Blacksmith Agency

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of marketing for a hospitality company. We’re a publicly-traded company and a leader in hospitality. Our services extend to hotels, restaurants, and nightlife. Our primary brands include a vibe-driven steakhouse and a polished, casual restaurant that features fun fusion styles, menu items from the grill, and a sushi bar.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blacksmith Agency?

I had been tasked with revamping out web sites for out two biggest restaurant brands. As a publicly-traded company, there were a lot of compliance specifications that needed to be met in order for us to get the website up and running.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They started from scratch. They built a site that can easily be updated, is very mobile friendly and social media friendly.  

What is the team composition?

There were about  5, including a UX designer, the task manager, and the account manager.

How did you come to work with Blacksmith Agency?

I put out an RFP and talked to companies I’ve worked with before. I spent over six months vetting 15 different digital agencies to complete the Web sites for us. I also asked a group for recommendations on a firm as well, and they came up as a suggestion. Coincidentally, one of our locations worked with them on a smaller project.

It's wonderful to have a company that tells you everything that we want to hear based on an RFP that we put out there. It's another thing to have a company that tells you exactly what you need to hear, which is what Blacksmith Agency did for us.

And after six months of vetting various companies, they were the only company that really came back to us with a solid foundation of who we were as a company, a clear understanding of our concept as well as what it is that we wanted to do, infused with their suggestions of what we needed to do to make our web site compliant, user friendly, and adaptable from the backend.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2018 and the site launched in December that year. After that, they were on retainer for additional maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was important that they were done on time, and they checked that box. In regards to traffic to our site, we had a double-digit percentage increase. We also saw that people were spending more time on our site. That’s huge because if the site isn’t user-friendly, people leave the platform, and that’s ultimately a lost sale. The more time they spend on the site, the more likely they are to become a guest.

How did Blacksmith Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

The great thing about working with them is that,  even though they have different team members working in various silos and departments, they all work together. They always update us on the tasks they’re working on and how they’re integrating it with the overall timeline. From an organizational and project management standpoint, they’re the most organized company I’ve worked with.

They’re so easy going. It’s hard to find a balanced team that is structured when it comes to maintaining a project, but can also relax a bit when things don’t fall into place. Sometimes, things need a little extra time or they take a few rounds to go through, and they were always flexible. They always followed up as well. We never waited more than half an hour to hear back from them. They have a lot of integrity.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Blacksmith Agency went above and beyond when responding to my RFP. They took my concept and demonstrated what did and didn’t work, as well as identified what was most relevant. They did additional research so we could one-up the competition when it came to SEO, our mission, and our industry. They really propelled us forward. We knew exactly what the site was going to look like prior to signing a contract.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not yet. I definitely recommend them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just sign the contract. Over a year later, and we still love the website. It’s modern and can manage all of our weekly updates. Our digital agency can use it, and they’ve never had an issue.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of marketing for a technology service provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blacksmith Agency?

We wanted to enhance our visual brand and identity. Our website needed a refresh. It was well-designed but as a technology company, we wanted to position ourselves as innovative. We wanted our brand to have an innovative look and feel.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Based on our vision, they created an entirely new website. Their team explored our ides to understand what we wanted. They showed us examples of their work. We went through a due diligence process with them to identify exactly what we wanted to convey and how we wanted to convey it. Their team implemented functions and embedded Twitter and Facebook into the platform per our request.

What is the team composition?

We worked with probably six people in total.

How did you come to work with Blacksmith Agency?

One of our founders referred us to Blacksmith and reached out to them. I put them in the tryout process and was impressed by their work. I did rigorous interviews with about 10 different design agencies. I found that Blacksmith would be able to give us the professional look that we needed to progress our brand. They did a significant amount of homework and came to us with their ideas, which aligned well with my vision for the website.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in August 2019, and it’ll wrap up in June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We wanted the site to be readable and Blacksmith created a site that people want to read more. They met the mark well.

They followed web development and coding best practices. Our engineers were impressed by their code. Blacksmith did a standup job.

How did Blacksmith Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We met weekly. The account managers sent action items for both teams after every meeting. We checked in every week to make sure that we stayed on track.

If we needed to pivot, they let us know when it could affect our timeline. They’ve been on schedule. Their team was also cost-conscious, letting us know if there was any scope creep.

It was a good experience. One of their owners was on every call, which made it easy for us to work together. Everyone who needed to be on a call was on the call.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their eye for design makes them stand out from the competition. They have a skilled graphic design team. Their implementation on the UX/UI side was top notch. They took the graphic content and transformed it into a wonderful UX.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was never a time when they dropped the ball.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking for a topnotch website, Blacksmith’s your people. For what they charge, it’s deserved. Their price is on the higher end, but you get high-quality work. Don’t hesitate to work with them because they’re great people who do great work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the senior vice president of marketing at a company called Borro Private Finance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blacksmith Agency?

The company underwent a rebrand. We engaged Blacksmith to revamp our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Blacksmith Agency transitioned our website from our previous branding to our new branding. They worked with us to redesign and launch the platform. Their team created a new look and feel for the platform.

Their team transitioned the website from a transactional platform to an informational website. They added sleeker features, making the website more user-friendly. Their team modernized the platform. Afterward, they helped with website maintenance too.

What is the team composition?

I worked with three people from Blacksmith’s team. I spent most of my time working with three individuals, but there was a supporting cast of 3–4 people too.

