Award-winning Digital Agency
HMG Creative is a full-service digital agency that boosts the marketing efforts of growing brands with creative services in branding, web design and development, and marketing. As a collaborative partner, we deliver creative expertise and unmatched reliability to empower your next business evolution.
We are a boutique, Austin-based team with roots in San Diego and clients across the nation. Our crew consists of passionate strategists, top-of-the-line developers and forward-thinking designers whose approach is propelled by innovation and shaped by industry trends. Most of all, we’re your team’s creative experts – an extension of your brand here to navigate you through every step on your journey to success.
With HMG, your project will be delivered through a tried and tested methodology that produces impressive, consistent results. Always starting with the end in mind, HMG partners with your team to cultivate purpose-driven growth for your brand.
Focus
Portfolio
HMG Creative has partnered with hundreds of brands including Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bucc-ee's, trueCABLE, SpyCloud, Texas A&M, OriGen Biomedical, Humco, Babson Diagnostics, Capital Factory, The Marriott, IKEA, State Bar of Texas, Cox Communications, OnStream Media, Brinks Security, Terminix, Retail Me Not, The Art Institute, among other notable clients.
Bucc-ee's
Project Overview
HMG partnered with the Buc-ee’s team to modernize their site with an updated look and feel. With current limitations in accessibility, mobile-friendliness, and overall structure, we knew the new website needed to provide a better user experience for both visitors looking for information and team members making updates to the site. Most importantly, we wanted the website to serve as a seamless experience from the store to the digital space. Overall, the fun, friendly vibe of the Buc-ee’s brand is now equally represented in both the digital and physical space. Though an in-person visit to a Buc-ee’s store will forever be unparalleled, the digital experience offers any type of visitor a small piece of the beloved Buc-ee flavor.
About Bucc-ee's
One of Texas’ most widely recognized brands, Buc-ee’s has a long-standing reputation as the go-to pit stop for roadtrippers throughout Texas since 1982. Represented by the familiar, witty beaver we’ve all grown to love, Buc-ee’s is committed to providing a clean, friendly, and in stock experience for all customers. Buc-ee’s proudly holds the record for the cleanest restrooms in America and the world’s largest convenience store.
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Project Overview
HMG Creative partnered with Thermo Fisher Scientific to support and augment their email marketing team. The engagement has since expanded to include large-scale web production, UI/UX design, and over a thousand HTML email production projects. HMG Creative also actively assists several different businesses under the Thermo Fisher brand. Together we have created an ongoing, long-lasting partnership.
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenues of $18 billion and more than 55,000 employees globally. Their Scientific’s innovations help scientists around the world from solving complex analytical challenges to pioneering discoveries, in a way that caters to their needs and preferred methods. Thermo Fisher Scientific’s product base includes lab equipment, lab plasticware, mass spectrometry, chromatography, molecular biology, protein biology, clinical and diagnostics and more.
trueCABLE
Project Overview
HMG had the opportunity to partner with trueCABLE through nearly every service we offer, becoming a truly integrated extension of the trueCABLE team. We dove into learning about the company, held customer interviews, and performed a brand discovery workshop to gain insight about trueCABLE’s identity as a brand and its ideal customers. After extensive research and analysis, we presented trueCABLE with a comprehensive Brand Toolkit, outlining brand characteristics, positioning, and messaging. We then created a unique marketing strategy, redesigned their website for a better user experience, and created a holistic marketing plan.
After working with trueCABLE for over a year, their brand has experienced monumental growth. From a relatively unknown cable brand to a top contender among industry professionals, trueCABLE has established itself as a trustworthy, friendly manufacturer of high-quality cable products.
About trueCABLE
In 2015, trueCABLE started to shake up an outdated industry. Their simple goal: deliver the fastest, most reliable low-voltage supplies directly to your door and back it up with stellar customer support. Whether you’re a seasoned installer or a do-it-yourselfer, trueCABLE has what you need, when you need it. Their Networking Experts have years of experience, and take the time to create a high quality product that will last years in the field.
RH-ISAC
Project Overview
RH-ISAC approached HMG Creative looking for an easier way to update its website, as it was built on a proprietary framework that made it challenging to add pages and edit content. We migrated their site to WordPress and started an ongoing partnership providing web maintenance. Our team worked to uncover RH-ISAC’s brand story through a collaborative brand workshop, stakeholder interviews, and market research that helped us craft clear messaging around the brand. A considerable focus then went to the structure and organization of the website to ensure we were providing an excellent user experience for anyone site visitors. Converging from the previous site, we wanted to make it clear to any and all visitors that RH-ISAC is first and foremost a community, and the power of its organization lies in the collaboration of its members. Prospective members can now clearly determine the value of a membership with RH-ISAC through clear brand messaging and a fluid user journey. This clarity opens the door for more memberships, higher quality information being shared, and overall greater value for members and the cybercommunity.
