Monument Studio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We provide public online seminars that cover a wide range of topics in statistics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our website was created 15 years ago and needed to be updated substantially. We had to start from scratch and create a modern, updated site that is easy for people to navigate. The goal was to increase traffic to our site and update the aesthetic.

SOLUTION

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

We worked with Sam and Monument on another business website and were extremely impressed by the final product. It was an easy decision.

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

We had an initial meeting to discuss goals and lay out the timeline. We were able to review everything and go through each page making revisions and changes along the way. The team was extremely communicative and all concerns were addressed quickly. Content was migrated over from our old site. Sam gave the team a site tour and made tweaks after the site launched.

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

We worked directly with Sam the whole time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site just launched but so far we have received nothing but VERY positive feedback on both the design and ease of use. We are extremely pleased!

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

A lot of email communication! Emails were all responded to in a very timely fashion. A clear timeline was set and adhered to. All needs were addressed and if there was any confusion a meeting would quickly be set up.

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

This was a big project and it was managed so smoothly. The end product is even better than we had envisioned. There is a lot of individual attention and the amount of work and energy expended on this project was clear from the start.

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

Nothing!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

HTL-STREFA is a world leader in designing and producing products for drug delivery, immunization, and capillary blood sampling, with a core expertise in safety sharps. It is widely recognized as the inventor of the “safety lancet” product category, producing over 50% of safety lancets worldwide. I am the senior manager, managing our Marketing Communications and Creative Services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Monument Studio to develop our company's new safety brand website. We were starting fresh with no website. Our goal was to address an immediate need for a website with product information, but also design a website in a way that would allow for easy expansion for more products, company information, lead generation, and more down the road.

SOLUTION

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

I originally sent out a request for proposal for our new website. Monument Studio asked great questions that demonstrated their expertise in web development. They presented a proposal that accomplished all that we were looking for. Additionally, they had worked with other companies in the pharma/medical devices space. Having an understanding of that was very important to us as the website we were developing was for healthcare professionals.

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

The scope of the project included developing the look and feel for digital from our packaging and exisiting marketing materials, presenting product information, and ideas for future website development to include lead generation and company information. 

Monument presented a timeline that started off with concepts to establish look and feel, then mock ups for presenting the information with multiple revisions, high fidelity mock ups to finalize all content and for internal approvals, wrapping up with developing the website and a final review to check for functionality.

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

We worked with Sam, founder of Monument. He was the lead for our project. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Sam launched our brand new site successfully. All of the information our customers need is found 

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

Sam did an excellent job managing the project. From the project proposal, kickoff, and the inbetween from concept to execution, were done well. He was clear on what deliverables our team would need to provide, along with his deliverables. Our business priorities shift around a lot and Sam was very flexible. He communicated well and often. They were always clear on how long various parts of the project would take. They always delivered each stage on time. 

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

We worked directly with the person developing the website. Other agencies have 'middle men' that communicate with the client and bring in their various team members. With Monument, you are working directly with the individuals that not only do the work, but manage the project. This makes communication so much easier. 

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

No specific comments here. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Marketing Director of HAZA Group, a private restaurant group franchisee of Wendy's and Taco Bell restaurants in the U.S.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our existing website was for one of our companies, HAZA Foods but we needed a new site that highlighted both of our companies under the same umbrella. We hired Monument Studio and came across Sam's work when looking for someone to help us with creating a professional yet engaging site.

SOLUTION

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

After searching online for web developers and meeting with Sam, we went with Monument Studio because of their portfolio of websites they've created, as well as overall design skills and fast communication.

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

After a preliminary call, Sam sent me templates and mockups for designs for the site. After choosing what I wanted to go with, he broke the project down in 3 phases. For each part of the project, he sent me layouts for pages, etc.

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

Sam was our main point of contact throughout the project, and we had several back and forth emails throughout the process to ensure I'd be happy with the outcome.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our corporate team loved the new website and fresh look of it! Super appealing, engaging yet professional!

