Groundwrk

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Marketing of Larson Financial

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a one-stop financial resource firm dedicated to ensuring that all our clients, colleagues, and communities are flourishing in their financial and personal lives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Groundwrk to accomplish?

• Design and build a new site for Larson.com
• Integrate other affiliate firms into the Larson.com ecosystem

SOLUTION

How did you find Groundwrk?

Referral

Why did you select Groundwrk over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Brand design/vision was fresh

How many teammates from Groundwrk were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Design a branded site that brought multiple affilates under one site - Larson.com:

• Deliver mutiple design options for management to review 
• Currate a site that met the needs of our advisory services, real estate investing, and tax services 
• Build component functionality into the site for in-house staff to accomplish future builds/changes
• Build out a robust map showcasing advisor locations and all real estate investments

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Go live on Jan 1, 2023

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They were very responsive and accommodating to our requests and work diligently to ensure the timeline and expectations were met and stayed the course. High level of project management.

What was your primary form of communication with Groundwrk?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

• Laidback but detailed and highly professional.
• They know their stuff, their teams work well together, and they work well with our teams.
• Able to interact with executive management without breaking the core of who they are.

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

Nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the creative director at RemoteLock, a SaaS company providing universal access control software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Groundwrk, and what were your goals?

Our website was built on a dated content management system and had become a chore to manage. Worse, it was limiting our ability to create new content and rank well for SEO. We needed a modern, responsive website with a CMS that would enable us to grow and change over the next few years. We also needed it to enable good SEO practices to improve our search rankings.

SOLUTION

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

We talked to three other agencies. Groundwrk was honest and direct with their answers, and didn't simply say, "yes, of course" when we asked if they could do something. I felt I could trust their estimates for work. They have a strong portfolio and came in at a competitive price point.

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

We came to Groundwrk with much of the early documentation completed. They reviewed this work with us and helped us identify what we'd missed. From there, we pretty quickly moved into wireframes and mockups. We provided a couple rounds of feedback, changes were made, and Groundwrk began development work. We started with the most straight-forward pages which gave us time to refine the remaining content while development was in progress.

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

We worked with Randall, the founder, throughout the project. Courtney was our project manager (she wore many hats) and was extremely helpful and responsive throughout the entire project. We were introduced to their designer and web developer, but we met with them less frequently.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Creating new web pages is easier than ever for us. We feel free to design pages however we like with minimal effort and no development experience. Our webpages look much better on mobile devices, which make up more than 30% of our total web traffic.

We've been able to put all of our landing pages for paid search on the same platform, making analytics easier. We went from having many pages with SEO issues, to applying best practices across the site. We hope to see measurable results for the SEO effort in the upcoming months.

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

Generally, it was an iterative approach managed by Courtney and Randall. They were very responsive throughout the entire project. Groundwrk was flexible in their approach and took our preferences into account. Early rounds of feedback were gathered using Figma or during video calls. Files were organized and shared on Google Drive. Once the website was live on Wordpress, we were able to do much of our feedback directly on the website. We made changes page-by-page as they were created.

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

The most impressive part? It had to be the end results! We love the website they helped us create. Groundwrk worked with us every step of the way. They kept scope-creep to a minimum and communicated clearly. They more than earned our trust and we'd be excited to work with them again.

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

There are always going to be myriad challenges when taking on a project this large. We were very happy with their performance throughout the project. I genuinely don't have any significant criticism.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Sr. Director of Legal, Risk, HR and our company's mission is to make real estate investments, primarily focused on the multifamily sector within the continental United States, where outcomes are enhanced through our human capital and substantial value is created for investors, teammates, and the communities in which we operate.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Groundwrk, and what were your goals?

We hired Groundwrk to help us design and develop our website from scratch after a company spinoff. They also helped us design and quickly launch a temp site/placeholder site while our new website was under development.

SOLUTION

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

Randall was referred to me by a colleague.

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

We had a kick-off meeting for them to learn about Aimco and what we wanted and then meetings to discuss layout, desires, etc. During the course of our design and development, we decided to go a different direction with the site and started over from scratch which made the process take a bit longer, but it allowed for us to end up with a product that we were super excited about.

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

We worked with Randall and Courtney. There were also others behind the scenes who we didn't work with directly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The reception and feedback on our new site has been incredible. People have just been shocked by the level of quality and beauty that our website exhibits. We couldn't be more proud of what the product was and how everything turned out.

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

We received weekly update emails and then had periodic meetings throughout the process. As we prepared to launch, we had meetings more often to ensure we were on target.

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

Working with Randall was the best part of my experience with Groundwrk. Also, the fact that we were able to develop our site in such a short period of time.

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

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing and communications manager for a national, aeromedical company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groundwrk?

Our website looked unpleasant and its backend was a complete mess. We wanted a platform that was fresh and interactive but also had a backend that we could use to easily and quickly update things.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with their graphic designer and developers, and they presented us with a mock-up homepage. From there, they started to build out the whole website based on the look we approved. Their team used WordPress to develop this version of the website.

