Mightybytes

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a large catholic university.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mightybytes?

We hired Mightybytes to help with our SEO needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team provides ongoing SEO support to improve our visibility on Google. They started with a full technical audit and then they performed an on-page SEO audit to inform our roadmap. We then put together some keywords that were related to degree programs to see how our pages rank. 

What is the team composition?

Between 3–4 people work with us over the course of the project. 

How did you come to work with Mightybytes?

We sent out an RFP to a group of vendors. We included Mightybytes because we’re familiar with them as they’re based in the same location as us, so they appealed to us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spend between $70,000–$100,000 per year with them, and we have them on retainer. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve had an ongoing relationship since 2016. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we started working with them, we’ve seen a continual increase in how many of our keyword-optimized results appear on the first page of Google. 

How did Mightybytes perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great. We use them on an ad hoc basis, depending on what’s coming next and what will have the most impact on our ecosystem. When we had bigger problems, they helped us figure those out before moving onto the easier ones. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The level of service they provide coupled with their sustainability and ethical considerations makes them stand out. As a university, we always focus on service but Mightybytes is still always available to support other aspects we’re working on. They help make sure our users have the best experience. They always contribute their expertise without changing the billing aspect. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re a small organization, so sometimes it’s difficult to send over a large, unexpected project, whereas with a larger organization we could give them the whole thing. There are always pros and cons to working with a smaller company, but we’ve had a really good relationship. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with them collaboratively. It doesn’t help to just throw things over to their team, so you should have a discussion about goals, strategies, deliverables upfront. Make sure you have a call or workshop to figure out everyone’s roles and what the next steps are. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing manager of a pharmaceutical nonprofit. We handle the marketing needs of our organization including marketing to our members, to consumers about prescription medication safety, and selling accreditation programs to pharmacies that need to be accredited by their states.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mightybytes?

They redesigned our website. I came on board as it launched, but my understanding is that the old site was dated, with countless pages that were hard to navigate. This prevented members from finding the information they needed. Mightybytes helped us get a handle on our site when our previous vendor wasn’t giving us what we wanted.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our website from the ground up. All our projects with Mightybytes have been collaborative partnerships, with them do exercises with us to get to the root of what we need. Other companies will take you information and do everything themselves, but Mightybytes helps us execute. For this site, they had our team create page-long briefs to determine what content the website needed.

The site is on WordPress and has an intricate help section since we have a ton of FAQ content. They also built different sections of the website for different states. Finally, we have a meeting function that acts as a calendar, populating information across the state, and a custom newsroom with categorization and search function.

What is the team composition?

Ethan (Digital Strategist and Product Manager, Mightybytes) is our main point of contact, but they’ve got a developer and a designer on their end as well. From my perspective, I don’t interface with too many people on their side besides our main representative.

How did you come to work with Mightybytes?

My boss was looking for an organization that focused on working with nonprofits. They might have found Mightybytes through B Corp. Specifically, we were looking for a “green” company. We were referred to Mightybytes, but I’m not exactly sure how.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $200,000–$999,999 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since November 2016. The site launched march or April 2017, and we’ve done a couple of big projects since then, including a web redesign a few months ago.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new site is much more pared down and manageable than the previous version was. More of our members come to the site and find resources and information, which met our goal for the project. We’ve reduced customer service calls thanks to the help section and improved searchability of our content. That goes for the whole site as well. Information used to be impossible to find.

Additionally, we just recently launched a consumer-focused website with them, which, in the last couple of months, we’ve had 50,000 users join. That site drives home prescription drug safety practices to our audience.

How did Mightybytes perform from a project management standpoint?

Ethan runs a tight ship. Everything is very organized. It’s a collaborative process, and we can rely on him to move our projects forward. I’ve never had to reach out to find out where something is. He’s very proactive. All projects have stayed on track, and their budget estimates are accurate. They’re ideal to work with regarding project management. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The collaborative piece stands out the most. They take time to understand our challenges, needs, and industry. You’d never know they didn’t have a pharmacy background. We’ve been impressed by their adaptability, as well as how well they’ve stuck to schedules. No projects have been left hanging.

