Orbit Media Studios

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the head of finance for Swift Passport and Visa Services, which is an innovative US Passport and international travel visa expediting service. We turn the often complicated and daunting passport and visa application process into a refreshingly simple and hassle-free experience.

I’m the technology specialist that keeps Swift ahead of the curve with our state of the art CRM and tracking system that allows us to manage thousands of documents at once without letting anything slip through the cracks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Orbit Media Studios?

We were faced with a challenge to keep up with some of the bigger competitors in our space. They all had multivariate websites where a user could choose what country they held a passport from, what state they lived in, and what type of inter-nation travel they were doing. Once all those factors are selected, a unique set of instructions comes up on their website. After that is all said and done, a user is able to check out on the website like any standard e-commerce platform.

In order to compete with that, we needed to find a developer that could produce exactly the same thing for us. The results of us launching this type of technology would eventually see a dramatic increase in revenue across the board for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The goals of the project with Orbit were to engage visitors, convert visitors into paying customers, create a payment integration with secure checkout and a responsive web design, integrate with Salesforce and FedEx software, increase blog traffic on WordPress, and manage the site and its results. We also needed to provide a functionality that displayed proper instructions for our services based on 4 different factors.

Orbit specifically conducted research, analysis, and provided recommendations. They updated the website, created a custom content management system software, and monitor results, while also providing hosting.

I had a project manager and a developer that I worked with. We’ve had continual projects since then. The size of the team changes depending on the project, but they’re good at having one point of contact; I also had contact with a developer at times.

How did you come to work with Orbit Media Studios?

Orbit had been on our radar as a potential choice to develop our new site for a couple of years. They have a solid, positive presence in Chicago's web/tech scene. We decided on Orbit because of their solid reputation and their sincere desire to help turn us into the website and e-commerce solution we wanted to be. They are the premier web development company in Chicago.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project duration was from May to September 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since working with them, the search engine optimization results have been phenomenal. We have almost triple the amount of traffic than before.

How did Orbit Media Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was outstanding. I had weekly contact with them, but they’re in constant communication through their project portal where they could post questions. As far as vendors go, I would say they’re the best vendor that I’ve ever worked with. They’re very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about Orbit Media Studios?

When Orbit takes on a client, they make you part of their family. To this day we still feel like they are an offshoot of our company. They provide many resources to existing and potential clients. Working with them on this project and other projects has always been an absolute pleasure. Everyone that I have run into has been so easy to work with and they've fully delivered everything agreed upon and more.

They constantly strive to make your website and business a success and offer free seminars and the best advice. They are generous with their vast knowledge and are always there when you need them.

Are there any areas Orbit Media Studios could improve?

The project was a website overhaul and the only issue was some miscommunication about the scope — the project needed more time than they estimated. Since that project, I haven’t run into that issue again.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Orbit Media Studios?

Of all the vendors our company works with, these guys are by far the best. They provide quality work and creative ideas. If you are considering them, look no further, they don't get any better than this.

BACKGROUND

I’m the CMO of Bostrom, an association management company offering comprehensive management, consulting, and outsourcing to the nonprofit community. For over 80 years, Bostrom has provided associations with the solutions they need to grow, stabilize, redirect, consolidate, and meet challenges. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

A client of ours, The Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM), had embarked on a new branding and digital presence overhaul. I’m the senior advisor to AAAM at our company, so we selected Orbit through an RFP process as their web development partner. AAAM is a multidisciplinary organization dedicated to saving lives and eliminating road traffic injuries through scientific research, authoritative educational programs, public policy recommendations, and the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) coding, training, and certification.

Along with a new branding strategy and integrated database, the AAAM website needed to convey the value of the association to all of its constituents and articulate distinct goals for member recruitment, AIS education, engagement, and awareness. The 60-year-old association has done incredible work in road traffic safety but needed to modernize its systems and strategies for a global, mobile world. 