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

Super communicative throughout the process and fast turnaround on designs and edits!

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

They gave us a professional site while still making it engaging, appealing, and harnessing the spirit of our company as one that is entrepreneurial and fast-growing.

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

They were communicative with any edits I wanted and had a quick turnaround which I appreciated.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a broker at a real estate development company that designs, builds, and sells residential real estate. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Monument Studio?

We didn't have a website and needed a firm to build one so we could market our services and display our portfolio. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Monument Studio designed and developed our website from scratch. We requested the website be simple and easy to navigate with visual content that reflected our company. Monument Studio created several drafts that we provided feedback on before finalization. Once the design was finalized, Monument Studio developed the site. Their team developed simple navigation that displayed renderings and floor plans for our future projects. They also integrated a work order request form into the site. 

Monument Studio also handles our site's keyword and SEO efforts. We've also set up a biannual site update contract with Monument Studio. 

What is the team composition?

We work with several teammates from Monument Studio, including Sam (Founder), a project manager, a coder, and a designer. 

How did you come to work with Monument Studio?

I was referred to Monument Studio by a friend. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $7,000 with Monument Studio. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Monument Studio began in April 2020, and it's ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website has successfully launched and is always up and running; we're constantly generating leads via the site. Whenever I request updates, they are completed within 48 hours unless they're extremely complicated. Monument Studio is fast, straightforward, reasonably priced, and easy to work with. 

How did Monument Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Monument Studio pushes for meetings, but lets us lead the way when it comes to providing feedback on deliverables. Usually, we communicate via phone or email but have had several in-person meetings before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Monument Studio is the driver of our partnership; they create deliverables for us to look at and test instead of us telling them precisely what to do. They take the initiative to push the project to completion. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't have anything for Monument Studio to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd advise customers to have examples of the functionalities and aesthetics they want for their site before beginning an engagement with Monument Studio to ensure the entire process moves quickly. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Locked On is a podcast network with over 185 sports podcast shows. I am the COO but wear many hats including CMO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Initially, we hired Monument Studio nearly four years ago to take website page designs from a previous designer and develop a WordPress site for us with an easy-to-use CMS on the backend. Since that first project, they have revised the site design several times, developed other more complex websites for us to communicate with advertisers and other partners, designed logos for our shows, helped with brand design projects, developed marketing materials, video assets, and more.

SOLUTION

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

We needed a partner that could do both design and development work at a high level. We also had marketing design needs and didn't want to hire two or three different providers that would need to be managed separately and then coordinated together. We wanted one provider and they fit the bill perfectly with both deep design and development expertise.

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

We have worked with Monument Studio on many different types of projects and they each take slightly different paths to completion. We have also worked together long enough that we can shortcut some of the processes. Generally speaking though, our bigger design and development projects start with a Scope of Work and Spec document from us.

We usually follow that up with a meeting to discuss the work, answer questions, and work through various options. Monument then comes back with a development plan, budget, scheduled check-ins, and timing to complete the project. We go through various rounds of design comps, build stages, testing, and then launch. Our smaller projects though tend to be launched with a quick meeting to discuss the details and then off they go.

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

I coordinate almost exclusively with Sam Crawford, the company's founder, although we have had other designers work on our projects and they coordinate work with other members of our team as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They assisted us in building our custom WordPress website that has been an incredibly important asset for our online presence, and for our company. They were able to customize our CMS with Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) to make our content managers' lives easier and give them the publishing tools they need to work quickly in the backend.

Monument Studio provided the speed, flexibility, expertise, and creativity we need. They adapted to our brand standards so our website, marketing materials, and logos were met with a consistent, high-quality, design language. They were easy to work with and efficient and went above their way to find solutions to new challenges.

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

Monument Studio is efficient and responsive. They communicate well. They stick to schedules, budgets, and deliver on time.

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

For our needs, it was their ability to bring both great design and development skills together in one provider and to work across many different types of projects from websites to logos to marketing materials, even developing some video assets for us. They are super easy to work with, communicate well, and find solutions to challenges every time. I couldn't recommend them more.

