A.S. Designs & Services

BACKGROUND

Could you give me a brief description of your company?

I work for a company in the healthcare industry [that deals] specifically under risk management and worker's compensation. We handle clients in a variety of different industries ranging from municipalities to cities, counties, several school districts, and governmental agencies, in addition to higher education institutions, regional construction companies. Our job is to help employers when they have employees who have occupational injuries, help them return to work faster. We have a return to work program [and] we have case management. We help employers contain costs. 

What's your current role and responsibilities within the company?

I oversee marketing and business development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address?

We were introduced to A.S. Designs & Services through a colleague. When I first started, it was very evident that our company's website and really just overall communication efforts were really outdated. I think our website was built in the '90s, and we were paying a month-to-month retainer for that previous vendor. Every update that we needed to do on the website, he had to do. We didn't have a content management system. We didn't use anything that was necessarily user friendly. So, my first project actually, coming on board, was to seek information, really go through an RFI [request for information] process and get information from different website companies, and programming companies, to see what that might look like for us. We had to do a lot of customization with our site, and so we needed somebody to work with us from a budget standpoint but also from a user-friendly, accessibility standpoint. 

SOLUTION

Can you tell me about the scope of the project?

We went through a pretty detailed and customized process of what our website was going to look like and what it needed. So our process from beginning to end was to build and talk about what we want the website to look like, and it's been specific to the site. Because of the kind of work that we do, we needed it to be something that our clients could use, and also to be informational for prospects as well. 

We needed a very detailed provider search. So, those types of projects were very hands-on. They're located in Hawaii, so we had a time difference, which is something that I confronted right before we started, ensuring that that wasn't going to be a problem. Every step of the process was really quite smooth. We worked through time differences, and we were able to communicate with each other on those particular projects. Something else that we've done with them, outside of the website, is our email newsletter, our email communications with clients. We built an actual, it looks like what a Constant Contact would be for a lot of companies. We had a customized email newsletter system setup. It was built by A.S. Designs & Services. I log in as the company, and we can build templates and information, keep our distribution list steady. We design customized templates we're able to use and send out to the people who we have on those distribution lists accordingly.

The third thing that we're working on currently is a client login platform. So, we're just now in the programming stages of that, but it will be an option now for our client to log into our website, and have that feature so that they can go in and receive their monthly cost savings report, and any information we want to provide them. It's all through one platform, through the website, versus doing everything through email. 

What was your process for selecting to A.S. Designs & Services with which to work?

With the size of our company, customization is important but it was also really great to work with their team specifically, and that's really what stood out when we went through the proposals, and we saw the handful of them that we got. I think budget was one thing. They were able to work with what we needed, and what we needed to accomplish. But, really just from beginning to end, the presentation of their proposal was excellent. We had a committee that went through all of the different responses, and our team had just felt like they responded in a way that was most fitting to what we needed. Very professional and very accommodating, and we needed that flexibility with our time and our execution. A company of our size, it can take some time to make sure that we go through all the approval processes, just because there's so many people wearing so many different hats. So, they were very flexible with us, which allowed us to meet our deadlines pretty efficiently.

Can you give us a cost estimate of the project?

I think our first initial website, the programming and execution, et cetera, was probably about $7,000 after we were all done. Pricing-wise, it worked well because we were able to say, "OK, this is the initial, and then any project after that has just been by the hour." So, we pay by the hour now. We don't have a month-to-month retainer. It's just when we need them we say, "this is what the project might be."

When was the project started and completed?

We started in July of 2011, and we finished the project in October of 2011.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work they've delivered?

Really overall, it being user friendly was our first and foremost objective. So, that feedback was definitely given. We're using WordPress, and it was something that was designed by A.S. Designs & Services through the WordPress platform. From an internal perspective, that's been instrumental in helping us do what we need to do with updates, and everything happening in a timely manner, versus waiting for someone else to do it. So, that part has been neat. I think just from our clients, I always hear that it's very user friendly. It looks professional. I think it does its job in giving information that's needed to both our current clients and also our prospects and those that we're talking with currently. So, I think that the website user friendly and accessible is probably overall feedback I've gotten.

How well do you think A.S. Designs & Services has performed overall?

I think they've done great. I worked with Ian [Hatch], the owner, personally, and something that he always shared with me is that we can always find a way to make whatever the end result that's needed happen. I think that there's a lot of comfort in that for us, as a client of his. It could be a budget question, or it could be something that may or may not make sense, but they're open to having the conversations about how we could make this work. So, they're always very flexible, and I think that overall their work has been really great.

When working with them, is there anything you'd consider unique or special about them that distinguishes them from other vendors you've used?

