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    (202) 223-8656

Question Everything.

4.9
9 reviews
Silver
VERIFIED

Interactive Strategies is a full-service digital agency that creates experiences grounded in deep strategic thinking. We are based in Washington, DC.

While our core is web design, development, and marketing, we take a comprehensive view across our clients' online and offline communications. It's part of our process for creating smart strategies that connect our clients to their audiences, where and how they want to be reached.

Since 2001, we have focused on growing organically, performing work in-house and maintaining high standards of quality. Today, we're still operating by the same philosophy we were founded on: providing our clients integrated digital solutions that balance strategy, design, content, technology, and marketing. This approach helps our clients evolve their businesses and get measurable results in an ever-changing multi-channel, multi-touch world.

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Undisclosed
 
$150 - $199 / hr
 
10 - 49
 Founded
2001
Show all +
Washington, DC
headquarters
  • 1140 Connecticut Ave, NW Suite 1008
    Washington, DC 20036
    United States
    (202) 223-8656
other locations
  • 101 N. Haven Street
    Baltimore, MD 21224
    United States
    (443) 863-8656
  • 2459 Wilkinson Blvd, Suite 310
    Charlotte, NC 28208
    United States

Portfolio

Smithsonian Science Education Center

The Smithsonian Science Education Center sells and supports a unique curriculum for grades K-8 focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. We designed their new site to relate their compelling story, build understanding of their offerings and compel users to purchase, donate and get involved. We brought the content to life with case studies, testimonials, playful visuals and strong interactivity.

Brightview Senior Living

Choosing a senior living home is an extensive, emotionally taxing process that typically begins on the web. We delivered a site that connects with potential residents and their families – who are often driving the exploration process. An interactive map makes it easy to find a community. Then each community has its own unique feel – using flexible modules controlled in an easy-to-use Sitecore CMS.

Davis Construction

Nationally recognized for their local vision and industry experience, Davis Construction stands out from their competition - and they needed their website to do the same. It was up to us to build a site that showcases their breadth of work, attracts top talent, and demonstrates the Davis difference.

Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer Legal and Regulatory wanted to improve online engagement, streamline multiple technology systems, and transform a legacy print publishing model into a more viable and profitable demand generation platform. Through research, including surveys and one-on-one usability studies, we helped them better serve a variety of users whether a legal expert or the general public. With an improved user experience and smarter content strategy, the new site draws content from more than 15 different systems and serves it in one seamless experience. Another key was how to find the right balance between giving away valuable content and what to keep behind paywalls. Powerful taxonomy provides related, relevant content and boosts lead generation.

American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

Since 2014, we have had the pleasure to partner with ASCO’s social media team to help them expand the organization’s social media footprint and further establish ASCO as a leader in cancer care and research. After our initial social media strategy phase, we’ve since developed and deployed multiple targeted social media campaigns to grow organizational awareness, amplify thought leadership and promote ASCO’s industry-leading Annual Meeting.

The Wilderness Society

We are the current digital fundraising agency of record for The Wilderness Society.

Our partnership began in 2017 when The Wilderness Society was looking for a marketing partner who could help them hit their end-of-year giving goals. We exceeded those goals, but what makes us even prouder is that we’ve become a trusted partner in guiding and executing their overall digital fundraising strategy, which includes social, display, email and search.

Reviews

4.9
9 reviews
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Web Design & Strategy for Finance Consulting Firm

"We couldn't have picked a better partner. They've exceeded all of our expectations."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
Confidential
 
Sep. 2017 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

As part of a rebranding, Interactive Strategies redesigned and iterated a website using WordPress. Now they manage site updates and provide design services.

The Reviewer
 
51-200 Employees
 
New York, NY
Courtney Bowerman
Managing Director, Accordion Partners
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The redesigned site is more suited for business development and, as such, has been well-received. Interactive Strategies's responsiveness and ability to produce high-quality deliverables are hallmarks of their work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the managing director of marketing and communications for Accordion Partners. We’re a technology consulting firm that targets private equity firms, and serve as an extension of the office of the CFO after they acquire companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interactive Strategies?