SOLUTION

We created and sent a detailed RFP for the project to 6 firms, which we vetted with a committee. Orbit's content marketing skills and SEO [search engine optimization] knowledge made them a clear frontrunner from the start.

In this 6-month project, Orbit incorporated the new brand strategy, integrated the AAAM’s new database system, and built a digital presence to meet distinct business goals. Our clients have limited resources, so we needed to get the site design, usability, and content right from the beginning. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Because Orbit took the time to learn about AAAM’s goals, key content areas, and strategy, they were able to build a site that’s nearly doubled monthly users and increased the newsletter subscriber base by 50%. We’ve also witnessed a recent impact in areas such as membership, conference registration, and training.

Orbit explained every step of the process. I always knew where the project stood and how to keep things moving. They are a great web design and development partner with strong content marketing savvy. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing analytics guru as well as the website manager for a company called Jellyvision — the makers of ALEX — a benefits communication software sold to HR departments at companies nationwide.

In addition to pulling data from Salesforce and understanding marketing channel performance, I help keep the website up and running and track our traffic to ensure we are meeting our goals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Orbit Media Studios?

When we first started to venture out into inbound marketing, we did not have a website that supported lead generation. With that issue in mind, we set out to choose an agency that could help us rebuild our entire website from the ground up, as well as import the current website content over.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

There was a 5-person team on Orbit’s side, which to my knowledge, remained constant throughout the course of the project. I had one main point of contact with whom I interacted daily.

The entire project was very neatly managed by our project manager at Orbit Media Studios. They managed all the design and build. They were always there to answer all our questions, kept both their team and mine on track, and never fell behind schedule. They even trained my entire team on how to use the WordPress system they set up for us. It was incredible.

How did you come to work with Orbit Media Studios?

I wasn’t a part of this process. One of the deciding factors was that Orbit was a local company and we like to support local shops. They also had an excellent portfolio of work and the people that pitched us the project were very knowledgeable and kind. They had a very reasonable price for what we wanted as well.

What is the status of this engagement?

The overall project took around 7 months start to finish, which seems incredibly fast thinking about all that went into it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Quickly after the launch of our new website, we saw our traffic drastically increase. In the first year we saw traffic growth rates well over 150% and were meeting and exceeding our traffic, download, and form fill goals that supported our overall lead generation and aggressive sales goals.

The site performs really well — we couldn't have asked for anything more. The scope and deliverables were completed as we signed for, within budget and on time. We got such a wonderful looking website that gives us all the leads we need.

How did Orbit Media Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Orbit was always over the top whenever I needed help. They were quick to answer any support tickets and I could call or email that at any time. Knowing they are always there for me even after our project has wrapped up is amazing.

What did you find most impressive about Orbit Media Studios?

I appreciated how organized they were. They kept the project on track regardless of what was thrown at them. Orbit Media was personally helpful in getting the site up and running and in training the team.

Are there any areas Orbit Media Studios could improve?

No.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Orbit Media Studios?

Orbit is really a great company to work with. They have a great group of designers, programmers, and project managers, and even invoicing is easy and pleasant! I would recommend them to anyone who asks.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

I work for a consulting firm in Chicago called LaMarsh Global. We do change management consulting, so we do a lot of project implementation work. Any change that a company is going through, they need to get their people on board with the change, and they need to do it quickly and efficiently. We help with that strategy. As a part of that, we also offer training to build those same skills into leaders of organizations, so that they can take that and build internal capability.

What is your role and responsibilities?

My role is a brand manager. I handle all of our digital marketing, our inbound marketing efforts, and the content marketing development. In addition, I also handle brand alignment across all products and services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Orbit Media Studios?

