Big Drop

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a biotech company that offers an ultra-sensitive biomarker detection platform. My position within the company is the global marketing and communications manager. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Drop?

Our biggest challenge was how our website was translating to our customers as well as investors. It wasn’t an easy-flowing site. We needed to improve our website to increase leads generated and company awareness. Our marketing team is also small, so we needed to outsource as much responsibility as possible for the web platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Right now, they’re helping us maintain our website. We separated the work into a few phases to maximize the functionality of our current site. However, I do have them building a new site. Currently, they’re maintaining our Drupal site, but we’re converting to WordPress over time. We’re currently in the design phase of that project.

What is the team composition?

The team is sizable. For site maintenance, we have three resources. That includes an overall account manager who’s been able to connect our two separate objectives. In terms of development, we’ll likely have about 5–6 resources working for us on their end. 

How did you come to work with Big Drop?

We ran a Google search for the top WordPress developers in the United States specifically within the biotech industry. My digital strategist initially pulled 5–6 potential service providers that they thought would be compatible with us. We spoke with each company and had them put together proposals. Big Drop impressed us because they knew our technology and competitors before jumping on their first call with us. 

They understood our brand voice, so it was clear that they would take the steps needed to understand our company. Our biggest reason for choosing them was their willingness to put the time in to learn about our business.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $100,000–$200,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the work mid-way through 2019, and our new site is set to go live in March 2020. It’s an ongoing project.

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

Part of the process was presenting sites that we liked to their team, and they were able to conceptualize our goals from there. It’s been easy to work with them from start to finish. It was very reassuring to know that they’re giving the project their undivided attention, even when we can’t. 

They function as an extension of our team as opposed to a third-party agency. They provide recommendations to help us succeed, which has been a refreshing change. It’s been stress-free because they clearly know what they’re doing. Our account manager is great about explaining Drupal and what it would take to implement our desired changes. They educated us, which boosted our experience as well.

How did Big Drop perform from a project management standpoint?

Having a single person oversee everything keeps us from having to repeat ourselves across teams. They’re pretty active on email and a third-party platform that’s allowed us to track their progress. We can also add notes to that section, so that’s improved communication and transparency as well.

They understand that email is the best way to reach us, especially given our limited headcount. The team is always willing to hop on the phone if I don’t understand something. I can give them a call and rely on them to get the project done.   

What did you find most impressive about them?

They function as an extension of our team, working with us even when things become complicated. Their ability to understand the company, technology, and industry has been a huge benefit to us. They’ve also accommodated our hectic schedule and changing deadlines. They do everything possible to meet their deadlines, even if we delay them. I haven’t found that in any other company.

They’re also open with communication and aren’t afraid to provide us with feedback. It’s been a great experience, and we plan to keep using them for site maintenance. I don’t ever see our partnership ending because of their incredible patience and willingness to accommodate us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re a well-oiled machine. Communication has been constant. Even when people are out sick, others seamlessly take on their responsibilities. We’ve also noticed that their past and current clients are very happy with their services, which speaks volumes. That was reassuring, especially at the beginning of our process. I can’t say there’s anything I would change.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that they understand your goals and industry. That helped us right out the gate, alleviating work we had to do on our end. I’d also recommend making yourself available to speak to Big Drop when you can. In an ideal world, the customer should be more agile and available to their partner for such a large project. Be mindful of the hard work that you’re putting in.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an institutional and retirement plans consulting firm that works with oversight management of retirement plans. That helps to improve outcomes for participants and their employees. I work specifically as a business manager, working in marketing and sales to bring in new business and meet strategic objectives. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Drop?

We wanted to revamp our website. Our prior platform was nearly 10 years old and completely out of date. More importantly, it was not optimized and couldn’t attract new leads.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They drove the entire process, starting the build from scratch. We needed someone to hold our hand from point A to point B. They were able to guide us through the entire process and figure out what we needed from the site. Using that structure, they handled all aspects of the development, steered by our input. 

The final solution is a custom-built WordPress website. They also used programs to create wireframes and develop the product. At this point,  we have them on ongoing retainer for updates and maintenance. 

What is the team composition?

There were between 6–7 resources working on the site. We had an overall project manager and a more hands-on project manager. There was a turnover in that second role. In addition to the project managers, we also worked with designers and developers. 

