Aktiv Studios

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a finance manager for LexisNexis Risk Solutions. We provide data and analytic solutions to various industries. I’m on the insurance team.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Aktiv Studios?

We needed to create an internal finance resource. We had the option to use SharePoint, but we decided not to go down that path and create something cleaner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Aktiv Studios has developed a walled-off website for internal finance use only. The product serves as a repository for many data points to reference, including different accounting and finance policies and organizational information for our finance team.

We initially met and told them about what we were looking to do. We liked their solutions; they were good about bringing ideas to the table. They were also accommodating and receptive to what we wanted to do, so we elected to go with them.

We’ve worked through different frameworks. Aktiv Studios has also dived into content generation and built the website following the data, criteria, and examples we provided. They’re hosting the site via WordPress.

What is the team composition?

We interface with two teammates, but they have additional people working on the content.

How did you come to work with Aktiv Studios?

We found them on Clutch. The reviews and feedback were valuable information for our company.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in June 2022, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t launched the site yet; we’re migrating to internal servers to host the website. We’ve given previews to our finance leadership, which is very excited to get this rolled out to the broader finance team.

Moreover, Aktiv Studios has definitely exceeded our expectations, and the team has been receptive to our particular ideas.

How did Aktiv Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication and project management are great. We have weekly touch points where we talk about what they’re working on, their progress, and what will happen next week. We communicate through phone calls, Zoom calls, emails, and a collaborative tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Aktiv Studios’ high-quality output demonstrates their professionalism, capabilities, and talent.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, no areas come to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

One thing we could’ve done better on our side was to have a clear project plan. We’ve had to pivot a few times because we’ve changed our minds. Pre-planning on the customer side can make the process smoother and easier.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Marketing and Communications for a pest control company. We provide pest control services for residential and commercial customers in the southeastern United States.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Aktiv Studios, and what were your goals?

Our former website was dated and cluttered. We hired Aktiv to redesign the site and make it fresh and modern again.

SOLUTION

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

I spoke with multiple web developers about this project and ultimately decided on Aktiv based on their expertise, body of work, and reasonable pricing.

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

We had a kick-off meeting to discuss our goals with the redesign. From there, Aktiv delivered a mock-up, a wireframe, and then a full-fledged WordPress site. We went through several iterations of the site and eventually landed on something that works for both parties. In terms of features, they added a chat bot, accessibility plugin, several CTA forms, etc.

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

Two Aktiv employees regularly communicated with me. I am not sure of their positions

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Too early to determine feedback though everyone absolutely loves the site.

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

We used ActiveCollab for project management, which I found very effective. It was nice to have every communication about the project in one central place.

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

I think they just design really attractive websites. I also appreciated that when the project was finished, they initiated a training session for me.

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

Communication could have been a bit better, though this was partially on me as well. Overall, I was very pleased and have referred them to several colleagues.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the communications director for a nonprofit organization focused on advancing education equity throughout the South.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Aktiv Studios?

Our website was complicated and cumbersome to post on, didn't appropriately accommodate some of the content on it, had content posted in multiple ways because of having several users, was difficult to navigate and had a poor search engine.

SOLUTION

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

We wanted a vendor that was familiar with the site but had not actually done the original design, which was poorly thought-out and executed. Aktiv had been called in to address gaps in the original design and understood the stumbling blocks.

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

We reviewed the site with Aktiv and discussed ways we'd like the site changed both with regard to appearance and functionality. Aktiv also provided several excellent suggestions for making improvements.

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

We worked with two people, Aktiv's principal and a website designer/programmer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The initial website presented several challenges as it contained a variety of plug-ins (some of which fought with each other), and several programming glitches. It was also poorly organized on the back end. Aktiv changed the back end so that it is easy to see what you're posting and what it will look like, organized the types of pages, removed much of the unnecessary and burdensome features, streamlining both the appearance of the site and the process for posting content.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We used an online platform to communicate which allowed me to ask questions and receive help trouble-shooting some things. It also allowed the web designers to request materials easily.

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

Both people we worked with were completely unflappable and always able to hop on solving problems quickly. They are also transparent about the work they were doing and how the project was proceeding.