We’d taken some initial steps in refreshing our brand by creating a new logo and updating our print collateral. There was a missing component in terms of implementing the new brand on the website. We were looking for someone to help us take the foundational brand elements and extend them across the website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Interactive really got to know our company through a series of interviews with key stakeholders. Then I went down to D.C. with one of my colleagues for a full day session with their team. They fleshed out their learnings from the interviews and broke them down into key insights and takeaways. We also discussed ideas for the website navigation. After the working session, they came back to us with 2–3 different options for the overall look and feel of the site. We made a few tweaks across various pages and there were some decisions we needed to make internally about the sub-navigation.

Once we finalized the design and approved the comps, they developed it with their engineers. They did a training session for our staff on WordPress so that we’d be able to manage content. They built master pages for us to use as templates. We then tested our site for a few days before launch at the end of April 2018. They continue to make changes and updates, and we are already planning to use them for the next version of the site. We’re also using Interactive as our overall design agency.

What is the team composition?

The main person that we speak with on a regular basis is our project manager. We also work with a web designer, a designer for non-web-based tools, a frontend developer, and a few other people for strategic direction and marketing strategies.

How did you come to work with Interactive Strategies?

A member of our marketing team used to work at Interactive. We still went through a full agency review, interviewing around 7 firms. They came out on top across the firm.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2017 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our team is incredibly thrilled with the results. We've been able to use it as a business development tool, which is a major shift from the old site. It’s all been great feedback so far.

How did Interactive Strategies perform from a project management standpoint?

We couldn't have asked for a better project manager; she’s fantastic. I feel like she’s an extension of our marketing team. She serves as our conduit to the rest of the agency. She's an excellent communicator; very thorough and detail oriented. We have weekly check-in meetings. She uses an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of budget, hours, and the status of initiatives.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We couldn't have picked a better partner. They've exceeded all of our expectations. I have high hopes for the new site and how it will move the needle for the firm. Everyone at Interactive is super impressive and down to earth. They’re a very likeable group of people. They’re easy to work with, and very skilled at what they do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Only change I would recommend is for them to do the WordPress training on our actual website. That would’ve been helpful to really maximize our experience. We’ve given that feedback to Interactive.

Any advice for potential customers?

The weekly update calls are key. Interactive really drives the process and they're good at what they do. Trusting their process will ensure success.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They're fantastic.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    Good value for our money.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    I wouldn’t have done anything different.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    Definitely would recommend.

Social Media Strategy for Oncology Research Firm

“Their transparency allows us to trust them to provide solutions that consider our best interests.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$200,000 to $999,999
 
2010 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Initially hired to facilitate social media growth, Interactive Strategies now also provides video and animation services and campaign strategy guidance.

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
Alexandria, Virginia
Josh Madej
Social Media Manager, American Society of Clinical Oncology
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Interactive Strategies has evolved into an integral part of campaign planning and implementation while increasing social media followers. Their reputation for quality work, strategy expertise, and comprehensive project management have earned them organic brand growth.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the social media manager at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, a global, member-based society of over 40,000 oncologists. Our department oversees corporate and member communications, as well as marketing with inorganic membership recruitment and retention. The society houses several projects, including our non-profit foundation, patient-focused resources, academic journals, a clinical trials database, and our own clinical trial program.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interactive Strategies?

ASCO wanted help developing and maintaining a social media presence when they initially hired Interactive Strategies (IS) in 2010. By incorporating social media, the ASCO team also hoped to prove the importance of having social channels to ASCO’s leadership and board.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They help us plan and run our social media campaigns. They have a lot of institutional knowledge about how nonprofits and digital technology work and interact, which allows them to break down our campaign goals into specific strategies and procedures. In addition to strategy, IS also helps us determine our budget based on our campaign forecast. For example, if we’re expecting a certain amount of mobile engagement and desktop conversions, IS predicts our financial needs.

Though much of their work for us is strategy assistance, they also guide us through asset creation for campaigns. They create the video, animation, and infographics in which we unpack complicated terms and concepts in order to explain scientific initiatives and abstracts.

Interactive Strategies also conducts research so we can make educated strategical decisions. Rather than trying something different just because it’s a new idea, they show us how we can interpret results to measure potential campaign success.

What is the team composition?

We work with our account manager almost every day. He usually manages our day-to-day progress, but he’s starting to incorporate long-term strategy. Other members of his team help us with implementation and planning.

How much have you invested with them?