How did you come to work with Big Drop?

We asked around our firm for recommendations and ran general Google searches. Their team was located close to us, so we put them on our list of options. We asked for proposals from seven organizations and held interviews both over the phone and in-person. After narrowing it down to two service providers, we felt that Big Drop would be the best fit for the job. We ended up hiring them.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, our total investment has been between $40,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in October 2018, and the site first launched in November 2019. The delay was on our end. They were ready to launch the site in June 2019, but we spend some time internally on content migration. Big Drop’s work took between 6–9 months. 

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

It’s still early days for us, but the internal team is very pleased with the aesthetics and functionality of the site. It visually represents our organization well. From the backend, the solution is easy to use and update.  

How did Big Drop perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a design app that allowed them to build and share their layout ideas with us without anything going live. That way, we were able to discuss and opine on them. They also offered us a survey in the early stages of the project, which allowed us to rank example sites and provide feedback on hypothetical options. That focused their team on our interests, helping them gauge our design preferences. 

It was also nice to have them nearby, knowing that we could simply take a train and collaborate in-person. In actuality, we mostly used technology to communicate. So, the location didn’t make a huge difference in the end. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re thrilled with the platform. It was a tremendous undertaking, and we’re pleased with the results.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

With the turnover of project managers, there were too many cooks in the kitchen at times. There were times during that phase of the process that I wasn’t sure who was overseeing what. That’s the only negative I can think of, though. Overall, it was a great experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re experts, so you can trust their judgments. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the VP of marketing for a software company that provides enterprise video platforms to companies that allow them to use video securely across their internal networks. Our specialty is premium, TV-quality live video "business broadcasts" that executives use to connect, engage and inspire large, globally dispersed workforces.

For what projects/services did your company hire Big Drop?

We needed to completely redesign our corporate website.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to energize our image and identity by modernizing our brand to more accurately reflect our leadership in technology innovation.

How did you select this vendor?

My predecessor selected them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They provided web design, web development, UX/UI, and motion services.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a design project manager, a development project manager, a graphic designer, a UX/UI architect, a frontend developer, a backend developer, and a QA specialist.

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

We just launched, but I’m confident the site will have a significant, positive impact on our business, driving everything from new customer acquisition to business development and analyst/press relations.

How was the project management arranged and how effective was it? 

We handled project management in two phases: design and development. It was effective and organized. The transition was well managed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their adaptability, design, reasonable up-front costs, and development knowledge were outstanding.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The maintenance charges were a bit higher than I expected, but they’re willing to shore up their monthly estimates with line-item backup.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the community relations manager at a marijuana company that handles everything from seed to sale. We have two dispensary storefronts—a medical one and a dual-use one.

For what projects/services did your company hire Big Drop?

Our company needed website management, development, and hosting services.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the ability to have many users browse our website without any crashing or errors. We also always have new initiatives that we want to be turned over quickly.

How did you select this vendor?

One of our founders selected them, and we’ve been working with together for just about three years now.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Big Drop has worked extensively on countless large and small projects since we started working together. Some of them involve implementing new page designs from PSD files and others include server expansion. They’ve also completely revamped our homepage and much more.

They’re currently helping us facilitate large projects, assisting with any glitches or bugs that pop up.

What was the team composition?

We usually have one project manager, an overseeing manager, and a tech person involved. However, we sometimes need projects turned over quickly or things done during off-hours, so we’ve worked with their president and CTO many times for this.

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

There was a Friday where the website wasn't working quite as we were hoping it would. We were able to get a hold of their CTO in the evening, who worked diligently until the issue was solved. Because of that work ethic and dedication, we've been happy to continue working with Big Drop.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management is effective. They use ZenDesk, which is helpful for organizing all our requests and ensure each one is addressed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Our tasks have been turned over very quickly with the latest project managers.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Having staff available on the weekends or evening shifts would be helpful. Every once in a while, we have website issues over weekends, so it would be nice to have a dedicated person to reach out to for help.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the senior operational strategist at Medacist Solutions Group, a healthcare analytics company focused on combating drug diversion across the United States. As a leader and innovator, we support thousands of hospitals across the country. My role covers a wide array of responsibilities, including oversight of our design, branding, and marketing.