They're in Hawaii and we're in continental United States, so it's different working with a company with that culture, versus a company here. I think something that makes them unique is that they bring that very unique laid-back culture. They're professional, and they're to the point, and they always make their deadlines, but they also offer a great vibe as well. We're different in time, but it has never prevented us from getting done what we needed. So, I think that flexibility has been key as well. 

Is there any area they could improve on or that you would do differently?

I really can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Can you give a brief description of your company?

We are a restaurant group. We have 250 employees and we’re in Hawaii.

What’s your role and your responsibilities with the company?

I’m one of the owners. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the challenge that you were trying to address before you sought help from A.S. Designs & Services?

We came to them to develop a social media presence and create websites.  

SOLUTION

Can you talk a little more about the scope of the projects they worked for you?

They built our website from the ground up and put up our whole social media campaign together.

What was your process for selecting them with which to work? How did you find them and why did you pick them?

We had gotten a referral about them from someone that we knew. They said they were really happy with them so we selected them. We have three restaurants and a catering company, so we tested them out on one of our businesses. Then, at that point, we found them to do a great job so we had them re-do all of our websites.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in monetary terms or work-hour figure?

Around $10,000 for a website.   

When was the work started and when was it completed?

It’s probably been about two years since it started and it’s still ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results and feedback, could you share any feedback you have received?

On the website, we get a lot of great comments on the look of the website and also the functionality of it. Social media: They do a great job. They constantly are monitoring that. They’re always checking messages and posting material and responding and Twittering. We’re real happy with that.

How well do you think A.S. Designs & Services performed overall?

Excellent. I think they’re very good.

Is there anything unique or special about them compared to other companies you’ve worked with in the past, something that stands out?

They’re kind of available all the time, which I like. Whether it be Saturday or Sunday or day or night, they’re kind of always responding to our needs. I find that to be really nice.

BACKGROUND

Could you provide a brief description of your company?

We’re a microbrewery, a beer company. We brew craft beers on the island of Hawaii. We’re a small company. We have about eight to 10 employees. We operate year round and we distribute craft beers throughout the state of Hawaii. In a few months, we will be distributing our beers to other states and the country of Japan. 

What’s your current role and responsibilities?

I’m the VP in charge of sales, marketing, and operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were trying to address?

Essentially, we’re a startup. We bought the company from an entity that when bankrupt. We pretty much started from the ground up. We sought the assistance of A.S. Designs in the area of social media, Web design, and promotion. They set up our Facebook, Instagram, [and] Twitter accounts for us. They also oversee those accounts. They work with us essentially on promotion and social media.

What was your business goal in working with them?

We needed to get our name out in social media and increase our presence on the Web.   

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of the project?

They designed the website from point zero up. They redid the website, designed it, placed the content in it, and then subsequently operated it for the seven months we’ve been with them. They also assisted us in designing the new labels and trademarks for the beer cans. We were in bottles and we switched to cans. That was a big part of what A.S. did.

Why did you select them with which to work?

Actually, they came highly recommended from several entities that was doing business with them on the big island. What was essential in our selection process is that they came highly recommended by companies we really respected. So, we contracted with them to do our services.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in monetary terms or work-hour figure?

About $8,000 to $10,000.

When was the project started and completed?

The project started in late November of 2013 and it’s still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work they’ve delivered?

As far as social awareness, we’ve seen a steady increase essentially from the time they put us online, which was March 1 [2014]. From March 1 to now, the amount of hits, the amount of recognition, the amount of responses, the amount of likes that we’ve got on social media, the amount of interaction we got on it has increased exponentially. As far as social media, as far as talking to entities that we want to be involved with, bars, restaurants, hotels, it’s been a real positive experience working with A.S. Designs. 

The feedback from vendors who have purchased our products has been totally positive. They cannot believe, essentially, that a graphic design service here in the island of Hawaii did that work. We’ve been more than satisfied with them.

How well do you think they performed?

I think they performed excellently. It was not an easy project to do because the new ownership of our company had no experience with social media. They didn’t understand it. They didn’t think there was a need for it until we started meeting with A.S. Designs and have them pretty much explain to the ownership what social media is and what social media can do. They also explained why the website should look a certain way and why we should incorporate an online store. They actually took a baby situation and started growing it. We were more than happy with it.

When working with them, is there anything you’d consider unique or special about them that distinguishes them from other vendors you’ve used?

A.S. Designs is small, so they’re very personal. They interact with us. They monitor our website. We get feedback from them at 11 at night, 6 in the morning, we know that they’re on, looking and monitoring our website. That’s a big plus. They’re very personable. They understand the market we’re in. They bring up a lot of suggestions. They’ve opened some doors for us really early that we probably had to spend months to try and get into.

Is there any area that they could improve on or that you would do differently?

Where A.S. Designs could have improved is if they had a better understanding of the beer market. I believe they do have it now after spending six to eight months with us. However, we didn’t expect that from them, because we were the first brewery that came into their fold.