Over the last eight years, we've invested around $600,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership with Interactive Strategies began in 2010.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While we have seen an increase in social media followers, a better indicator Interactive Strategies’ success is the response from our members. We've had stakeholders come to our team and ask to work with IS, which speaks to the quality of work they do and the guidance they provide. In 2013 we gave stakeholders the option to work with IS, and as a result, we brought them onto projects that our team wasn't overseeing. That they've had organic brand growth within our organization speaks highly of them.

How did Interactive Strategies perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is very responsive, and our account manager keeps us updated on planned work or a project’s status. The bulk of our communication happens over email and we use Box to share documents.

What did you find most impressive about them?

A lot of the information we work on is confidential, so we require multiple iterations of an infographic, for example, before we release it to the public. Interactive Strategies has always been patient with us, despite our atypical process.

They also understand that educating their clients can be part of managing projects, particularly when they explain their strategy to stakeholders, who don't always have the knowledge my team has.

Overall, IS’s honesty distinguishes it from other providers. I've worked with of agencies that have their own underlying incentives, so even if they ultimately help us achieve a goal, their work is still motivated by their own self-interest. IS, meanwhile, strategizes and conducts research that aims to benefit ASCO. They don't guide us in a direction that's going to benefit them unless there's a clear benefit for us. Their transparency allows us to trust them to provide solutions that consider our best interests.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had one incident of miscommunication as a result of staffing changes, but that was addressed quickly. That was over a year ago, and since then we haven’t had any problems. The only upset in two years was a slight miscommunication, and I'd be lying if I started listing things I didn't think they were doing well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Bring your own ideas to the table. IS knows how to strategize, think big picture, and utilize the digital space, but it's unrealistic for any agency to be an expert in their client's entire business. If the potential client can provide a basic idea or simple vision, it gives IS more creative freedom because they don’t need to worry whether their idea fits the client’s needs.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    They charge more than some agencies we’ve worked with, but they go that extra mile—you get the quality you pay for.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    They're willing to make the slightest of tweaks to the deliverable itself or to a work plan.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    Not only have I recommended them to colleagues, but I’ve referred people to them for employment.

UI Application & Website for Science Publishing Company

“They get things done on time and they’re fun people to work with.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
4.5
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$200,000 to $999,999
 
2008 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Over the course of a 10 year engagement, Interactive Strategies has done various design and development projects including app development, web design, and updates to site architecture.

The Reviewer
 
51-200 Employees
 
Palo Alto, California
Paul Calvi
Director of Technology, Annual Reviews
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The new site has seen a significant increase in traffic and received positive feedback from both users and stakeholders. Stellar project management and strong design skills were key in fostering a productive long-term relationship. They reliably delivered high-quality results on schedule.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of technology at Annual Reviews, a science publisher that produces 50 journals across a variety of topics from sociology to nuclear particle physics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interactive Strategies?

We’ve been working with them for about a decade. We originally engaged them for design services, but they’ve moved on to a wide variety of projects with us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve developed a few apps with them, one of which involved a very rich UX/UI. It had a three-dimensional globe that users can rotate to find markers that correspond to the geographic locations of journal articles. It’s essentially a browsing interface that helps to find articles by topic and location. We had the initial idea for this app, and Interactive Strategies was instrumental in translating the functional specifications into a workable UI. The app worked very well, but it was eventually phased out due to high maintenance costs across different versions.

We also worked together in designing our current website, which was probably the most significant project we’ve done. It was a two-year project that we went live with in January 2017. Their scope included all the design, site architecture, UI coding, and assistance with project management. They had designed our previous site and had an idea of what we were looking for in the redesign. They built wireframes based on our discussions and went from there. They built the frontend using a Node.js REST API, Javascript, HTML, and CSS. The new site moved to a responsive design, which was the most substantial change from the previous version.

What is the team composition?

It’s varied a bit from project to project, but their managing partners have been a source of stability throughout our engagement. We’ve also worked with project managers and developers, but they rotate more frequently.

How did you come to work with Interactive Strategies?

We started working together such a long time ago that I’m not sure how we found them. We originally hired them for a relatively simple web design project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested over $500,000 in the engagement so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together between eight and ten years ago, and the new site went live in January 2017. We still collaborate on a variety of projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new site is getting more traffic than the old version, but there are a lot of factors involved in that increase. We’ve gotten a lot of positive user feedback on the look and feel, and our board was very impressed with the responsive design. It now works across a variety of screen sizes as well.

