Black Bear Design

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a medical device company that manufactures surgical products. I am the President of the company

For what projects/services did your company hire Black Bear Design?

We hired Black Bear to design and launch our website. In today's age, if a business does not have a website, it may as well not exist. We need a platform to showcase our products and provide value to our customers through educational material.

What were your goals for this project?

Our main goal was to have a site that was clean and user friendly. We also wanted to flip the traditional model of a business talking all about itself and its products first. Black Bear helped us design a site that spoke in the customers' language, leading with education and potential problems. We think this design and copy will really help engage our customers and drive leads

How did you select this vendor?

I heard about the capabilities through a friend and was able to see some of the previous work. I also engaged Black Bear at a previous company and was impressed by their approach an capabilities. It is a customer-centric organization, which led us to selecting Black Bear. They did not try and put us in their box, but adjusted their approach and offering to suit our needs.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Black Bear designed, developed, and launched our website. They continue to provide ongoing maintenance services. We began with a discovery meeting so they could learn about our business. They then very quickly moved through wire-frames and copy writing to get the site almost fully built in an incredible time frame. We had back and forth on the look, design and functionality. Along the way, which was appreciated, the team gave their opinions and advice about design and other aspects such as SEO and marketing, so we were able to make adjustments and think in the appropriate context. They brought a ton of value beyond just building a site.

What was the team composition?

The project team had about 4 people I believe. The biz dev manager, project manager, head developer, and copywriter. It was a great team. Though a small project, keeping the team small allowed us to get fast responses and everyone knew what we were trying to accomplish. It was incredibly effective.

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

We are still early in our launch, however our site is central to building our brand, capturing interest, driving traffic, showcasing our product, and launching content. Like I said before, without this site, we may as well not exist.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We had a main point of contact project manager. Everything on our end was managed through email. The manager and rest of the team was incredibly responsive. They kept everything on track and followed up regularly. I did not have to remember to check a board or site, they were on top of making everything happen and run smooth. True turn-key

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The responsiveness and speed. The work speaks for itself, which is incredible. What really set them apart was the speed and response. My questions were always answered same day. I called, emailed, texted. It was great experience because in addition to the end product being wonderful, we communicated in a way that fit our business and schedules.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It was a truly great experience. Having worked with many vendors of various services, this was one of the best. Great communication, transparent, fast, phenomenal work.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Citrus Fresh Carpet Cleaning. We specialize in residential and commercial carpet, rug, and upholstery cleaning.

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Bear Design?

I was personally managing our website and online marketing for several years. After we started having issues with the site, I eventually caved and wanted to rebuild everything using WordPress. As a result, we began searching for an accomplished web development firm to lead the redesign effort and optimize the site’s digital marketing capabilities.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially considered utilizing Black Bear Design for their other services, like managing our social media marketing campaigns. However, we decided to bring them in for a straightforward web redesign project and also requested their advanced SEO services. They mostly started from scratch and overhauled our website using WordPress. They redesigned our color scheme and overall branding. Our logo and URL stayed the same, but that was about it. They use Google AdWords and webmaster tools for the SEO aspect of our engagement. Their team also has some internal dashboards where they can track the site’s progress each month and look at our keywords to see if any rankings have dropped.

What is the team composition?

We primarily interact with Jena (Account Executive, Black Bear Design).

How did you come to work with Black Bear Design?

I started doing some research and used Clutch to find Black Bear Design. I met, reviewed, and received bids from 4–5 different companies before deciding to go with Black Bear. They were everything I expect from a web design company in terms of references and a modern service offering. They were also down to earth, sincere, and genuine when representing their skillset. They weren’t the most affordable firm we considered, but they weren’t the most expensive either. I felt confident in the plan we created together.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent about $20,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on the website redesign from March–July 2018. Following the launch of the site, we’ve kept them on a monthly retainer to provide additional services.

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

We’ve seen an increase in traffic within the service areas that we asked them to focus on. For example, we wanted to generate more leads related to commercial carpet cleaning and that effort has been hugely successful. Thanks to their work, we just recently experienced our most profitable month to date.