Their consistency in always going above and beyond expectations and keeping the same representatives is excellent. We’re always working with the same people. Other vendors feel like they’re changing constantly and never understand our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything is solid now, but it would be nice to see them grow and expand and offer more services. Companies like us have small marketing departments, and Mightybytes has so much expertise

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be upfront and open about the challenges you’re facing because they’re looking to partner with you. They don’t run surface-level projects. Be open and listen to their recommendations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Dharma Merchant Services is a boutique credit card processor that provides payment processing options to small- and mid-sized businesses. I operate as the COO at Dharma, managing our website, inbound leads, marketing strategy, and ongoing client relations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Mightybytes?

We hired Mightybytes to help us redesign our site, in order to better connect with our clients. We also wanted an ongoing maintenance contract to manage our SEO and other development needs.

What were your goals for this project?

Better user engagement. Better form conversion. Better SEO results. More qualified leads, less phone calls and more web-based leads.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We wanted a vendor that was both mission-aligned AND capable of doing what we needed. Mightybytes has fit that bill perfectly. They're personal, values-driven, and provide top-notch work. They communicate very regularly and effectively, use new/cutting-edge tools to help us get an edge, and they TRULY understand "who we are" so that they can make customized recommendations, instead of just "cookie cutter" ideas.

Describe the project in detail.

We did a FULL site overhaul. Content, indexing, blog, forms, etc. It was a project and a half. But, the site has carried us VERY successfully for over 5 years, and was built in a way that allowed us to manage a lot of it ourselves as we've grown. They also helped us manage an SEO strategy with long-term goals including AB testing and form testing as well. This has allowed us to "clean up" a lot of our lead sources and see what truly works best.

What was the team composition?

We had a team lead along with many other specific employees (content, design, implementation, etc). For our ongoing project, we have our main account representative, who regularly brings in additional employees for assistance on specific issues/needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've seen a massive uptick in leads and converted accounts since switching our site, and this was the beginning of our "digital era" internally. We moved almost all customer interaction to our website, which has gotten us much more internally streamlined. As we've fine-tuned our SEO results, we've been able to pinpoint how to get the leads we want to actually click in, and make the ones we DON'T want go away. This is an iterative process, but Mightybytes works closely with us on this.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very. They use Asana (helpful) and have a very good communication style. Not pushy, they take the time to KNOW us, so that they can work best WITH us.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Values. They really do put their money where their mouth is. They are not looking to make a quick buck here, but to make long term relationships that benefit all parties. We like that.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really. I can't think of anything I'd change.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of Communications and Engagement with the Alliance for the Great Lakes. We’re a Chicago-based nonprofit environmental organization whose mission is to protect and preserve the Great Lakes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mightybytes?

We needed a complete refresh of our digital presence. Our website was old and not mobile-friendly, and the content was outdated. We needed a site that was sustainable for a small nonprofit with nontechnical staff.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a customized, user-friendly WordPress site for us. They host the site and manage ongoing maintenance for updates or security issues. They’ve also helped us add technical features that weren’t included in the original design.

Prior to the RFP process, we had done some audience research on our own, including focus groups, to think about the organization’s overall communication strategy. We provided that information to Mightybytes and worked on the strategy with them, bringing in their digital expertise. We had specific goals about the audiences we wanted to reach and the actions we wanted those audiences to take. They helped us refine these communications to define the website’s strategy and goals.

They walked us through processes to think about the design elements, the content management system, the platform, and hosting. We provided the vast majority of content for the new site but they ultimately designed and built it for us.