How did Interactive Strategies perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been very organized and easy to work with. We’ve worked with other agencies in the past who haven’t been effective in this area, so Interactive Strategies was a total change of pace for us. They used some project management tools on their end, but we communicated primarily via phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve always really liked the design work they do. They get things done on time and they’re fun people to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

All the development/design companies we’ve worked with have run into problems with resource availability. Interactive Strategies is better than most we’ve worked with before, but it was still sometimes an issue depending on the timing and scope of project.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Provide as much information as possible upfront. It will facilitate a smooth development/design process.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 4.5 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    You always want to pay less, but we’ve been very satisfied overall.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Web Redesign for Senior Living Company

"They were a joy to work with; I’d recommend them to anybody."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
May 2017 - Jan. 2018
Project summary: 

Interactive Strategies redesigned a website on Sitecore CMS. Creative decisions prioritized search features and intuitive navigation. The team did A/B testing prior to launch. They’ve planned future updates.

The Reviewer
 
1001-10,000 Employees
 
Baltimore, Maryland
Julie Masiello
Senior VP of Marketing, Brightview Senior Living
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Both the number of users and goal completions increased 25%. During the same time, bounce rates decreased by 3%. Their exceptional organization and time management created a stress-free environment. This was a big project, since essentially we created a main site plus 34 separate sites for all of our communities.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of marketing at a senior living company. We provide independent living, assisted living, and dementia care at 34 communities between Virginia and Massachusetts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interactive Strategies?

We wanted a vendor to redesign our website, which hadn’t been updated in seven years. Since choosing a senior living community is a significant decision, the site needed to reflect our company’s personality.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did the redesign on our Sitecore CMS. The team spent considerable time on the “Find a Community” feature, which allowed visitors to search the individual communities; the main page connected to each location’s site. We wanted that feature to be an educational experience prior to scheduling a visit.

We didn’t provide wireframes or sketches. Rather, Interactive Strategies did market research and SEO analysis; most key terms weren’t ranking. They also interviewed key people in our company to understand our mission and value proposition. We agreed on the findings. They then suggested certain colors and fonts, which shaped the creative direction. Subsequently, the team provided gray wireframes for intuitive navigation. We tested those and then launched the site prior to our annual conference.

What is the team composition?

The owner and director of client services were our primary points of contact. We worked with the account strategist during the early stages; later, she only attended important meetings. The team also included designers and a senior project manager.

How did you come to work with Interactive Strategies?

I did a Google search for design firms with Sitecore experience. We also reached out via RFP. Their response was the most thoughtful and comprehensive. Other firms submitted three-line explanations about costs. We believed Interactive Strategies would treat the project the same as the proposal.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $150,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work started in May 2017 and ended in January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's still early to tell the complete impact since we launched two months ago, however, we've already noticed the number of users has increased 25% and bounce rates decreased nearly 3%. Per our business model, customer calls and forms counted as goal completion; that metric rose over 25%. We couldn’t be more pleased; our team expects additional A/B testing to generate even better results. They kept us on track and taught us to make changes in-house. We were never stressed about results or timelines.

How did Interactive Strategies perform from a project management standpoint?

They were extremely organized and never wasted our time during meetings. Interactive Strategies truly led the process; we never had to push them. Deliveries were on-time and on-budget. When they created the visuals, we didn’t know what we wanted but we liked what we saw.

The team was very responsive on both platforms, particularly the senior project manager. We had weekly status meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They did exactly as they promised. We didn’t have surprises with deliveries or budget. Interactive Strategies was always clear about the scope and any changes. The team warned us when alterations would affect the budget, but the costs were never prohibitive. They were a joy to work with; I’d recommend them to anybody.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. The launch didn’t have any big misses. We consolidated some minor feature adjustments into the phase two update.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The more details the client provides, the better their output will be.

5.0
Overall Score

Everything went smoothly throughout the whole project.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Web Development for Large University

"They were very open and collaborative and brought fresh ideas to the table."

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4.0

Quality: 
4.0
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
3.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Spring - Fall 2015
Project summary: 

Interactive Strategies redesigned the client's home and sub pages, navigation, and user experience. They also provided technical and development expertise for template pages and framework.

The Reviewer
 
1001-5000 Employees
 
Washington DC
Senior Director of Digital Strategy & Interactive Communications, University
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The site has received positive feedback and has had a 10-15% increase in traffic. The client praised the design team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work for the office of advancement at a university.

