Aspire Digital Solutions

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Friends of Weir Farm National Historic Site. We’re a small nonprofit startup organization that supports a national park.

What challenge were you trying to address with Aspire Digital Solutions?

We started a website about five years ago, when we were first founded. It wasn’t working for us in a number of ways, and so we decided to partner with Aspire Digital when we received a grant for a professionally developed website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Aspire Digital created a totally new website for us on WordPress. They requested several examples of websites we liked in terms of style, and once we’d done that, they started building. It has the functionality to be able to take donations, have people sign up for emails, and to contact us.

What is the team composition?

We were in contact with the two presidents of Aspire Digital. Behind the scenes, there was a copy editor and someone who did the technical work. 

How did you come to work with Aspire Digital Solutions?

We did some research locally about websites that people had used. We interviewed three or four different candidates, who gave examples of their website and work. We were impressed with what Aspire Digital offered, so we went with them.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was about $5,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September-December 2020. The site launched about two weeks ago.

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

I thought Aspire Digital was extremely responsive. They were very patient with us — our understanding of technology was limited, but they were firm in guiding us through the process. They kept us accountable to the schedule, which I think is why we were successful in launching the site in only two months. At the same time, the team was flexible enough to accommodate the changes we wanted, even if it meant not meeting deadlines. Aspire Digital was flexible, encouraging, supportive, friendly, and detailed in their explanation in a way that was accessible.

How did Aspire Digital Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

We corresponded over email, and our meetings all took place over Zoom. In terms of deadlines, they performed extremely well. We used Google Calendar, and they balanced our initial aggressive deadline with the changes we wanted to make along the way. Their scheduling worked well, but it wasn’t so strict that we got frustrated with it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really enjoyed interacting with them. They had lovely personalities. In terms of outcome, they exceeded our expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I can think of. We established a good working relationship, and if something came up, we felt comfortable talking about it. If we wanted to adjust the design, they were very responsive. 

The one suggestion I gave Aspire Digital was that if they’re working with a client that’s not particularly technologically sophisticated, working through the process before starting will be helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would highly recommend working with Aspire Digital.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Real Estate University, and we are education providers in the real estate industry. We cover pre-licensing, post-licensing, and appraisal and investment classes.

What challenge were you trying to address with Aspire Digital Solutions?

I don’t have any skills that are needed to build a website or any other things that go with that, so I hired them for that matter.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Aspire Digital Solutions completed the basic set up of the website and they currently maintain it. Using WordPress, they implemented interactive features, as well as design elements and plugins. The company executes any new ideas I have, as I need them to be done.

What is the team composition?

Bill (Director of Web Development) is my main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Aspire Digital Solutions?

Another business told me about them and so I checked out their site, which I really liked. Aspire Digital Solution’s creative types were so good compared to other companies I’ve seen. I was really looking for somebody that would work with me instead of against me because I’ve been with other people in the industry and they either have their own agenda or you can’t get ahold of them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $5,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2018 and the work is still ongoing.

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

We get a lot of compliments on our website, which I think helps our business because we are the number one school for real estate in Connecticut. We really stand apart from other schools.

How did Aspire Digital Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is great. I always know what they’re working on and they stick to timelines while staying communicative. If there are any issues, they’re always right on top of it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Aspire Digital Solutions makes me feel like a priority and that’s a really good feeling because other creative companies I work with were really slow. They always go above and beyond.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I haven’t gotten a breakdown of what they do hourly when paying them hourly, but I also never asked for it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be afraid to tell them what you want because they’re definitely experts and you want to listen to what they have to say. At the end of the day, it’s your business and your vision, so don’t be uncomfortable.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of clinical outreach and recovery coaching for Progressive Institute. We’re an intensive outpatient program for people suffering from substance abuse and mental health disorders. Our services include individual therapy, medically assisted treatment, and recovery coaching.

What challenge were you trying to address with Aspire Digital Solutions?

When I joined Progressive Institute, I noticed that our marketing was subpar. We only had a landing page, which is the digital equivalent of having a billboard covered in vines, and we weren’t doing any marketing. I reached out to Aspire Digital Solutions to support us on that front.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Aspire Digital Solutions is designing and developing a website for us to jumpstart our online presence. Rather than flipping everything on its head, they’ve given us a plan on how they’ll work in phases to achieve our goals. 

