Bonehook

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of Danville Development Corporation and we are a property management company that specializes in housing for seniors, people with disabilities, and families. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Bonehook?

We were trying to change our branding, and update our website and Facebook page for better marketing. We had two different companies under the Danville name, our family businesses. Both are completely separate companies—Danville Development and Danville Services. There was always a lot of confusion between the two because we had the same logo.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with branding. As a result of wanting to change our branding for the two distinct companies, Bonehook created our logo, brand, colors, and we’ve now been able to use that brand on all our marketing, sportswear, and more. He also took that to our website and completely redesigned our platform after asking a lot of questions.

Our biggest challenge was trying to drive consumers to the properties for information instead of them directing them to the main office, which is much easier for consumers and takes the load off of always having to send people to the properties. It's also easier for our main office staff.

A few months ago he sent me some new icons for the website to make it a little more user-friendly. He developed color schemes and more. The work is something I don’t ever think about, but the team has always kept us current. Often, he also does our Facebook page. He’s the one that puts all content on our Facebook page and keeps track of that on a pretty regular basis.

The other thing he was able to do was to simplify our process because a lot of these are HUD properties. Processing those properties can be a complicated process because there's an application they've got to submit and they also need to get on a waiting list. Despite that, he was able to break that down and give them a path which he called the 'path to housing'. 

What is the team composition?

David (Founder & Creative Director) is our main contact, but we also work with his wife. He also has a web designer, and there's also another person in charge of our logo, brand, colors, and more.

How did you come to work with Bonehook?

We’ve known David for as long as I can remember. He’s been a friend of my family growing up and he was first brought into Danville Services to work on their website.

We also worked with him about 10 years ago when we bought a children’s hospital. Not many people buy hospitals and he completely rebranded that. Once he completed that project, we thought that we really needed to figure out a way to separate our companies and give them their own identities — it’s been amazing, their difference. 

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost so far is in the ballpark of $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

It just seems like we’ve worked with them forever. We started collaborating in January 2010, and it's been an ongoing project. 

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

We have been successful in driving the traffic to our properties. We also get a lot of feedback from senior applicants that they experience the ease of navigating through our website. End users have also said that the website is mobile-friendly. Overall, the team has simplified our housing application processes.

How did Bonehook perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management process was great. I haven’t had hard deadlines so that wasn’t as big an issue. However, his follow-through to keep us on task with phone calls and setting up calls on a regular basis makes sure everybody is on the same page. They keep us on track and his wife gets those calls set up and does some of that background work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their creativity stands out. He thinks so differently than I do. I’m just a numbers person and don’t have all that creativity. He solves problems that I don’t realize that I have. Just by asking questions, he really tries to understand my business so he can figure out how to solve my problems. In addition, they have been helpful and have great resources.

To be specific, he was the one who asked why everybody was calling our main office. I didn’t realize that it was a big problem when we started talking. In line with that, I thought about how we could drive people to the properties for the calls, which would be easier for applicants and much easier for us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not really sure what areas they could improve. Right now, I can’t think of anything because I’m really happy with them.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just be open to the whole process, because I found out that the process is very important including the questions, the follow-ups, and more. As I said, I’m a numbers person and I’d like to get through things fast. However, you really have to think it through and talk about the project.