What is your position?

I am the Senior Director of digital strategy and interactive communications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Interactive Strategies?

We had been asked to rethink, redesign, and overhaul our alumni and giving websites by our board of governors and by leadership.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We worked with their design team to think through a new design for the home pages and sub pages, the navigation, and user experience. Interactive Strategies also provided some technical and development expertise and worked on building out template pages and a framework within the Drupal platform.

How did you come to work with Interactive Strategies?

I had one of my developers do some research on local development design firms, and their name came up in the top five. We went through an RFP [request for proposal] process and vetted them.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It cost between $50,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I believe it began the spring of 2015, and our work with them was probably over late summer or fall of 2015. We still have some monies left in the contract, and we've been using Interactive for some support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We've received positive feedback from our leadership and various boards at the university. We've just started to deploy analytics, but we do see probably up to a 10 percent to 15 percent spike in traffic online.

How did Interactive Strategies perform from a project management standpoint?

They left something to be desired. I actually complained about the project manager that I was assigned, and was transitioned to another one. After the transition, I did notice an improvement, but it was also at the end of the project.

What distinguishes Interactive Strategies from other providers?

I especially enjoyed working with their design team. They were very open and collaborative and brought fresh ideas to the table.

Is there anything Interactive Strategies could have improved or done differently?

I would say listen to the client more when they say the collaboration or the partnership with the project manager is not working. I'd raised concerns early on, and they didn't act on them. To make sure that the relationship is going smoothly from the beginning, that's what I recommend.

4.0
Overall Score We really had a great collaboration and partnership with their design team and their technical team. We got to a good place, and the product looked great but, again, getting there was challenging.
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    For the most part, they were on point with hitting the dates. There were a few times when they needed more time, and they raised their hand early on, so it was fine.
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    They came in on the RFP process fairly affordable compared to the other companies that we looked at. They just need to flush out very specifically what the costs are entailing.
  • 4.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    The design component was exceptional. We ran into a few challenges on the technical side. It seemed somewhat rushed. We didn’t get the documentation that we’d asked for, and the project management was not as good as it should have been.
  • 3.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I give them this rating only because of the project management issue.

Web Development for Government Administration Agency

"From our perspective, Interactive Strategies has gone way above and beyond the call of duty to support our needs."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$200,000 to $999,999
 
2008 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Interactive Strategies conducted a marketing strategy review and subsequent campaign, and provided several program websites. They continue to work on sites and deliverables for the client's customers, as well as additional projects.

The Reviewer
 
10,000+ Employees
 
Worldwide
Senior Vice President, Government Administration Agency
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Dedication, efficiency, and project management are prominent strengths of the Interactive Strategies team. They have improved the search engine optimization of the client and are considered a valued partner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work at a government consulting company.

What is your position?

My position is Senior Vice President of corporate communications and investor relations. My team covers PR, marketing communications, employee communications, and Wall Street communications. We also manage all of the corporate web assets including other country assets in the United Kingdom, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Interactive Strategies?

We had a woefully out-of-date website at the time that also didn't reflect the culture that we possess today. We went through an entire marketing strategy review with Interactive Strategies and, as a result, we totally changed how we were marketing ourselves.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We have an ongoing relationship with Interactive Strategies. In addition to them supporting us on the corporate web assets, we also have a number of business areas where we run social programs, such as Medicaid and Welfare-to-Work programs. They've partnered with us to deliver websites on behalf of the programs, such as the Medicaid program in Illinois, New York, and several other states as well. I would say we have a deep partnership where they not only have supported us on many of the corporate web assets both here in the United States and outside the U.S., they have also partnered with us on key deliverables for our government clients.

How did you come to work with Interactive Strategies?

We did a competitive bid when we were first looking to revamp the site. This was back in 2008, so we've been working with them for eight years. We met with their leadership team as well as leadership from other vendors, and we liked what Interactive Strategies had to offer. We thought that they were very cost-competitive, and they seemed to run a very efficient process, which has proven to be true.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The cost is more than $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2008, and our relationship is ongoing. We will likely embark on a major revamp of all the corporate web assets including other country assets, beginning in fiscal 2017, and we anticipate that they will be our partner for that. They continue to do work for us as for our client sites and for our client deliverables as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Our SEO [search engine optimization] has certainly improved. We're in the midst of an SEO improvement plan for one of our sites in the United Kingdom. We have seen steady improvement in time.

