Adcoast

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of DB Lawn Maintenance, a landscaping and design company. We do everything from sod installation to regular lawn maintenance, tree trimming, and removals. We also provide installation of decorative plants, bushes, shrubs, and various other landscaping and irrigation elements.

What challenge were you trying to address with Adcoast?

I was looking for someone to design a website, manage it, and make it user and mobile friendly. The main purpose of the website is to showcase my business and attract new clientele. Some companies told me what I needed to do, but I didn’t like the look of their designs on different devices. Adcoast’s design was extremely easy to navigate via the mobile, web and tablet. I was very pleased with their work.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Adcoast was responsible for everything on our website. I explained the features I wanted, including a gallery page, contact form, and a brief description of all of our jobs with photographs. I also needed a nice logo for our business. They also created a subfolder called “see our work,” which is quite attractive. I sent them the pictures, and they made a slide show that automatically moves to the next picture unless it’s paused. A lot of people have viewed that and liked it. Adcoast delivered everything I asked for. If any of the links go bad on my page, I give them a call, and they fix it immediately.

Based on Adcoast’s recommendation, we put “contact us” and “schedule an appointment” tabs on the website, which has been beneficial. Users can click on a tab and fill out a form. When they send the finished, it’s relayed immediately to my business email. I can see all the pertinent information right away. Adcoast asked me what I wanted from clients, I told them what I needed, and they set it up.

I didn’t provide any sketches because I was making the website from scratch. I gave everything to them, and they came up with ideas of what they thought the site should look like. They sent me some digital renderings of the logo and layout. We went back and forth until we settled on the current design.

After the website went live, they advised me to create a Facebook page and a Yelp page and link them to the website. We are now a 5-star rated business on Yelp.

How did you come to work with Adcoast?

I know the founder of Adcoast, Ted Tedford; he’s an amazing man. We’ve grown to be friends. I looked at several design companies and explained what I was doing to Ted. He described his services, and we talked about ideas. After I compared some prices, his company was a lot cheaper than their competitors.

How much have you invested with them?

I do not wish to disclose that, but Adcoast was half the price of the other companies I spoke with.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in May 2016, and the website was completed in June 2016.

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

Since its inception, the website has helped my company grow by 35%. Every client who’s been on the website has told me it’s easy to navigate and super user-friendly. Users like that it can be viewed on a tablet, phone, and PC. They like the size of the buttons and the interface. It’s quick, simple, and easy.

How did Adcoast perform from a project management standpoint?

Their performance has been exemplary. They’re polite, courteous, and understanding. They tailor-made the website exactly the way I’d envisioned. Any delays in the project were because of me. Ted sent me reminder messages to keep us moving forward.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their pricing and quality are better than anyone else I’ve seen. They’re very quick.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Living Local, a direct mail publication that features local businesses, including content and display advertising from advertisers. We distribute by mail over 100,000 magazines every month, and then about 6,000 via drop ship in 200 locations throughout the entire county.

What challenge were you trying to address with Adcoast?

We were looking to enhance the look of the magazine. Previously, it was strictly an incentive-based coupon book and I wanted a more elevated appearance.

What was the scope of their involvement?

When Adcoast started working with me, I started telling stories and putting photographs of people on the cover along with more engaging content about the business owners and the people that work for the businesses. I would provide the photos and outline what I needed on the ad or what the content needed to include. Adcoast was responsible for the entire design layout.

I assisted a little bit with art direction, but they were more than able to take the requirements and really give the magazine the elevated look I was looking for. I had a little house logo, and Teddy, their founder, refined it and sharpened its look as there were some shadow images behind it.

Instead of the logo being in full color on the magazine, we’ve gone back and forth between a full-color version and just white, which was also Adcoast’s doing. Teddy suggested doing it that way to give it a more elevated magazine-style look.

He also came up with a new design for our website. I wanted the headers simplified on our homepage because it didn’t navigate well and had too many options. He broke it down and made the layout for it and provided it to my website company.

Every month, he also updates all of my web listings and content listings. He did a little bit of social media marketing, and what he did was very good but that wasn’t what I hired them for. Adcoast has a very good design sense. They definitely are on the cutting edge when it comes to design and they’re very meticulous.

How did you come to work with Adcoast?

I needed a graphic designer and I received some information about Adcoast. I’ve had graphic designers before and when I’ve hired them to do something, their work is nothing like what they said they could do.

Adcoast was chosen out of about 10 designers. I gave them a test run and asked them to design something and come up with a concept, giving them the elements and information that needed to be included. They had that cutting edge design that wasn’t like any of the other submissions that I had.

How much have you invested with them?

I have spent between $4,000–$5,000 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2016 and the work is ongoing.

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

My magazine is becoming more recognizable around town and more people want to be included in it. People view it differently and give me feedback on the new layout and design. Also, the people who advertise with me alone love it.

How did Adcoast perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been excellent. They have kept all their deadlines and still do, and the communication is great. They have lots of integrity and only want to do the best.

What did you find most impressive about them?

A lot of times, when you hire someone to do graphic design, they’re not very good at communicating. They just want to be in their own little cocoon and say, “Just give me what I need and I’ll do it.” Adcoast is very different when it comes to that; they are open and they talk. I’ve been doing this for almost 10 years and I haven’t had someone that communicated so well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so.