Layer One Media

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior content marketing specialist at Advicent, a financial planning technology provider.

What challenge were you trying to address with Layer One Media?

Financial planning technology is an investment; advisors spend thousands of dollars on our software, so it’s not a quick purchase, by any means. We relied on Layer One Media to effectively convey our offerings in a way that would speak to the specific needs of our clients and prospects.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve built out different web pages to showcase our different product offerings. In creating custom components for our site, they’ve aligned our messaging with the market. We typically give them some input regarding how we want to present our product, and they’ll provide us with a few different options for its execution.

What is the team composition?

We talk directly with Brody (Marketing & Business Development) and a lot of their head engineers who are on the account. I’d say we interface with 3–4 people on a weekly basis.

How did you come to work with Layer One Media?

The partnership preceded my onboarding the company. I do know that they’re a Milwaukee-based company and that their locality to us was an appealing factor.

How much have you invested with them?

We typically spend close to $10,000 on a monthly basis.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working together with them in July of 2018, and it’s an ongoing engagement.

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

They have a lot of flexibility and can provide new perspectives when we need it. They’re able to give us feedback about how to do things differently, but they’re also able to cater to exactly what we’re looking for. They’ve redesigned and implemented new site designs that better reflect our vision.

How did Layer One Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They maintain exceptionally open lines of communication. We’re in constant contact with them, and they’re very fast to respond whenever we need them. We have a visual studio board that displays all the tickets, which we go over in our bi-weekly calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their transparency and being able to communicate openly with them has been phenomenal. They’re always only an email away if we run into a problem.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of right now.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of analytics and research for the national government of a major US sport.

What challenge were you trying to address with Layer One Media?

We hired them to handle our Sitecore integration and overall web development.  

What was the scope of their involvement?

They handled just about all parts of development, including managing our sizable backlog of feature development. We use Sitecore as our CMS, which runs on top of Microsoft Azure and a few other integrations. The integrations make it possible to get on-field player and team schedule data fed live onto the website. 

In addition to the development, they make occasional updates to the frontend of the platform as well. The site was designed by another company, and they’ve kept it updated since.  

What is the team composition?

We’ve probably interacted with about 10 people, including the CEO, an account manager and engineer, a project manager, and others. 

How did you come to work with Layer One Media?

We found them through a mobile app designer in Chicago. While we were talking to them about our requirements, they agreed to speak to potential partners within their network about potential projects with us. From there, Layer One Media went through an RFP process with us, and we ultimately chose them for the project. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $500,000 to this point on their work.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since Septemeber 2019.  

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

Their work has significantly decreased downtime on the site. We used to run into bugs that crashed the site. That no longer happens. They’ve helped us streamline a customer loyalty sign-up process via a Stripe integration.  

How did Layer One Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed well by staffing a full-time project manager on our account. We have weekly sprint planning and reviews. There’s also a more in-depth planning session that occurs on a bi-weekly basis. That allows us to prioritize items that are less urgent but still present on our project roadmap. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re solid from a technical standpoint. We had a strong plan for what we wanted to accomplish, we just needed to find the right people and engineers to put our vision into action. Their team is made up of very talented developers, including their CEO, who’s an engineer.

We appreciate that they don’t bend to each of our requests. If they need to push back on our decision-making, they’re ready to do so. Having a high level of direct communication and transparency has been very beneficial to us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s difficult to quickly scale up their services. In those cases, you need to provide them with a longer runway. They’re a smaller group, which allows them to keep a consistent team staffed to your account. The downside of that is that scaling takes a bit more planning.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a boutique agency, so make sure you know your requirements and mission going into the collaboration. If you have that right, you’re more likely to be successful.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of e-business at the Granite Group which is a plumbing and heating wholesale distributor. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Layer One Media?

We wanted assistance with our e-commerce platform and CMS. We had previous partners who implemented our e-commerce solution. However, when those partnerships didn’t work out, we needed someone to continue to support the site and provide development updates.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They inherited the codebase for our e-commerce platform which is Insight Commerce. Their team provided updates and improvements. They also integrated a CMS and provided design services. 

What is the team composition? 

We worked with a team of 3-5 people. 

How did you come to work with Layer One Media?

I met them at a conference in Chicago. I liked the methodology they had in place. They’re focused on their employees and their growth. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $400,000-450,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our ongoing relationship with them in September 2018.

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

When they came on board, we were able to get a 30% increase in conversions. We also saw a 40% increase in engagement. The feedback we’ve received from users has been great. The team is responsive to customer requests and is constantly delivering improvements. 

How did Layer One Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is one of their strengths. We meet weekly to talk about our progress and plans for what needs to be done. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to help us understand complex issues is impressive. They helped us increase business value by making the appropriate tradeoff decisions. Their team provides more guidance than the previous vendors we worked with. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t know. I’m happy with what they do. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You should go in with the mindset of this being a partnership. They’re willing and able to provide feedback and suggestions based on your needs, rather than just deliver exactly what you ask.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of visual marketing for Jacuzzi Group International, so I oversee our websites, digital ads, and mobile apps. Jacuzzi is a manufacturer of bot tubs and bath products across seven brands, including the Jacuzzi brand itself. We focus heavily on North American buyers, but we’re also a global organization.

