Matchbox Design Group

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a university offering four-year degrees as well as some master's degrees.

What is your role or position at the company?

I am the CTO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Matchbox Design Group?

We needed to improve the website's effectiveness at recruiting new students and make the website look more modern.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

The primary function of the project was to redesign the look and feel of the website. Secondary to that, we wanted to redesign the information architecture and rewrite the content of key pages to make them more effective.

How did you come to work with Matchbox Design Group?

We did an RFP [request for proposal] to a number of vendors, looking at their capability and the overall cost of the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

It was started around November 2014 and completed around December 2015. There are still some ongoing activities, but these are more maintenance and tweaks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The main result was a better-looking website. We did not have clear metrics entering the project to be able to measure a significant change.

How did Matchbox Design Group perform overall?

Matchbox did a fantastic job on the technical aspects of the site. They have been supportive and helpful as we take ownership of the site.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve or things you might do differently?

We were their first school website where they did a complete redesign. As with any new industry, they will need to continue to deepen their understanding of the industry to be able to provide better guidance to the customer to help steer them away from bad design decisions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're an independent insurance agency in St. Louis which was founded 50 years ago. We sell all types of insurance and represent 10 major companies through contract as well as 100 other companies through affiliations.

What is your position?

I am the president of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Matchbox?

We were trying to build a professional website. Over many years, we worked with various contractors, but we decided that we wanted to work with a professional company.

As soon as we started working with Matchbox, things began to happen. Our website is currently state-of-the-art for an insurance company. We're looking to start making some sales through it.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Matchbox applied many approaches for us, some of them being trial-and-error. A lot of the misguided effort came down to ignorance on our part, in terms of what we were asking for. Their team was honest in telling us whenever we had a bad idea, and gave us alternatives.

Our website features our entire list of products which can be clicked on for full information. Matchbox helped us set up a blog on which we write about various insurance topics and frequently asked questions. They set us up with call-to-action capabilities through which people could leave their name, address, and email in order to be contacted by us. Right now, we're experimenting with pay-per-click advertising as well, working with their SEO keyword specialist. We're experimenting with different keywords in order to see what will attract the general public and make them call us about insurance.

How did you come to work with Matchbox?

Their company happened to be located in the same building as ours. On a whim, I took an elevator to their floor and started talking to them, explaining what we needed. Their company was only comprised of three or four people at the time. Their pricing was reasonable, and they seemed to know what they were talking about. We didn't need to make a huge investment from the start, but rather expand the scope as we went along.

We started out slowly and took on more and more projects as we gained experience. The relationship expanded, ultimately bringing our website to exactly where we wanted it to be. There was a significant investment made into the website over time. Matchbox came through, and whenever something didn't work, we tried alternatives.

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

Our initial cost was around $1,000 per month. We built that figure up to $4,000-5,000, including SEO work, consultation, website work, and editing.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with Matchbox for three to four years. We plan to have an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

My aim was to have a basic website which could serve as a platform for our partner agencies. It's a good basic page without any clutter. I'm now contacting other agencies in order to expand it.

One of the things that are crucial for us, as an independent agency, is proving to our partner companies that we're capable of representing them. Our business is dominated by bigger companies that spend millions of dollars on advertising. The website that we have enables us to showcase that we're a state-of-the-art agency. We've reached the first step in doing that. The website gives us credibility for the companies that we represent. They want to produce more business, so we can show that we're ready to enable that for them, as soon as they're ready to provide the products.

How did Matchbox perform from a project management standpoint?

We've always gotten along personally with their principals. We can always call them for anything. Different people have handled the various aspects of our work, but it's always been handy to be able to reach their owner. He can always pick up on my needs quickly and assign the work to the appropriate person or help me develop my idea.

What distinguishes Matchbox from other providers?

Right now, a typical website will bombard the user with pop-ups and other ads. The subject of the page comes as an afterthought. Matchbox helped us keep the site clean, which I've appreciated. They listened to our concerns, worked together with us, and came up with ideas that we hadn't even thought of. Our approach was wrong in the beginning, so their help was essential. The Google matrix has changed over the years, but we've changed with them. Matchbox keeps its finger on the pulse of technology, enabling us to be agile and shift from one business theory to another, in order to match up with the current paradigm.

Another thing I found interesting about them is that they handle all kinds of clients, from various industries. It's always been fun to hear about what their approaches for those other businesses are and how they differ from what we're trying to do.

Is there anything Matchbox could have improved or done differently?

They're a young outfit. Trying new things will always lead to mistakes, but we cannot be afraid of that. What I've appreciated about their team is that they've stayed consistent in terms of services provided. Personnel comes and goes, which is normal, but Matchbox as a whole has stayed consistent.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are an acute care hospital.

What is your role or position at the organization?

I am the marketing and communications director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Matchbox Design Group?

We needed an updated, freestanding website for one of our branded service lines.

What were your company's specific goals for the project?

We wanted our site to be mobile device-responsive, maintain brand integrity, and offer us lead generation and tracking capabilities.

SOLUTION

What business challenge were you trying to address with Matchbox Design Group?

Matchbox Design Group had worked with one of my colleagues at a sister facility – I discussed her experience in detail with her when I was researching local support options, and then I decided to hire MDG as well.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work is ongoing as they help me with SEO [search engine optimization] and site enhancements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We are very happy with the site results and ongoing performance.

How did Matchbox Design Group perform overall?

They performed great.

What distinguishes Matchbox Design Group from other providers?

Matchbox Design Group is very responsive, and I appreciated how they would regularly suggest updates and new tactics.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve or things you might do differently?

They should have double-checked with clients first before implementing some of the link building. Healthcare has many regulations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Supervisor of Gershman Mortgage

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We offer a wide range of mortgage products including home loans, refinance mortgages and more

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Matchbox Design Group to accomplish?

• Design, develop, host and maintain a new website

SOLUTION

How did you find Matchbox Design Group?

Online Search

Why did you select Matchbox Design Group over others?

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

How many teammates from Matchbox Design Group were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We asked Matchbox to look at our old website and to make it BETTER. We needed it to be cleaner, faster, and easier to navigate. They worked with us (and waited on us, for a long long time) and educated us on wireframes, WordPress, etc. They were always on time with their deliverables and they stuck to the timeline (even when we didn't).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are able to measure the amount of traffic our website receives and it is considerably higher than our previous site.

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

Matchbox always delivered on time and they still do! I was always able to reach out to someone and get an answer in a very timely manner. Their effectiveness and ability to respond are always so appreciated. They hit their targets and they do what they say they're going to do. It's always smooth sailing!

What was your primary form of communication with Matchbox Design Group?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

THE PEOPLE. I truly enjoy working with each and every one of the team assigned to our project. They always make time to really answer my questions and to educate me on things I'm not fully up to speed on, and they do it with a smile. They always go above and beyond for us and I couldn't be more grateful. Brent, Keegan, Katie, and Mark are just a few of the folks over there who take such good care of us!

Are there any areas for improvement or something Matchbox Design Group could have done differently?

None that I can think of!