We desperately needed to revamp our online presence and bring all of our communication technologies into 2014. We really wanted an advanced website with a lot of capabilities. We had done some content marketing through HubSpot, but we wanted to bring it all into our own servers, our own platforms, and with our own WordPress content management system. Another piece to that project was that we wanted to create a tool to let users educate themselves about our consulting services and our company, in addition to our training curriculum. This way they would be able to sign up for events, pay, and register online. Orbit Media Studios helped us answer all those questions.

SOLUTION

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

I would say more than $50,000, but not more than $200,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project?

I will definitely be keeping them in mind for future work because they did such a great job with this piece. It helped that I was educated enough to understand everything that they were doing, so that helped to move everything along quickly. We at LaMarsh definitely feel comfortable keeping this relationship going, and we’ll definitely contract with them if we need any updates to the site throughout the year.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

Their own marketing strategies and visual branding—I trust people that have done it for themselves. They are established, and they do a good job of making that known. After the first time I spoke to their CEO, he sent me a free book about digital marketing to help educate myself about the benefits of digital marketing and it was helpful.

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

I think they could be a little more upfront with how much of an effort it is to create content for a website. I don’t think a lot of small business consumers are really educated on how websites work and where this marketing content comes from. I guess I was looking for a little more support, or a little more guidance on where to get those resources.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

The company is Bottleneck Management, and we own and operate seven bars and restaurants here in Chicago. We opened one recently in Oakbrook, Ill., and we’re expanding nationwide to the Washington, D.C. area next year.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the marketing director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Orbit Media Studios?

What we were really striving for was a content management system [CMS], which Orbit Media provided a custom solution for us. We wanted to have complete control of the content that would be on our websites as well as user experience. Our goal was to figure out how we could lay this out in a way that would give our guests the information they needed as quickly as possible, with an elegant look to the design, and just a really robust Web presence that we could control on our end.

The challenge we were facing is that our websites were all outdated. We had a developer create them years ago, and he used a lot of Flash, and we didn’t have any sort of CMS. We were not able to manage any of the content on our websites. We just needed a complete overhaul.

Another goal of ours was to find a way to interconnect all of our restaurants. Bottleneck Management is a management company that owns all of these different restaurants, but they’re each individually branded. In the Chicago market, there are a lot of restaurant groups that are just like us, where it’s a management company, and they have a lot of brands under one umbrella. We wanted to find a way to cross-promote. If a guest likes one of our restaurants, it’s safe to assume that they might like another. We wanted to bring that presence to the forefront on the Web, working with Orbit we found a way to have a site that offers that functionality and that cross promotion.  

SOLUTION

What was your process for selecting Orbit Media Studios with which to work?

We spent a couple months researching a ton of different websites in our competitor set, and we were creating a master list of what we came across that we liked, what we would want to see on our own sites, and what we wanted to avoid. We wanted to be able to go to any firm fully prepared with a list of thought out ideas, and come into it with a clear picture of what we wanted when we were requesting quotes.

We probably had about five companies or so that we researched online, that we thought would be more than capable of doing the work. We spanned everything from a two-person startup to a large-scale firm, and Orbit fell, size-wise, in the middle of that. We interviewed all five companies. They were able to present how they would accomplish the work. Obviously, they went above pricing and then what was included with their services. The two-person startup, these guys were really great artists, they could really deliver visually, they could absolutely build us a website that would function the way we wanted, and we had confidence in that. We felt similarly about the functionality large firms could offer.

Orbit really stood out because they have a digital marketing component built into every site that they design for clients. They have that marketing component at the forefront of their mind. At this point, it became a comparison of apples and oranges for us in this process, in the fact that Orbit offered a solution above and beyond just building a functional website. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

We first engaged Orbit to overhaul all of our sites, this included a site for the management company, and then we had six different branded websites that we would need to reside under the Bottleneck Management umbrella. So, right off the bat, Orbit built seven sites for us. That initial investment was around $60,000. Then changes to functionality within particular sites have been less than $10,000.

What were the results of the project?

