Think It First

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an independent contractor acting as a grants administrator for a private educational foundation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Think It First?

I was put in charge of the website redesign. It was first developed about three years ago, and it was basically just information; there was no call to action or promotion of the foundation’s goals. Our mission had changed quite a bit, and we wanted to attract more interested parties to our application, so we decided it was time to do a massive overhaul of the website and make it much more impactful and attractive.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After we accepted their proposal and signed all the agreements, we had our kickoff meeting and started the first wireframes. We were under a tight deadline and wanted to get the project finished within seven weeks, so we had to work hard and quick.

Think It First took some of the old site’s information, like biographical information, but other than that, they essentially created a whole new site. They redesigned the structure, appearance, and navigation of the entire site, and it looks completely different.

Some of the major changes were a timeline and an online application portal. Another firm took care of the grant management system for the application, and Think It First just installed the plugin for the site, which let them concentrate fully on the website redesign. One of our goals was to clarify the history and purpose of our foundation, and Think It First made sure the structure and copy answered those questions.

What is the team dynamic?

Brad [Partner} was my lead contact, and I met one designer on our project, although the team could’ve been bigger.

How did you come to work with Think It First?

We put the RFP out to bid, and three agencies submitted proposals. We invited them each in for a more in-depth conversation, but most got caught up on the grant management system. Think It First was the only provider that presented a viable solution and seemed to know what they were talking about. We liked the freshness of their approach, and all the agency’s prices were pretty similar, so we chose Think It First.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a little over $19,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in August, and it ended in October.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone has had positive responses to our site. They comment that it’s beautiful, the colors are great, and it’s easy to navigate. Our board was highly impressed with the improvements we made from the old site, and we couldn’t be happier with Think It First’s work. There are still a few minor changes we need to make, but overall, we’re pleased.

How did Think It First perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly communicated via email, and I talked to Brad probably 10 or 15 times during the full seven weeks. Brad and his whole team were extremely responsive and never let anything slip through the cracks. They finished the project on time and within budget, which is impressive considering how fast we needed it to be completed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I can be quite nitpicky with my expectations, and Think It First was responsive, easy-going, and patient. They did their work, made any changes I suggested, and took my opinion seriously. Brad expects the best from his team, and it resulted in high-quality work and a fantastic end product.

They quickly grasped our foundation and its goals and understood that this new site was a turning point for us. They responded to the importance of the project and did exactly what we needed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of any. They were a pleasure to work with, and I’d love to work with them again.

Advice for potential customers?

Know exactly what you want to accomplish and have all the content on your end figured out. That will help you all be on the same page, and there will be minimal misunderstandings.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the digital marketing manager for a nonprofit organization that is responsible for trying to bring meetings and conventions to our city. I manage our company’s website and everything that goes on digitally with it, including advertising, blogging, social media, mobile, etc. We get funding via a portion of the tax that is collected on hotel rooms, and we work to fill those hotel rooms while also bringing in visitors to support local businesses, restaurants, and attractions. The primary part of our business is scheduling meetings and conventions in the convention center, hotels, and other venues around the city. We also are responsible for group tours and international leisure travelers who come to our city. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Think It First?

We first brought on Think It First a few years back when our website was a bit confusing and outdated. After we chose Think It First, the entire project probably took close to nine months to complete, from start to finish. Think It First redesigned pretty much everything on the website. Since then, we’ve worked on a number of other projects with Think It First.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a previous vendor, but I was hired soon after Think It First was selected, so I didn't have much of a relationship with the previous company. The website had been redesigned about a year before I started, and in that year, there was a lot of confusion and questions. It was determined that the redesign effort was not a good one, and there needed to be a quick turnaround to make it happen again. That’s why by the time I started, they had already selected Think It First for a complete redevelopment of the site. We were trying to improve user experience and user interaction. Our main goal is to get conventions to come to our city, and our primary audience tends to be meeting and convention planners. We needed to recognize that audience and work to keep that audience satisfied from start to finish in a logical manner that was not confusing. One of the main things we needed was a more clear hierarchy. The previous design was pretty flat, and it was all over the place. We needed to come up with an organizational chart to help users navigate the site. 

