We Are Immediate, Inc

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Board member and lead on redesign of website

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire We Are Immediate, Inc, and what were your goals?

Our previous website was ten years old and looked it - in addition we were not getting creative service from our previous web development company in updating and improving it. We were also preparing to offer an international conference and wished to market it more widely;.

SOLUTION

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

Researched best web development companies for non-profits and then interviewed the five that seemed best for our goals. We Are Immediate, Inc stood out for their work quality, reasonable pricing, and personal attention to the project.

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

Develop with the Board a new site map, new look with captivating pictures and animation.

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

4:

• president
• graphics
• content management
• site map developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Hits on the website are up dramatically and attendance at the conference we held was double the last conferences.

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

Team meetings with our entire Board for general conceptual ideas and then regular meetings with the two Board members responsible for the project, in addition accessibility by phone was excellent.

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

Accessibility and responsiveness of the staff working on our project and the quality of the deliverables. Those qualities are there from the top down in the company.

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

They had difficulties setting up our donate button, but persisted and solved it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the managing editor for digital content at the nonprofit Education Writers Association (EWA).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire We Are Immediate, Inc?

The EWA website was last redesigned in 2013 and 2016, so it was very outdated. We Are Immediate was hired by EWA's leadership team to completely modernize, redesign, and overhaul ewa.org, including helping us migrate thousands of content from Drupal to WordPress.

SOLUTION

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

EWA put together a web redesign committee that included senior managers and those with digital content and EWA history expertise. The committee set up sessions with about 4-5 potential web development firms, and the team voted for We Are Immediate based on their past projects and overall presentation.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

WAI staffers improved the EWA website for the better, from helping us with user research to custom design and images. CEO Lori Shecter consistently gave us new and creative ideas to promote and organize the website. Content strategist Juan helped our organization migrate thousands of pages of content to the new website. Through all stages, the EWA team regularly met and communicated with WAI to get assistance or advice and more.

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

EWA staff regularly worked with several members of the We Are Immediate team, including CEO Lori Shecter, Content Strategist Juan Jiménez , graphic designer Marilina Jiménez and others at different stages of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Anyone who works with WAI will learn a lot, receive regular communication and meetings, get good advice, and get a great final product to be proud of. EWA staffers love our new website, and we’ve gotten so many great compliments on social media and via email from many people. Lori especially has amazing ideas for days. Just talking to her in our regular meetings, she’d come up with a major marketing or design idea off the top of her head. This is exactly how the hero video on the EWA website came about. She came up with the video concept and copy after thinking about it out loud during a meeting with me. That video and the new website was highly discussed, liked and retweeted on Twitter among education journalists and communicators – the core group EWA serves.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I primarily worked with Lori and Juan, and the workflow was pretty effective. We had regular meetings and exchanged regular emails to keep the project on track.

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

The WAI team was the most responsive external team I've ever worked with. They also meet with you very quickly if you are having a technological issue or any type of issue.

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

We had some tech issues along the way, but they were solved not long after. There were times when we had repeat conversations about topics because of all the meetings and needing to keep up with where we last left off, but this wasn't a major issue. The overall project was a great experience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of an educational platform that provides curriculum materials for educators in schools and organizations. Specifically, our lessons focus on novel studies, literature, and stories.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with We Are Immediate, Inc?

I wasn’t happy with my website and was looking to diversify where I offered my products, which I was selling on a marketplace. I wanted to reach a new audience that might not be using that marketplace, so I needed someone to build a new website where I could sell my products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We Are Immediate first looked at my previous website and my marketplace listings to understand my business. They looked at my products and how I was utilizing the marketplace to sell them. Afterward, they proceeded to design and develop the site. Since I didn’t want the site to be too text-heavy, the team included many visual elements. I also asked them to create a blog where I could highlight specific products.

Finally, they taught me how to manage the website on my own. Although the bulk of the project is finished, the team continues to maintain and host the site. It features listings of my products, which potential customers can preview. Users can create an account, buy products, and post reviews. Upon purchase, customers have lifetime access to the materials. 

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact was Lore (Founder & CEO), but I know that Yuriy (Technical Project Manager) worked on the design and development with two other individuals.

How did you come to work with We Are Immediate, Inc?

Someone in my family who had worked with We Are Immediate recommended them. I was put in touch with Lori, and we hit it off.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from December 2020–March 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They created a clean and simple design, which I appreciated. The website they created allowed me to sell my products on my own platform, which allowed me to earn 100% of the gross profit.