The partnership has been ongoing since the day we started working with them, which is so wonderful. If we have updates to our sites that we need, we can plug into their support, and they will issue a ticket to a developer right away. We have a relationship manager at Orbit who is in touch if we have questions about our Google Analytics, how our sites are performing, whether a certain page is being viewed, or whether a certain image is as important as we think it is. They’re happy to discuss our Web traffic, anything that might seem amiss, or something that we should pay attention to. This has definitely been an ongoing partnership.

In addition, we are fortunate enough to be growing as a company. Recently, we took one of the websites for a restaurant brand that we’re expanding nationally to make that site flexible with our growth. We need this site to accommodate multiple locations. We need a solution where we can put a home page out that can quickly direct users to the closest location. We posed Orbit Media Studios with the best way to accomplish that from a design perspective, and from a user experience perspective.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

Orbit Media Studios offered a true partnership to help us with our digital marketing goals. They have search engine optimization and search engine marketing in mind when they build all of their sites. They offer their clients website functionality and the education to manage it, this was really what set them apart, and was what made them a no-brainer decision in our opinion.

All of our challenges were unique and new for our business. This made it fun working with Orbit because these were new challenges for them as well. Partnering with them was probably one of the best decisions we’ve made from a marketing standpoint since our inception.

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

Initially, we could have used a little bit more training on how to use the custom CMS. It’s a very robust tool, and for a department that is going from Flash-based sites that they cannot control, to all of sudden having the power to manipulate everything on the site – it was a big leap. It’s not that there wasn’t any training, it just wasn’t quite as in-depth as I might have expected it to be. Having said that, any time we had a question, I shot them an email, and literally within an hour I’d have a response back from support. This wasn’t a real bother for me because anything I couldn’t figure out on my own, they were always there to respond quickly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We manufacture premium sausage products, soups, chili, pickles, and deli meats.

What is your role and responsibilities?

My title is marketing coordinator. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Orbit Media Studios?

We wanted to bring our website up to date with responsive technology, which we did with their help. We also wanted to boost and bring life to our online store, which was not doing very well before. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

We started from square one. Orbit Media Studios completely redesigned our site they gave us different choices on designs, with their design team, and then they built a complicated shopping cart so we could offer options to our customers. There are 186 pages on content that had to be filled for our website. Then they educated us, which is a huge part of the service they provided us.

We have the ability to manipulate the website ourselves. Instead of emailing somebody asking them to change something on the site and then paying for 20 hours of work, our staff knows how to run it from the back-end. They built it, they designed it, and they taught us how to maintain it. We still work with them continuously to keep it updated, and not fall behind with technology, which is something that we wanted.

What was your process for selecting Orbit Media with which to work?

Our president went and started looking himself. He personally interviewed about 12 or 13 companies, and then brought three companies that he chose to the marketing team. We picked who we liked. Orbit ended up being his favorite as well, but he let us choose. They were so enthusiastic about working with us, and just really excited. It was almost contagious, so we went with them. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

I can tell you that for the initial building of the website and launching of it, we spent 30 percent of our marketing budget for the year. But, as far as what we spend in the future, I mean it’s just a constant maintenance cost depending on what we want to do.

What were the results of the project?

[The] project is ongoing, with Orbit providing updates as needed.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

So much sets Orbit Media Studios apart from the other people that I’ve worked with. The team that we work with, they tailor their service to our needs, and make sure that all the personalities mesh well. They’re very hands on. We know them very well, we know how they work, and they know how we work. Their enthusiasm is really good. Their talent is crazy. Andy Crestodina, who is one of the owners at Orbit, is so brilliant, and just leads that company in such a great way. Their design team [leader], Kurt Cruse, did the design for Vienna’s website. They’re just brilliant.

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

Literally, no. There’s nothing that they could have improved upon. I have nothing bad to say about them. We couldn’t be happier with Orbit Media Studios.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of a college consulting firm.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

College essay & admisisons consulting services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Orbit Media Studios to accomplish?