They taught us how to use the site effectively. We did a couple of workshops with them about writing for the web and developing content development processes for our site. They’re now working on some digital marketing and helping us do an SEO audit. They’ll help us implement that work so we can appear higher in search rankings.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four or five people. Our main contact was the project manager. We worked with someone else on strategy and two technical people on each content strategy and development and building the site. The Principal at Mightybytes was involved in some of the strategy sessions during the project’s kickoff.

How did you come to work with Mightybytes?

We reached out to companies—including Mightybytes—to request responses to our RFP. We received about 10 responses and narrowed to three firms that we interviewed. After a vetting process, we selected Mightybytes.

Throughout the RFP process, we felt like we were on the same page with them. We knew the company a little beforehand and were comfortable with them. As a B Corp, they work with nonprofits and socially-minded organizations. They knew our space and could understand where we were coming from. Their closest competitor didn’t have the nonprofit experience that Mightybytes did. I spoke with references who talked about their transparent processes, which was another big reason we picked them. They were a good fit for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We currently have two separate contracts with them, one for site maintenance and hosting and one for support with additional projects. We’ve spent $50,000–$100,000 between that and the website redesign.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in April 2016 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site has revolutionized our digital marketing. We’re now able to be more creative—especially with our social media marketing—because we push people back to a responsive, engaging, and interesting site. It is a key part of our ability to bring new supporters into our organization and into the Great Lakes issues we work on.

How did Mightybytes perform from a project management standpoint?

As project lead, it was always clear what they were working on and where we stood on our budget and timeline. I had clear options and felt comfortable making decisions that could have impacted timeline or budget because I knew the whole picture. They worked hard to make us feel like we were in control of those key decisions, especially around the budget which is something we don’t have a lot of flexibility on as a nonprofit.

They’re responsive and transparent whether on capacity or cost issues, while at the same time being frank about what is or isn’t feasible. It’s always clear in advance if things will shift in terms of timelines, budget, or other project components. We made decisions together, as opposed to consultants coming in. It felt like we were partners, especially on the website redesign and now with the ongoing support work. Their team is great to work with.

Our first project manager was amazing at keeping us up-to-date on the project and flagging potential issues that might impact timeline or budget. Over the past two years, we transitioned to a new project manager who is just as great as the first. They have a track record of hiring people who mesh with their company’s philosophy and approach to client engagement.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a B Corp—and they really believe in and fulfill the spirit of being one. They “walk the talk” in terms of sustainability and how they treat their employees, which is important to us as a nonprofit.

They invite their clients to regular events or workshops where they share new learning. This has been a great way for us to expand our knowledge and skills as well as network with others grappling with similar digital marketing and strategy questions. It’s an added benefit that Mighybytes makes an effort to provide to the community that has been beneficial to us.

They’ve also gotten to know us very well as an organization. Knowing that we’re a nonprofit, they’re thoughtful in helping us identify opportunities or people to connect with that might help us. They go above and beyond to make sure that our website is functioning. They really care about us as an organization, which means a lot to us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not that I can think of. They were open and upfront about the staff changes that were going to occur, which was hugely helpful in a scenario that could have been a little nerve-wracking. Their current staff seems really happy and stable.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We did a lot of work before putting out an RFP. We were clear about our project goals. We did the same before we entered into the support retainer with them in order to be clear about what we wanted. That helped us negotiate the contract and clarify the boundaries of our work with both the original website redesign and the ongoing support. It also gave them the opportunity to provide us with feedback on what they could and couldn’t do within our budget and timeframes.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing communications director at Chicago Children’s Choir. We are a youth choral music education organization founded in 1956. We started as a very small choir, and now we serve 4,400 children across Chicago, representing all 57 city zip codes. Our mission is to inspire and change lives through music. We do that through programs in 10 Chicago neighborhoods, 80 Chicago schools, a special ensemble for boys with changing voices, and our world-renowned Voice of Chicago touring ensemble. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mightybytes?

