Sideways8

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the communications manager for a leadership development organization with an education focus. We equip principals, superintendents, and teachers with the tools and resources to make change at the school and district levels.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sideways8?

Our website was outdated and our platform was not user-friendly. One of our goals with the update was improving the backend experience, as we weren't able to navigate a lot of the backend of our previous site. We also needed to update our aesthetics. We were looking for someone with the expertise to redevelop our site into something that people could appreciate.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sideways8 designed the entire site using WordPress. We started with a discovery phase to identify our needs, issues, and top priorities. They also provided a sitemap assessment and content coaching. We then spent time with the graphic designer, talking about our vision and what was feasible based on their resources. The designer gave us a proposed homepage, we provided feedback, and we built on that foundation for the new aesthetic.

With regard to the content coaching, we knew our work most intimately so we wrote our own material. They offered strong advice for our drafts to help us make our site more accessible for people outside the organization.

What is the team dynamic?

I worked with five or six people. They've changed their approach since we started, but initially we worked in phases. You'd start with one person whose expertise is wireframing or site mapping, and once that was ready you'd work with the graphic designer. I interacted with the developer on a few occasions, and then also dealt with the project manager.

How did you come to work with Sideways8?

I was evaluating three or four companies that all had great portfolios, but that's not enough to guarantee a good experience. I also wanted someone I’d enjoy working with over the course of this project. I did several interviews and phone calls, and Sideways8 gave the best explanation for how they approach the work. I felt like they were prepared and equipped to do it, and their price point was also critical.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in December 2013 and the website went live in February 2015. They still provide ongoing support, and we're currently in the process of overhauling our website again.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new site is responsive and better for mobile viewers, plus the layout is more intuitive and makes it easier for people to find what they're looking for. It also has a custom filtering feature for many of the resources we share with our partners. One of the biggest changes is visitors can now register electronically for our primary training event — we used to receive scanned PDFs, which was a cumbersome process, but Sideways8 set up an electronic form that populates a table in WordPress so we can see exactly who registered and when. We're capturing a lot more detail than we were able to in the past. People have really appreciated our commitment to creating a pleasant, functional experience that lets them engage with our services.

On our end, the WordPress platform was a game-changer. It’s critical for a nonprofit that only has 11 staff members, none of whom are necessarily trained in web management, to be able to open the backend dashboard and navigate it without too much trouble.

How did Sideways8 perform from a project management standpoint?

One of their greatest assets is their communication. They are responsive, organized, and very thorough. We also used a good project management software. Many vendors will use email, which can get unwieldy over 15 months, especially if files go missing. Sideways8 uses a dedicated software and assigns you a login, so everything is housed in one central location for the course of the project. I'd give them an A+ for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their commitment to customer service sets them apart. The quality of their work speaks for itself, but one thing you can't glean from a website or a brief meeting is how they're going to treat you. Sideways8 does a great job of prioritizing and making you feel like you're the only client they're currently working with, which I know was not the case, but it feels that way. You can pay for a lot of things, but when good service is embedded in the process that's hugely valuable.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing manager of the Children's Museum of Atlanta, which has been around since 1987 but wasn’t an actual destination with a building until 2003. We are a 30,000-square-foot museum for children, allowing them to touch, build, climb, and learn. We cover everything from simple tools, pulleys, and levers to farm-to-table. We have an actual farm with a grocery store and a restaurant with a mini Waffle House. We have a geography section, a science section, and an art studio where children can paint and learn about colors. We also have a 5-and-under section that targets fine motor skills. It’s a great opportunity for families to learn in a different environment.

We also conduct outreach to different parts of the community in Atlanta, bringing the museum to schools and community centers that may not have the means to visit us. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sideways8 Interactive?

We had recently rebranded our organization and created a new website. We needed a partner to help us navigate changes that could arise or perform simple A/B testing in order to improve the user experience [UX]. The provider needed to have these tools at their disposal, as well as developers who could handle tasks that I didn’t have time to do. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sideways8 is my behind-the-scenes partner to which I pass off bigger projects. We have them on a retainer and check in every 2 weeks with new projects. These include building a portal for our board of directors; I designed the interface, and they built all the tools.

They picked up the work from our previous agency, which built the website and was pivoting into a new market. Sideways8 quickly adapted to other developers’ and designers’ intricacies. They’ve been helping to maintain the freshness of our site.

They’re also changing some of the creative on the homepage, which had been written into the stylesheets. That wasn’t something I could get into since we change it twice a year.

They handle much of the SEO for our pages and have a person in charge of our Google AdWords account. We have a Google Grant, and this resource has been tasked with taking the information I give her and building out multiple campaigns.