For what projects/services did your company hire Big Drop ?

We've used Big Drop for numerous projects.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed our website and materials to more accurately portray our identity, our vision for the future, and our innovative mindset. We wanted to promote ourselves as an industry leader and capture our audience's attention.

How did you select this vendor?

I searched for local design companies with great reviews from similar clients. I reviewed three or four companies, and chose Big Drop because they best understood our vision.

Describe the project in detail.

Each project begins with a call to discuss the scope. Big Drop listens to us and asks questions to fully understand our goals, then creates a detailed timeline and scope of work. We meet regularly to review the designs and iterate on them until they meet our expectations. Once our team signs off on the designs, Big Drop builds the product in a timely manner.

They also help with our designs, listening to our vision and making it a reality. They have designed our logos, our booths and flyers for two trade shows, and two product and company videos. When our team of developers had overhauled our website and wanted a fresh outside perspective, Big Drop provided it!

What was the team composition?

Our main contact at Big Drop has worked with us since the beginning. During the website redesign, we primarily worked with three project managers. A larger team worked on the designs and technical elements. 

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

Every project for our trade shows has attracted great responses. We launched new products two years in a row, and found great success with all the materials they designed. These designs drew an audience, promoted our products, and received compliments from other vendors.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We work great together. Our project manager organizes and facilitates everything efficiently and successfully.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Big Drop's design expertise sets them apart. Their designers understand the scope of each project and follow through on our vision.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only area for improvement would be their technical team. We self-host our website and ran into issues when transitioning from Big Drop to our internal team. They had never worked with a self-hosted client before.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the marketing specialist for Titanium Industries, a provider of specialty metals. We serve the aerospace, industrial, medical, oil, and gas markets.

For what projects/services did your company hire Big Drop ?

We hired Big Drop to produce, host, launch, and maintain our e-commerce storefront.

What were your goals for this project?

We want to achieve a clean, robust platform to display our various specialty metals and offerings.

How did you select this vendor?

We selected Big Drop because of the positive reviews they’ve received. Additionally, they have strong expertise within their industry.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Big Drop designed the site to include our range of products and to allow for future customization. They're developing the platform using Ruby on Rails and it includes several features to organize and display product information. Their team also hosts and maintains the site.

What was the team composition?

The Big Drop team consists of numerous programmers and account representatives. Additionally, several members of our team work with them.

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

Though Big Drop provided a quality design for the site, we’re still working toward our initial goals with them. Their team has given us a strong base to make revisions and upgrades on to achieve the site's full potential.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Though their style of project management has changed over time and there are language barriers, they are effective communicators. The project flows consistently and they handle all interactions well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their programming skills and design team are valuable to us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The production of certain elements has taken longer than expected because of Big Drop’s busy schedule. However, they remain responsive and are accommodating about our requests.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own Nanook Canvas G.P., a manufacturer of custom photo canvas prints.

For what projects/services did your company hire Big Drop?

Our website had a high bounce rate, didn’t convert, and was not mobile-friendly. We engaged Big Drop to develop a new website that would solve these issues and give us an edge over the competition.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the new site to be modern, engaging, accessible, mobile-responsive, and SEO-friendly. We expected higher conversion rates and a timely delivery that complied with our specifications.

How did you select this vendor?

We found Big Drop online. They were very responsive and seemed to be capable. Though the price was higher than we preferred, the team offered a “full package” that we decided to invest in.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Big Drop created designs after our initial discussions. Once we approved the mock-ups, the team started the development phase. However, we proceeded to development without completing the second part of the design approval form, which detailed the site’s functionalities—preview, design, tools, etc. We ended the relationship before final delivery.

What was the team composition?

The team included several resources and multiple project managers.

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

The project started well, but development took longer than expected. Big Drop’s “full package” contract promised a 6–8-month timeline. However, delays elongated the engagement to two years, at which point the team said they needed another 15–18 to finish the site. Big Drop developed core features without discussing them in full detail. Most aspects of the build did not comply with our feedback notes. They asked for more money that we originally agreed to pay. That felt unprofessional because we were already making compromises in an attempt to salvage the project. We had to end the relationship prior to final delivery because they made us choose between extra fees or accepting an unfinished site with several errors.

