Connecticut Coast Media

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-owner of Grota Solna Salt Cave. With my co-owner Steven Michels, we operate a Himalayan Salt cave customized to elevate the experience of salt therapy. While salt therapy on its own is extremely therapeutic, rejuvenating, and healing, our cave creates an relaxation experience like no other.

For what projects/services did your company hire Connecticut Coast Media, and what were your goals?

We are a brand new business so we began working with Connecticut Coast Media in our very early stages. Even before we knew we were officially moving forward. We met with Alicia several times and were able to discuss a start up plan that included the creation of our website and introductory information regarding SEO and social media.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

After realizing we could not create our website on our own and still get the look and feel we were dreaming up for our business, we began to search for a local web developer. We are a small, family owned business so we are passionate about supporting other businesses with the same culture. We began web searching and ultimately found Connecticut Coast Media. We knew from the first meeting with Alicia that we would like to work with them. She immediately understood our project and offered her expertise very early on.

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

We began with an in person meeting to discuss the general scope of work. Once our contract was drawn up, Alicia advised us on how to purchase our domain. From there, CCM started working on the framework for our website and added in stock photos while we completed our buildout. We worked together across several months on the copy material and once our buildout was complete, met up once again to take photos for wrap up the website.

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

Main point of contact was Alicia Brothers.

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

Since we are a start up, we do not have any measurable outcomes - just a beautiful website!

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

We communicated mainly via email. We did setup a few zoom calls to connect and work through some questions. CCM was extremely responsive and had an answer/resolution to our questions with ease.

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

CCM was extremely professional while offering a personal touch that could not be matched. They are passionate about investing in our community, which matches with our own core values.

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

We did not run into any issues or opportunities with CCM. Our entire project was seamless.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief builder at The Wood Kottage.

What challenge were you trying to address with Connecticut Coast Media?

Connecticut Coast Media helps us with digital marketing and advertising services.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Connecticut Coast Media assists with content and strategic planning. The team helps with our social media engagement on different platforms. They also assist with creating a brand around our mission and vision for the company. They’ve provided us with key feedback on how we can engage better, which will allow us to create revenue from social media.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Alicia (Owner) and her team.

How did you come to work with Connecticut Coast Media?

I ran across them through a referral. I wanted to work with them because they had the best understanding of our needs at the time.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $3,500 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with their team started in June 2020.

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

There has been a positive impact on our business. The team has been extremely helpful. They’ve quadrupled our viewership. Sales and followers through social media have increased.

How did Connecticut Coast Media perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they are amazing. They’re prompt at meeting deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed with their ability to understand our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’ve been extremely happy with their services.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be able to articulate your objectives and goals upfront. Use their expertise to get you there.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the office manager of Nutmeg Building and Remodeling. We’re a residential remodeling company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Connecticut Coast Media?

We initially hired them to rebuild our website, which was out of date and wasn’t mobile-friendly.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Connecticut Coast Media scrapped our original website and developed a new one. They still handle our customer reviews and manage our reputation online. We provide them with lists of emails, and then their team reaches out to our customers to leave reviews on Google and other platforms.

What is the team composition?

We primarily communicate with Alicia (Owner), but her partner also works on our account.

How did you come to work with Connecticut Coast Media?

Our company’s owner was familiar with Alicia.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent a little over $7,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership began around April 2020.

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

Connecticut Coast Media deployed our website, and we’ve gotten a ton of comments about how wonderful it looks. Our team wasn’t familiar with the process of building a website. We threw out our ideas and then, they created an awesome website. In about a week and a half, their team also collected three five-star reviews for us.

How did Connecticut Coast Media perform from a project management standpoint?

We typically communicate via email. At the beginning of the project, we had a few in-person meetings. We mostly meet via video calls because of the pandemic. Their team manages the project and sticks to deadlines well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team stays on top of their responsibilities. They push us, ensuring that we provide them with email lists for them to contact our customers to collect reviews. Their team is on the ball and shows us that they’re focused on keeping our reviews up.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we haven’t worked together long enough for me to say there’s an area for improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with them. They’re personable, which is nice.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of O’Live A Little.

What challenge were you trying to address with Connecticut Coast Media?

I was looking for a company to partner with that’d be an advisor to me. They’d advise me on whatever I needed in the overall scheme of social media and website marketing.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve been doing our Google Ads. When we started, I had ads that were already established. Their team looked at them and explained more about what I was doing right and what we could improve on. Since May 2020, they’ve been handling it completely because I haven’t been able to focus on it.

