Lform Design

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I've had a lot of clients compliment us and say they like the website redesign, and they continue to read the blog posts we publish on a regular basis. The software vendor partners we work with are excited about some of the content we’re posting. It’s somewhat of an enhancement to their own marketing programs. The new website is getting noticed, and I think it’s getting noticed because it’s an ongoing, consistent effort, which helps us.

Using the content writers at LForm, we typically have one of our subject matter experts, consultants or support members come up with an idea and do a brain dump for 15 to 30 minutes with someone from LForm. They take everything, synthesize it, do additional research, and come up with what it should look like and how it should be presented. Then, they come back to us with a draft, we review it, and then publish it. Now we can focus more on the ideas and the content from a higher level. We do the same thing with our client testimonials, which makes it easy for our clients because it doesn’t take a lot of their time.

How did LForm Design perform from a project management standpoint?

I think LForm performs fairly well from a project management standpoint. We had a couple of challenges when they had some turnover, but that wasn’t necessarily their fault. Our original account manager was transferred, and then one person left, and now we have a new person. It was all short term. Unless you're working with a massive agency where there’s a lot of redundancy, you're bound to have that eventually.

What did you find most impressive about LForm Design?

I think the best thing has been the working relationship. For us, it really came down to being able to find somebody that can do most of the design, web development, and SEO stuff under one umbrella, and having the skill sets in-house to do so. It was also important that they be able to represent our brand the way we wanted. We wanted to keep our personality and the organization’s culture the way it was.

Our clients appreciate the personal touch brand that we’ve developed over the years. We wanted to make sure that our clients felt that we had their best interests at heart, and that comes through in the marketing, website design, and overall content. Of course, we’re looking for new business and new deals, and we want to bring in new leads, but we’re looking for that to translate into a long-term relationship with our clients.

Are there any areas LForm Design could improve?

The turnover they experienced was inconvenient, but we’re looking forward to this year and streamlining our process. They’re a relatively small firm right now, but they’re going to continue to grow their capabilities, which I think will make them better in the long term. There are certain things they just don't do natively, which is fine for us, but it may be an issue for other companies. For instance, they don't do videography elements, and I'm sure some of the bigger agencies take that into account. We don't need that much from videography, so it doesn't bother us.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Not a week goes without someone commenting that they love the look and the feel of our site. People are very impressed that it’s eye-appealing and easy to read. They like some of the suggestions that Lform had made, such as adding how long it takes to read different articles. When we started, no one knew who we were. We were just this online magazine for the restaurant industry. We’ve grown extraordinarily fast and we have been very well received. A lot of that is because people like what they see. That’s a testament to Lform’s excellent work.

How did Lform Design perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management was very efficient and we had a system in place called Basecamp. We corresponded back and forth that way. Lform is always responsive via email, via phone. Everything was done in a very timely manner. Working with Ian and the entire team over there, everyone was great. Even now, when we’re just doing aftercare for the site, I know I can pick up the phone and someone will help me out with any question.

What did you find most impressive about Lform Design?

Lform Design made it about the process, and that, to me, spoke a lot. We were trying to achieve a goal together and they wanted everything to be successful. I found their suggestions to be very helpful and we relied a lot on their expertise. Also, we had fun working on a creative project together. It’s a hard process to create something and to establish a whole business. It’s exciting and scary at the same time, and it was nice to be going through that process where I felt I could rely on their expertise. We didn’t have any problems regarding billing. Everything was very cut and dry in that regard. Also, the training aspect was very helpful. They were very professional in teaching us the learning curve that we needed to have in place. I’ve been over in their office, and it’s very welcoming. You feel like you’re a part of the team while you’re working on a project with Lform. Overall, it was a great experience.

Are there any areas Lform Design could improve?

I really can’t say that there are because we did have such a great experience with them. I really do owe them a lot for all their hard work and effort.

What were the results of the project? Do you happen to have any statistics or metrics you could share?

Immediately after we launched the site, our page views per visit went up by 30 percent to 40 percent. That was major for us. The time on the site and the depth that people were looking, they were moving through the site in exactly the way that we wanted them to, seeing the pages that are the primary important sources. This allowed us to get to our project reviews and testimonials very easily. Also, we worked on SEO [search engine optimization] and continue to try new strategies. The SEO has improved dramatically with Lform’s help.

Has the lead generation aspect of the site improved a lot as well?

Yes, it has. It continues to improve. That’s one of the things I really like about Lform is that if I find something that needs improvement, I can send it to them, and then they’ll take care of it very quickly. We hired an SEO firm because we needed the expertise. Lform worked with us in collaboration with our SEO firm.

How did Lform Design perform overall?

The site turned out beautifully. I’m kind of a control freak, and so I really knew what I wanted. They were willing to dig in with me to give me what I wanted without sacrificing design and best practices. Lform Design was good at balancing my demands and helping me come up with the best site possible. They were strong enough to push back when I asked for things that didn’t really make sense.

Is there anything else unique or special about them that stood out for you as different from other IT firms?

I showed them other sites I liked, and they helped me analyze what it was that I like about those other sites. That was a unique piece for me. They knew that Web design isn’t really a one-size-fits-all business. Marketing a company like ours is difficult because it’s highly technical and unique.

Lform Design was willing to work with examples of other companies like ours. That is hard to find. They didn’t walk into the project thinking they would build a template and be finished quickly. We did a lot of customization with their cooperation.

Looking back on the project, is there any area that you think Lform Design could improve upon or something you might do differently?

They’re already doing things differently from a QA [quality assurance] and testing perspective. That’s one thing we did work on improving throughout the project. They have improved in this regard since we started the project. It’s done, and it’s working, and we’re already improving upon it. I feel good about what they did.