What is the team dynamic?

I have an agency background and always used a standard approach with an account manager; our clients rarely spoke to the creative people or the developers. Sideways8 has taken a different approach: I can speak directly to the developers and vice versa. I technically have an account manager—the person who has been consistent across all communication—but I’ve come into contact with 3 other developers, and I’m sure there are more. I’m also in contact with the owner, who is a member of the board at the museum and has a great relationship with us. Aaron, their lead web developer, has been instrumental in big-thinking projects. As a client, I know that I normally wouldn’t have been in contact with the main team. I’ve interacted with around 7 people throughout the relationship.

How did you come to work with Sideways8 Interactive?

A member of our board is in the tech industry and knew Adam, their co-founder. This board member recommended that we add Adam to the board and consider partnering with him for this part of our marketing.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work has been around $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Sideways8 in September 2015. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a “buy tickets” button on every page of the website that was blue in the original design. We were looking at changing the color since people are easily swayed by more noticeable graphics. We changed the button to orange and, within 6 months, saw a 30% increase in clicks.

We have birthday parties in the museum, and people can customize the experience. We didn’t have a good way of sharing information during the upfront part of the process to streamline booking. Sideways8 built a simple online form to allow us to convey information like party dates and client details. That alone increased our party sales by 28% in the first month, which was phenomenal.

How did Sideways8 Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

They are 100% digital, which I’ve had to adjust to during our relationship. There is no office space where I can find the team, but Adam lives locally, and I have interacted with him in-person, as well as via email and phone. Most of the developers have conference calls, screen shares, and so on. They’re extremely responsive.

Once, a developer who was working on our project left. I didn’t know this, and Sideways8 didn’t mention it to me. We didn’t miss any crazy deadlines, and the general work isn’t too intense, so it wasn’t a big deal, but that’s an example of why having multiple players involved can get tricky.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have an impressive ability to solve the problem at hand, and the development team they’ve put together has such a wealth of knowledge. I can throw anything at them and feel confident that they’ll handle it. I’ve been told multiple times that, if something is beyond their ability to accomplish, Sideways8 would let us know and suggest a better solution, even if that expertise fell outside their company. I respect that degree of honesty.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I am affected easily by personal, physical meetings and always want the ability to meet with everyone involved in our projects. I don’t know if this would actually help Sideways8. While it would be great for me, personally, it might not be good for their company overall.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Ask about the interaction with the developers and account managers. There is a lot of movement, so you need to remember people’s names and positions. Because Sideways8 isn’t like most agencies, as a new or potential client, I would inquire about the team rundown upfront to gain an understanding of who is the expert in each field. Having an agency background, I was able to catch on quickly, but other clients may get tripped up by this. 

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your organization?

I work for a nonprofit organization. We’re an anti-pornography and anti-sexual exploitation organization focusing on education, advocacy, and litigation. 

What is your position?

I’m the executive director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were attempting to address when you began the relationship with Sideways8?

We were trying to create a more powerful and comprehensive Web presence. At the same time, we were facing a lot of security threats, just based on opposition we get to our work. We were looking for a partner to help us not only maintain our sites better, for security reasons, but also to grow and cultivate a stronger online brand, which we didn’t have beforehand.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of this project in greater detail?

They’ve done so much for us. I’m not sure if I can capture everything. They’ve built a number of sites for us from scratch. They’ve helped a little bit with content development, and programming, of course. They’ve done training for our staff and myself on how to better harness digital strategies, not only using our website, but how to connect it with building our email list, social media, and fundraising. They have suggested doing some online advertising although we haven’t really done that with them yet. They helped more with overall digital strategy, not just the website development.

What was the rationale behind the selection of WordPress as your content management system?

Mostly, it was the easiest to use for our staff. They’re not the most technically savvy, so we needed something that would be very easy for them to get used to and learn. The platform also has a ton of different modules and widgets that allow for custom functionalities on the site. We loved the idea of making changes so quickly, without the hassles of moving through IT [information technology]. In the end, it also ended up being the most cost effective for us, too.

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

The first big, big project we did was about $5,000. But, now, we pay them a monthly retainer fee, which includes some programming time, maintenance, and security help.

How long have you maintained a relationship with Sideways8?

We began working with them in the winter of 2011.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that you’ve received that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work they’ve delivered?

We had a really old, outdated website before. Everything seems to have grown more than 1,000 percent. Our unique traffic, page views, email subscribers, and whatnot have all improved dramatically. It wasn’t all from the website. A lot of it was coming from our social media channels, which they helped us build out. They helped us also understand the importance of linking. For example, our email list was less than 4,000 before we approached them. Now, it’s well over 140,000. That’s the growth in only two years. We’ve grown exponentially, and we seem to be continuing the trend this year.