Their outline and assessment have been especially helpful because it lays out their approach in clear, concise ways. That might include focusing on our SEO presence, decoupling some of the pictures and copy on our site, and branching out into off-site SEO tactics.

They’ve actually advised us on going down the road with HubSpot to link our sales and marketing efforts. That’s been fantastic for setting up our outreach campaigns. We now have a better idea of how to start campaigns and put together a calendar.

What is the team composition? 

Christine and Bill (Co-Founders) are the two main people we communicate with. I’ll soon be working with one of their copywriters, too, for our recovery coaching program.

How did you come to work with Aspire Digital Solutions?

One of their past clients had referred me to them after having a good experience, so I went to their website to look at their services. What I liked about Aspire Digital Solutions was that they offered a la carte support. I could pick and choose what I needed them to do.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $2,000–$4,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work started in April 2020 and is ongoing.

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

We’ve received great feedback on our site’s new design recently, and they’ve done an amazing job with putting together the layout for the recovery coaching piece. 

As for the campaigns, we’re able to get a lot more insights thanks to HubSpot. Just last week, we sent an email blast to 600 referral contacts and generated a lot of interest. Our phones were ringing off the hook from people who wanted to know more about our services.

How did Aspire Digital Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re over-communicative and go above and beyond with turnaround time. Sometimes, our leadership might throw a quick deadline at them, but they’re fantastic at getting back with what we need.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their a la carte service model works well for us because it shows that they’re willing to meet us where we’re at. I like that they give us suggestions on what they can do, but we have the final say on our direction. 

I’ll also add that the team understands that mental health marketing needs to be done with care — in this industry, you have to make sure you’re not doing any false advertisement. Even though they don’t have many clients in this space, they’re still able to instruct us on SEO best practices. They communicate marketing concepts using practical, everyday language.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not off the top of my head. They have a lot of integrity as a company, which makes it easy to trust them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to the suggestions that they present. If you take the time to hear them out, you’ll see that they’re not trying to switch everything out from under you.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a psychologist in private practice.

For what projects/services did your company hire Aspire Digital Solutions, and what were your goals?

They created a website for marketing of my practice.

How did you select Aspire Digital Solutions and what were the deciding factors?

I found them online and liked their portfolio and after speaking with them I liked their professionalism and thoroughness in explaining the process for web design and online marketing.

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

They asked questions about my goals, my services, and background. They then created a mock up of the website that showed various logos, layouts, etc.

A copywriter came up with content for the various web pages and I edited and gave suggestions for changes. There was a back and forth revision of the website for a few weeks before it went live.

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

There were three including the copywriter.

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

New patients are visiting my website and I have had positive comments about it from my patients. I feel this website is enhancing my marketing.

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

Christine was wonderful and available whenever I needed. She was very responsive to my communication and needs. The team was also very transparent about cost and timeline.

I felt they had much experience behind them as we went through the process and they made everything I requested happen.

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

I was most impressed by how thorough they were and how well they followed through on things they committed to doing. I was also impressed with the professionalism of the end product.

I had used a web designer before Aspire and stopped using them because they lacked in these important areas.

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

I cannot give any negative criticism. I would recommend Aspire to anyone looking for web design and online marketing.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the President and Head Coach at Cornucopia Coaching. As a life coach, I work to help people to make the most of their strengths, and provide the support they need to achieve long-lasting change.

For what projects/services did your company hire Aspire Digital Solutions, and what were your goals?

I started a new business and needed logo and website design.

How did you select Aspire Digital Solutions and what were the deciding factors?

I have a good friend who knows Christine Mullen and highly recommended her.

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

We had a meeting to discuss goals, objectives, and my vision for my logo and website design. Christine walked me through the entire process.

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

• Christine M., President
• Melissa A., Copywriter

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

My website has only just launched so I don't have any data and analytics to share. However, I went from struggling to create my own website and loads of stress, to having a beautiful and fully functioning website created for me with very minimal stress.

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

We used email and phone to effectively communicate. I had a completion date of September 1st requested, and they delivered ahead of schedule.

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

Christine's level of customer service was unparalleled. They were warm and receptive to our every question, comment, or suggestion. Any requested changes were made in an extremely timely manner. Melissa took my information and captured the very essence of what I was trying to communicate.

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

None. Well done, Aspire!!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a residential custom home building and remodeling business. I also have a separate entity that’s a home maintenance related business.

