Websauce Studio

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a co-owner, manager, and boat operator for a sports fishing company in Seward, Alaska. We offer guided trips off the coast of Seward to tourists and locals. We typically target halibut, salmon, rockfish, lingcod, and shark, with the biggest targets being halibut and salmon.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Websauce?

We had some issues with our current website. The previous designer was not flexible, didn’t listen to any of our needs and wants, and produced some horrible aesthetics. We couldn’t get out of his service: he hijacked our domain, held it hostage, and used it to get free fishing trips.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I definitely wanted my website to stand out amongst the other charter-operators’ sites. In the fishing world, everyone’s stuck in the stone age, so I figured that I would have a competitive edge if I went with someone a bit more modern. The site was built using Squarespace.

One of the main features we wanted was a banner, with either some revolving high-quality images or a video. My main request was for the home page to basically be a video. We made one, and they posted it.

Another key feature was the simplicity of the site. Many of our clients are in the 40-60 age range, so they’re not too savvy with computers. The more intuitive the functionality, the better. We’ve tried to streamline the process to one or two clicks, so bookings can be made from the moment they sign on.

What is the team composition?

Because Hyun Kim [Associate Creative Director, Websauce Studio] and I are friends, he passed me off to Adam Weil [Creative Director, Websauce Studio] to keep our relationship and not procrastinate.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Websauce in the fall of 2016 and finished in October 2017. The finish date is irrelevant because everything was held up on our end. They could have had it done in a month or two.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our homepage features a video, and users can slide down to see five options. It’s pretty self-explanatory.

Prior to the new site, clients had to go to the top-right corner and hit the menu line, which most older people missed. They had a hard time navigating the site, so making it as smooth, easy-to-use, and straightforward as possible was our key goal. Websauce delivered.

We currently get a lot more bookings. The new site launched after the end of our season and bookings are only starting now, so it's been hard to tell exactly how much they have increased. Depending on how this year goes, we will know how well the site works. I think it should be great. We have already booked more than we had at this point in 2017.

How did Websauce perform from a project management standpoint?

Adam was patient with us, mainly because he didn’t know us. We mainly interacted with him and Hyun. I don’t know how big the company is, but it was nice to always deal with the same people and not have to explain ourselves to a different person every time.

They tried to get the site done as fast as possible, but I dragged it on. I fish commercially all year, and getting things done while I’m 200 miles away at sea is almost impossible. I give Websauce’s team five stars and give myself one star for this.

We typically communicated by email, mainly because of my work hours, but we also had some chats over the phone. When they couldn’t contact me, they spoke to other people in my company.

What did you find most impressive about them?

A designer typically completes the work in their own style no matter what, but I wanted a designer who could take my ideas and implement them. While my last designer gave me a frustrating experience, Websauce did pretty much everything I asked for. The best thing about Websauce is their ability to listen to and address client needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I asked for a basic package, without any SEO management or other services. As such, I don’t have any comments.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should have all their content ready. Websauce’s team will want to go over it quickly, and they'll be ready to build the website from the moment the client says yes.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO/owner of RizKnows, a small Internet company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Websauce Studio?

We needed a designer to create our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Websauce designed everything for our WordPress site from scratch, from the logo to the theme. We wanted a creative, but easy-to-use, design. Websauce also developed a mobile app for iOS and Android.

They didn’t create any content—just the design.

What is the team dynamic?

We worked mostly with Adam [Founder & Creative Director, Websauce Studio]. We didn’t need to speak to many different people to get things done, which was nice.

How did you come to work with Websauce Studio?

We looked for local firms to create our website, and received tremendous recommendations for Websauce. After meeting with Adam and his team, we knew we had to go with them.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent approximately $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began in September 2016, and we still work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our bounce rate went down considerably, and the time spent per visit on our website has spiked. Our Alexa ranking grows every single day. By almost every measure, our site has blown up since our collaboration with Websauce.

How did Websauce Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They are super-responsive. I can pick up the phone and Adam always answers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their work is much better than other companies we met. They tried to understand our business, which helped them think through their designs and how users might react to those designs. Things like that really make a difference for us.

We told Websauce what we wanted and they made something better. They managed the project rather than just the work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They are very, very busy. They have so many projects going on, but that’s a great problem for them to have. I would rather wait for them than work with someone else. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the sole business owner of a small marketing company called Scott Yates PR.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Websauce Studio?

I had a couple projects Websauce Studio helped with, including building a web presence for my original brand and tools. I needed some help starting my own company and venturing into more creative waters after leaving guaranteed public employment. I felt Websauce would be the right partner for me after looking around and interviewing other firms.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Websauce Studio has built a 5-page custom WordPress website for me. The site needed to be clean, current, and easy to navigate, so it would create a sense of confidence and clarity. I bought an entire package from them that included logo creation, narrowing down a tagline, artwork, videos, and a blog. I took the lead on creating the content.

I’m not sure what technologies were used in development because I was more concerned with its functionality and how easy content management would be. Websauce did a great job of making it all come together.

After launching the website, we started working on a project called Civil Savant, at civilsavant.com, which acts as a backdoor into my website, scottyatespr.com. Websauce helped create the page for my concept, mainly focusing on creating a different brand for reaching people. It had original content, including podcasts, YouTube teaser videos, and professional photography that users acting as my ambassadors could share on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

They’ve offered web marketing to me, but I can’t afford it at the moment.

What is the team dynamic?

They provided some tutorial videos, and Adam Weil [CEO, Websauce Studio] had a one-on-one meeting with me to show me how to navigate the site and make changes. He remained accessible to me as my primary contact, and we were in touch every 2 weeks. When it got hectic, the communication increased to multiple times per week.

Conveniently, we share space at a co-working facility in downtown Sacramento, so I would physically bump into him and his team. This made it easy to get changes made and to talk about concepts.

InVision was used for sharing design elements.

How did you come to work with Websauce Studio?

I found them through a Google search while looking for web developers in Sacramento. I wanted to keep my money local, and Websauce was one of the three groups I contacted.

How much have you invested with them?

The first package cost $3,500, and this included logo development, tagline, color scheme, fonts, and a 5-page WordPress site. I spent an additional $1,000 in order to have the Civil Savant page built, bringing the total to $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I worked with Websauce from March 2016 to sometime in May 2016. There is currently no active collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We jumped from page 5 on Google search results to page 1 after creating the Civil Savant subpage.

How did Websauce Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Adam and his company are growing and working out processes, including how to manage traffic, communication, and scheduling. I’m flexible, and I respect what he’s trying to build, so I never felt pressure from either side. Websauce has gotten better over the course of the last year because they’ve hired help and implemented some scheduling.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I may not have enough experience to comment on their performance compared to others, but I was the most comfortable with Websauce out of the three companies I interviewed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

My experiences with both projects have been good.