About RH-ISAC
The Retail & Hospitality ISAC was built to create a secure place for retailers to share cybersecurity information and intelligence to not only better protect their own companies, but to also strengthen the entire sector – a rising tide lifting all boats. They are committed to being the most trusted voice in cybersecurity intelligence and information sharing for consumer-facing organizations.
SpyCloud
Project Overview
SpyCloud came to us at HMG ready for a digital presence that could support the rapid growth the company was experiencing. Their existing site offered a modern aesthetic but was lacking critical components for success: intuitive navigation, effective user engagement, and high-quality lead generation. Additionally, the site provided a confusing administrative experience, making it challenging for nontechnical staff members to make any updates. We took things back to square one and redefined the brand through a comprehensive brand strategy by interviewing current and potential clients of SpyCloud, as well as employees and stakeholders. We then brought the results and our research to an interactive Discovery Workshop with the team where we worked through exercises to uncover what it is that makes SpyCloud so awesome. By restructuring the site to better represent the company’s offerings and to more strategically connect with clearly defined target audiences, SpyCloud saw the time on site increase significantly for both organic search and direct visitors. Their team received detailed training on how to use the Elementor Page Builder to make site updates, leaving the team much less frustrated with administrative responsibilities. Upon launch, SpyCloud received lots of positive feedback on the overall aesthetics and improved user experience on the new site.
About SpyCloud
SpyCloud offers powerful, easy-to-use solutions to prevent online fraud by stopping account takeover (ATO) attacks. They quickly recover the most current breached data directly from the criminal underground and make that data truly actionable. As the trusted ATO prevention partner for B2B organizations and consumer brands, SpyCloud’s solutions ultimately make the internet a safer place to do business.
Babson Diagnostics
Project Overview
Babson Diagnostics approached us as an established startup poised for growth but limited by its web presence. In preparation for growth and increased brand awareness, Babson required a more sophisticated web presence that would more effectively appeal to its primary audience of potential investors over competitors with a superior brand presence. To determine the most effective site structure, we identified the various audiences that would be visiting the site and mapped out unique user journeys. Each step of our design and development was informed by a purpose-driven approach, evaluating each target audience’s predicted interaction with the site. From the onset of the project, it became abundantly clear that Babson was in need of a site that clearly communicated relevant information about the brand to investors and future customers while positioning it for growth and increased engagement. A user-friendly site now serves as a platform to validate Babson’s research and development within the industry, display the capabilities of this new diagnostic technology, and educate and influence site visitors. Babson Diagnostics is currently enjoying the results of a new web presence that provides credibility for the brand and its important research, and we are enjoying a long-term partnership by providing continued support for Babson’s ongoing marketing needs.
About Babson Diagnostics
Babson Diagnostics is a medical technology company working to improve customers’ health by making diagnostic blood testing more convenient, accessible, and human.
System Surveyor
Project Overview
As a growing brand, System Surveyor approached the HMG team for support in marketing its sophisticated system design software to new audiences. The goal was to establish an enhanced digital presence that would better portray the brand digitally and increase lead generation. As a foundation for the web design process, we set out to help the team clarify and tell their original brand story. From strategists to developers, our team completely immersed ourselves in System Surveyor’s brand and industry. Using our findings, we developed a unique Brand Toolkit that shapes System Surveyor’s brand positioning and paints a robust picture of the value the business brings to customers and the market. Based on the new messaging defined in System Surveyor’s brand story, we reorganized content on the site to clearly convey what sets the brand apart from competitors, as well as the value it brings to customers. The site’s architecture and messaging laid the foundation for a web presence that appeals to new clientele, generates new leads, and ultimately, increases sales. As a result, System Suurveyor received a very positive response on their rebranding efforts, and traffic is up on their website. They now appear like a larger, more professional company, which has helped them build confidence within their consumer base.
About System Surveyors
System Surveyor provides system integrators, technology directors, and consultants one place to gather site survey information. Through visualization and collaboration, customers and stakeholders can create an accurate system design and a digital as-built. System Surveyor aims to eliminate inefficient site surveys that take hours to put into an accurate, professional, and actionable system design.
College Forward
Project Overview
When College Forward approached HMG about a web redesign, its previous website was outdated and in need of a more professional look to appeal to both partners and donors. To establish a comprehensive strategy for the site’s new design, HMG first defined College Forward’s organizational goals: increasing donations, making student resources more accessible, and scheduling more demos for CoPilot – an industry-leading student information system. Designing a site that supported these overall goals, we focused on creating a better digital experience by improving site speed, response time, and mobile functionality. In a smooth, enjoyable process, we collaboratively moved through brand evaluation, web strategy, and web design and development to produce a sophisticated digital presence for an organization with a nationwide impact on education.
About College Forward
College Forward is a nationally-recognized, near-peer coaching program that pairs recent college graduates with students who are underserved to empower them to achieve their post-secondary goals. The organization hopes to lead by building and sharing the most effective, most efficient, and most exciting college access and completion programs in the country.