What challenge were you trying to address with Layer One Media?

Our biggest goal was to create a stable website. The older site architecture had a tendency to crash when we made updates. We wanted a steady solution. On top of that, we also wanted to start testing and optimizing our site. It was important to find a partner to give us the freedom to do that.

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we brought their team on, we were still being hosted by another agency. So, their first challenge was to take our site and put it on their own servers. After we got that accomplished, they helped us rebuild the entire backend while working on some additional frontend projects to cultivate the architecture we were aiming for.

They implemented a marketing cloud to improve our email nurturing and added movement to the site with video widgets. We’d been trying to accomplish that for years. Additionally, they improved our ability to close mobile deals with popup ads. They’re experts in Umbraco and built the site on that.

What is the team composition?

The team is pretty robust. Brody (Founder, Layer One Media) is our main touchpoint and remains our overall account manager. Jim (Digital Delivery Director, Layer One Media) works on the technical side. My head of e-commerce handles the day-to-day, but I often strategize with Brody during site visits. They get a much larger team involved on their end, too. I have several developers working on our projects from their team.

How did you come to work with Layer One Media?

They found us. Someone from their team reached out to us because our platform is on Umbraco. They’re top Umbraco developers, so it was serendipitous, especially because we were looking for a new partner. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $200,000 at this point.

What is the status of this engagement?

They started working with us in February 2019, and our partnership is ongoing.

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

As a result of their work, we’ve seen a significant increase in conversion rate, which is our main numeric metric. We also used to have a website crash every week. It’s only crashed about twice in our entire partnership with them. That uptime increase made a huge impact. 

Lastly, the page load time has continued to decrease because of their work on the backend. It’s very important to Google, so that’s really helped. We have one of the faster sites within the vertical, even after we added motion to the site. They’ve done a great job optimizing the site on the backend, and that shows in the frontend results.

How did Layer One Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a structured system in place, allowing us to achieve all of our goals. Their team moves through the system and workflows very quickly, always aware of issues. Tasks are completed every week without my team getting too involved. They just run with it. From that standpoint, project management is ideal.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We value their transparency and willingness to work with us when projects end up being a little beyond their intended scope. The flexibility is appreciated and not super common in external partners. Oftentimes, it doesn’t feel like they’re an outside agency because we’re able to work so closely. It’s like they’re our own personal development team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We stumbling at the start of the project because there was misalignment on how much they’d be helping us transition from one server to another. But, due to their transparency and willingness to help us beyond what was expected, we were able to work out those initial tensions.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Meet with them, in the beginning, to talk through the issues as much as possible. I wasn’t there to do this initially—I hadn’t met with them. As soon as we got into a room together, though, things smoothed out. The faster you can lay your plans on the table with them, the faster and easier the project will be.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of IT for NSi Industries LLC, a company that provides services and supplies to electrical contractors.

What challenge were you trying to address with Layer One Media?

We wanted to update our website, which was on an old version of Insite, but our vendor at the time gave an expensive quote, so we began looking for a new partner.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Layer One Media added a new CMS layer to our website, including the home page, about us page, and resource page. They refreshed the entire home page and updated a lot of the products that we listed on our site. Users can now track their orders and view a history of items they’ve purchased. Layer One Media made the site faster and fixed various other problems we had with it. They also did some SEO and Google Analytics work. We used to host the site in house, but now they provide hosting and maintenance services, taking care of any patches or updates.

What is the team composition?

We interact with a team of about six people, including the manager and developers.

How did you come to work with Layer One Media?

We found a list of approved partners on Insite’s website. We contacted a few of them, and Layer One Media responded the fastest. They provided references, which all had good things to say, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in October 2018, and the work is ongoing.

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

Traffic to our website has increased as well as our reps’ response times. The site is faster, and a national channel we sell through has given it a good score.

How did Layer One Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re engaged and dedicated, delivering projects on time and always keeping track of tasks. We communicate via phone and email, and they proactively reach out to us whenever they need anything.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re extremely professional and explain things in a way that non-technical people can understand. The team is honest and provides insightful feedback instead of trying to sell us things we don’t need. Unlike other firms, they don’t charge us for quick and simple fixes.                                                

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t see how they could improve.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

If possible, have your first meeting in person so that you can avoid any potential miscommunications when establishing the scope and goals of your project.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the e-business director for a global manufacturer of motors and drives. This project was for our Appliance, Commercial, and Industrial Motors (ACIM) division.

For what projects/services did your company hire Layer One Media?

We hired Layer One Media to help scope, design, and develop a Sitecore website that could be branded/customized by each of our business units.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a web platform that had a common look/feel and tools but would still be flexible enough to for each business unit to adapt based on their products, go-to-market strategy, and regional approach.

How did you select this vendor?

Layer One Media was a Sitecore gold partner and was focused on B2B industrial customers. They understood that we weren’t a consumer company and that we faced unique challenges as a consequence of going to market through distributors.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

First, they guided us through discovery and helped us define our needs. Then, they collaborated on design and UX and developed the site. Content migration, launch, and redirect setups were also part of their responsibilities. They’re now under contract for support.