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

Not really, we are super happy to be working with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the COO for a member-based trade association focused on improving and strengthening the structured finance market to help our members and public policymakers grow credit availability and the real economy in a responsible manner while safeguarding essential protections for consumers and the financial system.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We initially hired Monument to assist in the development of some brand-new interior webpages for our key initiatives that would align with a recent rebranding we had undergone.

Since then, Monument expanded their support of our website to the complete redesign and launch of two additional websites (our Foundation and our PAC), the redesign of additional interior pages (our committees & task forces pages, among others), as well as the development of an SEO strategy to optimize the performance of our sites.

SOLUTION

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

We posted the opportunity online and selected the top candidates for a series of phone interviews. We reviewed their portfolios and also spoke with references.

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

The team was very thorough in identifying our goals with the project and our desired launch date. They took extra time to understand what we were trying to accomplish and how we wanted to use our website to engage and communicate with our audiences.

Our vision was then transformed into mockups in Adobe that incorporated any comments and feedback before migrating to a dev site. There was a thorough UAT process before sites were pushed live. The team was also on standby to address any issues or last-minute tweaks throughout the launch and beyond to ensure success.

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

We worked primarily with the principal of the company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have seen a significant increase in YoY website traffic and average monthly visitors. Our sites are easy to navigate, eye-catching, and optimized.

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

The team is detail-oriented and stays accountable to agreed-upon deadlines. We used Google documents to keep track of different components of the webpages and did most of the communicating day-to-day via email. We would use video chats to walk through more complicated or nuanced feedback together.

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

Extremely creative and excel at taking a vision and translating it into a professional, aesthetically pleasing site in ways that don't feel repetitive or stale.

The team was very professional and trustworthy. They take the time to understand what you are trying to accomplish with your web presence, your company's audience, and how to weave in your corporate branding. They really feel part of the team - they are accountable to their work product and are committed to seeing projects through the way you envision them.

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

No - we had such a great time working with one another with our initial project that I have been hiring them continuously for projects since that initial engagement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the store manager of a locally grown, owned, and operated grocery store in Solon, Ohio.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Monument Studio?

We needed someone to update and modernize our 25-year old website, so we can provide a better experience for our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our website from scratch and migrated pertinent information from our old website to the new one. They optimized the online shopping aspect and made it more mobile-friendly.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was Sam (Founder), but he also had a web designer working with him in the backend.

How did you come to work with Monument Studio?

Monument Studio was referred to me by a friend who’s used them to create their company’s website. We chose to work with them because they provided the best value based on their initial quotes and they were very easy to work with.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested somewhere around $27,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership ran from November 2020–March 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The traffic on our website has been overwhelming since we launched, so I had to buy more data for the website to run better. We’ve gained about 10,000–15,000 visitors per month and positive feedback from our customers, citing the website’s user-friendliness and efficiency.

How did Monument Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was very good, as they were very receptive to our concerns and fixing problems as they arose. Apart from that, they’ve also provided us with a training seminar so our employees can learn how to remedy issues ourselves. 

We typically communicated through weekly emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve worked with people who didn’t make our organization a priority, so we really liked Monument Studio’s commitment to creating the website that we wanted. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We didn’t really have any problems and the only delays we’ve experienced were during the holidays. There were also missing items on the website, but they were able to instantly apply them so I don’t have any complaints.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise them to be prepared with their specific requirements to improve the agility of the development process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a recruiting firm focused with accounting direct hire placements.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

To create a new logo and website for our 15 year old company (with a very outdated logo and website!).

SOLUTION

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

Searched on Upwork and hired Sam because he had great reviews and experience working with small companies like ours doing the same sorts of projects.

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

We had a kick off meeting, lots of Q&A back and forth via Upwork and email along the way to create the final products.

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

Just Sam!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are really happy with our new logo and website! A definite upgrade.

