Northwest Media Collective Inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director for a health science recruiting firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Northwest Media Collective Inc.?

We’ve been in business since 1997. Things have changed dramatically, and our online presence is incredibly important in reaching out to people and providing a place where potential candidates or clients can vet our company. My company needed a big solution, but our budget was more in line with smaller jobs. 

We had to find out what was possible and what kind of technology we could integrate to help make things happen. We wanted to do little things, such as providing an autofill option in the application, but the software we were using didn’t have such capabilities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Northwest Media Collective Inc. helped us look at what was possible to try to make our site as current as possible while staying within budget. They designed a website from scratch based on our existing one and helped us write the copy. We changed our software at the same time that we launched our new website, so there was a lot going on at once. Northwest Media Collective Inc. helped us integrate the software.

Northwest Media Collective Inc. helped us to be able to pull information from LinkedIn. We wanted to incorporate videos, although we’ve been lagging on our end in getting those published. We still need to write some articles around the videos for our blog and push them out on a schedule. Northwest Media Collective Inc. identified a vendor and helped with the scripting and the recording of the videos. 

Currently, they’re helping us with blogging. That’s been another area where we don’t have enough bandwidth, and they’ve offered scalable solutions that fit our budget.

What is the team composition?

We work with Abby (Principal & CEO, Northwest Media Collective Inc.) and Travis (VP, Northwest Media Collective Inc.). He is a little more in the background, but he’s really good at anything technical, such as integrating our new software. There’s a project manager, someone who is good with SEO and blog writing, and a design expert who helps with the colors and fonts. Other people have been in and out on a more limited basis.

How did you come to work with Northwest Media Collective Inc.?

I don’t recall how we learned about them. We wanted to work with someone local; we’d always worked with someone remote. When we looked for local vendors, Northwest Media Collective Inc. came across as really approachable and easy to work with. They came to our office and met with us, and we really liked them. They were really good listeners. They seemed honest and capable, and they inspired a lot of confidence.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent less than $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2012, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve looked to them for guidance in making things look more current so that we don’t become too outdated. Having them design a new website is exciting because they’ve given us a clean slate. The copy they’ve done has also given us a fresh voice.

People have responded really well, and I feel really good about their work. Our relationship with LinkedIn is significant; our account manager there was very complimentary, and I figure he’s looking at a whole lot of small recruiting websites.

How did Northwest Media Collective Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

One of their huge strengths is project management. I love working with them; they’re all very personable and effective. They have a lot of tools that I wish I’d known about sooner, because they make the work easier. 

This past summer, we had a very aggressive deadline for launching the website. Northwest Media Collective Inc. committed to it, and we understood that we had to make our deadlines in order for them to be successful. They actually launched the site 1–2 days early, which was spectacular.

As long as both teams deliver on schedule, you can be really successful. It’s a team effort. With the blogging, we totally dropped the ball, and I had to apologize to them because we couldn’t expect them to make up the difference. I really love their project management; no detail ever gets lost.

We use Airtable to share information. They’re really responsive. The project manager is incredibly helpful. He’s even gotten on a call with me so that we could really hammer out some of the glitches. They share analytics reports with us regularly, and they’re very well presented. I’m not the one who looks at them, so I can’t really comment. I’m sure they would get on the phone to discuss them with us upon request.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the things I like about working with them is that they bring in resources who have expertise in different areas. If the core group can’t solve something, then they have other people on their staff that they can bring in to help address the issue. They’re an incredibly hardworking group. They’re really professional, but they also know how to have fun. Everyone on the team is easy to work with, and that’s greatly appreciated. They have a lot of local resources that they can match with clients.

We had dreams that far exceeded our budget, and Abby worked really hard. She spent a lot of time helping us identify how we could maximize what we were able to get with our budget. She really deserves a big round of applause for that, because it was grueling.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any criticism about them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to have your thoughts pulled together before you begin meeting, but keep an open mind and listen to their ideas. If you do enter into an agreement, make sure that you understand what’s expected of you and that you work to keep up with them to get the project completed on schedule.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal at Kramer Gehlen & Associates, a structural engineering firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Northwest Media Collective?

We hired Northwest Media Collective to modernize our outdated website. They needed to work with our team and what we had available to create the new site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Northwest Media Collective redesigned our website to showcase our business. We showed them previous website attempts to give them an idea of where we were head. They built their proposal off of what they saw.

What is the team composition?

We worked with around three of their team members.

How did you come to work with Northwest Media Collective?