We first developed a plan for the homepage, and then we put together a handful of internal templates, essentially. At the beginning, it was a three-phase project. The first phase was the homepage and a handful of primary pages that tended to get the most traffic. The second phase was going more in-depth with the rest of the site. We have kind of an overwhelmingly large site, so we wanted to get the hierarchy and design set for throughout the entire site. The third phase was going into some of the other departments because we were working on the meeting planner part of things. The final phase involved the international travelers and group tours and cleaning up some of the other aspects of the site. There were more elements within each part, but it was a few years back, so I don't remember the exact specifics. Each phase probably took about three months in order to make sure that we covered everything and that our internal clients were satisfied. Our website has a lot of idiosyncrasies that we needed specific work done for. We are a member organization, so we have restaurants, attractions, and hotels that pay dues to us to get placed in front of meeting planners. It takes some organization to make sure we’re serving those customers well and highlighting them first on the website.

We’ve worked on a number of other projects with Think It First since the redesign. One of the big ones was an interactive map that we developed to highlight our members and allow us to organize the members by categories. For instance, the user — a meeting planner, convention attendee, or international traveler — could say, “I want to see all of the restaurants in this area,” and then, “I just want to see the Italian restaurants in this area,” and have them pop up on the map. We’ve developed that map even further since then. Users can “favorite” individual elements on the map, such as restaurants, hotels, and attractions you're considering, and then go to a separate portion of the map and map out where everything is in relation to your hotel. That’s a big, long-term project that has been developed over time. I think it has helped with our members, and I think it’s helped logically present that information to people coming into the city who are able to see the proximity of things in a much more useful way. Our staff can use the map to sell the city as a potential place for a convention by showing the convention center as well as hotels that are within easy walking distance of it and restaurants that offer meeting space. Our staff is more easily able to show a lot of information to potential clients.

How did you come to work with Think It First?

Think It First had been hired before I started working here. RFPs were sent out in the area, and quite a few organizations came up with suggestions for how we might redesign our website. Think It First offered the best solutions and designs, so we went with them. Their design had been accepted, but the work didn't begin until I started, which is when our company handed the project to me and said, “We’re redesigning the website. This is the company you're working with. Make it happen.” We then introduced the Think It First team to everybody at our organization to make sure they understood who they were and what they were doing. They also spoke with some of our vendors and our internal clients to directly answer their questions as needed. 

How much have you invested with Think It First?

I could not tell you how much we invested with Think It First. I wasn't there at the very beginning, and early on I wasn't doing the bill paying, so I don't know the numbers. I don't know if our organization would be up for sharing that information either.

What is the status of this engagement?

I think we would have started working with Think It First in the latter half or last quarter of 2013, and we’re still working with them today.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our overall site metrics are better than they used to be. Some of the things that Think It First worked on, like the interactive map, have become major parts of our website. They also worked on the appearance of the pages for the individual due-paying members. The membership department has said that the members were happy with the new appearance of those pages when we launched them. One of the things we do measure is meeting planners who submit RFPs for potential meetings or conventions in the city. The meeting planner RFP for the online submissions are up much higher than they were before the redesign.

How did Think It First perform from a project management standpoint?

Think It First has performed extremely well from a project management standpoint, and we’ve been happy with what they’ve done for us over the years. I’ve had a good working relationship with their team. They’re responsive, and they make suggestions and recommendations while also listening to ours. If we’re recommending something that they think doesn't make sense, they will tell us the reasons why it might not work. If we end up saying, “I understand what you're saying, but we want to go with it anyway,” they will go ahead and do what we’ve asked. They’re the type of organization that wants to help you do the right thing and make sure you're not making any mistakes they could fix in advance. They also understand that we’re the client, and in the end, we should get what we ask for. In the end, they have always delivered what we ask for.

Think It First does our overall web maintenance as well as the development and larger features. The primary team we work with at Think It First probably consists of three people: Joe, Jamie, and John. They occasionally bring in one or two other people, but for the most part, Joe is my regular contact. The team size has stayed pretty constant. I think that Think It First has hired more people since we started working with them. The people who are occasionally brought in are just for short periods of time. 

For more than three years, I have had weekly calls with Joe to go over what’s coming up and where the project stands. I ever need to jump on a call at any other time, he’s always available. I also correspond regularly with Joe via email, probably once a day or more. There may be a couple of days where I don't send an email, and then something comes up, and we’ll send emails back and forth several times in a single day. It’s rare that I don't get a response quickly, and if that happens in regard to something I think is more important, I can usually extend my email beyond Joe to Jamie and John, and one of those two will almost always be available. I've also gone to their office to meet with them in person for longer-term discussions, and they’ve come into our offices more than a handful of times to present ideas and go over things with me and my managers. 

