Jake Group

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the Director of Strategic Communications at The Roosevelt Group, a bipartisan government relations and lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. We specialize in national security and connecting the Capitol Hill industry with the Department of Defense.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Jake Group?

We had an outdated website that was put together about a decade ago. We needed to update it to better match our growing team and services as well as for visual appeal.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We didn't build off of the old framework but instead had Jake Group build a completely new website from scratch on WordPress. This also involved a rebranding where we changed the color scheme, fonts, and imagery.

We are a bit different from most commercial entities in that the majority of the consultants we work with are former members of the military, where everybody goes by a certain rank. We needed to make sure that we could present our team accurately based on their rank order, not alphabetically, so Jake Group built a custom sorting system for us.

They also helped us get headshots and team photos.

What is the team composition?

There were two people working with us at any given point in time. Our main point of contact, Leigh (Project Manager), coordinated a good portion of the project. The second person would change depending on which phase of the project we were in; sometimes we worked with an engineer and at other times, a designer. I've spoken with a total of five people from their team, which includes the coder and people taking care of the analytics side.

How did you come to work with Jake Group?

Jake Group was recommended to my managing partners by some of their contacts. They had done good work on other sites, so we decided to have them build ours.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested between $20,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership began in January 2020. The project timeline was stretched due to COVID-19 and not because of Jake Group’s pace of work. Technically, the project went on for 17 months, but we were able to roll out the website in 5–6 months’ time. Now, we have an ongoing hosting and maintenance contract with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website has only been up for about a month, but our traffic has gone up drastically. Our SEO and keywords are also much better managed in the sense that our team members have been getting higher hits online.

Our business is almost entirely conducted on referrals; we don't do cold calls, chase leads, or anything similar, so being able to convey the importance of our team and our network through the website is important.

How did Jake Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They did very well. We were managing an extremely complex process with lots of new content across the entire site, and Jake Group executed all the changes and tweaks really well. We used Google Sheets to manage all the content, which was quite useful for our remote work arrangement. We were able to make changes from a distance without messing up the entire process.

We mostly communicated over email and their team was extremely responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It's sometimes difficult to understand the world of the Department of Defense and the US government, especially if one is an outsider. Even though they weren’t specialists in what we do, they did a great job of listening to what we wanted to get across on our website. Jake Group tackled the problem and figured out a creative way to incorporate a rank order system in our team page.

They also saw to it that the system would be easy for me to use since I run the website and am not a coder or an engineer. Overall, the team was very good at walking that line. 

What's more, they were very receptive to our feedback. There were a lot of back-and-forths to tweak small details, like the font size and alignment, but they always accommodated our requests.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think the only improvement could be ensuring they merge the latest content added to the collaborative document with that was on the development site.  On that end, they could put in some type of internal process to make sure that they’re constantly checking for any updates to the content.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a good sense of what purpose your website will serve to make sure that your time and energy are allocated properly. This way, Jake Group will also be able to do what they do best.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief communications officer of The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). We’re a Washington, DC-based professional society of most of the major accredited colleges and schools of veterinary medicine around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Jake Group?

Our last website was prehistoric and cumbersome to operate. It involved a proprietary content management system that was unique to the developers who created it, which made it difficult for our staff to use the tools. Additionally, it had a lot of limitations and other technical issues. We made the decision to develop a new website. We did it commensurate with an organizational rebranding effort.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We completely abandoned the old site, and they handled a complete redesign and rebuild. As I mentioned, it was a propriety site so we had an enormous amount of information on it. Google Analytics showed that about only 10% of the site was being visited with any degree of regularity. We had to ask ourselves what needed to be on this new site as well as get up to speed on 21st century standards of quality.

First, we did some analytics around what was going on with the existing site and what needed to be approved. Once we got through that, it was a process of laying out the information, architecture, and basic structure and design of the site. Finally, they upgraded the graphic presentation of the site. The objectives were to streamline the platform as well as make it easy to navigate and user-friendly. This was a total project renewal. We switched the operating system to WordPress.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, developers, UI/UX designers, and graphic designers.

How did you come to work with Jake Group?

We developed an RFP and did some mild shopping around. Our team began to investigate firms based on word-of-mouth recommendations from other organizations we work closely with. In the end, we interviewed three firms.