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

I don't have any constructive feedback.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a commercial real estate company and I’m the firm's administrative assistant. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Aktiv Studios?

They created a website that can show some of the company’s listings for various regions, both the local and the regional investments. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created a website for us using Craft CMS. The team also created the layout and website design. Moreover, they trained me to do what I do, which is maintaining and updating as needed including adding and removing information, uploading photos, and so on. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people from Aktiv Studios. 

How did you come to work with Aktiv Studios?

Aktiv Studios actually met with my boss. Once they got in touch with him, they came up with the idea of working together to develop a website.

How much have you invested with them?

For this site, we spent close to $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered with Aktiv Studios from June 2018–January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were very pleased with their work. We were also amazed by their assistance, training, and level of follow-up. 

How did Aktiv Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

To facilitate project management, the Aktiv Studios team utilized email and phone conferences. When it was my time to step in for the training, we also communicated in the same way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I just think they were excellent across the board. Their knowledge, willingness to learn, patience, and creativity impressed us. We think they were a great company.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything that Aktiv Studios could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They would be great with web design and development. As a matter of fact, we’re working on a second site with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of a physical therapy company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Aktiv Studios?

We had an older website that needed to be modernized.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They rebuilt our site from scratch because the old one was completely outdated. We updated our picture, content, and SEO strategy to make our site more functional for users and Google. The site is now live, but we intend to work with them on additional phases in the future.  

What is the team composition?

I worked with two people from their team.

How did you come to work with Aktiv Studios?

We found them through a co-worker. I was impressed with their previous work and clients that they had advertised on their website.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $10,000 on their work. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in January 2020, and our teams are still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were able to take my vision and content to create a dynamic website. While the site just launched last week, we’re already noticing improved SEO rankings on Google. Additionally, we’ve received positive comments about the look of the new site from our former clients.   

How did Aktiv Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve performed excellently. Not only did we receive the expected results through their team, they often exceeded our expectations as well. We used ActiveCollab for communication, and they were always readily available to us. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were great communicators and were able to discover our vision and make it a reality. I had ideas and concepts for the website, and they made it happen. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s been a smooth collaboration. Any issues that come up can be fine-tuned as we work together.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend them to anyone looking to build a cutting-edge, dynamic platform to set you apart in the marketplace. It’s important to have your vision planned out, but they can take it from there.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the senior director of marketing of The Battery Atlanta™, a 365-day sports and entertainment experience with events, shopping, and dining.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Aktiv Studios?

We needed help to build a compelling, fresh, responsive website that offered us flexibility and future growth.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to give guests an easy-to-navigate experience that provides them all the information they need to see what events are here, as well as directions and how to park.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched for quite a while for a local company in Cobb County. Aktiv Studios has great reviews and experience creating sites that had the type of interactivity we needed. 

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Aktiv Studios custom built a WordPress site that includes all the items on our wish list. They created a site that’s user-friendly not only on the backend for administrators but also easy to navigate for our consumers. We can modify parking messages as needed. Users can search for events using multiple filters and tags.

What was the team composition?

We work directly with Gary (founder, Aktiv Studios) and Darrell (CTO, Aktiv Studios).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We could not be happier with our decision to use Aktiv Studios. It's like night and day. Our new website works exactly as it's supposed to. The layout and designs are beautiful. The event portal works wonderfully, and we've closed multiple deals now that customers and clients can actually contact us through our website.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project was arranged and managed very effectively. They use a tracking system that we had access to at any time. They were extremely responsive to all of our questions and requests, always making sure we were in the loop on the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their customer service is amazing. They really take the time to listen to what we want and why we need things to work a certain way. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, there's nothing that comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of a media and communications company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Aktiv Studios?

We were designing a website for one of our clients and needed a vendor who could develop it for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Aktiv Studios developed a WordPress site for our client. They also developed our WordPress site for us, which took about four months.

We went through a multi-step process. For our initial kickoff, they did their own research beforehand and came with ideas to share about the look and feel for the site. They developed wireframes and built from those pending our approval. They focused on the design while we wrote the copy. They developed the site map and made recommendations as to the best template to support the material.

What is the team composition?