We were entering our 60th anniversary year, and we had recently undergone a major rebranding project. It was time for a new website to match all that work. Our old site was a little stale and hard to use. The backend was hard to update and keep current. We needed everything revamped and updated.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We went through exploration with them, diving into what we could keep from our previous site. It involved a lot of ditching dead weight and defining goals. We were very specific in the way we communicated, and they helped us through that process. They went through a lot of visual exercises with us to determine what resonated with us and what we wanted to see in the final website. Together, we defined what the site will and will not do. We did a lot of granular goal exercises that I think were important.

They conducted content workshops with us as well, which were extremely helpful. They have a “content first” strategy for launching websites, and I think that’s one of the reasons the launch process went smoothly. They were instrumental in helping our staff define a process for writing content and having it approved and ready to go into the final site before launch. We went through final prototypes, and they trained us on the new CMS with WordPress.

Mightybytes did some basic search engine optimization (SEO). That wasn’t a big part of the project, but we hope to dive into that more with them in the future. Most of our budget was devoted to starting the new site.

How did you come to work with Mightybytes?

They came referred to us by colleagues in the building where we’re located. Mightybytes is well known among nonprofits, and the City of Chicago has used them as well. We checked their references and saw that their work is very respected.

How much have you invested with Mightybytes?

We’ve invested $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We had initial exploratory calls with them in May of 2016, and the work started in June. We reviewed the prototypes by September and launched in October of 2016. Since the launch, they continue to provide hosting and maintenance services for us. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

They really helped us to define our communication goals on the site, which was something we hadn’t done before. We’re better able to defend our decisions on the website—what we do and don’t put on it. It helped us focus a lot on using that as a goal-oriented tool.

We’ve received great feedback from our board of directors, which is very important for us as a nonprofit. Our customers find it much easier to find events and registration portals. On the analytics side, the biggest improvement we’ve seen is that mobile performance is much better.

Our previous site was not mobile-friendly, so some key metrics around abandon rates for mobile users have improved.

How did Mightybytes perform from a project management standpoint?

They did great. We had a transition in project managers in the middle of the project, but they made sure everything was fluid. They kept us informed of budget progress. Anytime I had a question, they were very transparent with their answers. They’re very congenial and open to any conversation. They’re just nice people.

What did you find most impressive about Mightybytes?

They provide a very individualized, almost boutique-like experience. It’s a small firm, and I never felt like I was just another client. It’s a very personalized approach.

Are there any areas Mightybytes could improve?

I don’t have anything specific there. We’re very satisfied with their work. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are Illinois Green Economy Network. We are a network of all 39 community college districts in Illinois. We focus on community education, workforce training, and campus sustainability. We work between our colleges to try to advance that across our state.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the director of college partnerships.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with MightyBytes?

We received a grant to create a website that would provide consumer education about smart meters and smart grid education in Illinois. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

It is ongoing partnership. Initially, MightyBytes helped us walk through the process of creating a website from the beginning until it was complete. We also began working with them to complete a second development phase of the project.

What was your process for selecting MightyBytes with which to work?

We are required by law to submit a bid for an RFP [request for proposal] package. We solicited an RFP. MightyBytes was one of the firms that responded. We evaluated each of the companies for a few specific things: the expertise they brought to the table, cost, and whether they had a B corporation status.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

It’s a brand new website, and it was a brand new mission for us, so we can’t give any analytics as to how it’s going. We’ve been extremely satisfied.

Is there anything unique or special about MightyBytes that really makes them stand out compared to other online marketing companies?

They are truly one of the best project-managed firms I’ve ever worked with. They are extremely efficient. They are very good project managers, timely, cost conscience and, from my perspective, the fact that they are a certified B corporation is very important to us. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a Web development firm.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We provide financial services. 

What is your role and responsibilities?

I am the marketing manager. I handle all new innovation for our website. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with MightyBytes?