What challenge were you trying to address with Aspire Digital Solutions?

I wanted to combine the branding of all the business, so they fell under one umbrella.

What was the scope of their involvement?

In order to unite the two separate brands, Aspire Digital took my two different web pages and consolidated them under one web address. From there, the team broke the site down into different divisions, so they act as independent pages under one homepage under the same type of branding. 

Aspire Digital manages the website, and they also manage my monthly social media campaigns. Currently, they’re doing Instagram and Facebook. 

What is the team composition?

I deal mainly with Christine (President), who’s my main point of contact. Bill (Co-Founder & Director) was the technical driver when it came to the construction of the website. 

How did you come to work with Aspire Digital Solutions?

I met Christine through a local business group, and we kept in contact. I liked the marketing she had done for a couple of local businesses, and since my business is very local, I wanted someone that had the pulse of the neighborhood and good contacts locally to help my business.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since October 2018.

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

Both my customers and my vendors love the work Aspire Digital has done. They think it’s a very clean site. The feedback has been great.

From an ongoing maintenance standpoint, they’ve been great as well. Aspire Digital doesn’t just want to build a website and disappear, they want a long term client. 

How did Aspire Digital Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great. As a matter of fact, Aspire Digital were the ones who were on top of me about missing deadlines. During the website build, they were usually about three steps ahead of me. They were very good about following up.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their personal touch sets them apart. I can call Bill or Christine on the phone and they’ll get back to me right away.
Christine has a great grasp on the local marketing, and Bill has a great grasp on what can be done from an architecture standpoint. That was a great combination. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they do a really, really good job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to what they say you need to bring to the table, and be prepared to fulfill those requests. The faster you do, the more engaging they’ll be, and the more quickly the project will expand.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I just started a new company. We make an autonomous robot that shoots UVC light that kills pathogens.

What challenge were you trying to address with Aspire Digital Solutions?

I hired them to set up a website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We sat down with Aspire Digital Solutions and came up with content for this new company. We gave them plenty of information, and they took 30–40 pages of documentation and are now building out the website. 

The team is currently doing design work, and they will then track who is visiting our website and the click-through rate (CTR). That way we can identify interested leads.

They are also putting together an information page for people who are interested. I give them some direction, but I also allow them a fair amount of liberty to come up with something that will have a fresh look on the design side.

What is the team composition?

I interface directly with Christine (Co-Founder & CMO) and Bill (Co-Founder & Director of Web Development).

How did you come to work with Aspire Digital Solutions?

I had worked with them before at my other company. I knew Christine, and when she explained what she did, I knew that she could help me with the website for my other company. 

How much have you invested with them?

We plan to spend under $2,500. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in July 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

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

The quality of their work is excellent. I would work with them again, and I would definitely recommend Aspire Digital Solutions to other people. 

How did Aspire Digital Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is quite good. We’re on target at the moment, and I’m looking forward to the launch. I was able to sit down and meet with them, but most of our meetings are now virtual. When we give her something she needs, Christine gets back to us right away.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I had another website designer years ago, but that was a poor experience. Aspire Digital Solutions is very nice and accommodating. The team also gives us fresh ideas about how we can accomplish our goals, and they do everything on time and within budget.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions. I’ve been satisfied. They communicate well and guide us when we’re going in a different direction.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Meet with them face-to-face because there will be a better flow of ideas.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own a few businesses that sell building products such as windows, doors, and screens.

What challenge were you trying to address with Aspire Digital Solutions?

They’ve been helping me market all three of my businesses.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve kept in constant contact with me as they’ve undertaken marketing as well as website design and development projects for my companies. We’ve also relied on them for print advertising, such as new brochures that keep our messaging up to date. For the site design project, they closely collaborated with our team, sharing ideas and taking feedback into account during the build.  

What is the team composition?

I worked with Bill (Partner) and Christine (Owner).

How did you come to work with Aspire Digital Solutions?

After interviewing them, I knew that Christine was right for the job. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent a total of $5,000–$10,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since 2017. 

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

I’ve been impressed with the website design. In terms of marketing, they’re prepared with 700–800 contacts for an upcoming campaign. I trusted them with the work, and they’ve done a great job so far. 