We worked primarily with the two founders.

How did you come to work with Aktiv Studios?

We'd been looking for a web partner for a while that we could refer services to. We'd found Aktiv at least a year beforehand and were looking for the right project to work with them on. We’d tried working together on several projects, but those never came to fruition.

Trust was important to us as we'd had a lot of bad experiences. We wanted highly skilled support and didn't want to be assigned more junior people. They’re a very small team. They put the company founders on our projects, and they know what they're talking about.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $40,000 with them between the two projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from early 2018 to early 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had nothing but positive comments on our site. We have lead forensics incorporated into our site and can see that we’re getting what we want. We get lots of hits per day from prospective clients including from large brands. Lots of people fill out the inquiry form on our site. They’re spending time on critical pages. We recently won a high-value project that reflects all of this.

How did Aktiv Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very communicative. They have a messaging system in a project management platform that facilitated consistent back-and-forth. We spoke several times a week. They never waited more than a day to get back to us. The responsiveness was particularly reassuring as we were the middleman working with the client.

We used their platform that provides real-time updates. It tracked the design, copy, and wireframes. That ensured lots of transparency throughout the process. We could see what would be built before it was completed and make changes as necessary. We had extensive exchanges about the copy—as well as changed and expanded the scope of work multiple times—and they were very accommodating. The process was efficient, seamless, and ensured transparency.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They leveraged the right technology to provide transparency and peace of mind. They’ve invested resources in building their portal and tools like website heat maps. Many websites can be behemoth projects to work on. There is often little clarity about what coders do. I’m not sure if they’ve developed their own software platform or just branded it but it its incredibly helpful. The heat maps allow us to see where the sites get traction, which pages work well, and which should be changed. It all supports an ongoing relationship for them to not just maintain the site but make strategic recommendations and improvements.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I think they did a very good job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Any client needs to know that it's a partnership. It's a two-way interaction, and you get back as good as what you give. I think a lot of brands forget that. Aktiv needs to understand the bigger picture of the website and how to build it as an effective asset for the client. Treating them as a partner is very important.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a regional director of plan review with IHG. We’re a global hotel company with over nine hotel brands. I develop and manage processes for new construction and hotel renovation reviews.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Aktiv Studios?

We needed to improve a form to help us and our franchise owners accurately identify and review the movable furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) in our hotels.

What were your goals for this project?

The forms already existed, but we wanted them to be more professional and easier to update.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A coworker referred us to them.

Describe the project in detail.

They provided an interactive form that displays required information in an organized manner, expediting the review process. This information includes the item, manufacturer, design/color, and a fill-in-the-blank comment field for different areas of the hotel. People update the information in an Excel spreadsheet, which is then applied to an InDesign file.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The forms have been successful both for us internally and our franchise owners. Our review process is much more efficient.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Meetings were easy to schedule, and transferring information between teams was seamless. They implemented all our changes swiftly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their software knowledge and time estimation were outstanding.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, not that I saw. We’re satisfied with their results and will continue to use Aktiv for other interactive forms.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am Web Communications Manager for my company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Aktiv Web Solutions?

We were rebranding our company and wanted a new intranet to fit our new brand; our look and feel. The intranet was mainly a portal for employees to come in and get news information for the company, but also where they could get pertinent information that they needed for everyday use for the company.

There were several key features that we were looking for in the redesign. We wanted our stock information and social media accounts to feed into the site. In addition, we wanted a news feature where we could schedule and post news articles and employees could have the ability to comment on the stories that we post on there. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

First, we did a discovery period where we decided on the site map for the site. From there, we worked on the design of the site. We built out the site map, but then they built out a skeleton of the site design for us. 

The key features that they helped us with included a user functionality feature where we can create new users. We have the whole “forgot your password” feature with notification emails. We have a library that they built out for us, it’s a database kind of function. Once we finished with that, we started doing content creation and then we went into the development of the site where they plugged everything in for us. Then we did a test of the site and we launched.

How did you come to work with Aktiv Web Solutions?

I wasn’t a part of the selection group. I came in after they were selected. 