How did Black Bear Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re extremely flexible. Instead of being relegated to a computer screen, I have the option to pick up the phone and call them. We have an ongoing email correspondence with the support team that was assigned to our project. Therefore, we can always go back and see our previous conversations. They’re relatively local to us, so being able to visit their office is nice. That made our experience a little more personal as we could see things as they were being developed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They genuinely care about producing a quality product. They aren’t looking to cash a check after completing a subpar website. That meant the world to me, considering how much money I was investing in the project. I kept myself involved in the process and they made me feel comfortable voicing my opinions. They accommodate our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I realized about halfway through the project that I wasn’t as articulate as I thought in communicating my vision. Once I learned more about the process and how it worked, I gave specific instructions and that made it easier for them. In turn, that resulted in a better website and a more efficient process for everyone.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of a project management company that handles projects for any size company that doesn’t have a full time project manager.

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Bear Design?

I had a few clients that needed help with website development, content creation and management, and creating some graphics.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They have created some very engaging graphics that hardly required any editing or feedback. They have also developed and designed a handful of websites for my clients, and are creating content to populate the sites.

What is the team composition?

I work with a project manager, a content creation lead, and a graphic designer.

How did you come to work with Black Bear Design?

I had done a few projects in the past where my clients had run into very bad experiences with design firms so, I had been on the lookout for a good vendor to work with if any similar projects came up. I had done some research on local companies and saw that Black Bear really stuck with their clients for the long-term. When I got to the point that I was ready to hire a vendor, they were the natural choice.

How much have you invested with them?

I pay them a monthly retainer that will come out to approximately $20,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working together since April 2018.

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

Black Bear has done a great job of listening and identifying what my clients need in order to provide it to them. They have also been able to interact with my clients in a way that allows them to create the best possible designs for their needs. All of this has lead to growth in social media and website interaction for my clients, and the delivery of cohesive design packages.

How did Black Bear Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They have been absolutely amazing project managers; I think that is my favorite part of working with them. We communicate through phone and email, and we are constantly in touch. I never feel like they are delivering less work because I am on a retainer, and they are never afraid to reach out to me to clarify something important. They treat me so well I often feel like I am their only client.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service and deliverables are truly outstanding. They really have gotten all their work down to a science.

Any advice for potential customers?

I would say to ask questions and trust them. They have a great team that is willing to inform and guide you through your project, so don’t be afraid to ask them questions during the journey. Each person knows what they are doing, so trust in them and they won’t lead you astray.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the COO at ActiveEyeQ, LLC and we manage an online platform called AnimalCourts.com. It is an online education class for pet owners who may have gotten a violation ticket. We inform our users of their responsibilities as pet owners and help them understand their rights and the civil rules and regulations they must follow.

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Bear Design?

We wanted a user-friendly and engaging platform for our class. The heavy legal language is hard to digest, so we needed to capture the customer's attention with engaging visuals to help them comprehend the information.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Black Bear designed our logo and our entire web platform. They built the site on WordPress and created and integrated all of our additional plugins. They provided a lot of whiteboard illustrations and animations for our class and added a test feature to the end of each module. The team also helped with database management and social media strategies. We are now collaborating on marketing elements to increase our brand visibility.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent over $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started work on the website in May 2017 and the partnership is ongoing.

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

Our users are impressed by the design elements and the flowing structure of the classes. We have received positive and appreciate feedback on the graphics that they designed and incorporated into the program.

How did Black Bear Design perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly communicated through an online work portal, but the team was responsive to requests and questions made via phone call and email, as well. They planned the scope of the project accurately and paid close attention to deadlines. The team is very skilled in web design and always provides valuable feedback or alternatives to improve the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their detailed approach and level of communication exceeded our expectations. They made an effort to understand our vision of the project and did their best to produce it. You don’t find this level of customer service at a lot of agencies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I know that everybody has room for improvement, but nothing really stands out to me.

Any advice for potential customers?

Customers should review Black Bear’s website and familiarize themselves with their services so that they enter the partnership with an informed plan for the project.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of BankSouth Mortgage. We’re located in Atlanta, Georgia and produce $1.3 billion in mortgage transactions annually.

For what projects/services did your company hire Black Bear Design?

We needed help with our branding, web design, web traffic, and overall marketing strategy.

What were your goals for this project?

Though we’re widely known throughout the state of Georgia and enjoy a top five market share position, we wanted to increase our brand awareness while achieving and maintaining the first market share position in Georgia.

We have pretty aggressive growth plans and recently launched a digital mortgage platform that will allow consumers to do business with us through an innovative web portal and mobile app. We mainly wanted create a strong marketing and brand strategy around this.

How did you select this vendor?