InfiniteIO
InfiniteIO makes hybrid cloud storage simple and fast, enabling enterprises, research organizations and media companies to analyze, optimize and scale management of billions of files without disruption.
With only a basic website to share InfiniteIO’s cutting-edge features and service, the team knew it was time for a more robust site to support the company’s growth.
Reaching out to HMG, InfiniteIO came with a clear goal: create a sophisticated website with clear messaging to generate leads, inform consumers, and move visitors to action.
The steepest challenge with InfiniteIO’s site was marketing a very complex and sophisticated product in a clear and simple way. We gave special attention to developing clean navigation that clearly communicated the benefits of the product.
We developed custom functionalities to support InfiniteIO’s goals for growth, including a HubSpot integration, a secure resources section, a downloadable recruitment tool for lead generation, and a member login.
We also designed marketing collateral and a custom email template, ensuring every touchpoint with the market would be strategic, engaging and beautiful.
InfiniteIO’s new site has become a powerful tool that positions the company for growth as more users discover its product. The site now mimics the sophistication of its own technological solution, yet simply delivers a clear message to customers, partners, and resellers alike: there’s a better way to manage hybrid cloud storage.
SINC
Through customized, first-class event experiences, SINC strengthens IT communities by connecting and educating IT executives and software providers.
With increasing attendees signing up for SINC’s specialized IT events, SINC noticed users were struggling to navigate through the site and successfully register. The team also felt the website didn't accurately reflect the mission of the organization to provide networking and educational opportunities for IT professionals.
SINC partnered with HMG to create a digital experience for its website visitors that would provide a better representation of its portfolio and clearer CTAs to drive users to take action.
Developing the site on WordPress, we incorporated a customizable page builder so staff could easily add content and create layouts for each event. The design also included a HubSpot integration that synthesized client data into SINC’s CRM. Our team additionally added enhancements to SINC's existing logo and color palettes for a sharper, modernized brand aesthetic.
SINC’s original website didn’t offer clear differentiation between audiences, so we restructured the site’s architecture with strategic color schemes, messaging, and navigation options. To boost engagement, we incorporated lead generation forms and developed a member login and a highly customized event calendar.
With a sophisticated, modernized site, SINC is now empowered to connect with visitors and truly promote and build community within the IT industry.
RetailMeNot
Project Overview
Last year, RetailMeNot came to HMG requesting web design and development assistance for a new Customer Appreciation Campaign. The project had very detailed specifications and guidelines for converting the current RetailMeNot blog interface into styled-out blog pages that highlight the new campaign, the company’s bloggers and recent articles as well as the integration of a live Q&A chat section, reader polls, advertising and of course all social media platforms.
While the timeline was tight and expectations were tall, the entire web project was completed ahead of schedule and the end-result was a design and development approved by the highest standards, our client’s.
About RetailMeNot
With more than 500,000 active coupons and 140,000 stores, the daily-deal site is the leading destination for online coupons. By encouraging users to upload deals and help grow the site, RetailMeNot has established a vibrant discount marketplace and passionate user base. The site also allows our users to rate and rank coupons, so the most successful coupons move to the top of the page, ensuring that the best deals are just a click away.
Texas Bar College
Project Overview
Texas Bar College partnered with HMG Creative to revamp their online presence for their honorary society of Texas lawyers. This was truly a “content first” project, our initial focus was on the overall user experience. The new site is fully responsive and was developed on the WordPress framework. In the end, we delivered a website that is aesthetically pleasing, functioning and a better representation of the organization’s current positioning.
About Texas Bar College
The Texas Bar College is an honorary society of lawyers who continue to enhance their professional skills through continued education well beyond the minimum requirements. Members of the organization consist of qualified attorneys who are interested in both high ethical standards and improved training for all Texas attorneys.
The Spa Mart
Project Overview
The team at The Spa Mart knew to approach their new spa distribution venture with a strong emphasis on technology, and that’s where HMG Creative came in. We worked together to create a bold, fresh brand and build their overall marketing strategy. Following this, we designed and developed their website into a Magento eCommerce platform—the world’s most popular eCommerce content management solution. The new website acts as a long-term web solution for The Spa Mart, providing an authentic representation of the organization and its impact on the spa, salon, wellness, and spa education industries. HMG also provided launch and post-launch support and continues to support The Spa Mart’s ongoing marketing needs.
About The Spa Mart
The Spa Mart is a wholesale spa distribution company exclusive to the spa, wellness, salon and spa education industries. The Spa Mart is dedicated to serving the spa industry by providing continued education, the highest-quality curated products, and authentic customer service.
Humco Compounding
Project Overview
Humco Compounding partnered with HMG Creative to consolidate its web presence into a single and cohesive customer resource. The aim was to create a seamless user experience that is aesthetically pleasing, fully responsive and mobile-friendly. HMG Creative planned, architected, designed, developed and supported the new, unified website to meet the needs of Humco Compounding and to cater to their audience. The new site allows mentors, staff, and general visitors to seamlessly navigate the site and easily locate desired information and transact online.