The main reason for our initial partnership was to utilize MightyBytes for their expertise in website and back-end coding.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

Our partnership began with solely utilizing their coding expertise. They now help us with a lot of our new applications that we’re putting online.

What was your process for selecting MightyBytes with which to work?

Although I was not involved in the initial selection process, I know the selection team went through quite an extensive list of providers to find a partner that could deliver what we needed.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms or a personnel work-hour figure?

I don’t have a specific number but our partnership provides significant value to us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

For the most part, we’ve had successful metrics with each MightyBytes’ project. 

Is there anything unique or special about MightyBytes that really makes them stand out compared to other online marketing companies?

MightyBytes is very reasonable with their prices and able to turn things around quickly. They’re able to spin lots of plates at once. If I have an issue, I know I can go to them and they will help me through it. They move as quickly or as slowly as I need. They have great project management skills. They can think outside the box to make things work.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

Every company eventually reaches a limitation to their bandwidth. My only suggestion for MightyBytes would be to continue to focus on growing so that we can continue to push as much work as we can their way. Growth is always a thing that’s needed to keep up with demand.

BACKGROUND

Could you describe the organization you worked for during your initial experience with Mightybytes?

I was working for the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. At that time, we were working on a website for our theater department. We needed something that reflected a look we had going that was established through the city and that followed the city’s policies and guidelines for Web design, but we also wanted to create something fresh that went off-template from the regular City of Chicago website.

I was the main point of contact for the whole project. I was working closely with the Mightybytes project manager. We went back and forth at every step until the site was complete, and then I was the one to continue updating it as part of my daily routine after that. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Did you have any specific goals for the new website? Were you trying to increase traffic?

Yes. Definitely. We were hosting itinerant theater companies that didn’t have a space of their own. A lot of them were young. A lot of them didn’t have their own box office and ticketing systems set in place. Some of them had websites. Some were better than others. Basically, once a company had applied and been accepted to show in our space at the cultural center, then the DCA theater website was the main marketing vehicle to get the word out about the show. It showcases images and video, and definitely drives people to buy tickets. That was probably one of the more complicated aspects of it, which Mightybytes handled really well, was being a liaison with our ticketing software provider, which I think it was TicketStage. There was a lot of behind the scenes to work with this third party that Mightybytes did on our behalf. 

SOLUTION

When they were building the new website, was the content migrated a new content management system?

It was. They created a content management system for us, specifically for this website. They were able to transfer over the information we wanted to keep from the old site.

Why did you choose Mightybytes to work with in the beginning?

Price was one aspect of it, of course. As required by the city, we had to take three bids. We had met Tim [Frick], the owner of Mightybytes, at a conference. I was impressed with his approach, took a look at his book and got interested in Mightybytes from the beginning, so we had a little bit of a bias. We knew Tim and wanted to work with him.

We went out and got three quotes, though, just to make sure that was the right vendor. I did end up interviewing the other two companies that we got quotes from. I think it was more of a gut decision that swayed us towards Mightybytes. I thought James was great as a project manager and felt like we would get a lot of attention from him. We just had a good feeling. We’d looked at their work online and were impressed with their portfolio and felt really comfortable.

Can you give a sense of the size of the project either in a cost figure or a personnel work-hour estimate?

I think the website was between $25,000 and $30,000. From a work standpoint, it was a brand-new site that integrated a complicated third-party ticketing system that had a custom-built CMS and probably took about three months to create and to unroll. We had a pretty strict timeline that we needed to have it done by. So, they condensed their schedule that they had originally proposed as I remember. I think we got it done in about three months.

When was this?

That was in 2008. I started working for Lillstreet [Art Center] three years ago, and we brought Mightybytes on again as the main servicer and support network for our current website. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, do you have any metrics or feedback to indicate the effectiveness of their work?