They’ve handled our website design efforts. We had an existing website, and they revamped it. We changed from a storefront and e-commerce shop to just an e-commerce shop. Now, they maintain it and provide SEO services.

What is the team composition?

I work with Alicia (Owner).

How did you come to work with Connecticut Coast Media?

I found them through a Google search. I wanted someone local that I could meet face-to-face with. They reached out to me and happened to be ten minutes from where I work so everything fell into place.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $7,000–$8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in April 2020.

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

Alicia knows her business. She’s willing to listen to my input. Connecticut Coast Media is not an expert in my field, but they know how to put an ad out there. They’ve been tweaking different ads for creative and monitoring them to see the traction they’re getting. They give us suggestions on things to do.

How did Connecticut Coast Media perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s a common occurrence that one or two people in an agency can only handle so many things. They struggle a bit with getting things accomplished quickly, but I have no complaints. They’ve done a great job of fitting me in with anything I ask on short notice.

I hope as more people learn about how great they are to work with, they’ll be able to maintain that. I understand that everything takes time, and I’m fairly flexible. They fit things in a very reasonable amount of time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They walk the line between answering my questions and showing me how to do things so I don’t have to pay them to do it. In the end, they’ve gotten more business from me as I’ve become busier and know I can’t do it. Their ability to be flexible and not feel that they’re giving away secrets or answers have allowed their company to get more business from us. We’re at a comfort level where we know they’re doing a good job for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Having a standard, monthly meeting with a client that shows metrics of current standings and future goals, as well as more organization to that kind of dynamic, might help. In the end, we’re pretty happy with what they’re doing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re very easy to work with. Be straightforward with what you want and realistic with expectations.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We own Pet Supply Stores in Connecticut. I am one of two owners and handle development and IT.

For what projects/services did your company hire Connecticut Coast Media?

We needed a social media company to replace our previous social media person. It was clutch time, right before the holiday rush and we needed experts fast.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We utilized a google search.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Connecticut Coast Media not only came through for us but it was a grandslam. We clicked right away and had very similar outlooks on our brand and the need to refocus and reinvigorate our strategies on our platforms. Alicia, Emily and the rest of the team not only bring our platforms to the next level, but they also redesigned our home page to incorporate a more updated look. They do it all and if you want quality for a reasonable price, contact them now. You won't be disappointed.

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

3 Owners and Staff

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

Our social media platforms are customer engaging and highlight who we really are. We see continued increases in all areas and are looking forward to continuing to capture and keep followers.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We meet every Friday to review past and future posts.

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

We are impressed with the turnaround time and the follow through to expectations. They are refreshingly honest in comparison to a world of cultivated lives and businesses we see on social media.

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

No.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner and operator of Fill My Jar online and storefront handcrafted candy company.

For what projects/services did your company hire Connecticut Coast Media?

We hired Connecticut Coast Media to handle our social media posts and content to include instagram, facebook as well as SEO's

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

After interviewing several media groups, I found Connecticut Coast Media to be very knowledgeable as well as very in tune with working with small businesses. They understand the look I was going for and how to build my presence as well as followers.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After our kick-off meeting, I sent Alicia access to all my photos and pertinent information she would need to create posts and content that would be applicable to my business. She would create a content calendar that would be emailed to me for review. I would send any changes, corrections, or additions.

They would make all necessary changes and send them over for review. These calendars were very helpful as I had a full month of content prepared and scheduled to be released. If something came up that we felt was post-worthy, all I had to do was a message with the information and any photos and Connecticut Coast Media would be sure to include that in the coming content calendar.

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

I worked with Alicia and she handled all parts of my business. She was very organized and on time. She was very easy to work with.

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

We saw a significant climb in followers and a jump in online sales.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had a great working relationship, their team made it very easy for us to work with.

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

Their ability to pick up on the look and feel you are going for was impressive.

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

Not really. The only reason we are no longer working with Connecticut Coast Media is that our business is located in Chicago and we found a very similar media group that was local to us making it much easier to get fresh photos and content.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner/founder of Creative Enclosures. We are a specialty remodeling company.

For what projects/services did your company hire Connecticut Coast Media?

Social media & Web site

How did you select Connecticut Coast Media and what were the deciding factors?

Trust/honesty/Passion for their work

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Leaves no stone unturned. They monitor the results, they take the time to understand our business and then insure success in the marketing efforts put forth.

How many resources from the Connecticut Coast Media team worked with you, and what were their positions?

two

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

Increase in YTD sales 13%

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Perfect! Patience

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

Passion. They love what they do.

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

Not that I see