The Jake Group had done work for one of our sister organizations so that was my primary lead to them. A gentleman who no longer works with us had some contacts over there. He was the one who brought Jake Group to my attention. I invited them to come to the table and talk about opportunities.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $85,000 for this anchor project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was from September 2019–May 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

About halfway through this project, we hired them to develop a complimentary website because we were so pleased with how things were going with the anchor project. They’re not a big firm — which I like — but they punch above their weight in terms of their service profile presentation. They’re a very accomplished group of professionals. Everyone knows their job very well.

How did Jake Group perform from a project management standpoint?

I was particularly impressed with the project management side of things. They provided the right touch on top of every detail but weren’t totally in our face all the time. Their team always made sure everything went along on perfect pitch. We’re entirely satisfied with how this project has ended up.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They relate to their clients exceptionally well. Jake Group is very authentic. Their team has a unique ability to understand the complexities of the organizations they’re working with and the people within those organizations. They engage very well with the client to identify client needs and work in a user-friendly way to get everyone to a great solution.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I didn’t have a difficult experience in any respect whatsoever. It was an exceptional engagement for us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be sure to do everything you can to follow their lead. Their planning and pace of work are entirely dependent upon you bringing your deliverables to the table that’s been set. When a project does fall behind, I think it’s because the organization has to deal with a lot of internal approvals and processes. However, Jake Group is very adaptable and will roll with it. They’re generally there to make everybody happy, successful, and productive.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I'm the director of online marketing at iDirect, a satellite communications technology company. We provide ground infrastructure and software monitoring systems for satellite communications technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Jake Group? 

Our previous website was over a decade old, and our needs had vastly outgrown its usefulness. We needed to replace our outdated website with a modern one that looks like it was built within the last year, not the last decade.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Jake Group developed a mobile-first website structure, CMS, and hosting platform. They designed it with flexibility, allowing us to expand and change with the times as we want. In addition to enabling us to quickly make changes, they also consolidated three sites into one. Because of the limitations of our old site, our blog and a technology innovation microsite were created as separate websites. Jake Group helped us integrate those pieces into the new site.

What is the team composition? 

Anneli (President & Creative Director, Jake Group) ran point from a business perspective during the contractual phase and acted as the lead liaison throughout the project. Veronique (Senior Project Manager, Jake Group) helped project manage and Mark (Technical Director, Jake Group) was our technical advisor. Post launch, I work 95% of the time with Mark.

How did you come to work with Jake Group? 

We'd had the desire for years to redo the website, but for various reasons, we didn’t move forward. We knew exactly what we were looking for when we were finally ready to search for vendors. We wanted a local firm near us in Herndon, Virginia, so we didn’t have to deal with a time difference that can make scheduling frustrating.

We also didn't want to go with a large company where we’d feel like just a number. We wanted a partner who was hungry to get our business and would add that personal touch. The ideas and methodology that Jake Group set out in their proposal aligned nicely with our views. The pricing structure was within our budget as well. When we actually met, we felt their team fit nicely with our marketing team. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $125,000 on the project, and the cost of the ongoing support agreement is reasonable.

What is the status of this engagement? 

We executed the agreement in May 2018, and the website launched in January 2019. They now support updates to the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't done a statistical analysis yet because it's only been live a couple of months. The biggest impact we've seen is from an overall branding perspective. Our old website drastically misrepresented who we are as a company. The new website is cutting edge with a clean design and a mobile-first format. It sets the stage that we're high-tech, innovative, and forward thinking. The overall feedback from customers, people in the industry, and our internal employees has been very positive. We no longer have a stale website that's stuck in the past.

From an internal standpoint, the new site is much easier to manage on the backend. We've already done minor tweaks and upgrades that are simpler and more cost-effective than making edits to the previous site. It also is saving us money in terms of hosting and management costs. 

How did Jake Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Our teams work very well together. Jake Group provides collaborative and creative discussions. We felt as if they were part of the team throughout the project. I never have any issues contacting them. All communications are done quickly and professionally. I never once felt they were behind on anything or not getting back to me on tasks. I’m always confident that they will give me the information that I need in a timely manner. I never have to chase anything down or have multiple follow-up calls. 

They have a couple of tools that they use to show us site maps and design comps. The bulk of our communication is done via email or phone. Because of their close proximity, they came to our office for key meetings such as discovery, kickoff, and design presentations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Jake Group is a boutique firm. I view that as a positive because they quickly and easily integrated with our team. It was a cohesive working environment. I've worked with vendors in the past that have good designs but are lacking in information architecture or vice versa. Jake Group hit the nail on the head on information architecture, layout, design, and implementation. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

Nobody's perfect but nothing comes to mind. There were no pain points in the project. There’s a quite smooth collaboration between our teams. They don’t hesitate to ask if they need something from us and we do the same. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust that they're going to understand your business and get the job done. They'll put forth industry best designs and information architecture for your project. They know what they're talking about because they keep up with the latest designs and best practices.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the NursingCAS Communications Coordinator at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. NursingCAS is the Common Application Service for nursing programs, similar to the common app for regular undergraduate admissions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Jake Group?