I don’t have the numbers at my fingertips since it was so long ago. But, we saw a vast increase in traffic to the website. That was something that was monitored closely. They helped us with SEO [search engine optimization] and key wording our pages. That seemed to be working. We also saw an increase in ticket sales, which was part of a concerted marketing effort for which the website was one piece. We were also seeing an increase on the time spent on the site. We set out to have a site that had more content than our previous site. We wanted videos. We wanted interviews with artists. We wanted more information. They were able to build a site that showcased that. We were happy to see the people were spending more time on the site. We were getting more links from other people. We definitely watched as the numbers steadily increased from the Web traffic. 

Does Mightybytes continue to maintain the website for the Department of Cultural Affairs?

It’s an interesting case. Through no fault of Mightybytes, the website is no longer functioning because there were changes within the department that caused the merging of several different city departments. They essentially eliminated the theater program. 

But, once Mightybytes had finished the initial design and CMS and handed them off to us, we updated it ourselves all the time. They were there to help us if there was something that went wrong or that was confusing, or if we found that we needed something different than what we had initially thought. They were there for us. 

What is the scope of the work they are doing currently for Lillstreet?

We had some specific goals. We knew we couldn’t afford to redo the entire site. We also have a third-party system. We use a version of FileMaker to handle all of our class registrations. That is integrated with the website. It’s a complicated system. They took it over from an individual that had created the site and helped us untangle some of the things behind the scenes that were causing us problems and did a few project based updates for us. Now, they continue as needed, to make changes and to help us fix errors. We still manage it ourselves in terms of the CMS, but if we run into issues, we just contact them directly.

How would you describe Mightybytes’ performance while working with them?

We were very happy with it. Everyone that was involved in the project was very comfortable with them. We felt like they had good ideas and were attentive and quick to respond. I’m hesitant to give the highest marks to anybody, and I haven’t worked with a lot of other companies in this way, but I would say they’re an A-minus on a grading scale, in terms of what they presented, the cost that they proposed and what they delivered, and their overall approachability and friendliness and attitude towards helping us. 

Is there anything you would consider special or unique about them compared to other companies with which you may have worked?

Again, I go back to the personalities. I think their staff is really strong. The people they put in charge of managing projects are very efficient. James, especially, we just had a great experience with him. He actually does our project management here at Lillstreet. They’re calm and very responsive. With tech people, sometimes it feels like you’re bothering them. Mightybytes has never given us that impression. They’ve always just really been respectful of issues we’re having and never try to make an assumption that we’re doing something wrong. They take every question very seriously and research it thoroughly. I have a very positive feeling of a trust in their work.

Is there any area that you think that they can improve upon or that you would do differently?

I’m also a graphic designer. Especially now, knowing what I know years later, I think that some of the design aspects could have been a little stronger, but maybe it’s just the person they had working with them at the time. Talking about the DCA Theater, I thought the functionality of the website was strong, and the customer service was good. They did a lot of things right. But, maybe a little bit fresher design would have been useful. Maybe they have improved that now.

BACKGROUND

Could you start by giving a brief description of Climate Ride?

We’re an organization that’s six years old. We run three fundraising bicycle events that are each five days and one five-day hike in Glacier, Montana. We have participants who raise a certain minimum, usually $2,800, in order to participate. Those participants can then select from almost a hundred different organizations that support sustainability and active transportation. As a result of their fundraising, Climate Ride donates about $600,000 annually to these hundred different nonprofit organizations.

What was your role at the organization?

I was co-founder and director. Primarily, I managed the operations of the organization including the finances, the staff, and other operations in order to make the backend part of the organization run. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We had a website that wasn’t working for us. There were numerous problems on the backend, namely that it was very difficult to maintain. It had a custom CMS [content management system] that was buggy. The customer service with the previous company was inefficient. On the whole, we were underwhelmed with the ability of the previous website company to flex to our needs.

We approached Mightybytes because we needed something that was more reliable, better functioning with better customer service and responsiveness and more flexibility to grow with us and be able to make updates to the website as our organization grew.