How did you come to work with Blacksmith Agency?

They reached out to our CEO who forwarded their email to me. At the time, we didn’t have a need for their services. As the rebrand picked up, I remembered having their information sent to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $35,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We engaged them in March 2018 and signed the contract in June 2018. The website launched in October 2018 and the maintenance period ended in January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We got positive feedback from our employee and client bases. Our old website was an eyesore and detracted from our brand. When our business development team pitched us, they received positive feedback from existing and potential clients about the website, leading to double-digit increases in new business.

How did Blacksmith Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We granted them the contract because of our initial engagement. Their onboarding process was intense but worth it. Before we started the development, they spent time getting to know our business and goals for the website. The work upfront made the whole process easier because we didn’t have to make many changes on the fly.

I had a direct line to one of the co-founders, which was great. They kept the project on track and provided regular updates. They provided different sites for us to track their progress. By the time we worked with them on the maintenance, they took their project management to another level. We had an even greater level of access to information to keep us on track.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated their efforts upfront. Their briefing and onboarding processes made them special.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Clarity around the budget and management of it was a concern early on but it was addressed quickly and wasn’t an issue again.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Put the time in to do the upfront work because it pays off. It makes the whole process much easier. It may seem daunting but stick with it to get the work you expect quickly. Use the tools they provide too. They’re helpful because if you spot an issue, you can address it immediately. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director for Rao’s Homemade, which is part of Sovos Brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blacksmith Agency?

We wanted to relaunch the Rao’s Homemade website—frontend and backend. We wanted a complete overhaul and optimization.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Blacksmith Agency completely overhauled our website. They decluttered the existing infrastructure and created backend capabilities from scratch. Their team also redeveloped existing features. For example, they rebuilt the feature that allows customers to build their own product case.

They helped to build the creative strategy around what the website should look like on the frontend. Their team provided guidance from a consumer journey point of view. They helped to optimize the UX/UI for our users. They recommended ways to make the site better, stronger, and more user-friendly.

What is the team composition?

At one time, we worked with 2–3 people. The team shifted as we got into the more technical side of the project.

How did you come to work with Blacksmith Agency?

I requested RFPs from multiple different agencies. During that process, Blacksmith Agency sent a cold email to our CEO who forwarded it to me. I threw them an RFP. From the beginning, I was impressed, so we went forward with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our work with them in December 2018 and the partnership ended in December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After our relaunch, we looked at our bounce rate and conversion rate to sales. We saw that consumers spent a higher amount of time on our website. We saw a boost in sales, so we were happy with the results.  Blacksmith Agency provided a lot of thought leadership for how to make our website better.

How did Blacksmith Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Blacksmith Agency assigned a project manager who stayed engaged with our team. They kept us up to date. If there were any obstacles, their team immediately raised it to us with recommendations for paths forward. They made sure they had their eye on the timeline. Their team was collaborative and had a ton of experts in-house.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What I enjoyed the most was that they came to the table with options for solutions. Their technical expertise was notable throughout the project. They have a team of subject matter experts who work hard, long hours.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I was happy from start to finish.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t always go with the big agencies that have huge resumes. Blacksmith truly delivers what you need.

When I reviewed agencies to take on this work, I reviewed large and boutique agencies. At first, I was apprehensive because Blacksmith wasn’t a big name. They quickly put my concerns to rest through their thought leadership and creative approach.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the global social media manager for an artesian water company. We offer still, sparkling, and flavored water, including lemon, cucumber, lime, mint, strawberry, rose, and ginger flavors. Our products are available in more than 50 countries around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blacksmith Agency?

We were trying to revamp our website. In the beginning, we were strictly a content and informational website. Our challenge was to jump to an Amazon and e-commerce site, while retaining our existing content. Blacksmith Agency was able to help us make that transition.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Anything form the design, to the wireframes, to the backend, they’ve been able to handle it. We just told them what our vision was, and they executed from top to bottom. They did the coding and all the integration; they smoothed out all the details. I believe they used Java and HTML.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four people since we started working with them.

How did you come to work with Blacksmith Agency?

My colleague hired, them and I believe they found them through an agency search, potentially through LinkedIn.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in September 2018 and it has been ongoing since. It took eight months to complete the website, and they’ve been working on maintenance and optimization since it was completed.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They've been a tremendous and integral part of the Web site transformation for us. They've always continued to make adjustment to the Web site, make any new content upgrades and optimize things from the back end. So it continues to be an iterative process. The updates they provide have been great. As experts, they’ve brought us fresh ideas, tips, and best practices. They’ve taught us about the latest and greatest in website development. Our integral team is very pleased with the outcome.

How did Blacksmith Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They usually deliver ahead of schedule, which is very refreshing. They’ve been very professional and they communicate very effectively. Now we use a system called Wrike for project management. All of our requests go through that, so it’s a very seamless process. It’s all about efficiency.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their vision and wealth of knowledge in this particular space. They also really pay attention to detail. Even though they take care of everything at a high level, they also make sure that the nitty-gritty gets done. They’re not afraid to roll up their sleeves and do it themselves.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At the beginning, there were some growing pains when it came to communication. They could improve their communication with the client and let them know more about the ins and outs of the process. Obviously, we’re not experts, so we had to learn too. They could help the client develop a better understanding. Of course, a lot of these issues were on our end, and we resolved them in a few weeks.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

No, they’re great. I would highly recommend them.