What was the team composition?

During the heavy work, we had a project manager who guided most of the discovery and served as our primary contact. There were also several designers and developers involved, as we experienced considerable turnover during the project.

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

The sites were developed and launched by our deadline, and we immediately saw a significant increase in web-generated inquiries and visits to our distributor locator. Now, we have more visibility into activity on the sites than we used to, allowing us to make informed decisions quickly.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management has been handled by different people at various points of the project. Maternity leave, turnover, and changes in assignments all occurred. Ultimately, the developers drove most of the project management. Since the initial project ended and we moved to support, senior management has taken a more hands-on approach and things are flowing smoother.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Layer One Media understands B2B industrial companies. That's not something that everyone "gets". We want to look good, but at the end of the day, we’re functional and not flashy. Layer One delivered on that.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Project management and communication were challenging at times. Recently, however, things have greatly improved. We're pleased with their communication and responsiveness.

Could you briefly describe your company?

I work for IEWC. We’re a distributor for wire cable and wire management products.

What is your position?

I’m marketing communications manager.

Could you describe the business challenge(s) you were attempting to address when you initiated the relationship with Layer One Media?

Our website had not been touched since 2006. Our product data structure was lacking. We walked into this project prepared to wipe the entire slate clean. We were beginning anew with our product data, organization and the website as a whole. I was really looking at how to design a site from the ground up so we could keep adding content it and keep improving it as the years go by. That was the basis of the whole relationship. 

Could you now describe the scope of the project? For instance, did it invole custom visual design, backend development, training, support, etc.?

What they did is they provided the company website, which is the external user facing website. We have a team for a product catalog implemented, and also pulled that into Sitecore. Sitecore is what we’re using for our CMS platform right now. There is no integration at this point with ERP systems or anything, but we are integrated with Salesforce, so they did provide that service.

For the most part, it’s a standard website. There wasn’t anything too advanced. However, our product data structure got a little complicated, because we do things a little differently here with our data. Overall, the majority of the work has been backend development. They handled minor design work but the frontend isn't the most complex. 

What CMS powered your previous website?

We were using Ektron.

What was the rationale behind your transition from Ektron to Sitecore?

A couple of things. Ektron, first of all, had not been updated since 2006 and, because of that, we were having a lot of problems. At that point we looked at possibly upgrading Ektron instead of going somewhere else. A couple of factors drove us toward Sitecore. One, Ektron, I know, is going through some financial issues, so we were a little leery about continuing with them in that respect. Sitecore has really caught our attention because it had nothing but accolades from other people and other companies that we've talked to. This was about two years ago. Sitecore is the bright, shining, up-and-coming CMS platform that wasn’t too highly priced, and was going to fulfill our needs going forward into the future.

How did you select Layer One Media as your solution partner?

The way that we got a hold of them was through Sitecore. We talked with Sitecore first as far as who their authorized vendors were. We had about five different companies, I believe, that we interviewed at that time, and we had them in for several rounds. A lot of them provided a scope of work or a statement of work. It came down to Layer One and one other potential vendor. At that time, the big determining factor was the price point. Layer One was extremely reasonable. The quality of work seemed on par with other companies that were charging quite a bit more. It made the most sense for us to go with Layer One.

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

All said and done, I’d probably say between $300,000 and $400,000.

When was this implementation completed?

We launched, I believe, on October 14, 2013. And there's still ongoing work with them. 

In terms of results, could you share any statistics or metrics that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work they've delivered?

Things have been slowly picking up. I don’t have numbers right in front of me at this time. I can tell you our traffic has slowly increased. Our conversion rate as far as contact us and quote requests have slightly gone up. We’re seeing bumps kind of slowly grow as our search engine results begin to improve. When you launch a new website, especially when it’s a brand new website, it takes a while to get everything settled. It’s a slow growth right now.

Do you remain confident that the Sitecore CMS will continue to fulfill your business needs into the foreseeable future?

As of this point, yes I do. 

When working with Layer One Media, is there anything you would consider unique or special about them compared to other vendors you’ve worked with?

One thing I keep pointing out is, and this may sound cliché, but they feel like a true partner. A lot of companies are simply out to make money, but Layer One has really gone above and beyond in our relationship. They're actively invested in our success. They stayed true to our statement of work and the cost for the project, and they’ve just been with us every step of the way. We’ve always been able to reach out to them no matter how many times per day. It’s almost like they’re an extension of our company.

In retrospect, are there areas that you think they could improve upon, or are there things you'd do differently as the client before approaching this type of project?

Yes. There’s two things, and I’ve talked with them about it. One, the initial timeline did go quite long. We were a couple of months overdue on the launch. As with any fluid exercise, things emerged along the way that weren't properly anticipated. It feels like they slightly underestimated the length of the project. And as an extension of that issue, we lost some valuable time to conduct QA/QC testing. They're aware of both of these issues and we've already taken steps to remedy similar occurrences in the future.