We had our previous site for 20 years. Along the way, we sort to improve the site, but efforts stalled. We were unsatisfied with a few things and knew we needed to get the project done. Our team sought to find a partner that could make the work happen and that we could get along with. It was also essential to work with an agency that was local to make collaboration easier.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent over $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Northwest Media Collective between May–September 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our team made a lot of requests, and Northwest Media Collective fulfilled those to our satisfaction. Immediately, we started seeing resumes from potential employers and unsolicited work coming through the website. We saw the value of the site early on.

75% of the website is their doing, but most of the work is on our end. We have to keep up with the changes and make sure it works effectively. It was a complicated process, and we were more involved than we thought. They delivered the infrastructure that facilitates all of our work. Northwest Media Collective made it easy for us. Their organized team directed our company down the path to a finished product. There were immediate results because of the excellent product they produced.

How did Northwest Media Collective perform from a project management standpoint?

We were impressed with how our engagement turned out and enjoyed working with their team. We met in person weekly or biweekly. Their team provided direction for each week and knew what they wanted to solve at each meeting. Northwest Media Collective would leave our team with homework that would keep the process moving forward. We reviewed versions of the site online and used email correspondence for coordination efforts. Mainly, our communication was face-to-face, which made a big difference with our team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Northwest Media Collective is full of amazing personalities that listen to their clients.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We were satisfied with the results their team provided for us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clients should have reasonable expectations. Going into the project, we wanted our site updated and didn’t have high hopes. If customers create high expectations, they won’t be satisfied because no one will meet them. If you come in with a realistic approach, they’ll probably exceed your goals and expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the project manager for Sun Scaffolding, a Fraco mast climbing scaffold dealer. We provide rental packages for large commercial jobs building apartments, high-rises, hospitals, schools, etc. We also sell used and new equipment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Northwest Media Collective Inc.?
Our website was old, and we needed it to be updated and mobile friendly. 
 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
We worked together to determine the scope of the project, developing a plan for what we needed to accomplish. They then built the site, making it accessible for phones and tablets and redoing the design to make it much more presentable. Beyond the website, they also designed our logo and provided some copy writing. They even worked on SEO for a bit.

What is the team composition? 
I mainly interacted with three people: the project manager, owner, and tech lead.

How did you come to work with Northwest Media Collective Inc.?
I found them online. I got quotes from two companies, and Northwest Media Collective Inc. was less expensive and seemed to have a good team, so I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?
We spent between $13,000–$14,000.

What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from July–November 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We’ve received lots of compliments and positive feedback from the clients. Once we had Northwest Media Collective do our SEO, we saw our name rise in searches. They did such a good job that we hired them to rebuild our second site.

How did Northwest Media Collective Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?
They were patient and hardworking, not letting anything slip. We met in-person almost every week.

What did you find most impressive about them?
They were approachable and always accessible via phone, email, text, or even in person. They were a fun team to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?
They could’ve provided tools to help us keep the content and information more organized.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?
Give them as much direction as possible because they’ll meet expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I manage marketing and partnerships activities at Vana Solutions. We're a software and service provider that works mostly with government and public sectors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Northwest Media?

We were repositioning and polishing our brand, but our website had an antiquated look and feel. We wanted our site to have a more slick look that would appeal to both the commercial segment and the public sector. We started looking for a company to revamp our website, help us with SEO, and expand our social media presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us implement our vision and design ideas. One of our challenges was to make the site look pro-government without going to the extremes. Northwest Media accomplished that for us. It's a WordPress site and they used Adobe tools, such as InDesign and Photoshop, to handle the design aspect. In addition, they provided training for us and set up Google Analytics to track the website performance. We currently have an agreement with them for monthly site updates.

What is the team composition?

We mostly worked with Abby (Co-founder and Lead Designer, Northwest Media Collective) and Holly (Lead Developer, Northwest Media Collective). There were 3–4 other members of their team working on our project, including Travis (Co-founder and Backend Developer, Northwest Media Collective), who handled the migration of data from our existing web service provider to the new one).

How did you come to work with them?

We did a Google search, looking for local designers to help us with the website. Northwest Media was among the top five companies. Some vendors I got in touch with didn't even return my calls, but when I talked to Abby, she seemed very approachable, professional, and thorough. After I visited their office, I decided they were the right fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between January–March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were in the process of releasing a couple of new products and services when the website launched. The launch of the site coincided with the event we attended and we saw at least a double factor on our homepage hits, while our bounce rates decreased by about 25%. The engagement also increased by 30% since people spent longer on our site, especially on product and service pages. The website is targeted towards our market and is laid out very accurately. Our customers even refer to it during our meetings. We now use the website more than PowerPoint when we do our presentations, especially if the initial sales call or an CEO defaults to using our webpage.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They were exceptional. They used Basecamp, so everything we did was tracked and documented. We also had weekly meetings and used BlueJeans for video conferencing. They were always very organized.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to understand the needs of their clients is exceptional. Since they're a smaller firm, they can build a better relationship with their customers. They were very thorough and understanding of our content and our market.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything. They were fair on pricing, very attentive, and never overbearing. They never treated us like we were a small project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We had an initial vision in mind and we provided them with a rough draft. They took it and improved it, so we saved a lot of time. They can start a project from scratch, but the process will be more efficient if you come somewhat prepared.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Vice President of Marketing at Future Dial. We’re a software company that develops solutions and platforms in the mobility space. We sell to Tier 1 carriers and third-party logistics providers that service big carriers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Northwest Media Collective Inc.?