We didn't have a professionally designed website (our website was made internally), so we were looking for a company to redesign our site. Also, participation in NursingCAS is growing, so we needed help redesigning our logo.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an initial meeting with them and went through a very thorough discovery process. Then, they created a draft of our new logo and started redesigning our website. It was a very collaborative process and we were constantly in-touch via email or phone. They continue to host and maintain our site.

What is the team composition?

We had one primary point of contact.

How did you come to work with Jake Group?

I found them through a Google search. I interviewed six other web designers, but the team at Jake Group understood all of our needs and was very responsive, so we chose them. Also, they have competitive rates.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2018 and the website launched in August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've received a lot of interest from schools who are looking to enroll in the service. We're monitoring our Google Analytics to see if we've had an increase in traffic.

How did Jake Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They stayed on top of everything. We mainly used email to communicate and they always responded quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was going into the project expecting to do a lot of babysitting of the vendor to make sure they'd follow up and deliver. Jake Group exceeded my expectations, so I'd love to continue working with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager at ICMA, a nonprofit membership organization that works with local governments. We implement programs and provide professional development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Jake Group?

We were tasked with launching a new website to manage community application and intake processes as part of a program implementation. The site needed to allow communities to apply through the site and to be a means for recognizing the communities involved in our program.

We had a temporary solution in place that communities could use but it was cumbersome. We were using Tableau, which could display data well but wasn’t a great user experience. We needed to design a permanent solution that was easy to use. The site also needed to be sustainable in the sense that it could be maintained with little effort after the program ended.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Jake Group provided both backend development and frontend design for our WordPress site. Among other things, the site has an intake form for applications, a section of community profiles, and a map functionality that can present data on the communities by location. We launched an initial version in late September. I’ve since moved off the project to another team but I believe the site is still being finalized.

What is the team composition?

Their technical director was our project lead. We also worked with another project manager and a couple of designers. The president/creative director joined some of the bigger meetings.

How did you come to work with Jake Group?

Our procurement process essentially follows government guidelines which meant that we were required to do an open RFP process. We weren’t necessarily looking for the cheapest option. We wanted to work with someone who had experience working with organizations like ours and had a good understanding of our audience and how to engage them.

Jake Group was one of the 15 respondents to our RFP and part of the final three when we narrowed down. They were the most prepared of those groups that we interviewed. They had a strong sense of the design we were looking for. They had examples ready based on our RFP of past projects with clients both large and small. For items they didn’t have examples for, they were aware of the possible features and how we could apply them. After a couple of meetings and presentations, we selected Jake Group.

How much have you invested with them?

The project ceiling was $145,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in June 2017. The project was meant to be completed in March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Communities apply mainly through our website to be involved in our program. We have to achieve 300 designated communities over the five years to 2020. Since we launched the site last fall, we’ve increased our numbers from just around 100 to 201 designated communities. We’ve had more than 75 communities come through the new website and we’re well on our way to achieving our goal of 300.

The new site is a huge upgrade. It’s much more user-friendly. User feedback has been consistently positive about the features and data displays. Everything they had completed up to the time that I left the project had met our standards.

How did Jake Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall, pretty well. They’re very easy to talk to and have a great understanding of web design and development. One challenge I found was the availability of their developers. We had a point around the holidays, during which they were also in the midst of hiring, that their work slowed down in terms of meeting timelines on some items. It wasn’t clear if they were struggling to keep up with large projects from multiple clients. However, they never promised anything that they didn’t deliver. They were generally good at setting and meeting timelines and communicating any changes or issues that came up.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Jake Group impressed us with their technical skill and foresight. They had a great understanding of design concepts and user experience, including on the backend for those working with the site on a daily basis. They were aware of the issues that could make things easier and simpler on our end, especially as we moved towards the end of the project and weren’t going to be able to be as hands-on with the site. They were able to design the site to meet those future needs.

They also had a great handle on the features, design, and development process for WordPress in particular.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner and CEO of Olivia Macaron. We sell French macaron cookies in several locations in the Washington, DC, area. We also sell online and can ship nationwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with the Jake Group?