About Humco Compounding
Humco Compounding is a global pharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing pharmaceuticals and high-quality over-the-counter medicines. Humco works with pharmacists, physicians, healthcare providers and patients in order to provide the best possible treatments to patients around the world.
Capital Factory
Project Overview
Capital Factory partnered with HMG Creative to revamp their entire online presence and build a scalable, long-term web solution. Capital Factory had evolved as an organization, so the goal of the new design was to provide a more authentic and accurate representation of the brand and its values. To achieve this goal, we utilized WordPress to create a user-friendly interface that is aesthetically pleasing, fully-responsive and caters to the needs of the startup community. The new site allows mentors, staff, and general visitors to seamlessly navigate the site and easily locate desired information.
About Capital Factory
Capital Factory is a community for entrepreneurs and startups to work in a creative environment and build their businesses. Capital Factory offers hundreds of events and resources throughout the year to present its members with opportunities such as meeting their investors, partners, employees and more.
Raise Your Hand Texas
Project Overview
HMG was thrilled to partner with Raise Your Hand Texas to help develop their new website. The new, fully responsive website was developed via WordPress, incorporating the latest in visual design best practices and technology. What’s great about this site is that it is very modular and we purposely built a custom, intuitive WordPress admin that allows Raise Your Hand Texas to easily design and layout their own engaging, nicely designed pages, moving forward. The new site was designed around Raise Your Hand Texas’ branding standards to ensure brand consistency. We incorporated full-width background videos across multiple pages to enhance the viewer experience. We also made it very easy for the user to find and connect from all of Raise Your Hand Texas’ social media accounts, in one simple place. Finally, this new website has been optimized using SEO best practices to ensure success among their target audience.
About Raise Your Hand Texas
Raise Your Hand Texas exists to improve and advance public schools for all Texas students because all kids deserve a level playing field and equal access to a high-quality, free public education. They are unique among educational organizations because of the investments they make span research, programs, and advocacy in pursuit of a high-quality public education for every single Texas student.
The State Bar of Texas
Project Overview
The State Bar of Texas came to HMG Creative with a goal of revamping their online web presence. This redesign project was far larger than anything we had ever worked on before, but we were eager to get started as soon as we got the offer! The State Bar of Texas has always served as the first place that bar members and the public go for information about Texas lawyers, the State Bar and laws in Texas. Keeping that in mind throughout the whole project, we created a fully responsive website that enhanced the overall user experience, simplified their current web offerings and enriched the member/public value overall. We were responsible for creating all the visual design on the site including: typography, color palettes, layout of elements, gird systems and the usage of imagery within the entire design. Unlike most projects, we created the final website code renderings for all the designs and then sent them over to The State Bar of Texas to be integrated through the back-door of the website on their end.
About The State Bar of Texas
The State Bar of Texas is an administrative agency of the state’s judicial branch that provides educational programs for the legal profession and the public, administers the Minimum Continuing Legal Education program for attorneys, and manages the grievance process.
Texas A&M
Project Overview
Even though we’re Austinites and Longhorns at heart, HMG Creative was thrilled for the opportunity to tackle a website redesign project for Texas A&M University. The university’s online Student Activities Portal needed a facelift to create a more engaging and better overall user experience. We began building the new fully responsive site with our primary audience in mind – the students. The fresh, modern design provides quick access to the most popular sections on the site, with easy-to-navigate pages and a rich color scheme that promotes and enhances the Texas A&M University brand. We built the site on the WordPress CMS – fast, strong, and more than capable of supporting the high traffic and plentiful content of the site.
About Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University (or TAMU) located in College Station, Texas is the sixth largest university in the country. Known for their 12th Man traditions and deep-rooted school pride, it’s no surprise the university draws in thousands of new students each year from all over the world. The school offers over 1000 student organizations, boasting outlets for virtually everyone to find their niche within the A&M community. The online Student Activities Portal serves as the first step toward connecting with those groups and we’re proud to unveil the new and improved site to the TAMU students and staff!
Reviews
the project
Full Website Build for Educational Nonprofit
"We're very thankful that they were patient with us in trying to make sure that everything looked right."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the operations coordinator at Austin Partners in Education. We’re an educational nonprofit that works with Austin Independent School District (ISD) better serve students. I was leading the website development project for our team.
What challenge were you trying to address with HMG Creative?
Our Drupal website had been built in 2005 and was very outdated. The design was terrible, so I would often receive phone calls from users who found it unnavigable. We hired HMG Creative to give us a brand new look for our website.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They designed and developed a new website from scratch. HMG revamped our logo (the basis of which had been designed by IBM last year) to reflect the Austin skyline. Their team migrated us over to WordPress and redesigned the website to be customizable and user-friendly. I believe they used HTML.