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

All development was about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them September 2015 until sometime in May 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We’ve had a lot of positive responses from our employees. They enjoy going on the site and reading the stories and being able to navigate easily to the information that they need to find. We have a lot of employees interacting and commenting on stories, which didn’t happen before.

How did Aktiv Web Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a good job. If I ever had any issues, I brought it up with Chris [Aktiv Web Solutions] and he worked with his team to get it resolved. We mainly corresponded through phone and email, but they also had a Collab site that we worked with. That’s where we would upload documents and things, we needed to share with them so that it was all in one place.

We mainly worked with three people, but then we had a couple of other people that came in and supported us. We talked with Chris and the Project Manager, they mainly headed up the projects. If there was a developer that was working onsite, we would correspond with them as well. The team stayed consistent. When we were developing, I spoke with them on a daily basis to a few times a week. We definitely spoke with them every single week.

What distinguishes Aktiv Web Solutions from other providers?

Their response rate is impressive. They get back to you pretty fast when you need something.

Do you have any recommendations for others considering working with Aktiv Web Solutions?

They’re a good group to work with. They care about your site and getting it done right. If you’re looking for somebody who’s responsive, then they’re the ones to go to.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a Digital Marketing Specialist for a company in the Bay Area, California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Aktiv Web Solutions?

We were originally only looking for help on the backside of our website—development only. But Aktiv had also been there for us on tech and marketing projects. They became our “go-to” for any questions having to do with search, Google Analytics, server, CMS, etc.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Aktiv helped us with a number of things. When we first hired on Aktiv, our website did not render correctly on mobile and we needed to update to HTML5. Aktiv updated our website so that it rendered correctly on mobile.

We had an outdated main navigation and wanted viewers to be able to find links more easily. Aktiv suggested optimizing our main menu with images. They supplied images and created a beautifully tailored mega menu. In addition, our servers were running out of space, and the website was in danger of going down. Aktiv was our consultant. They brought up questions for us to consider before migrating to new servers, while also coming up with creative ideas and recommendations.

Also, we were manually downloading form responses and uploading them to Salesforce, which was very time consuming. Aktiv set up automated Salesforce forms (web-to-lead) so that data from forms streamed directly into Salesforce without us having to touch them.

Lastly, we had a few emergencies, and pulled Aktiv in as a consultant, trouble shooter, or to implement quickly. They are always on their toes—very responsive.

How did you come to work with Aktiv Web Solutions?

We have had other suppliers in the past, and we looked at 16 other possibilities, but we’ve been working with Aktiv for the last 4 years now—they have been a very helpful partner and they work well with all of our departments. The process for selecting was based on their past clients, previous experience, personality fit, and reasonable cost.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in April 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

65% of our traffic is mobile. We wouldn’t have that visibility if Aktiv did not migrate us to responsive and HTML5. And, the forms on our website are web-to-lead. If Aktiv did not develop these forms for us, we would be at risk of losing the data, would’ve spent hours manipulating forms to filter for email addresses for campaigns, and waiting on other departments to upload the lists to Salesforce for us.

The mega menu was positively received. Other projects they worked on behind the scenes, like helping IT to implement SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and migrate to new servers, unfortunately go unnoticed, but without them, our website could have crashed.

How did Aktiv Web Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Their online project manager helps to keep all of our tasks organized, and they are very responsive. We mostly communicate by email and through the online project manager, but we do have calls. We’re in touch about 2-3 times a week or more, if there’s something urgent. Gary and Chris [partners] are my main points of contact with Aktiv.

What did you find most impressive about Aktiv Web Solutions?

Their communication on calls. Gary and Chris are very personable, but also know their stuff. They make the techy details easier for us to understand and seem to always have a recommendation on whatever project or question we bring to them—whether it’s marketing, tech, reporting, search engines, etc. They work well with all of our teams.

Are there any areas Aktiv Web Solutions could improve?

They’re pretty helpful. I’m not sure.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Aktiv Web Solutions?

They’re excellent with any responsive design, custom development, CMS integration, or digital marketing project you might have. All you need to do is tell them your business goals and what you are trying to accomplish on the web, along with any restrictions, and they’ll work hard to find the most efficient long-term solution for you. They won’t cut corners, but that’s not what you want in the long run anyways.