We began with a website that was not powerful enough and we had some issues with the developer we had worked with. We wanted to start over from scratch with a company we could trust.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did full back- and frontend design of our Shopify-based website. They also helped us with one of our main challenges with the customer ordering process. Our product is perishable, so we can only ship certain days of the week, which creates a limit on when a customer can have the item shipped. Also, not all of our boxes are shippable. The Jake Group found elegant solutions for everything.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with two people: the owner of the firm and an account manager.

How did you come to work with the Jake Group?

They were recommended to me by a friend and I liked the fact that they were local, accessible, and a Georgetown-based small business.

How much have you invested with them?

More than $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July or August–November 2016.

Recently, we agreed to work together again. I wanted to delegate our marketing efforts to a company I trusted, so they will help us with maintaining the website as well as with our marketing and SEO efforts.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After the Jake Group revamped our website, I can estimate that our online sales tripled. People were extremely happy with its new functionality. Internally, we are especially pleased because the backend is so user-friendly now. It’s easy to maintain and update. Also, we see more customer inquiries, more people engaged on the website, and visitors to the site staying longer, which is fantastic compared to what it was like before.

How did the Jake Group perform from a project management standpoint?

I think they did an excellent job. They had great communication and were on top of the work. They were good at asking for materials, following up, and making sure we all stuck to the very short deadlines we established.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like how involved they get in their projects, their level of communication, and how approachable they are. I’ve worked with other developers before and I dreaded the experience because I had to chase them with emails and calls without hearing back. Others would be late with deliverables. That completely changed with the Jake Group. I would describe the Jake Group as an elegant small business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think there’s anything I can say about that. They’re very approachable and I’m extremely happy. Otherwise, I would not be working with them again.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the executive director and co-founder of The Peter G. Dodge Foundation. We are a private philanthropic foundation that helps people with alcohol addiction.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Jake Group?

We were a startup and needed a vendor to help us develop a brand and build our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First of all, they gave us a questionnaire, asking us to describe various attributes of our company. We were a new company, so we were developing our identity along the way. We did a competitive analysis and discussed with them what our website would look like. After that, they presented me with a number of options for the design.

They developed a comprehensive website, which contains over 60 pages of information.  We worked collaboratively to organize that information and present it visually. In addition, they designed our logo and about 20 different print items, including business cards, brochures, invitations, annual reports, fundraising materials, and thank you cards.

What is the team composition?

We primarily work with Veronique (Morrison, Senior Project Manager, Jake Group).

How did you come to work with them?

Our founder worked with their principal previously. When we were looking for a vendor for this project, we talked to Jake Group and they seemed a good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2014 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received a lot of great feedback on the design of our website and the quality of our print materials. Our users find the website effective and easy to navigate

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done a wonderful job. They set clear expectations and were upfront about the cost and the timeline, so we haven't had any issues after the project started.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I love the quality and the design of their materials. Besides, they're easy to work with. I tried to work with another designer, who was doing pro bono work for us, but I soon realized I wanted to go back to working with Veronique. She understands my needs much better than the other designer did.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything. There was a moment towards the end of the development process when I thought it was taking too long, but they were very clear about the reasons it took them longer to finish the website. In the end, I was so satisfied with the outcome that the time wasn't a big deal.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a principal at a small boutique real estate company called Clear Real Estate Services in Washington, DC. We provide real estate consulting services to groups in need of delivering real estate projects. We help those groups find the best team for the work they need to be done, and then we oversee the project until it’s finished.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Jake Group?

Our logo and website were outdated, our qualifications were weak, and we didn’t have any branding for signage and other advertising opportunities. We needed a firm that could help us redesign our website, freshen up our logo, create some proposals, and help us create a brand. We were looking for a partner that was creative, resourceful, and financially flexible since we're a small firm.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I met with the team’s president and creative director to discuss the firm’s goals and priorities. We decided to address the design work for our logo and business cards first. My colleagues and I were really happy with the changes she made to the logo—she updated the design while keeping it similar enough to the old logo to be recognizable—and we still get compliments on the business cards.

From there, we updated our qualifications package, just in time to compete for what would be the largest project we’ve ever gotten.

The team also helped us create signs and banners for ground-up work we’re doing around D.C. While we were working on these designs, we were in early planning stages for remaking our website. The website was our largest of the initial projects we worked on with Jake Group.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with the team’s technical director and the senior project manager, but I engaged almost exclusively with the firm’s president and creative director.

How did you come to work with Jake Group?

