other. There’s a sound business reason behind all of their creative work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing to add. I’ve been very satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a good understanding of what you’re trying to do before engaging with them. They’ll bring it to life. If you’re off on the strategy, they’ll push you with different ideas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the office manager at Goldner Walsh Garden & Home. We have a greenhouse, a florist, and a thirteen-acre nursery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with dorsay?

My company needed help with web design and digital marketing. We were frequently told that we were the best-kept secret in Oakland County, and we wanted to change that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

dorsay redesigned our website. They’ve done traditional marketing, such as billboards, and digital marketing. The team manages our social media campaigns, which includes creating the content and disseminating it across our channels.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Steven (Creative Director and Founder, dorsay).

How did you come to work with dorsay?

The owner of my company met Steven through a city development group.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent around $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with dorsay about five years ago, and our work together is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen an increase in site traffic and sales. Feedback has been extremely positive. My company employs a lot of visual people, such as landscape designers and floral artists, who have very high creative standards, and they’re satisfied with dorsay’s design work.

How did dorsay perform from a project management standpoint?

dorsay is punctual and provides rapid feedback. They’re quite creative.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve really captured the essence of who we are. It helps that dorsay is a local company, and they come by our location often.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Any advice for potential customers?

Communicate any thoughts you have. dorsay will explain why something will or will not work and provide suggestions for improvement.