We wanted to highlight our different programs throughout the country, so Groundwrk built a map that allowed users to click on different locations and gather more information. Their team also built a patient and family center where flown patients can gather all the information they need after their experiences being airlifted for a medical emergency. Those patients can get quick information on the billing process. They also designed the website to showcase our partnerships with major hospitals throughout the country. Now, Groundwrk’s working on websites for different areas of our company.

What is the team composition?

There were two main developers, a graphic designer, and two project managers.

How did you come to work with Groundwrk?

A friend of mine asked around her office about local design firms because she works for a recruitment organization. She suggested Groundwrk and then we went through the RFP process. Our teams’ personalities blended well, and their cost and process led to us choosing them.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we spent $100,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in May 2020 and the website went live. However, we have an ongoing relationship with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We sought a website that was easy to use and had a fresh look. They absolutely delivered 100% on those goals. I’ve worked on a lot of website redesigns but this was the best that I’ve seen. Their creativity allowed them to add to the project.

How did Groundwrk perform from a project management standpoint?

Groundwrk had a clear plan for the project and made our deliverables clear too. Besides the hold-ups on our end, it was seamless. I primarily communicated with the two project managers via emails and phone calls. For design or feature reviews, we had Zoom calls. They had a collaborative approach, so we continuously worked together to create the best product. That was great. They also adjusted based on what we needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed by their responsiveness. When we needed something, they quickly responded. We also had some changes throughout the project, and their team was great about ensuring everything went smoothly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, no. Everything they did was wonderful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ensure that your technical infrastructure is ready. Work closely with your IT team so that the development process will be smooth.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of LRoss Marketing Consulting

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Groundwrk?

My business was in dire need of a new logo and brand guidelines. I hired Groundwrk for these reasons.

What were your goals for this project?

To convey my value propositions and differentiators through sleek, modern design

SOLUTION

How did you select Groundwrk?

I've known Randall for years now, and I knew him and his team would create something awesome, and they did!

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We began with a discovery meeting, and then initial black and white designs, then into brand colors and colored designs. The entire time Randall and his team were extremely patient with me while I asked a million questions, and we discovered the perfect logo for my business.

What was the team composition?

I worked with Randall and had meetings with one of his designers Mike Jolly. Randall was there to offer his experienced opinion, so we had a couple different minds coming at the project and offering insight.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I'm extremely happy about the outcome of the work, now I'm working with his team to start building out my website to match the incredibly brand guidelines I have!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was seamless, we had a meeting about every other week or so for a month, and Randall and the team were very responsive via email in the interim of the meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The attention to detail, passion, and expertise of the team impressed us the most. I learned a lot about design and could tell that this wasn't just a job for them this was their calling.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I could think of

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Mile High Youth Corps provides career pathways programs in land and energy & water conservation, construction and healthcare to youth ages 17-24 in Denver, CO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Groundwrk?

MHYC hired Groundwrk to help us with a complete redesign of our website. In addition to redesign Groundwrk was also asked to help us navigate to a new web host and donation system to embed on the site.

What were your goals for this project?

MHYC went through a branding overhaul in 2017, we were looking to the website as the final piece to help us round out our branding and marketing overhaul. The goal was to create a visually stunning website that did a much better job of describing our programs.

We wanted the website to reflect that we work with young people and provide mobilization for phones that still captured the overall look and appeal of the website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

MHYC developed a RFP and Groundwrk submitted a proposal. The submission was comprehensive and reasonable in price. Randall jumped on a call in response to additional questions we had and was great in answering them and helping us walk through what the process would look like.

Groundwrk's proposal was technical but also made it reasonable to understand and capture what we could expect during this process from start to finish.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Randall and his team met with a working group at the start of the project to understand some elements of our work and apply that info to the project. From there we were presented with a design concept a few weeks later that gave the look and feel of the site we could expect.

We were pleasantly surprised from this first design launch meeting that short of a few tweaks the team at Groundwrk did a really great job at that first iteration in capturing the feel for our brand. We were able to go back and forth with some edits and then from there the Development of the site was underway.

From this point our team at MHYC was tasked with editing content and copy (as was our request, to have full control of the content), using a system in SlickPlan it was really easy to navigate that process and relay our edits and changes which were managing in a timely fashion.

What was the team composition?

The Groundwrk team was comprised of three members with Randall as our primary contact and project manager throughout the whole project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We have had a tremendous amount of positive feedback from our community immediately upon launch. Our staff and alumni are really proud to showoff our new site and have used this as a tool to talk about our work.

The previous website was less useful and so we are elated to have such a helpful tool available for our supporters. We are going to launch a new hiring season in the next few weeks and are eager to compare the web traffic to new site during this hiring event.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Randall is your main contact and he is extremely effective. The response time is quick and he was great about jumping on a call to help walk through any questions that were tough to navigate through back and forth on email.

We completed this project during COVID19 and all of the challenges of navigating work. Randall and his team kept us on track and were great about quickly converting in person meetings to virtual meetings to help ensure we were continuing to move forward.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Quick response and ability to adapt to challenges that arose during project (COVID19). The quality of the final product was outstanding.

Are there any areas for improvement?

n/a

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the COO of a personal and professional development company headquartered in Denver, CO. Our company serves thousands of people all over the world to transform their lives. I am in charge of the business operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Groundwrk?