By the end, we were exhausted, frustrated, and stressed out. Since our previous site didn’t convert, we had stopped all marketing until the new site would be ready. But what’s worse, we have to take this issue to court to reach an appropriate settlement; Big Drop had agreed to settle, but their terms were unacceptable.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project management looked impressive on paper, but the team never met their own milestones. The turnover with project managers caused several frustrations; we had to explain things over and over again. That was neither cost-effective nor time-efficient.

Are there any areas for improvement?

In addition to estimates and project management, Big Drop needs to improve how they handle situations when things go wrong. We understand errors and unexpected issues occur, but the team could have done more to make the problems right for us.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of a concealed carry holster company. We have one location where we manufacture and sell holsters.

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Drop?

We were looking for a company to design a website for us. Since it's an unusual product, our biggest challenge was to develop a checkout system. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built a WordPress website for me and developed an outstanding front page where they presented everything my customers need to know. They researched my business and went above and beyond to understand my product. The website has answers to all the common questions. When I go over those questions with my customers on the phone, 100% of them make a purchase, so putting the key points on the website was a genius move. Setting up the checkout system was a complex process because our holsters have thousands of configurations–different measurements and colors–for guns and lasers, but they did an excellent job. 

What is the team composition? 

I worked with the design team and the development team. 

How did you come to work with them?

I've been doing research for years, looking for the right company to build my website. After talking to Big Drop, I trusted them to create a functional website and take care of the aesthetic side

How much have you invested with them?

I spent $46,000.

What is the status of this engagement? 

I worked with them from June 2017–January 2018. 

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

During the year before the website launch, I slowly dropped advertising in anticipation of better returns on ad investment. By the time of launch in January 2018, traffic was at its bare minimum, as were sales. At the first day of the launch, sales instantly quadrupled! The new checkout system makes it fun for customers to buy my products.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint? 

They were amazing. I wrote them a personal thank you note. Whenever I asked a question, they always knew the answer to it. They were extremely responsive and addressed any issues or bugs immediately. I also wrote a public review on Google commending them on their work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a top-level team and I can't imagine that anyone can be better. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of operations at a homeowner insurance company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Drop?

We were looking to address our scalability and redundancy. We were also looking for graphic design and marketing expertise. We wanted a hosted solution to manage our growing insurance companies. In order to be responsive to hurricanes in Florida, we need important touch points for our customers available 24/7, such as uptime and claim report functionality. A local vendor managed our website for the past 5 years, but our organization grew rapidly in that time. We needed a more reliable, redundant, and scalable platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The objective was to first move our existing platform from the old vendor to Big Drop. Once that was completed, we added resources, cleaned the webpage, made it more user-friendly, and found nuances that we could improve upon. Since they absorbed the web page, they updated website content and added splash screens. A lot of their work was behind the scenes.

We're currently speaking with them about designing an entirely new skin for the website's look, feel, and user experience. They also offer other marketing services that I'm exploring as well.

What is the team dynamic?

I've communicated with at least 4 individuals at Big Drop who have addressed the project needs.

How did you come to work with Big Drop?

We had a list of criteria that a new vendor must have to bring us to the next level such as best practices, scalability, and backups. Big Drop met all of our requirements.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $20,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since 2016.

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

When Hurricane Irma hit Florida, the website had a surge of visits. Pre-landfall, we made sure Big Drop added resources to our website. It was amazing how many individuals went to that webpage, filed a claim, or made sure their insurance was up to date, etc.

How did Big Drop perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well. They're methodical; they schedule and follow through. They're a professional firm.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I love that they offer multiple services. They can host a website and manage it, but they also do marketing spins, social media, and graphic design. It's a one-stop shop, and I appreciate their expertise. Their attentiveness to requests and follow through shine.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I have nothing negative to say.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know that you're in good hands. They're experts at their trade. It was refreshing and all positive. Do your research and get comparable quotes. We enjoyed the experience.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of the Financial Communication Society, which is a national not-for-profit trade association for financial marketers. We’ve been in business since 1967; our business model is that we run content-driven live events that bring together financial marketers and their industry partners.

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Drop?