They also helped us with some Visualforce pages on Salesforce. This entails APEX coding, so they helped us integrate them into our website. They used a plugin called Elementor Pro.
While the website’s launched, we’ve since hired them to be an ongoing hosting partner.
What is the team composition?
We worked primarily with two people: Daniel (Creative Services Manager), who served as our project manager, and Blaine (Senior Visual Designer). We also worked with Johnny (Creative Director) who helped us with some of our Salesforce pages.
How did you come to work with HMG Creative?
We sent out RFPs to a couple of web development companies in the Austin area. We reached out to HMG Creative due to several considerations. One was that a board member of ours had recommended them. Secondly, a similar company to ours had utilized HMG Creative, and their website looked great. Lastly, our executive director had seen their name on the list of the top website companies, featured in an Austin-focused business journal.
Upon receiving their pitch in response to the RFP, we felt that they’d be able to meet our needs. They’re very responsive and quick to answer our questions. We felt that they’d be a good fit for us.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent somewhere around $33,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working together in December 2019 and the website was launched in July. We still have an ongoing relationship.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The website they created is beautiful, and we’ve received many compliments on it. The quality of their service was also great. They’re very responsive, which was a key highlight of our engagement. We would frequently go back and forth.
We're very thankful that they were patient with us in trying to make sure that everything looked right. We were generally very pleased with how their designs and our website turned out.
How did HMG Creative perform from a project management standpoint?
We utilized email to communicate, and they always got back to my questions within a day, at the latest. We used Google Docs to provide feedback, and they were very receptive. There were delays that were out of their control; they tried their best despite the COVID-19 curveballs to our schedule.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I really appreciated how customizable they made the backend of our new website. It’s super customizable, and it’s easy for us to navigate on the admin side.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I would’ve liked it if there had been a more efficient tool to provide feedback on different website pages. It’s hard to visualize or articulate what a web page should look like, so providing purely descriptive comments on a blank Google Doc felt tedious at times. We also would’ve appreciated an additional overview of the content they placed on the site (I understand that that was out of the project scope, though.)
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I’d definitely encourage customers to go for it. If you’re looking for something that’ll be user-friendly on the backend, they’ve got it down. I’m relieved to know that we can manage and update our website by ourselves.
the project
Branding & Designs for Software Company
“They were professional, creative, and knowledgeable about their technology. We never doubted their capabilities.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
We’re a B2B SaaS company that develops software that assists enterprises design security IoT systems. It functions on the iPad and Android tablets. That allows users to drag and drop different types of technologies to create a digital map of their IoT. I’m the co-founder and VP of sales and marketing.
What challenge were you trying to address with HMG Creative?
While we didn’t rename the company, we needed to entirely update the brand. That would involve a new look and feel as well as a website.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Our last site was created with a Wordpress template, which held us for quite some time. However, it was time to establish our brand more comprehensively. First, a representative from their team attended one of our events and spoke with our clients about our branding. From there, they contributed their feedback in a meeting with our team to assist us in narrowing down our values and goals. Then, they drafted our brand story and designed the entire look and feel for both the brand and the site. That involved the creation of a logo, color palette, and more.
Working collaboratively with us, they detailed our site map. We wrote the content for the site while they designed it. Once we approved their design screens, they dove into the development and integrations. The launch was smooth because of our approval and testing rounds as well.
What is the team composition?
We worked with one contact while creating the brand story. He had a small team and brought in a project manager about halfway through the project. So, there were about four people on the project.
How did you come to work with HMG Creative?
We did our homework before hiring them, examining 4–5 different companies. Their team was by far the most professional and helped us decide to focus on branding before starting on the website.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent a total of about $60,000 on their work.
What is the status of this engagement?
We kicked off in Septemeber 2019 and launched our site in March 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We decided upon one of the first designs they brought to the table, and our logo is a huge step forward. We’ve received a very positive response on our rebranding efforts, traffic is up on our website. The increase in traffic could be attributed to many parallel efforts, however.
Recently, we entered into a high-tier accelerator program for startups. Because of their work, we appear like a larger, more professional company. That’s helped us build confidence within our consumer base. We haven’t received feedback in this area yet, but all our results have been positive.
How did HMG Creative perform from a project management standpoint?
We communicated on a weekly basis through a combination of Google Drive files and Basecamp. Google Drive was appropriate for most of our work. Paul (Visual Designer) has been fantastic in his creative process. They have a great process, but it could’ve been managed a bit better in our case.
The introduction of the project manager partway into the project was a bit difficult. We were way over hours, and that was a surprise to me because we weren’t tracking them before. This occurred during the site map phase. We felt that they should’ve been monitoring their hours on their end, as they were responsible for project management. Because of this, we went over our budget by about $5,000. We ultimately agreed to this, though.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re an organized, creative team. There was a gap between the brand story work and their website deliverables, but they maintained professionalism through that. They were professional, creative, and knowledgeable about their technology. We never doubted their capabilities.