We were most concerned with finding a company that would work with a firm as small as ours, yet could still provide the expertise and responsiveness we wanted. Jake Group was among a handful of firms recommended to us, and after I met with the president and creative director, I knew I wanted to work with her team.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $9,000, which includes the logo design, business cards design, qualifications collateral, proposals redesign, signage for banners, and the website improvement work. The total spend was over $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our rebranding projects with them in December 2016 and finished in September 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were latecomers to compete for a large project against three larger organizations, and I’m confident the designs and materials that Jake Group provided us are what allowed us to close that deal. I give Jake Group total credit for the new work and exposure we’ve gained—we provided the content, but their design and branding is what affects clients most.

How did Jake Group perform from a project management standpoint?

The team communicated with us regularly and was often ahead of schedule. We established a timeline when we began working together to determine priorities, goals, and the estimated time we thought it would take to complete each project. The creative director was receptive to feedback and happy to hear our ideas, but she’s also skilled enough to know that some plans wouldn’t work and she took the time to effectively explain that to us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In the time we’ve been working together, we’ve seen how much their work has improved our business. Their responsiveness and the work they deliver is impeccable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Everyone on the team is an expert in their field and I don't have any criticism. Their work is well-delivered, they're responsive, and they always have a strategy to execute their ideas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for FOX Architects, an architecture and interior design firm focused on the commercial office sector. We’re located in Washington, DC, and primarily serve clients in the Washington metro area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Jake Group?

Our old website was outdated, poorly organized, and didn’t accurately reflect our brand. We wanted to create a site that better reflected our brand and made us stand out from the competition.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted a site that would look and feel different from anything our competitors were doing, while still reflecting our personality and style. Jake Group reworked our UI/UX in order to give our users a more novel experience and help them understand our brand better.

Our previous site was built with ExpressionEngine, which was clunky and hard to update, so they helped us transition from that over to WordPress. They created templates that made our site more mobile-friendly, simplified a lot of our content management, and gave us much more flexibility to customize different sections of the site. They also added interactive features like pop-up information. On the backend, they installed Google Analytics for us and ensured that our site highlighted our three core focal points: projects, people, and insights.

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with our project manager, but we also worked with the president of Jake Group, as well as one of their web developers.

How did you come to work with Jake Group?

We began the partnership before I came on board, but one of our consultants had previously worked with Jake Group and recommended them highly. We felt like their team’s work style and willingness to listen to our design notes would suit our needs well.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost about $57,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2016 and wrapped up in October 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The amount of positive user feedback about our new site has been astounding. People have not only liked it, but they’re also interacting with it for longer periods of time. Our bounce rate is down, and thanks to the addition of Google Analytics, we can track how users move across the site and understand which sections are drawing their attention the most.

How did Jake Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They always met their deadlines and kept us on track as well. They were very responsive and great to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They had highly dedicated, customer-oriented people on their team. We were a difficult client. We’re a design firm, so we’re very nitpicky when other people do design work for us, but they really took the time to understand our priorities and adapt to the style we wanted. The end result was a beautifully-branded custom website that accurately reflected our brand. They achieved everything we wanted right from the first explanation of the concept, and I don’t think you always see that. Their ability to take direction while still using their expertise to guide us along really set them apart.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the business development director at Scheibel Construction.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Jake Group?

We were trying to bring our website up to current times, but still show our long history and stick to our core values.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Jake Group designed and developed a completely new WordPress website for us. They focused heavily on easy content uploading, which was a problem on our old, Concrete 5 website. The site had to be optimized for mobile devices as well.

Though not in the original scope, Jake Group did some copywriting and editing for us which was very helpful in allowing us to meet our launch date. After the website launched, they also provided us with banners and tablecloths to display at job fairs.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a project manager, Veronique, and one other person.

How did you come to work with them?

They were referred to me by someone in the industry and they were responsive when I reached out to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $27,795 on the website.

What is the status of this engagement?

The relationship began in September of 2015 and ended in August 2016. We have a maintenance contract with The Jake Group and we still use them for miscellaneous marketing needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re not doing Google analytics but I’ve had a lot of people compliment me about just how much they liked the website. They think it looks really good.

How did Jake Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very communicative and responsive and tailored their engagement to my timeline. Their management was very organized and they were able to shepherd ideas from inception to implementation. We were working with a soft deadline and my schedule was busy, but when I was faced with a hard deadline, they were ready to go.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were accessible and very in tune with their clients; they formed a personal relationship with us. Veronique was also amazing. She was responsive and very patient.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I caught a couple small mistakes in their copywriting, and they could be a little less expensive. But as a business owner, I understand it.