How did Aspire Digital Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done a great job of meeting deadlines.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

All aspects of the project were done well. They handled the pandemic’s effect on the relationship empathetically.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Meet with them face-to-face.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Auditory Insight. We advise senior leaders in healthcare companies on creating successful commercialization strategies.

What challenge were you trying to address with Aspire?

Our main challenge was maximizing our online presence to reach our target market.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I came in with some basic objectives. Aspire then thought about the initiatives that would help us achieve our goals and took the time to understand my market and my clients. They then helped me with website design. They added the ability for potential clients to download a free research node.

What is the team composition?

Bill (Co-Founder & Director of Web Development) and Christine (Co-Founder & CMO) are my main points of contact. They also have website developers and a graphic designer on their team. 

How did you come to work with Aspire?

I put a lot of time into evaluating a number of boutique ad agencies and website development firms. I settled on Aspire as the best fit for me. 

What is the status of this engagement?

It began in February 2020, and it’s ongoing.

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

I think of Aspire as being an extended part of my team. 

How did Aspire perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is great. Bill has a solid technical understanding of how to implement a marketing strategy onto a website. 

Aspire is good at coming up with functional options in terms of how we might accomplish particular goals. They do a good job of being available when I need them, but they also don’t needlessly do work when it’s not necessary.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Aspire has a sincere commitment to my success. They are invested in my company, which is a great feeling. Additionally, they have tremendous attention to detail and will do as many drafts or updates as it takes to get it right, which sets them apart in this business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind right now; they are doing fantastic work for me!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the President and CEO of a company called St. Johns Fragrance Company. We are a direct-to-consumer men’s fragrance and personal care product provider.

What challenge were you trying to address with Aspire Digital Solutions?

We needed to update and upgrade a variety of functionalities on our website, including the design and internal analytics.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The main deliverable that we worked toward with them was to redo the entire website. That included building the e-commerce store that we have, redesigning all of the UI and providing some refreshed brand collateral, and then working with a copywriter and photographer to really revamp the actual product content that we were using to advertise as well.

In particular, they have developed a really excellent lifestyle section of our blog that highlights things we think are interesting to people who buy our products. So we highlight different cars, or jazz musicians, and then tie those into the lifestyle of people who use our products as well.

On top of that, they have worked to help me understand what tall the best practices are in terms of reaching and attracting new customers. Their team has advised us on content for our marketing emails and how to structure our content for SEO and has recently taken over our social media accounts as well because of how well they understand our brand and business goals.

What is the team composition?

I interface directly with their two principals, Christine (President) and Bill (Web Development Director), and they have a network of people who provide the specific services that we need through them.

How did you come to work with Aspire Digital Solutions?

Their team came recommended to us through a friend who had used them, and they were also local to our office in Connecticut, so we interviewed them along with a couple other firms. We wanted to rework the site but didn’t want to have to reinvent the wheel entirely, and in that interview process, their team was the one who most understood that methodological balance, so we decided to move forward with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $80,000 with them in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started around August 2017 and is still continuing today.

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

I primarily look for new email addresses signed up for our newsletters and direct increases in actual sales revenue. Email signups have been way up throughout the pandemic, and now my online sales are starting to see the results of that as well.

A lot of marketing organizations have a hard time understanding that click-through-rates and conversions don’t mean very much unless you’re actually making money as well, but Aspire Digital has always been on the same page in terms of that main priority, and we’ve definitely benefited as a result.

How did Aspire Digital Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team delivers more consistently than almost any company I’ve ever worked with. They’re always cognizant and respectful of my budget, and they’re extremely creative in everything that they do. They always come back to us with graphics and messages that really stand out, which is a big part of the reason that we’ve continued to grow our involvement with them over time.

We have no issues with meeting deadlines for particular tasks, and they are always able to handle any one-off tasks that I throw their way throughout the month.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The biggest factor distinguishing them from other companies I’ve worked with is that they have taken a genuine interest in our business and making sure it succeeds. The quality of their work comes in large part from the understanding of our goals. They’ve developed that picture by putting in the work to understand our strengths, weaknesses, and needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We really haven’t had any issues that I would point to as something that they need to be doing differently.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate with them as often as possible about everything relevant to their work. Sometimes I forget to include them in conversations about trade shows or other things, but whether I’m asking them to do something or not it can be really helpful for them to know what we’re doing as a company. The more insight into the bigger picture of your work that you can give them, the better they will be able to do their job.