Are there any areas they could improve?
We ran into some back and forth while we were writing content based on their loose designs. That caused some delay. It may have helped to work on the brand story and design at the same time. We were hoping to launch in January 2020, but the deadline got pushed back into March 2020. Running into issues with timing and hours stressful, but it’s difficult to avoid that when project managers jump in late.
We would’ve also liked to hear more from their owner. He was very involved in selling us on their services, but our contact with him ended when our contract began. It would’ve been nice to have a check-in with him.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Meet with them about their process to make sure you understand everything. Make sure you have a project manager from the start because that was one of our biggest struggles. It may also be helpful to request checkpoints with the owner of the company.
the project
Web Design & Branding for Venture Capital Fund
"The amount of research they conducted and diligence they put into forming a plan for our business was excellent."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m a co-founder and managing partner of TXV Partners, an early-stage venture capital fund.
What challenge were you trying to address with HMG Creative?
We needed to upgrade our branding, social media, website, and general identity as a firm.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The first step was to complete the revamp of the website into one that was expressive, colorful, and more reflective of who we are as a company.
The next area we sought help with was around our branding and utilization of various social media platforms. HMG Creative did a comprehensive report on our own identity as well as that of our competitors before implementing their own plan.
What is the team composition?
I worked with a total of about four or five individuals.
How did you come to work with HMG Creative?
We conducted an online search for local creative firms and looked at a total of about 15 or 20 firms. We compared them pretty extensively, and ultimately decided HMG Creative would be the best fit for our project.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent about $40,000 on this project.
What is the status of this engagement?
The engagement took place from July–November 2019.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We’ve received a number of compliments on our website. It’s one of the first things people say about us after researching our company — that we have one of the most clean, defined websites in the industry. We’re very proud of what HMG Creative was able to accomplish for us. It gives us a lot of confidence.
How did HMG Creative perform from a project management standpoint?
We were always on the same page and well-aligned. It was a very enjoyable process. The team was hands-on and we felt like we were getting really focused attention. Throughout the project, we kept in touch over email and phone calls.
HMG Creative was very disciplined and always met timelines. They were the most professional team we’ve ever worked with.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The amount of research they conducted and diligence they put into forming a plan for our business was excellent. HMG Creative looked at local and national firms, becoming experts on our space before executing on a website or branding project. It was comforting and helpful, and it spoke volumes about the level of commitment they have towards their clients.
Are there any areas they could improve?
We’re very satisfied with the experience overall. I have no negative comments or complaints.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Know your business and what you want to accomplish. Come prepared with examples of what success looks like to you, and HMG Creative will be able to take all that information and create a smooth, successful outcome.
the project
Web Dev for Education Nonprofit
"They were really friendly and down to earth. "
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the associate director of marketing at College Forward, a college access nonprofit. We serve students starting in their junior year up until they complete their post-secondary degree.
What challenge were you trying to address with HMG Creative?
We hadn’t updated our website in about seven years, so we needed a new site that was going to help us move forward with our tech-mediated coaching solutions. Actually, the previous developer never finished it. We wanted a partner that wasn’t just someone who could fix the website but had more of a full-service marketing agency because we’ve been using various vendors for a number of different things.
What was the scope of their involvement?
HMG Creative designed and developed our website. They took a lot of student surveys and presented those findings at a meeting. Then, they delivered wireframes and made sure the look and feel were right for us. We used WordPress to build the site. They also gave us a new style guide to help us figure out how to keep the website updated as things grow and change.
What is the team composition?
I had one main point of contact but 4–5 people worked on the site.
How did you come to work with HMG Creative?
They were referred to us by another company. We did RFP so they were the only company that we talked to. I felt from the first call that they really seemed like a good fit for us. Asking important questions, I could tell they wanted a business partner, not just someone to complete a job for. They met everything we were looking for in a full-service agency and were able to use a WordPress platform.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent between $25,000–$50,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from September 2019–February 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Our website wasn't previously mobile-friendly, and in one week we were able to recruit an Americorp coach through the app. That was really huge for us because a lot of the people we recruit are mostly college students. I was able to view this through Google Analytics. We also run some social ads, so the ability for them to see the ad and then go to the website and complete everything on their phone is really great and will drastically increase the number of applications we get.
How did HMG Creative perform from a project management standpoint?
They were great. From the beginning, they gave us a really detailed timeline and were very clear about the deliverables that we needed to complete or anything needed on their end. Their creative director was checking in with us to see if we needed any help and were making our deadlines. They kept a chart that we could see projects being updated in real-time. We communicated through calls and emails.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They were really friendly and down to earth. I never felt like I was being talked down to and it seemed like they could relate to us. They really cared to know what people were saying about our brand. Our main value is to put students first, so the fact that they could incorporate all of the students’ opinions into the design was huge for us.
Are there any areas they could improve?