The largest complaint we received from visitors to our site was that they didn’t understand what we were selling, or what our services were. We decided to outsource the creative, design work our site needed, hoping that they would simplify our message, create a more consistent approach, and increase our stickiness.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They redesigned our WordPress site, but didn’t add any e-commerce capabilities, since we’re strictly B2B. Part of the redesigned involved working with a copywriter who wordsmithed our content. They also built a Solutions Finder for us, which guides and steers visitors to the appropriate solution set that meets their business needs. We also have SEO scoped with them, but that’s next on the task list.

What is the team composition?

We had one main project manager, but we worked with four individuals total, including a copywriter.

How did you come to work with Northwest Media Collective Inc.?

I believe they were referred to us. I came in contact with them through our Chief Commercial Officer, I believe that somebody he knows had used them in the past. I’d actually spoken to close to 10 different companies before we settled on Northwest Media.

Their fee structure was highly competitive, and actually on the lower end, which helped because were under a budget constraint. A lot of the companies I’d spoken to were on the east coast and a lot of my team is on the west coast, so we wanted someone in a similar time zone. Then, during the interview process, they just seemed to really get it, or understand what we were after in terms of simplifying our messaging.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $10,000 to $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since May 2017, and the website went live in mid-February.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've already generated a good number of leads through the new site. It’s only been live for a few months, but Google Analytics is showing an increase in traffic. The initial feedback we received, both from our sales team, which are some of our harshest critics, as well as visitors to the site that we know, have all been extremely positive. They like the modern feel, the imagery, the wording, cleanliness, and even the organizational structure of the site. I'm extremely pleased with the new site, especially it's look and feel, the flow, and some of the new things that Northwest has introduced from a conceptual standpoint.

How did Northwest Media Collective Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

From the beginning, they designed weekly conference calls as check-ins and status updates, which they did over videoconference. That last part really helped personalize their communication. They hit their milestones and we also hit the targeted go-live date, a global tradeshow. The folks that we that we dealt with on a day to day basis were extremely responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The overall friendliness of the folks that we dealt with was very positive. I could reach out to a project manager, pretty much any time of day or night, and they would immediately answer or respond very quickly. Even with additional requests and stuff after the fact, they’re extremely responsive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't really think of any issues I had with them, to come up with an improvement request.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am owner and president of Country Garden Tables, LLC, a company that builds handcrafted hardwood tables and bars for rent. Our customers are wedding venues, cooperate parties, and fundraising events. We also build to order for purchase. My role includes customer service, marketing, and promotion of the business, along with managing social media and tracking sales.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Northwest Media Collective Inc.?

As a new business with limited cash flow and using only Facebook for marketing, we needed to build a website for visibility. We wanted a website that expressed who we were, but also showcased our products and the events we participated in. The website needed to link us to the customer and our business software.

What were your goals for this project?

We had booked five events for the upcoming year by the end of October 2017. We needed to take the next step and create a website that would allow greater visibility and promote events that we were participating in, such as bridal shows and various fundraisers. We anticipated that the website would bring us more bookings for 2018.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Travis Buck [Owner, NW Media Collective] and I have known each other for a while and are in similar networking circles. Although my business is small for him and wouldn't have been able to afford their services, he stepped up and offered to help.

I had owned another business that used a WordPress website, and I didn't want to go back down that road; my abilities were best used elsewhere. Travis did some behind the scenes work, pulled from our Facebook and advertising media for upcoming shows and created a sample website. Upon reviewing the site we decided to go forward with NW Media Collective.

Describe the project in detail.

We submitted information for the various pages and Travis and his team put it together. He gave me feedback on what the site might need and if I got stuck he gave me ideas. Due to our upcoming events, Travis made sure all our contact information was visible, highlighted the phone number font and created several links on the site to the "contact us" page.

What was the team composition?