One of the critical things for our business model is having a highly functioning website. About three years ago, we started trying to bring our website into the 21^st century and engaged a web firm out of Chicago. We got an okay-looking website out of it, but we never went a full week without there being some sort of issue. After about a year and a half, I got a cue from the board to spend money on finding a new agency and improving that.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have a relatively complicated website. Because we sell tickets to our various events there’s an e-commerce component, but we layer on top of that a subscription model. If you’re a dues-paying member, then you get discounted pricing on all of our events. Those two things working together creates a relatively complicated background for the websites. Wordpress, which had been our platform of choice, wasn’t able to deal with our needs. On January 23^rd, we launched the website. They had to deal with the incumbent agency who lost the job, and they were really good with that. Very smooth transition. Knock on wood, we haven’t had a single problem. Granted, it’s still a little early in the game, but we’ve done four events so far and we haven’t had one issue. What we built is incredibly well received by our members.

We went into this identifying some improvements on design and navigation and functionality, but Big Drop really gave us so many additional ideas on how to make it a more valuable tool for our members. An example of that was that we now offer members a dashboard where they can go in and see all of their prior purchases, print out receipts, download spreadsheets of their purchases. They created a member directory so you can see people’s photos. These were things we hadn’t thought were possible. They created a user experience that’s very smart and reasonable.

How did you come to work with Big Drop?

We did an agency search. The agency that had designed our previous website was in the mix, but they frankly couldn’t convince us that they suddenly knew how to fix things and deal with our complicated needs. So we wound up speaking with nine agencies. One came back to us and said they didn’t think we had enough money to afford them, thank you very much. Another one was a one-man shop, which we dismissed out of hand. The other seven had project estimates ranging from $17,000 to &170,000. We got rid of the outliers and wound up speaking with three who were middle-of-the-road.

Based on in-person interviews, we decided to go with Big Drop. From their initial conversation, they simply brought so many additional ideas to the table. We didn’t even think that we were looking for that, but we were very impressed. They also gave us a very high level of confidence that they would be able to build what we need and most importantly, maintain it. That’s exactly what we did.

How much have you invested with BigDrop?

Their initial bid was in the $40,000-$60,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started negotiating late last year, but we went into review in early 2016. We hired them in June or July. They’re still supporting the site, but it’s live.

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

I trust them: I know that I go to bed at night and I’m not going to wake up in the morning with some user sending me an email saying that the website is down or they can’t log in, which is the experience I had with the prior agency. I couldn’t go a week without some snafu. I have a very high level of confidence with Big Drop. As part of their maintenance package, they have all of these alerts built in, which have not been triggered. If something were to go wrong on the Big Drop site, I’m confident they’re going to know about it before a user comes and tells me.

What did you find most impressive about Big Drop?

We might suggest something and they will always keep us straight about what’s the best practice in the industry. A lot of their back-office stuff is overseas, and that was a concern for us because of time zones. That hasn’t been an issue at all. I’m in New York, and when I’ve asked for East Coast time zone support, it’s always been there.

I have been able to take advantage of the seven-hour difference with the development guys, because I’ll send them a list of things that I want to be updated or changed, and I know that when I come into the office the next day, all of those things are taken care of. We jump on phone calls all the time – when it’s needed – and they’re very receptive. The maintenance package I pay is less than the retainer I paid at the prior agency, which frankly moaned each month about how we were spending more hours each month than what their retainer covered.

Are there any areas Big Drop could improve?

There have been times where they’ve written a little web text or email communication where the American English was not perfect. Part of it was that I should have been doing that writing, but that’s one thing I’ll ding them for.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Big Drop?

After I engaged with them, I went through a series of project managers. The first one sets the stage. In our case, she worked with us to figure out exactly what we wanted to build. Once she had that mapped out, she brought in a design manager who worked out how it should look. He built the wireframes. And then ultimately there was the development project manager who figured out how to code everything. If I were to do this all again, I would want the development person and the design person to sit in the very first meeting so that when I described my dream product, those things would happen. Sometimes I thought of stuff that ultimately wasn’t going to make sense, and it would have been better to learn that early on. It wouldn’t have changed anything either in the pricing or the timing; it would have just managed my expectations a little bit. Likewise, there was much more that they brought to the table than they would have taken off my wish list, and if I had their input earlier on, I probably could have maximized the experience a little more. This is in no way a negative; I’ve just learned a more optimal way to get more out of Big Drop.