Anecdotally, just to give you a background of some of the things that they've done for us, in some ways it's more intangible than anything. During a period of time in 2015, we were potentially about to get awarded the most controversial contract in the United Kingdom. We had been planning on redoing the U.K. corporate site, but the timeline was too far out if we were to get this contract. We approached Interactive Strategies and asked if they could accelerate the process to meet the new deadline. I'm not kidding – they dropped everything. They put huge resources on it. We had people in Chicago and California working nearly around the clock to get this thing done. They kept it on time, on budget, and they made a huge difference for us.

I think that that just speaks volumes to the type of vendor that they are, and how great of a partner they have been for us. From our perspective, Interactive Strategies has gone way above and beyond the call of duty to support our needs.

How did Interactive Strategies perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is a huge strength of theirs. If we miss a deliverable, you have an instant read of how that's going to impact the project schedule. There was always a project manager when we were working on those large sites. When you are going through the process of a launch, you are on the phone or on email and going through the schedule very regularly with your project manager.

What distinguishes Interactive Strategies from other providers?

I think from my perspective what distinguishes them is they have excellent project management skills. They had a good ability to support us and meet our business needs. I feel as though they fill a gap from a supplier perspective because we've not seen that from other suppliers.

Is there anything Interactive Strategies could have improved or done differently?

Everyone could always improve. Sometimes, they tend to have a lot of work, but I think they have to balance their resources. That said, we have been nothing short of very happy with them.

5.0
Overall Score We have found few vendor-partners who will go above and beyond like Interactive Strategies will.
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They tend to be very strong in project management. Sometimes, I want them to be a little bit stronger with us because usually it’s us that falls short in terms of meeting our timelines.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    The quality in terms of cost is exceedingly high. They continue to deliver for us, and we continue to be happy.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I have referred them in the past. I’ve had a number of folks call who’ve been looking to use them, and I have provided them with insights to our experiences.

Website Redesign for Construction Company

"I felt like Interactive Strategies really understood our company and was able to translate that into the design."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
Project summary: 

Interactive Strategies completely redesigned the client's outdated site. They conducted extensive user research, then createad the new design and user flows. They remain on retainer with the client for regular support.

The Reviewer
 
200-500 Employees
 
Washington DC
Marketing Manager, General Contractor
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The site has had a 10% decrease in bounce rate, a 23% increase in search traffice, a 15% increase in local traffic, and a two-fold increase in time per session. Interactive promoted a positive and productive consultant relationship.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work for a large general contractor in the Washington, D.C., region.

What is your position?

I am the marketing communications manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Interactive Strategies?

We were going through a complete rebuild and redesign of our corporate website. We wanted to start from scratch because our site hadn't been updated in so long.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We started with a six-week strategy phase where Interactive Strategies did quite a bit of research both internally and externally. They spoke with our clients, potential clients, competitors, and peers to figure out how we were perceived compared to how we thought of ourselves. The information that they gathered was really helpful to inform the strategy behind the rebuild. Luckily, their findings validated what we already thought to be true, which was a bit of a pat on the back for our marketing team.

After the strategy phase, they took that information and created the design and user flows for our site. They determined what content was most effective and where on the page it should go. I felt like Interactive Strategies really understood our company and were able to translate that into the design.

How did you come to work with Interactive Strategies?

We had wanted to rebuild our website back in 2012 and had selected Interactive Strategies following an evaluation process of about six firms. Unfortunately, the budget was cut at the time and was not reallocated to our department until 2015. I joined the firm in 2014 and, when it was time to consider rebuilding the website in 2015, the team members who had been here for that previous process spoke very highly of Interactive Strategies. We asked them for another proposal and invited them in for an informal presentation before selecting them for the second time.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We spent between $50,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We launched our website on February 29th of this year [2016], and we currently have a retainer agreement in place for a set hourly fee. Every time I call our account exec, Leslee [Razgaitis, senior account strategist at Interactive Strategies], she picks up the phone and is willing to answer questions, requests, or things we want to change about the site. We work together to determine timelines and level of urgency. Luckily, nothing urgent has been needed yet, but they would be willing to help immediately if that were the case.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We have had a 10 percent decrease in bounce rate, a 23 percent increase in organic search traffic, a 15 percent increase in local traffic from the D.C. Metro region, and an increase in one minute per session, which is almost double the previous time spent on the site.