Travis created the site and Abby [Lead Designer, NW Media Collective] gave him feedback before they sent it to me. Abby and I were always on the same page as far as design ideas and Travis started to take some leads from Abby. They used Boot Camp to back up and check the website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

I can't express how relieved to have the website up and running as we go into our 2018 wedding shows. Within the next two months, we are presenting at two shows and providing our product for a national fundraiser. A website for potential customers to view not only showcases our product but also presents us in a professional manner. NW Medial Collective has been everything and more than I could have expected.

How effective was the project management?

Being the sole person responsible for the website on our end, I didn't have a team of my own for collaboration. Travis and his team became my team. On their side, they took an interest in our company like it was their own.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The idea that he could create such a great website in such a short period of time with only information pulled from our Facebook page was impressive. I can't express enough how easy Travis was to work with; the fact that I don't have to manage a WordPress website is a huge relief. I can call or email anytime and he will change or update my site.

The quality of work and ease of communication is impressive. I am fortunate that Travis and his team stepped in to create our website. We are a small company for NW Media Collective and I am grateful that they were willing to work with us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing specialist for Cascade Management. We manage over 250 properties throughout Oregon and Washington, the majority of which are affordable housing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Northwest Media Collective Inc.?

We’re partners with Northwest, and we hired them to do our website. This is our primary project with them, but they’ve also offered services for executive partners.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our website is a listing to promote our properties, so it shows how many vacancies we have, all property information, what services we offer, and information about our team and managers. It’s a simple website, but it contains a lot of information about our clients.

They created this website, but they still provide support for it. They help us if something happens to the website, or if we have problems uploading anything. I just contact them via email, and they respond quickly. We use a custom CMS [content management system] for the backend, and they made some changes to the CMS of our website. I was having problems uploading photos, so Travis [Vice President, Northwest Media Collective, Inc.] and his team found a solution.

They used information from us this year to create a WordPress website for Hazelwood Retirement Community. They'll also be helping us build another website next year, and they continue to provide ongoing support.

What is the team dynamic?

I communicate with 2 people from Northwest, including Abby [Co-founder, Northwest Media Collective, Inc.], who helps with all executive portraits. I also communicate with Travis, our web developer. He’s a very nice person, and helps me a lot with the website.

How did you come to work with Northwest Media Collective Inc.?

We've had a long business relationship. As soon as I started working with the company, my supervisor introduced me to them and informed me of their responsibilities.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in 2013, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website uses a custom, user-friendly CMS, which I like. The websites are colorful and contain a lot of photos, and people really like them. I prefer WordPress over our custom CMS because it’s even more user-friendly, and the photos and font sizes are bigger. The feedback has been positive.

How did Northwest Media Collective Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve had a good experience with them, and I gave them another project for next year. I sent our request via email, and they were quick to start brainstorming, gathering information, and looking at different websites we already have. After 2–3 days, they already had a proposal for us. They treat me like I’m their only client, but I know that they have many more.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are quick with everything. It’s easy for them to use the same template for all of their clients, but they take the time to make a new one each time. They encourage me to use social networks, and they strive for my company to be creative and new, which is why they offer their most recent and best templates and software.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Travis responds quickly via email, but it would be nice if we could engage in live chats where I could make immediate change requests.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of MJGuilfoyle, a web consulting business. We work with WordPress website development and brand strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Northwest Media?

I had a new business and needed to get it off the ground. I wanted to find a subcontractor with a good long-standing reputation and expertise in WordPress.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

As a consultant, I put together and sell deals, and they're my top subcontractor. Each year we deliver 7–12 large joint projects and a number of small projects. We've mostly been working with them on WordPress web development, which is their main area of expertise. In addition, they help us with social media management and digital marketing – either with new brands or with the brands that already have their websites.

What is the team dynamic?

I work mainly with Travis [Travis Buck, Lead Developer] and Abby [Abby Spyker, Lead Designer], and they manage their teams.

How did you come to work with them?

I was referred to them by local business groups. I had a discussion with Travis over coffee and was impressed by the technical expertise Northwest had to offer. They were interested in long-term collaboration, which was important to me. I was very confident when I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around $50,000–$60,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2013 and we still do projects together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When I have a complicated or customized project, I always work with them. They have an outstanding skill set and a track record of successfully delivering those projects on budget or on time. Our customers are highly satisfied and want to stay with us long-term.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They're exceptionally skilled at project management, which enabled us to deliver high quality projects with consistency. With the clients we rely on Basecamp, so there are no communication barriers. Everything is fully transparent, which is fundamental to our partnership.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Travis and Abby are both personable, professional, and easy to work with. When the business realities of our clients change, they're flexible and willing to adjust the project deliveries and timelines to accommodate the client. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Check the track record of success and see what the past clients are saying. In the case of Northwest Media, that was all positive and continues to be positive.