• Migrate our website from Squarespace to Wordpress with goal of maintaining rankings and increasing ease of editing, page load speed, etc.

SOLUTION

How did you find Orbit Media Studios?

Online Search

Why did you select Orbit Media Studios over others?

• High ratings
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Orbit Media Studios were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

• Help with light re-design
• Migrate the remaining components into templates
• Maintain SEO visibility
• Improve load speed 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Increased load speed on mobile
• Maintained & improved rankings
• Increased site traffic after launch

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

They were super communicative, went above in beyond in making sure they met our objectives, and were proactive in navigating challenges we pointed out. 

What was your primary form of communication with Orbit Media Studios?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They had phenomenal communication and were responsive to a challenge prior to launch.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Orbit Media Studios could have done differently?

None!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Chicago MuseTours, a company that offers guided public and private tours of Chicago’s museums and cultural attractions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Orbit Media Studios?

We needed to develop a more professional website that was easy to use and had good SEO performance.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Orbit Media Studios handled almost everything, including the theme, colors, logo, design of all the pages, testing of all the pages, and back-end infrastructure. We provided images, and they prepared most of the content creation.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–5 teammates from Orbit Media Studios.

How did you come to work with Orbit Media Studios?

They were referred to me. We chose them because their pricing fit our budget, they were referred to me, and their company values aligned with ours.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September–December 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our volume of natural traffic and the quantity of completed contact us forms increased.

How did Orbit Media Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered on time and within budget. We communicated via virtual meetings, email, and a messaging app.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understood what we wanted and delivered on that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager of Havtech, a company that provides commercial and industrial HVAC solutions. We specialize in energy-efficient systems, building automation, and green building methods to help clients achieve cost savings, sustainability, and reliable facility performance across the Mid-Atlantic region.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Orbit Media Studios?

We needed to create an optimized website to drive conversions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Orbit Media Studios redesigned our website. The team made it more user-friendly, easier to navigate, SEO-optimized, and with the ability to convert visitors. Orbit Media Studios handled the full website redesign process, including content creation, design, development, and launch.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 3-6 members of Orbit Media Studios’ team.

How did you come to work with Orbit Media Studios?

We found Orbit Media Studios through an online search. We chose them over other options because they focused on optimization.

How much have you invested with them?

50,000-100000

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October–December 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Orbit Media Studios delivered a faster and healthier website that was more accessibly compliant. We received many compliments on the website.

How did Orbit Media Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Orbit Media Studios' project management was excellent. We mainly communicated through virtual meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Orbit Media Studios was very professional, knowledgeable, and organized.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was nothing they could have improved on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the firm brand and content manager at WestPoint Financial Group, a company that supports communities and empowers financial goals with clarity, confidence, and care.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Orbit Media Studios?

We needed to develop a new website that expanded on our old site and grew it into something that better reflected our current culture and purpose.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Orbit Media Studios designed our website and built our content library, including page blocks and styles for us to use. The team also handled copywriting and editing for the first half of the pages and designed that set of pages. Our team wrote and built the second half of the pages. Orbit Media Studios also handled all the technical development and backend setup.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three teammates from Orbit Media Studios.

How did you come to work with Orbit Media Studios?

We found Orbit Media Studios through an online search. We chose them over other options because they had high ratings, were close to our geographic location, had a great culture fit, offered good value for the cost, and had company values aligned with ours.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–October 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just launched the website in October 2025, so we haven't run analytics yet. However, we've received lots of positive feedback from people looking at the site, saying how nice and refreshed it looks.

How did Orbit Media Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Orbit Media Studios was always on time, super organized, and clear about what we needed to do versus what they would do for us. We communicated via virtual meetings, emails, and messaging apps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The knowledge they had and the amount of materials and resources they were able to build for us and provide us with to feel comfortable and confident in managing the site moving forward were impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was nothing they needed to improve.