Think It First does a good job of managing expectations and being sure you know what you're getting. They don't over-promise, and they do things methodically. They have done a good job of giving me estimates that they almost always stick to, which is not always the case with companies. If something goes a little higher than expected, it’s never been an issue. If an issue does come up, they offer options to make sure we get the best solution that fits our desires and budget. We’re kept well-informed along the way; there’s never been a surprise while working with Think It First.

What did you find most impressive about Think It First?

I don't know if there’s one thing that is most impressive about Think It First. I appreciate the relationship we’ve built and knowing that they’re consistently going to answer our questions and solve our problems, whatever they may be. I may ask Think It First if they can help with certain areas of the website that they have barely touched, and they’ll do the research, figure it out, and make it happen. At the same time, they’re an organization that doesn't just sit back and wait for things either. They look at the site and look at how it can improve, make suggestions and recommendations, and get things on the roadmap for us to handle down the line. They’re both reactive and proactive in the best possible way. 

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Think It First?

Think It First is an excellent company to work with. They have managed everything we’ve thrown at them in an excellent manner, and I would absolutely recommend them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Ops of Pearl Properties

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Luxury property development and management

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Think It First to accomplish?

• Branding
• Web Design
• Digital Marketing

SOLUTION

How did you find Think It First?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select Think It First over others?

Great culture fit

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

Brad, Jess, Ellie, Joe and the whole TIF team have helped us with a variety of projects over the past decade.  They have always been effective, creative, professional, responsive, and invested in our goals.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Successful rebrand, marketing campaign, SEO campaign, website design and management

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

Helpful, responsive, on-time

What was your primary form of communication with Think It First?

Virtual Meeting

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

They were great people.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Think It First could have done differently?

Not really

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of Rhino Reviews

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Rhino Reviews specializes in reputation management for clients and provides them with done for you solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Think It First to accomplish?

• New Website

SOLUTION

How did you find Think It First?

Referral

Why did you select Think It First over others?

• High ratings
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Think It First were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We contacted Think It First to help us completely redo our website. Our prior site was 5 years old, dated, and did not reflect the services we currently offer for our clients. We needed a new site from scratch and wanted this project completed ASAP. They were tasked with creating an updated look and design, helping us with content design and layout, provide guidance on flow and tools (chatbots, etc) to use that will help us drive leads.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website launching within 2 months. Website launch going smoothly without any bugs or link issues Approval of the new design / look for our company and brand

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

This team was incredible to work with. They communicated clearly, quickly, and were beyond helpful. Most impressive was the speed with which they worked. Upon our project set-up, they set a fast timeline as speed was critical for us, and they beat every timeline they set. Their work was on top of the line and they were able to help guide our team with marketing and design decisions from their professional experience.

What was your primary form of communication with Think It First?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The speed with which they worked and the quality that they maintained. Normally, a website launch has a target date and it is common to be a few weeks to a month off. This team worked faster than every timeline they set. They were also always available to answer questions through a phone call or email.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Think It First could have done differently?

Truly nothing, from their communication and support to the design and final product we are truly impressed!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive Assistant & Site Administrator of Elm Partners

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Algorithmic index investing for high-net worth clientele with a focus on financial know-how.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Think it First to accomplish?

• Apply new design across website and research blog
• Improve code and consistency in Wordpress install
• Continue to add and improve website content and functionality

SOLUTION

How did you find Think it First?

Online Search

Why did you select Think it First over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Think it First were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

We had previously commissioned a new website design from a previous developer, but they left the project before the work was completed. Think It First was brought in to refine that design, implement it across the site, and improve the overall site functionality. A number of new pages and features were also created and implemented, including advanced filtering options for research posts and optimizations in the Wordpress backend code.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Implemented and refined the new site design, along with continued work to update the site for future projects.

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

Most projects were finished on time, and any delays were minimal and due solely to unexpected technical factors, never work ethic or poor scheduling. Responses have always been quick, and most issues are resolved in just a few hours. Communication is open with the entire team from top to bottom, so no problem is ever overlooked or lost in the shuffle.

What was your primary form of communication with Think it First?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their work ethic is fantastic. An incredible amount of work was done to implement this new version of the site, and the improved look and feel is like night and day.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Think it First could have done differently?

None.