Our company had three different websites that were created at the inception of the company. As we've grown and updated our offering, the sites were not adept at communicating to new clients efficiently. Randall and his team designed three new websites that really took into consideration the new client perspective and how best to position the company's many offerings.

What were your goals for this project?

The main goal for this project was to create websites that were brand-aligned, clear and concise, and drove people to sign up for programs. Randall has worked with our web developers throughout the entire process and has been a tremendous support.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I have a background in digital marketing and web development and know the many challenges working with an agency can have. Randall is up front, has a process that he communicates and sticks to, and remains at the forefront of what's happening in the marketing industry, making him a no brainer to work with.

Describe the project in detail.

Randall has a process he uses for each website project. We started by filling out a questionnaire and then had an in depth kick off meeting where we discussed the goals of the site, brand standards, and features and functionality we ultimately wanted. After the meeting, we iterated on the site map and then had a design presentation on the home page. Once the home page was approved, we went through the same present/iterative process for a sub page and wireframes. Then Randall and the designer did a design asset hand off to our developer and remained engaged throughout the website build.

What was the team composition?

Randall was my main point of contact. However, I also worked with a designer and web developer throughout.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our projects are still in development.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Randall has been a dream to work with. His knowledge, attention to detail, and commitment to adding value has made each of our projects better than I could have hoped for.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Randall went above and beyond at every juncture of our project. He came prepared with great ideas and was understanding about the unique nature of our company. I really felt like he was part of our team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I'm really happy with all parts of this process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

WJ Advisors LLC is an aviation management consulting firm, assisting airport operators with business, financial, commercial, and strategic planning services. I am the Managing Partner of WJ Advisors LLC.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Groundwrk?

We need a fresh approach and new website, as our existing website was antiquated and did not effectively display the firm or its brand.

What were your goals for this project?

To effectively promote the brand of WJ Advisors LLC and to do so in a well organized, easy to use website that was visually appealing and would be relevant 5 to 10 years from now.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Randall (owner of Groundwrk) is a very genuine, hard working, and client-focused individual who is very knowledgeable about website development as well as brand development. I did not find the same individuals and/or quality of services from two or three of the other well established website development companies in the Denver area.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project involved the development of a new website design, from navigation, to look and feel, and to brand image. Groundwrk carefully walked me through each of the steps in the development of our new website where we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of major design decisions. I felt that the advice that was being given to me was very reliable and informed by broad industry experience.

What was the team composition?

A lead website developer and technical programmer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We have already seen an increase in traffic on our new website, and the new site has allowed us to create a more comprehensive look at other promotional material as part of a broad refresh of our corporate image.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project management part of the process was well organized, yet flexible given our travel schedules. Most of our meetings were through on-line shared meeting spaces and was well organized and to the point.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed with their singular focused on what was right for our company and I found that their advice was unbiased and was informed by years of experience.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really. I found that under the circumstances, which primarily was having to delay content meetings due to my travel schedule, that Randall and his team did a great job of being flexible, while continuing to make progress on the website.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company, CNS Imports is a Wine and Spirits Importer and Distributor. We bring in products from Asia and sell our products within many states in the US, and we also self distribute in CA and NY. CNS is a family owned business, and I am the current CEO and second generation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Groundwrk?

We looked to Randall and Groundwrk to refresh two of our sites, cnsimports.com and ca.cnsimports.com. Our old site was created 7 years ago and we were looking for a fresh and current look that repreented our company better in the industry.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to have a well designed, and easy navigational site. As well, we wanted to showcase our products and also allow our Wine & Spirits catalog to be available for review and download. The site needed to be easily maintained in house by a staff member whose main function is not technical. The sites needed to work well on all the major web browesrs as well as most popular mobile devices.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had worked with Randall at his previous employment. Randall was our project lead and was always very professional and communicative. The teams work was always high quality and the service exceptional

Describe the project in detail.

We needed our websites updated. entirely new look, with all our products updated and a catalog made available on the site. Randall's team was also able to give us access to analytics and help us with some basic SEO for better search engine results. Both were pluses that we had not thought to ask for. We also added an additional project of having Groundwrk redesign our Catalog(s) using Adobe Indesign. Good design and easy for our inhouse staff member to update.

What was the team composition?

Randall was our main point, and we worked with as well as a developer and designer for the project.We worked with them through conference calls and video conferencing which was very smooth considering they are based in Colorado and us in California.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our site was just recently launched, but we've had some positive feedback from suppliers and brands looking to work with us. We are just beginning to familiarize ourselves with the Google Analytics feature and plan to make use of it in future marketing campaigns.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow with us and Groundwrk was very smooth. Responses were very timely. I never felt I had to chase anyone down when I had questions or requested meetings. They were very proactive about guiding me and my team to get the project done. Extremely helpful in that way.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Service level is exceptional. So many vendors do not communicate well, and projects are often delayed. We did not have any of these problems with Groundwrk

Are there any areas for improvement?

I have no problem giving suggestions, but on experience with this project, we do not have anything to add in terms of improvement. Our expectations were very well met.