When working with Sideways8, is there anything you’d consider unique about their approach or development methodology that distinguishes them from other vendors?

I feel like they really care about what we’re doing. They follow our lead. We feel like they’re invested in the issues that we care about, which are important for any nonprofit. In the office, we only think about what is happening right now, our immediate priorities. They’re always trying to help us see what we should be working towards in the future, especially with our Web presence. They’ve been great at helping us think more long term about our growth strategy and how and where we want to expand. They aren’t just doing a job for us. They’re helping us grow and reach more people, because they care about what we’re trying to do.

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your organization?

We’re a transportation provider operating in Atlanta. We are essentially a commercial trucking and brokerage company. We’re also an expedited air freight-forwarding type company as well. Our business operates east of the Rocky Mountains

What is your position?

I’m the vice president and one of the managing partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were tempting to address when you began the relationship with Sideways8 Interactive?

We had an old, dark looking website that didn’t project the image that we wanted to project to our customers. We wanted something that would accurately portray our business and culture. We decided to do completely revamp our website, logo design, and marketing collateral. The challenge for Sideways8 was to recreate our image and present it in the most positive light possible. It was really a clean slate for them. They had free reign to propose any and all recommendations for changes and improvements.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of this project in greater detail?

We collaborated with them to come up with the new logo, and the new look. They provided that for us so that we could take that and come up with our marketing collateral. It was very much a joint effort. In a transportation environment, we need to have a mobile presence as well, and we didn’t have that. They built our site for us based on a beginning platform, and then two stages later it would be fully integrated, be able to run reports on secured log-ins for our customers and our shippers. Then, the third stage is to have some type of mobile site for folks who are in warehouses and not at their desk, to be able to track their shipments and inventories. They laid the foundation and then built everything else around it. 

How did you select Sideways8 Interactive as your solution partner?

They were originally hosting the site. Sideways8 ended up taking over the hosting rights and managing the site on the back end. I knew of three different vendors that I had worked with previously, so I approached them, too. I evaluated them and I only felt if fair to go with Sideways because they were already hosting our site. Besides, after having them submit their proposal and speaking with them about how they’d approach our project, I just felt like they understood where we wanted to go.

Had you already selected WordPress as your preferred content management system before approaching Sideways8?

No. Sideways8 was a part of the decision-making process, an integral part. I don’t have a lot of skill set as far as Web development, but I do have a decent level of technical experience and confidence. They explained that WordPress would probably be the user friendliest for future site updates and the easiest platform for our staff to learn. I trusted their judgment.

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

It was right around $3,500.

When was your site was launched?

We went live in May of 2012.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of the results, could you share with any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the effectiveness the work they’ve delivered?

We’re a small company. As a result of renewed validation and folks being able to look into our company, we’ve launched a new venture with Coca-Cola and other big-name companies. They all comment on how nice our site looks. It definitely validates what we have. In addition to that, there are a lot of mergers and acquisitions in our business. I can’t tell you how many calls we now receive from folks interested in acquiring us. A number of these individuals claim they’ve gauged our success and value based on the site we have. From an internal standpoint, our staff has been delighted with the new site. It functions very well, has no user-facing defects, and is far more visually appealing and intuitive than our old site.

When working with Sideways8, is there anything you’d consider unique about their approach or development methodology that distinguishes them from other vendors?

Sideways8 is really much more than a bunch of code monkeys. They’re great strategizers. They provided us with some seriously valuable recommendations on best practices and how we should go about presenting ourselves moving forward. They really spent the time thinking about the long-term strategy. They had us begin to consider what we’d like to do once we finished the deployment because maintaining the image and growing requires more than just the site. They sat down with us and brainstormed the various directions we could take our company and its presentation. They challenged us in the productive way. It was clear to me from the get-go that these guys were about results and value. Their approach to client relationships and the quality of their work reflects that attitude.

We’re actually about to launch another site. I talked to Adam Walker [managing partner at Sideways8 Interactive] about three weeks ago. I wanted them to submit a bid for the project. We’re in the process of launching another division. Right now, we’ve got one website that summarizes what all of our companies do, but the new division that we’re launching is extremely specific in scope. It doesn’t make sense to incorporate it into our main site because we want to avoid confusing users. We’re going out to find registered domains to consider purchasing. It’s likely that they’ll be spearheading that initiative, too.

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your organization?

I work for finsync.com. We built a cloud-based financial management and accounting tool for small- to medium-sized business owners.

What is your position?

I’m the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were attempting to address when you initiated the relationship with Sideways8 Interactive?