SOLUTION

What was your process for selecting Mightybytes to work with? What set them apart from other candidates?

They listened the best to what we needed. When we talked about possible solutions, the solutions that they offered were exactly what we needed. The difference was that they really heard us, evaluated what they could do for us, evaluated the tools and thought, “What is going to be best for Climate Ride?” and offered us their recommendations.

This was really different from some of the other firms that I spoke with, which was more like, “Here is what we give you,” a one-size-fits-all approach, “this is what we do, and here it is.” Mightybytes was more thoughtful about it. To me, that made all the difference. What they provided us really worked a huge difference over what we had prior.  

Can you describe the scope of the work? Did it include design, development, training, and support?

It was all of those things, from design to implementation to ongoing support. We started out with some research in terms of trying to figure out what it was that the users of our website really need and how can we meet that need, and then what exactly the needs of the organization were, for instance, a custom CMS that’s really easy for us to use.

Then, we went into the design phase. We did a couple of iterations of what the design should look like: The overall look and feel. They then went into development where they built everything out. We worked with them in reviewing the wireframe and things like that as this went along.

Once everything was built out, we uploaded all the content. We gave them a lot of photos that we thought they could use. They did a lot of the Photoshopping to get the images to the specs and the graphic quality that we wanted for the website.

Once everything was ready, we went live. That was probably two or three years ago. Since then, we’ve continued to grow, and our needs have continued to shift. Mightybytes has been really responsive with that in helping us make adjustments as needed. They’ve been great to identify what our needs are as we’ve grown and prioritize them and get them implemented. They’ve really been fantastic to work with.

How long did the process take from initial planning to the launch of the website?

It was about three months.

Can you give a sense of the size of the project, either in a cost range or in a personnel work hour figure?

It would be in the $10,000 to $50,000 range.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the work they did?

For sure visibility. One thing that they did was help us build out or e-newsletters, so that the branding matched the website and that the e-newsletters pointed back to the blog. We use Emma as our mail client, and they built custom branding for us so that the style of the e-newsletter within Emma matched our website in terms of the look and feel.

Our e-newsletters resulted in a big increase of traffic to our website and probably an increase of 15 to 20 percent traffic to our website. That was really great.

We also heard from a lot of our users that the new website was much easier to use, and the information was much easier to find. 

Could you describe a little bit more about their performance throughout the project?

We had a timeline of when we needed to meet a certain target. They were right on track with the timeline. They were really great about being proactive and following up. If ever anything we had [was] missed or not addressed, it would always get caught by somebody to make sure that it got implemented on time. It always [was] addressed. The questions [was] answered and so on, so that the whole process kept moving forward.

I never felt like we were being left behind. I never felt lost in the process. It always felt like the project management was really fantastic and that we had specific timelines for all the bits and pieces. The whole team was on track to meet that timeline. Everybody was on board. Everybody was playing their role and making sure they got their bits done. I was really impressed.

Looking back on the work that they did, is there any area that you think they could improve upon?

I wouldn’t have minded a little bit more look and feel options. We had one or two choices for color, look, and feel. I think that was largely driven by the color gradient of our logo. That drove the color options for our website. I think there might have been a little bit more flexibility.

In terms of their performance, was there anything unique or special about them compared to other companies that you may have worked with?

It’s clear that client satisfaction is something that they really value. It’s not just something they give lip service to. They’re proactive in making sure that we get what we need. Whereas with other firms that I’ve worked with, once the website is complete, my needs become an afterthought. When you’re a company that is always growing, things are always changing. There needs to be some continual upkeep and thought given to the ongoing performance of the website. It’s not a static thing that you deliver and then you’re done. I have felt that way with other companies. Once they delivered their product, they were really hands off.

I was really happy with Mightybytes that once they delivered their product, it was, “Let’s look six months down the line and see what we want to do now.” Again, six months down the line, continuing to make sure the website grows with the company.