How did Interactive Strategies perform from a project management standpoint?

I definitely respect and admire our project manager, Leslee. There was a very honest relationship between us, which allowed us to be open about workload, budget, and timeline. They hit every deadline they were supposed to.

What distinguishes Interactive Strategies from other providers?

I have had consultant relationships that have not gone very well, so it was refreshing and welcoming to work with a company like Interactive Strategies who made it easy for us.

Is there anything Interactive Strategies could have improved or done differently?

I don't think so, honestly. It went really well.

5.0
Overall Score – Fantastic job overall.
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    – We had given Interactive Strategies a launch date and then changed that, which messed up the schedule they had laid out. They had a corporate retreat on the rescheduled date, which caused some challenges, but they were accommodating and made the changes
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    – I don't know how other companies charge for websites, but we had a time and materials contract with Interactive Strategies. I think the agreement we had is a special one that is built on trust.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    – The quality was top notch in combination with our working relationship, and it was exactly what we needed.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    – I would work with them again.

Microsite for D.C. Tourism Company

"What I really like about Interactive Strategies is that they are one of the most personable and approachable agencies around."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
Project summary: 

Interactive Strategies developed a Drupal-based microsite for a tourism company. They provided design, building, hosting, and content services. The client has retained them for another website project.

The Reviewer
 
51-200 Employees
 
Washington, D.C.
Daniel Kleiner
Senior Manager of Digital Marketing & Website Operations, Destination DC
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Although the microsite was retired, it was extremely successful during its three years of operation, earning approximately one million views in 2015. The site's design was so appealing it became the basis for the client's main platform.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Destination DC is essentially the tourism bureau for Washington, DC.

What is your position?

I am the Senior Manager of Digital Marketing and Website Operations. My area covers most things digital: website, email, social.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Interactive Strategies?

We needed to build a new microsite for a new product campaign called “DC Cool”.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Interactive Strategies had responded to our request for proposal amongst a couple of other agencies. We used them to build a Drupal-based microsite to house DC content that was a little more local-focused, for use in advertising to visitors outside the area. Their scope of service was to design, build, host, and enter content.

How did you come to work with Interactive Strategies?

I had reached out to four or five agencies in the area. I used to work in advertising and knew of some of the smaller companies that could handle a project of this size.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Total spend was in the range of $10,000 to $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project has been completed. It was hugely successful for us and was retired very recently. It was up and running for about three years or so. We are currently working with them on another website project as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The campaign was hugely influential on the redesign of Washington.org, which is our primary website. “DC Cool” was our foray into more modern content marketing, and we ultimately wound up folding that style into the primary site because people liked it so much.

In 2015, the page did just a hair over one million page views and just a hair under 500,000 unique views, so it was a big success. It performed especially well on our social channels as well. It was a small-scale version of what we would ultimately become with the latest version of our website, which just launched about three weeks ago.

How did Interactive Strategies perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a dedicated project manager who was the primary point of contact, which was great. Initially, we met with the president of the company and their larger team of strategists and designers. As we got more into the project, we worked more directly with the project manager. They were succinct in their project management and really filtered out the noise.

What distinguishes Interactive Strategies from other providers?

What I really like about Interactive Strategies is that they are one of the most personable and approachable agencies around. I’ve been doing web work for a long time and am a pretty good judge of what’s being presented to me. It starts with their president, Bruce, and goes down through the entire company. Everyone that I’ve brought in, that has interacted with them, has walked away saying how much they liked them and how friendly they were.

Another area to highlight are their fantastic presentation skills. They’re definitely one of the first agencies that I’ve worked with in this area that uses web-based wireframing tools rather than a deck. They actually pull up a wireframe site, sometimes with its own functionality, which is impressive.

Is there anything Interactive Strategies could have improved or done differently?

I really don't have any improvements for the project we worked on. They executed it in an extremely tight timeframe and on budget, with little hassle.

5.0
Overall Score – At a high level, there's really no major negatives. It's been pleasurable and they've done excellent work.
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    Almost anything I've ever done with them has been exactly on time.
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    I think they are certainly in line with the rest of the industry.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    They are excellent at what they do and they deliver on what they promise.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    – I've recommended them to a lot of other friends and colleagues in the industry.