I was looking for a technology partner to take our product and communicate it to the world in a way that was done elegantly and effectively. The best way to do that was through a website, which is what they designed and developed for us. They built our WordPress site basically from scratch. It was a complete overhaul.

SOLUTION

Had you selected WordPress as your preferred content management system prior to engaging Sideways8?

No. They were definitely a part of the decision-making process. We were initially conflicted between WordPress and Drupal because we knew we wanted to go with an open-source solution. Sideways8 highly recommended that we go with WordPress, which is what we did. It was the right solution for us. 

How did you select Sideways8 as your solution partner?

I reviewed some of their previous work but, more importantly, I felt comfortable with them and the way they articulated their value proposition. It fit well with what we were looking for, and they were very responsive.

Could you describe the scope of their work they delivered?

Outside of the complete site build, which was both the design and development work, they’ve also provided digital marketing services and ongoing Web support to us. They configure and execute our various SEO [search engine optimization] and PPC [pay-per-click] initiatives, and they help us with creative and content development, too.

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

We work with them on a contracted hourly basis, but I can’t disclose the specific figures.

When was your site launched?

We’d moved through a series of launches at this point. We believe it’s pretty important to iterate around your original thinking and design in order to incorporate user feedback as rapidly as possible, resulting in a more polished and desirable product. We’ve launched three different sites with Sideways8, and each is better than its predecessor.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback you’ve received that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work delivered?

We recently launched our newest site about a month and a half ago. We haven’t been marketing it yet because we’ve been trying to scale our internal staff to compensate with the increased demand we’re receiving. We haven’t been monitoring our site metrics for long, but we’re seeing a considerable uptick in Web traffic and user interaction on the site. Perhaps more importantly, our internal staff can’t sing enough praise to the new site. They’re all very strong proponents of WordPress, and the new system has seriously streamlined some of our internal processes. We’ve been very pleased with their work.  

When working with Sideways8 Interactive, is there anything you’d consider unique about their approach or development methodology that distinguishes them from other vendors?

What distinguishes them the most is that their team is very results driven and client-centric. I’ve built a number of websites before with different vendors. I know it may sound cliche, but it’s true: With other vendors, we always felt like we were simply in the queue and we were only a part of that month’s quota. With Sideways8, we’ve felt like we fit into their long-term business strategy. It’s a real partnership in the sense that they’ve become key stakeholders in the success of our project. It’s about more than simply delivering a finished product that fulfills our technical requirements. It’s about building something valuable, something that we’ll be proud of. They’ve done everything they could to keep the relationship alive. They adhere to a long-term approach to their client relationships, which we deeply appreciate. They’re a very tenacious group of people and I can’t say enough good things about them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the co-founder of a nonprofit organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what reason(s) did your company hire Sideways8 Interactive?

We needed to attract more donors and volunteers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Sideways8 has deep experience with nonprofits and web design, which is why we chose them.

Describe the project in detail.

Sideways8 listened to our needs and delivered a creative and highly-functional website built on WordPress, which we can update moving forward.

What was the team composition?

We had a project manager, a designer, and a developer assigned to our project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have had an increase in both donors and volunteers since the new site launched.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were easy to work with.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What’s most impressive about them is their knowledge, competence, and experience.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nope.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a manager for a residential and commercial painting business. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to have a beautiful website for our customers that makes us look like a world-class company.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I met Adam [Lead Web Developer, Sideways8 Interactive] and trusted that his team could meet our needs. In fact, they exceeded our expectations.

Describe the project in detail.

They built our website.

What was the team composition?

The team included a project manager, a designer, and a developer, as well as some SEO and social media consultants. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the website launched, our phone has been ringing constantly.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I've appreciated our relationship with Sideways8. As with all large projects like ours, certain challenges will come up. Sideways8 collaborated with us to achieve our goals and get through any difficulties.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by Adam’s integrity as a small business owner.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything really. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of an online software company that helps brands and digital marketing agencies automate their reports.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what reason(s) did your company hire Sideways8 Interactive?

We were in the middle of rebranding the company and needed a new website.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a professional-looking site and a new logo to convey credibility to our clients and to create a sound design foundation for future content additions.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We asked for referrals, interviewed several firms, and in the end, we were confident that Sideways8 could do an excellent job on a quick timeframe.

Describe the project in detail.

They did our logo design and website design and cut up design assets into individual assets.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and a designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our site looks great. We find the design to be flexible and attractive enough to last us for years.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They communicate very effectively, mostly online.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We are tremendously happy with how the team listened to our needs and feedback and how they gave as an excellent design package that was ready for us to implement quickly.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.

Company Responses

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