How did We Are Immediate, Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was excellent — they were communicative and kept me informed of where they were, how long things would take, and if there were any delays. Whenever I had any comments or questions, Lori would immediately get back to me. They addressed all my concerns. We communicated on an almost daily basis, and I felt very comfortable talking to them. At some point, I reached out during a weekend, and they got back to me.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Lori’s honesty and drive were empowering — she wasn’t afraid to state her opinion and make strong suggestions. They did take my feedback, but they also made suggestions, which were backed by reason. On my part, I also explained certain things I wanted for the site. All that back and forth helped us finetune the website, and it ended up being really helpful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I know that the education business field is a challenging sector to understand and know all the minutia of the industry. Lori and her team worked hard to understand the nuances. As such, this continues to be an ongoing conversation between us, which actually makes it a strength!

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust what you know about your business and the trends in your industry. This will allow you to explain some of your decisions to the We Are Immediate team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I provide Development/Tech expertise remotely for Riverstone Senior Life Services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire We Are Immediate, Inc, and what were your goals?

Our website was out of date, did not address our strengths, and needed a new/responsive design, as well as a donation platform and translation of program pages.

We wanted our website to reflect the high level of attention and service we provide for older adults, appealing to both clients and their caregivers.

SOLUTION

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

We were looking for a well-connected, woman-owned business.

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

It was pleasantly productive to work remotely with the We Are Immediate team. Communication about goals and focus was expertly given a spotlight, even at times we were unclear or uncertain. As the team worked smartly and efficiently, we were able to ADD items to our goals list, as they came in on time and under budget.

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

I worked directly with Lori S. as the principal of the agency.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website draws consistently increasing views, donors remark that donation is easier with our own portal (as opposed to utilizing a third party link), and interactive web pages are popular, especially in the light of the remote services necessary during the pandemic.

As the pandemic hit us mid-project, we were able to pivot direction to utilize the expertise of We Are Immediate in planning our first-ever vitual gala (and later our second!). These galas brought in amounts similar or slightly greater than in-person galas of years past (and showcased the versatility of We Are Immediate in meeting clients' shifting goals).

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

Working through phone and video, we conferenced between teams and never had a glitch in communication. Busy all around, we were still able to schedule productive meetings, taking into account time zones differences and workloads.

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

We Are Immediate worked closely with us to determine our needs. They went above and beyond to address our most highlighted urgencies. We all learned new insights/skills in the process.

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

We have recontracted with We Are Immediate over the course of three years -- while perhaps every new job helps an agency improve, I have been unable to pinpoint where I would suggest further improvement at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Communications Manager for an environmental non-profit. We provide resources, events, and technical assistance to communities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire We Are Immediate, Inc, and what were your goals?

Our website had been created many years ago and needed a significant update. We opted to create a new website from scratch and we also switched to WordPress from Drupal. Our goals were to provide resources and event registration in a user-friendly way and also have easy content management for organization staff.

SOLUTION

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

We issued an RFP and reviewed more than 15 applications from firms. We interviewed 4 firms and chose We Are Immediate in the end. We were impressed by their passion for our mission, example websites + references, and felt that we would get great value for a high quality end product.

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

We had several meetings for their team to understand our needs. They delivered a site map, wireframes, design mockups, and then eventually the site in development. They used a couple different systems to share these assets - all were easy to use.

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

Our point person was Lori, who is the founder and ED of We Are Immediate. We met with a few other members of her team in design, UX, and content management.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The timeline for the site proceeded as expected. Any delays were on our end! The We Are Immediate team turned around all fixes and feedback in an extremely timely manner and it was clear throughout that they cared about our brand and goals.

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

Lori was always extremely responsive and her team turned things around quickly. She was great about working together to find a solution to any issues we brought up. We primarily collaborated on Google Drive, though I know her team uses project management tools internally.

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

Their flexibility to meet our needs within the scope and budget for the project. Our site was quite complex and there were moments that I was sure we weren't going to be able to do exactly the functionality that I had imagined, but they always found a way! Their problem-solving was exceptional.

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

Having never been through the process of building and launching a new site or working with a web developer before, there were times that I was a bit unsure of the process or next steps. However, whenever I brought up any questions or issues, Lori always clarified.