After researching several other providers, we chose Black Bear because of their reputation and proven track record. Owners, Joel and Randee Black are extremely knowledgeable, attentive, and responsive. Their employees are also talented, pleasant, and eager to help.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The process began with a series of discovery sessions. Black Bear attended our company meetings and we quickly came to see that they share a similar company culture as we do, and that they could deliver according to our expectations.

The scope of our engagement is ongoing and quite extensive. They help us with our everyday immediate marketing needs, branding and brand awareness, web design, and our long-term digital marketing and social media strategy.

What was the team composition?

We work closely with Randee and her entire team of designers, content writers, social media experts, video team, etc.

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

Since working with Black Bear, we’ve received countless positive remarks about our brand awareness and online marketing efforts. Since launching our new digital platform and executing our digital marketing strategy, we’ve seen a tremendous increase in our mortgage applications and expect that we will reach our goal of being on the first position of the market share in Georgia.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We meet with our project manager weekly. They use a communication software program to track activity and manage the execution of all aspects of our engagement. You will not find a more responsive and effective team than Black Bear Design!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We feel like they truly care about our success. They took interest in our business from the start and have always delivered on time, often exceeding our expectations.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that we saw or experienced. Joel and Randee Black work smart. They execute on their vision, are committed to their customers’ success, and have an absolutely incredible team!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

TRC Staffing is a workforce asset management company that provides recruiting and staffing solutions for various industries. As VP of Marketing, I oversee the marketing initiatives for every division within our company. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Bear Design?

We work with job applicants and the companies that are looking to hire them. Our website didn’t have unique paths for the distinctive groups, which negatively impacted the amount time users were spending on the site. We needed a company that specialized in UX web design to build a new platform that catered to both our corporate clients and our candidates.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The primary objective was to develop a WordPress website with a job portal and user database. We discussed our vision and provided supplemental documents during our initial meeting with the Black Bear team. They added elements to the basic wireframe that we offered to create a more complex outline of the website's infrastructure. After establishing the website’s structure, they implemented UX design for optimal engagement. Their web designer created a custom WordPress template based on our design specs and their knowledge of appealing fonts, color codes, and content arrangement.

They are currently updating our banner stand graphics and other marketing collateral to match our new branding. They also provide regular site maintenance and tech support as needed.

What is the team composition?

Black Bear’s owners assisted with development and platform initiatives, and we also collaborated with their project manager and web designer.

How did you come to work with Black Bear Design?

Black Bear was the most promising partner out of the five web development companies that we interviewed. We loved their convenient location near our office, but their attentiveness to our goals impressed us the most. Their portfolio proved that their team was well-versed in UX design, so we felt very comfortable hiring them for the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $30,000--$35,000 on the website redesign, with additional fees for support and maintenance.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on the site in May 2017 and launched the new website in September 2017. They’re currently redesigning our marketing collateral, in addition to maintaining the site.

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

There was an initial dip when we launched the site, but we eventually saw our 45,000 monthly visitors escalate to 60,000 each month. The bounce rate dropped from 40% to less than 15% due to users spending more time on the website and following the unique user paths. Enhancements to the job portal page have improved radius searches, keyword searches, job number searches, and the candidate experience as a whole.

How did Black Bear perform from a project management standpoint?

They effortlessly kept track of tasks and deadlines with their internal project management system. Dropbox and other online tools were used to share documents between our teams. We occasionally held in-person meetings, but we facilitated daily communication over the phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Black Bear’s infinite knowledge of the digital marketplace is remarkable, but their ability to build a website from the end user’s perspective sets them apart from other web developers. In addition to providing superior services, they kept us informed of every detail throughout the project; we weren’t surprised with additional fees or technical issues in the end. Their devotion to our website’s success mirrored our enthusiasm, making them feel more like an extension of our company than an external.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our positive experience with them obscured their problem areas. They’re growing their team and expanding their services, but there haven’t been any changes in the level of attentiveness we receive from them. I would wholeheartedly recommend them to any company in need of website redesign.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clear and frequent communication has been the most significant factor in our success with Black Bear. We always give them detailed instructions, and they offer the same courtesy with their regular status updates. In-person meetings have also helped the collaboration run smoothly.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We offer courses to medical providers in the United States and Canada.

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Bear Design?

We originally came onboard with Black Bear Design because our site was in ColdFusion format. It was an older platform that very few developers worked in or spoke the language of ColdFusion.

What was the scope of their involvement?