Website Redesign for Smithsonian Science Education Center

"[Interactive Strategies] seemed to know what we needed even when we didn't know we needed it."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
Project summary: 

Interactive Strategies completed a site upgrade on a short timeline. They reorganized the site, created wireframes, and redesigned the site's flow.

The Reviewer
 
5,000-10,000 Employees
 
Washington DC
Taryn White
Product Support Specialist, Smithsonian Science Education Center
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Since launching the new site, the client has seen a decrease in bounce rates and increases in traffic, length of site visits, and correspondence through the site. They praised Interactive's organization and professionalism.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work at the Smithsonian Science Education Center. We develop science curriculums, video games, and science videos for the K-8 age group.

What is your position?

I am the Curriculum Product Support Specialist.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Interactive Strategies?

Our original website was very disorganized. It was hard for users to find specific topics, search for information, and register for events. The content that we wanted to feature was getting lost in the complexities of the site and we needed a change.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

We brought in Interactive Strategies with a very tight timeline because we were working on grant funding that needed to be spent by a certain date. They did a fantastic job reorganizing our site in such a short time. They created wireframes for us and redesigned the flow of the site.

In addition to traditional redesign services, Interactive Strategies came to a conference that we were holding at the time, and talked to the users of our site: teachers, administrators, people in the community, etc. Through those conversations they determined what our site was lacking and what information people were looking for. We never would have gotten that information without them. From there, they realized that our site had no clear message and that people didn’t know what to do when they got to our site. All of this information contributed to their successful rebuild of our site.

How did you come to work with Interactive Strategies?

We sent out a bid and were seriously considering at least nine agencies that sent us proposals. Interactive Strategies rose to the top because they addressed problems specific to us. They showed us that they really went through the site by doing mock-ups on our proposal and showing us specifically how they planned on improving those. That really spoke to us and showed us that they were thinking about our message and our audience.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We’re in the $50,000 to $200,000 range for everything.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project has been entirely completed, but Interactive Strategies has been extremely helpful for answering any questions. Our contract allotted a couple of months for maintenance work after the project was completed, but we’re off the maintenance now and we still sometimes shoot them a question if we need help.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I don’t have any hard numbers, but our traffic has gone up and our bounce rates have gone down. People are staying on the page longer because they are able to find what they’re looking for. We also have an email address on the site that people can refer to if they have a question. Before our redesign, we would get one or two emails each month, but now we’re seeing at least a couple each day.

How did Interactive Strategies perform from a project management standpoint?

I mainly worked with two people. Mark Davenport was the person who drove the project at first. He showed us the designs and helped communicate our thoughts to the designer. He seemed to know what we needed even when we didn’t know we needed it.

After the design was somewhat established, we started migrating the information from our old site to the new one. This part of the project was led by Katie Okawa, who was amazing. She was very attentive and responsive to any questions and she helped us with a lot of odds and ends. We definitely felt like the whole team was very organized and professional. It was nice to be able to rely on them for this project and know that they weren’t dropping the ball because everyone in my office had 10,000 other projects going on at the same time.

What distinguishes Interactive Strategies from other providers?

This is the first time we’ve ever done a complete redesign, so this process was new for us. I can’t go on enough about how great Interactive Strategies was to work with, and how easy they made the whole process for us. Since we are a government agency, there can be a lot of red tape and back and forth. Interactive Strategies was able to work with everything we threw at them. It was a huge project and they really delivered. I will definitely hire them again if we ever have a need.

Is there anything Interactive Strategies could have improved or done differently?

I learned more about what we could improve than them. They worked really well with us on the tight deadlines, so no, I don’t have anything.

5.0
Overall Score It was very good.
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    Very likely.
Verification

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Verification Level
Silver
VERIFIED
Business Entity
Status
Active
Jurisdiction of Formation
Washington, DC
ID
L18159
Date of Formation
Jun 18, 2003
Source
DC Business Center
Last Updated
Jan 19, 2019
Payment & Legal Filings
Bankruptcy
No
Tax Lien Filings
0
Judgement Filings
0
Collections Count
0
Source
Experian
Full Business Credit Report
Last Updated
Dec 21, 2018
Client Reviews
VERIFIED CLIENT REVIEWS
9
OVERALL REVIEW RATING
4.9
Source
Clutch
LAST UPDATED
May 9, 2018