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

Sam was great to work with! He listened to us well, asked good questions / gave good comments so he could get the info he needed from us to build what we want. So he definitely was able to consult with us and create to create a product we feel represents us and our business well.

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

They worked with a high level of urgency, so we completed each stage very quickly. At no point did I feel like I needed to check for updates as they were great at communicating things as we went and keeping us in the loop about every stage and the timing. We are thrilled with our new site! Their pricing was more than fair as well.

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

None!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner and founder of a small law practice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Command Legal?

They are helping me create a digital presence for my firm.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started by developing a logo and website for the company. They walked me through a number of templates and customizations in WordPress and then built everything from scratch, focusing on creating informational pages about the company, and since then we’ve been working on SEO for the site leading up to the company’s official launch.

What is the team composition?

I had one point of contact with them, but I know they had a number of developers and designers who worked on the project as well.

How did you come to work with Command Legal?

One of my friends recommended them to me and I was very impressed by the work samples that I found on their website. They were much less cookie-cutter than a lot of the other options I was looking into, so they really stood out to me from the start.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent just under $3,000 on the website and logo and the fee for SEO

What is the status of this engagement?

The whole project took place between April-May 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work was absolutely exceptional. They took one of their templates and completely customized it with different colors and used different imagery so that it looked like a totally custom design. I was really impressed with their attention to detail and the extent to which they went above and beyond to make sure I was happy.

In terms of the build of the website, I recently got a status update that works perfectly and is just undergoing some final touch-ups so that we can launch next week. It’s exactly what I was hoping for and really looks better than any other websites that I’ve seen.

How did Command Legal perform from a project management standpoint?

They were always really on top of communication, answering all of my emails within a couple of hours at maximum. I always get lots of progress updates on how things are going and can talk to someone whenever I need to just sit down and chat about anything. It really was a pleasure to work with people like them, which can be very hard to find.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Sam (Owner) is incredibly knowledgeable about the space and is also really easy to talk to. He helped to get me excited about launching the practice because of everything that the website could do in terms of automating all kinds of processes that I wouldn’t have known about otherwise.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything was pretty smooth overall, so I really don’t have any points of criticism for them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that you have your content ready for each page of the website The only thing that will slow you down is not having that to give to them, so make sure you’re ready to keep up with the process once you get started.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a company that creates websites on a corporate scale.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Command Legal?

We send our overflow work over to Command Legal.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have attorneys that need websites that we can’t service because their price point is a lot lower. We send the team those referrals, and they create the website.

They build websites on WordPress, and they do heavy customizations to those platforms. They are mostly informational, starter websites for small firms. There are SEO components to it as well.

We have visibility when we hand over the website, and their team takes it over completely after we hand it over. We have visibility over their project management tools, but we don’t interact with them directly anymore.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with six people total. Initially, we worked with 3-4 different project managers and one of their developers, and we’ve worked with Sam (Founder) along with a project coordinator as well.

How did you come to work with Command Legal?

At first, they were one of our clients. Sam approached us to create their web templates. We worked with them for a year. When we started to have overflow, it was a natural fit. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We hired them in October of 2019, and it’s an ongoing engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The referees have always given excellent reviews of their work. A couple of people said they were shocked by how fast they saw results from the SEO and marketing campaign. 

The results from the SEO and marketing campaigns are like nothing I’ve ever seen. They can produce measurable results in 60 days or 45 days with these SEO searches. It seems like magic.

How did Command Legal perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Basecamp, Trello, and InVision. My project managers check in with each person that we refer to them on a weekly basis. They’ve resolved any issues that come up. We rarely ever have to get involved, which makes it a successful engagement.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their turnaround times are incredible. They can get a website out in 48 hours. We created the initial designs for them, but they customize those pretty heavily and populate them. Everything is being done by hand by a designer, developer, or project manager.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any complaints.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It would help to know the technology because these websites are built on WordPress. That will change how they interact with the site and put tools in their hands to manage their own content. The team’s process is very streamlined and successful; they give you everything you need to be successful.