After we worked with Black Bear on our site for a time, Joel and his team helped us make the decision that it was best to move onto an upgraded platform, which has proven to be much easier to maintain than ColdFusion. When we moved our services completely over to Black Bear, they implemented the site design template which we had already created with our previous developers. Black Bear set up the template and trained us so that we could work on the data entry. We chose to do the data entry ourselves due to the technical nature of the content.

Our entire business has become more automated since they've come on board. Things like shipping and customer orders are all more streamlined which is great. Our customers have the flexibility to easily add items to their cart, select from a variety of shipping methods and utilize coupon codes - features which were more cumbersome on our previous platform.

We are fairly vocal as a client about precisely how we want the product to develop, so we may not allow them as much freedom as they perhaps should be given. But they have wisely advised and encouraged us to add more modern features to our site such as a blog and Facebook postings to drive more traffic. They have also made helpful suggestions on placement of certain functions and links on the site.

Since one of the goals of the new site was to drive traffic, they have worked a lot on our Google SEO campaign. This has been very helpful. Our previous SEO personnel were not monitoring the ads closely enough and we were not getting the most benefit out of our pay-per-click campaigns. The careful attention to the SEO end has proven very helpful for traffic and sales.

How did you come to work with Black Bear Design?

We had our previous site on a dedicated server offered through another provider. Our previous ColdFusion developer had to relocate and our sales rep researched ColdFusion specialists. He put us in touch with Black Bear. It happened that Black Bear’s location was geographically ideal for us as well.

How much have you invested with Black Bear Design?

We do a $1,250 per month retainer fee, which covers 10 hours of site maintenance, SEO, graphics, and special projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2015.

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

As we transitioned to our new platform, Joel, Randee and the team put in many long hours to get our site up and running smoothly. The new site has proven to be more streamlined for our administrative side as well as the customer engagement.

Since revamping our SEO campaign, we immediately noticed more “organic” traffic from many regions of the country from which we had not previously had much customer engagement. We also became more mobile responsive which greatly improved our Google SEO score. It's opened up a lot of traffic and a larger customer base because about 55%–60% of our users are on mobile devices now, so it's critical to have that function.

How did Black Bear Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Very excellent. I really appreciate their responsiveness. They're always very eager with monthly meetings and audits to make sure we’re on task. They very quickly get things done.

Jena Simonds, who is the project manager, is very prompt. If we're involved in any sort of project, she says, "We need to get this done. Take a look at this deadline." and so on. She's very well organized and helps keep me on track as well.

What did you find most impressive about Black Bear Design?

They’re sensitive to the needs of a small business. I get the sense they can appreciate and perhaps recall what it was like to work to build the foundation of a business, grow the business, hire new people, and strive for a great business model. They're very sensitive to our budget and help prioritize tasks and projects as they arise.

In working with them, you get the feel of a family-owned and operated business with the resources of a large outfit.

Are there any areas Black Bear Design could improve?

No. I really couldn't have asked much more from them, especially considering what they came in on with our older platform. We knew the platform migration would be a huge project, but Black Bear’s team worked efficiently to help us make as smooth a transition as possible.

Please introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner at Future Stars Soccer Academy.

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Bear Design?

We needed to increase our revenue and fill spots for our camp programs. We thought improving our online presence would be a good way to achieve those goals.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve done some design work for us, enhanced our SEO, and placed ads on Facebook and Google. They designed our street signs and our newsletters as well.

How did you come to work with Black Bear Design?

A mutual friend introduced us, and we had a couple of meetings. I did my own review of their work with some other clients. I was very impressed. We started out with a small retainer and then upped it to some of the packaging. We’re now in our second year of working with them, and I’m very satisfied with everything.

How much have you invested with Black Bear Design?

Our retainer is for 20 to 25 hours. My marketing budget is between $1,500 and $2,000 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them for two years now, and we’re still with them, so the relationship is ongoing.

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

Our business is up 25% this year. We went from being a very good product, but looking like a mom and pop shop, to “Wow, that’s a great product.” Everything Black Bear Design does is very professional—not just the product itself but the communication piece, the clients, and all the literature is consistent with our product.

How did Black Bear Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They have done very well. They keep us up to date on how close we are to filling our hours. They’re very proactive and cognizant of the budget we’re working with. I really appreciate that.

What did you find most impressive about Black Bear Design?

From a customer service and delivery standpoint, Black Bear Design is very interactive, friendly, and hands on. We’re both based in Atlanta, so we can easily meet. They were not condescending because we didn’t know much about marketing, but explained things and let us choose. The rapport is great.