The only thing I could recommend is it would’ve been nice to use project management software like Asana or Basecamp, but I understand why they didn’t.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
They take a really good strategic approach to design, so make sure that you’re ready for those hard questions. They’re not just going to build a pretty new website for you; they want to make sure all of the pages and functionality are based on a good business strategy. So, having a solid footing on where you are as an organization and what you want to see would be really helpful.
the project
Web Dev & Social Media Marketing for an E-commerce Store
“We've had a lot of engagement with influencers in our community, and Instagram is particularly successful for us.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
We are an e-commerce store that sells ethernet cable in bulk. I'm the vice president of marketing and business development.
What challenge were you trying to address with HMG Creative?
We're changing the way people buy low-voltage cabling through online channels. Since the website is the foundation of our business, we needed something that offered a good customer experience. We also wanted to display the brand in an advantageous way. We needed a knowledgeable, creative team that could be our marketing arm.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They built something up from scratch, and they added new features. We have a more streamlined checkout process, and they greatly enhanced the product filters and the search process. The product isn't overly complex, but the filter helps our customers find exactly what they need. They also manage our social media on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, our email marketing, and the organic SEO for the site.
What is the team composition?
We worked with seven or eight people from their team, led by an account manager.
How did you come to work with HMG Creative?
We found them through a Google search and may have discovered them on Clutch.
How much have you invested with them?
We've spent a little over $100,000 so far.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in December 2018. The website is finished, but we have them on a monthly retainer for our marketing and social media needs.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They do an amazing job with our social media. When we started working with them, we had almost no social media presence. Now, we have over 1,600 likes on Facebook and over 700 followers on Instagram. We've had a lot of engagement with influencers in our community, and Instagram is particularly successful for us.
How did HMG Creative perform from a project management standpoint?
They're very responsive, and their communication is good. They outline projects ahead of time, so we always know what to expect. They followed a schedule for the site, and they communicated as they finished each step of the process.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They buy into our brand, and they take the time to learn about our company and our goals. They incorporate all of that into the work they do for us, and we can trust them to continue building the brand according to our vision.
Are there any areas they could improve?
The website took a little longer than we had planned, but that's the only speed bump we hit. Part of the responsibility for that is on our side.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Get to know the people there. Their creativity, personality, and dedication align well with our company, so I'd recommend speaking with them to see if they line up with your goals.
the project
Rebranding & Web Design for B2B Events Company
"Everyone was personable and knowledgeable about our space and what we needed to succeed."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the Marketing Manager for SINC. We host custom dinners and forums for IT executives to network with their peers and solution providers.
For what projects/services did your company hire HMG Creative?
We were in dire need of a new website and a complete rebrand in order to stay in line with our competitors. HMG was able to give us a new logo, color scheme, and a whole new website.
What were your goals for this project?
We wanted the website to be more user friendly and for the website to give a direct path for our different users. I also really needed the new website to be easy to update on the backend and not hard coded. HMG was able to do this and also train me on how to use the new website before it was launched!
How did you select this vendor?
I searched for vendors in the Austin area and compiled a list of 4/5 vendors. I spoke with all of them on the phone and HMG offered to come to our office for a meeting. We really liked what HMG had to offer and had a very reasonable price compared to other vendors.
Describe the project in detail.
After we selected HMG, I had a meeting to meet with the team at their office. I then met with the Creative Director and was able to give him an overview of what we were looking for. We had a few discovery meetings throughout our project and their team was always available for when I had a question. Once the templates were built out, I was able to go through and see what the website would look like and built out content for each page based on the needs given. This took about a month of development on their end, and then I was given the end product to have a training and launch!
What was the team composition?
I only spoke to the Creative Director but I know he had a team of developers creating the website.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
We have had a ton of great feedback from vendors and attendees about the new website and how great it is. We have seen an uptick in registrants for events which is exactly what we needed!
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
The Creative Director was very easy to work with! He was very knowledgable about our needs, available for calls, and always quick to respond to any questions or concerns.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
I really enjoyed working with everyone at HMG Creative. Everyone was personable and knowledgeable about our space and what we needed to succeed.
Are there any areas for improvement?
No, we are very satisfied with their work! We actually will use them again for future projects.
the project
Web Dev & Design for Biotech Firm
"The level of access to leadership was excellent. I felt as though my questions were answered quickly and thoroughly."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
A medium sized biotech firm, Associate Director of Marketing
For what projects/services did your company hire HMG Creative?
We needed to redesign our website to bring it up to modern standards. We needed to improve the user experience. We needed our website to impact our specific user/customer.
What were your goals for this project?
Improve the experience of customers who choose to interact with our organization digitally.
How did you select this vendor?
I interviewed six local web design firms and received quotes from four. HMG was regularly in communication and stuck with our slow selection process.
Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.
This was a full website redesign including a custom search section of the site, a client login area and an expansion of our branding.
What was the team composition?
I believe there were 3-4 individuals that worked on our project but there could have been more.
Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?
We've regularly been complimented on the impact of our website.
How was project management arranged and how effective was it?
HMG met and exceeded deadlines. They communicated well and we were very happy overall.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
The level of access to leadership was excellent. I felt as though my questions were answered quickly and thoroughly.
Are there any areas for improvement?
Overall, we were very happy.
the project
Web Design & Branding for Construction Company
“They have outstanding customer service and made the process very easy for us.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm the owner of Howard Steel. We're a commercial construction company that is a steel fabricator and installer.
What challenge were you trying to address with HMG Creative?
We were looking for a vendor to update our website and help us with rebranding.
What was the scope of their involvement?
First, they met with me and went over everything we wanted to accomplish. Then, they redesigned our website, sent their own photographer to a lot of our projects, and updated our photo gallery. They also created a new logo and took care of all of our hats and shirts.
What is the team composition?
I worked with 2–3 of their team members, including their owner.
How did you come to work with HMG Creative?
I was referred to them by a friend who had worked with them previously. We liked the fact that they were a full-service agency and could help us with all of our needs.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent about $30,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked with them between February–July 2018.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Our clients can look at our website and see that we're a legitimate company. Also, our sales went up 30%.
How did HMG Creative perform from a project management standpoint?
They were very professional and organized. We mostly used email to stay in touch.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They have outstanding customer service and made the process very easy for us. Also, they sent us a bill every week, so we didn't have to pay in advance.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No. It was a very smooth process.
the project
Website Redesign for Coworking Incubator
"Their professionalism, attention to detail, and desire to see our project succeed were remarkable."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I’m the marketing manager at Capital Factory, the center of gravity for entrepreneurs in Texas. Last year, more than 100,000 entrepreneurs, programmers, and designers gathered day and night for in-person and online for meetups, classes, and coworking. We meet the best entrepreneurs in Texas and introduce them to their first investors, employees, mentors, and customers. According to Pitchbook, Capital Factory has been the most active investor in Texas since 2013.
For what projects/services did your company hire HMG Creative?
We came to HMG Creative wanting to redesign our website, which was old, outdated, and complicated to update.
What were your goals for this project?
We wanted to concentrate on the UI/UX of our website. We also wanted it to be easy for anyone on our staff to update it.
How did you select this vendor?
We found HMG Creative through a friend that had a great experience with them. We loved their portfolio and knew they could come up with something great for us!
Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?
HMG Creative designed, developed, tested our website, and trained our staff on navigating the WordPress admin. They walked us through the strategy of our site in a way that was simple to understand. They also did everything in steps, which made it easier to give feedback and receive updates.
What was the team composition?
My CEO and I were involved in the project. Most of the communication was with their creative director.
Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?
HMG Creative took our ideas and concerns into account and helped us create a beautiful website both on the backend and frontend. We’ve seen our yearly sessions increase by 16% since its launch.
How was project management arranged and how effective was it?
They used Google docs, which made giving feedback and updates easy.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Their professionalism, attention to detail, and desire to see our project succeed were remarkable.
Are there any areas where they can improve?
There's very little they could improve on. If I had to suggest something, having an account manager that follows up and keeps everything on time would be helpful. It would also be beneficial to have in-person design meetings throughout the project. Sometimes it's hard to explain what you want in text or over the phone, especially if you aren't a developer.
the project
Website Update & Graphic Design for Large Contractor
“Their team went out of their way to get all the details right.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm an executive assistant to the CEO of a large federal contractor.
What challenge were you trying to address with HMG Creative?
We needed a company to help us improve our online presence and modernize our website.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They updated our website and did some design work and infographics. We outlined the timeline and what we wanted, after which a lot of the work was done remotely. We continue to work with them on new features and products.
What is the team composition?
We work directly with 2–3 people.
How did you come to work with HMG Creative?
We did a lot of research on Austin-based companies, and we liked what HMG Creative had to offer. They had the most comprehensive set of services out of all the companies we talked to.
How much have you invested with them?
We've spent between $30,000–$35,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them in May 2018 and the relationship is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We love what they've done and the feedback from our internal team has been very positive. We don't have a user base, so it was done for the aesthetics.
How did HMG Creative perform from a project management standpoint?
They're very responsive (we usually use email and text to communicate). If there are any issues, they're always available to troubleshoot with us. Also, they took their time to reach out to us to make sure they understood what we wanted on the smaller features. Their team went out of their way to get all the details right.
What did you find most impressive about them?
We hadn't worked with any other company on a similar project, so they were great at guiding us through everything.
Are there any areas they could improve?
We had some issues with the rollout and some features were not functioning properly. I'm not sure if it was their fault, but it wasn't a smooth rollout.
HMG Creative delivered a beautiful website that’s received many compliments; it also has an exceptionally user-friendly backend. The team was responsive and got back to the client’s inquiries in a timely manner. The team was patient in navigating derailments to the schedule induced by COVID-19.