FINE

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We have a family-owned winery that’s been in business almost 25 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FINE?

It had been several years since our first website was created so the look was outdated. I was searching for a company that would work with us on more than just giving us a nice-looking website, rather one that would give us a website that told the story of our business to the consumers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were responsible for coming up with the concepts and the overall image of the website and helping us to update our branding in a digital sense. They presented us with 3 or 4 different looks of website, and we chose our favorite. They were also responsible for the copywriting, and that’s an important part of a website.

They did have challenges, but they took their time to do the project right the first time. It was a collaborative effort where they were constantly in touch with us and kept the communication open. We supplied them with the imagery that was needed for the project, and they selected the imagery which would tell our story best. I found an amazing photographer and tried to keep the imagery consistent with the site. FINE created a site that tells our story through imagery, as well as the copywriting, and they designed a creative and unique interactive homepage unlike any other in the wine industry.

We’ve been in business for 25 years, so we weren’t looking for them to design a logo for us, but we were looking for them to use our existing logos and incorporate them into an updated design.

FINE also recently worked with us to give our site the ability to post video blogs.

What is the team dynamic?

They have such a great team spirit and I truly love working with every member of the team, starting with Steve Fine who owns the company. Allyson Marrs [Writer and Project Director, FINE] is excellent and did the bulk of the work on the site; she is extremely talented and is a pleasure to work with. If I send her an email, I have an email response within 30-seconds. The whole team is great.

How did you come to work with FINE?

When I was looking for a company to redesign our website, I looked at other winery websites and saw which sites really caught my eye. When I researched the website designer on these particular sites, I found that both my favorites were created by FINE. I reached out to them and expressed what we wanted to do, and they were able to take what was in my head and bring it to life.

There are so many website design companies, and they vary in price. FINE was not one of the less expensive companies. They charge for their services appropriately, but I was beyond happy with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We paid $175,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March or April 2016. They worked quickly and they were realistic about their timelines. As the client when you hire someone, you want the website done in a month. It doesn’t work that way; it’s a huge undertaking as they were redesigning and rebranding a site that was outdated.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website has been up and running for about a year now. During that time, FINE has won a couple of website awards for their work on our website, which I’m proud of.  

How did FINE perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. They’re always on top of it. Any of our requests are met within a timely period. They manage our website, and any time I need to make changes, they are unbelievably cooperative and accommodating. They have great customer service.

We’ll continue to have a relationship with them in the future. It isn’t a case of we hired them to do our website and that’s the end. We have a great working relationship, and I’m happy to sing their praises.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They took the time to get to know us before they started developing a concept. They did their research and learned about our business and our story and were able to design a site that reflected our values and who we are as people.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They are not inexpensive, but a project like a website redesign is about your company's image. People looking at our website may not be familiar with our winery or out wines. The first impression is important, and you want it to be the right one.

I can justify the cost because the work will last for many years. They’ve brought us into 2017, and this site will carry us through at least the next 10 years. Technology changes, I understand that, and we’ll make those technological changes as time goes on, but from a branding standpoint, it’s the cost of doing business and it’s an important one.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Global Gourmet Catering offers full-service catering and event planning in the Bay Area. I founded the company 19 years ago, and am the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FINE?

I felt the catering market was not keeping up with the tech world. The industry was not technology driven and suffered from a lack of innovation. We decided to change that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked with them in 1998, right at the beginning. Kenn Fine [Principal and Executive Creative Director, FINE] came up with our company name and original branding. The website grew from that, and FINE has seen us through two full web redevelopment cycles. They were responsible for a new logo design and mobile-friendly website, which were both completed over a four-month period in 2016.

They continue to add functionality, including livestream video from events and chef demos. They’ve provided SEO services, both on the site itself and through link building, since 2011.

How did you come to work with FINE?

It was a new industry in 1998, but we wanted a marketing and web development agency. We worked together at my previous business, so we were familiar with them. They also had the best reputation in the area.

How much have you invested with them?

In the past 12 months, we’ve spent about $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve had a longstanding relationship, and will continue to work together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our first website instantly made us a force to be reckoned with. Each redevelopment has given us the best web presence of any caterer in the Bay Area, perhaps the whole country. They constantly give us the best in the market. The product is gorgeous, and on-trend from a culinary and events perspective. We’re known as the tech caterer, and our site makes our purchasing demographic feel at home.

We’ve seen steady growth since we started SEO development, and monthly traffic was up roughly 250% after last year’s relaunch. Client feedback is tremendous, and our site sets the bar for our competitors.

How did FINE perform from a project management standpoint?

They were exceptional, and really incredible communicators. Every project they’ve worked on was delivered on time and on budget, with no surprises. They corral my teams to improve their efficiency.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re phenomenal. They’re fun, brilliant, and a pleasure to work with. They’re one of our best vendor relationships, and they make us look amazing. I can’t imagine my business without their participation, and I wouldn’t change anything about our experience with them.

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your organization and your role there?

I’m a managing director at Meritech Capital. Meritech Capital is a venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge you were trying to address when you approached FINE Design Group?

We wanted to make a new website that accurately reflected our brand. We had a 10-year old, dated website.

Did you have any specific goals with regard to the website?

Foremost was trying to reflect our brand and our unique positioning in the market.

SOLUTION

Can you describe the scope of the work on their end? Were they responsible for delivering the entire solution and what did that involve?

They were responsible for the entire solution. They worked hand in hand with our team to understand our company’s culture and the message we wanted to convey to potential viewers of the website.

They built the system for us. [The new system] allows us to make changes, so we can do all that in house. It is much more flexible. We update the site regularly using those tools.

How long did the project take?

Maybe four months. It was around November of 2011 to February of 2012.

Why did you select FINE Design Group with which to work?

We interviewed and evaluated many web design firms. Among all of them, we thought they had the best grasp of our particular needs and the culture that we wanted to reflect in the website. We felt they were the most genuinely interested in understanding us as a unique company and building for us a unique solution.

The other thing is that the two people that worked on our project, the project manager and the CEO of the company, were extremely impressive, smart and easy to work with. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of the results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that might indicate the effectiveness of their work?

The reaction from everybody inside our firm has been unanimously positive. Routinely, we get positive feedback from entrepreneurs who visit our site who say it’s great, and that it gave them a good sense of who we are and attracted them to it and made them more interested in meeting with us as a partner, in working with us. It was all positive.

How would you describe FINE Design Group’s performance throughout?

Excellent.