Are there any areas Black Bear Design could improve?

I don’t think so. I’m 100% satisfied.

Please introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a mortgage company, and I am the business development manager and loan officer.

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Bear Design?

I wanted to get my brand, image, and team name on the digital map. I wanted more exposure on social media and online in general.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They revamped my website, post blog articles weekly, and work on my social media. They have increased my exposure through SEO and online media.

How did you come to work with Black Bear Design?

I’m in a Mastermind group with someone who’s in the mortgage business on the east coast. He had his company use them for their website. I liked the way his website looked. I reached out to the owner of Black Bear Design and had a really good discussion. Based on that experience, I decided to give them a shot. We signed up for a six-month commitment and never looked back.

How much have you invested with Black Bear Design?

I am paying $2,500 for the service and probably another $1,000 to $1,500 for Facebook and other social media ads.

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve been with Black Bear Design about eight months.

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

I have gotten ten new clients who found me on social media. That equaled about $4 million in loan value for me. I’ve also probably met over 50 realtor partners. That’s mostly how I get new people, from the realtors referring me. The increase in traffic on my website has gone up one thousand percent in six months. Social media engagement has increased considerably along with leads.

How did Black Bear Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Excellent. They were able to stay on top of everything. I would definitely give them a 5 out of 5 with regard to project management.

What did you find most impressive about Black Bear Design?

Black Bear Design goes above and beyond to make sure I’m taken care of. They serve me professionally and they stay in touch with me outside of work. Everyone at Black Bear Design always responds to my text messages, emails, calls, and questions. They don’t treat me like I’m a client. They treat me like a relationship they want to see grow. They want me to be successful. They have clients spending way more money than I spend, but they still treat me like a VIP.

Are there any areas Black Bear Design could improve?

I don’t want to sound like they’re doing anything wrong—because they’re not—but getting me more exposure and more leads would be nice.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the marketing manager for an integrated material handling company in the Northeast.

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Bear Design?

Since I'm not a programmer or developer, I needed help with the development and design of a WordPress website. I can manage to a degree but, sometimes, I have more complex things that demand my attention. My former agency was a one-person shop who subcontracted tasks to people overseas. I was not happy with their work, so I decided to look for a different contractor. I wanted an agency that had the skill set I could tap into. Also, the agency should be small enough that I could work directly with them.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Black Bear Design focused on HTML coding and SEO [search engine optimization] for this project. They also helped with copywriting, graphic design, and marketing automation. We also launched some PPC [pay-per-click] programs and Facebook ads.

How did you come to work with Black Bear Design?

I got an email from the business development person at Black Bear, and I searched them online. We had a good connection, and I felt good about what they offered and how they operated.

How much have you invested with Black Bear Design?

We pay a monthly retainer fee of $3,400 to Black Bear Design. They provide a specific number of hours each month. If we go over that amount, we can pay for another block of hours.

What is the status of this engagement?

My company has an ongoing engagement with Black Bear Design. I consider them an extension of my marketing team.

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

Black Bear Design is cleaning up our website, and it's still a work in progress. One of my original concerns was the bounce rate on the website. Now, it's slowly going in the right direction. The website is loading faster than it used to and the images have been optimized. We also post a weekly blog that Black Bear Design handles occasionally. The project manager from Black Bear Design interviews our sales people and write a blog post. She has done a fantastic job of grasping the concepts based on the background information I provided.

How did Black Bear Design perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager from Black Bear Design is wonderful. I can email or call her anytime. They have an online project system and they send me weekly reports. That works out well for us.

What did you find most impressive about Black Bear Design?

I was impressed by how Black Bear Design handles our business relationship. They're learning our business, and ours is a unique and complex industry. It's rare for me to say this to Black Bear Design: "You missed the target." I think it's only been twice in two years. They're pretty timely, and I've never had an issue with deadlines. They are always working in the background. They are also pretty proactive. When they see things are slow, they pick up the phone and ask what else they can help with. For me, it's all about the relationship, and I've seen the work they've done.

Are there any areas Black Bear Design could improve?

I don't always see the results for SEO and other long-term tasks. I don't know if there's anything that Black Bear Design can give me that would make me feel more comfortable and confident about what's going on. However, I can view several reports from Black Bear Design, and they are always open to questions. There was also a big hiccup early on, but we've worked through that, and we came out OK.