LINK Creative

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the business development manager for a software implementation company. We primarily work with project capital and program management information companies to help them implement software systems. I primarily do marketing and sales for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LINK Creative?

We were trying to revamp our website for marketing and sales purposes. We had an older proprietary site that was already in place when I came into the company and one of my goals was to make some major improvements in our online presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They rebuilt our WordPress website from the ground up. First, we edited all of the content with their team and provided them with new content. Next, we gave them direction on the aesthetic we were looking for in terms of site layout. Finally, they built the site for us.

What is the team composition?

I worked with three individuals from their company. Wayne (Partner/Creative Director, LINK Creative) was my main point of contact.

How did you come to work with LINK Creative?

We interviewed several contractors, marketing agencies, and web development agencies. We narrowed down that pool based on price, scope, and the quality of what we thought their work was going to be.

We learned about LINK Creative through a few former employees, who typically work with the same pool of clients that we do; they really enjoyed their site and we wanted to replicate that success for ourselves.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $16,000 – $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We officially began the project in February 2019 and ended the project in May 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t done an official launch to our clients, so we don’t have any KPIs yet. The response we had informally is overwhelmingly positive and that’s both internally and externally.

How did LINK Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

It wasn’t as structured as I would’ve liked; I like a strict timeline with deliverables. At the same time, I think it worked out really well since creative work requires a level of flexibility, and things evened out in the end. The best part of it was how we stayed in touch constantly. It was really great being able to keep tabs on the process daily. LINK was really good about getting things done quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of customer service is really excellent. The fact that I was able to contact Wayne at any time and get a response in 24 hours was amazing. The team was incredibly patient and flexible and did a great job of making sure we got the end result we wanted. Their level of service went above and beyond what we were expecting.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Having more of a process for outlining the project schedules, milestones, and examples of how the process typically works on paper might be helpful. I’ve never done anything quite like this, so maybe the process was intentionally flexible.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think having content ready when you start the project is really good, and the process slows down if you don’t. I think being open and willing to receive guidance from LINK is also important because they’re the experts.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of events and project manager at Jefferson Education Exchange.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LINK Creative?

When we hired LINK, we were switching from a for-profit company to a nonprofit. We needed to create a website that showcased the differences as a result of the change, while also allowing people to see that the same trusted people were running the company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an existing website, but LINK revamped the entire thing using Drupal. When we started we assumed it would be pretty simple, however—because we were newly forming the company—it turned into quite a large project. The LINK guys were really flexible in adjusting and accommodating us as we worked on things like our mission statement wording, etc.

The project eventually evolved into two phases. In the first phase, they developed the site and helped us with project tracking through a cloud computing company. They also assisted in design, such as selecting images and icons for the site.

We are about to begin the second phase, which will focus on creating a better user experience (UX) and refining the website. Specifically, we want to look at how a user actually navigates through the site in order to make everything well timed and purposeful. For example, we use a lot of hero images and we want the site to engage the user in a way that allows them to view them all. Furthermore, we will update and optimize our social media graphics to better fit with our site.

What is the team composition?

I mainly worked with two gentlemen, a designer and a developer. I talk with both of them on most calls, but since the site went live I have found myself working more with the developer. They do a great job working together.

How did you come to work with LINK Creative?

We were referred to LINK by a third party we had contacted through an advertising company.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent $10,000‑$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement is ongoing. We began the project in November 2017 and finished phase one when we launched the site in February 2018. We are now starting work on phase two in March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We do not have user metrics yet, however the website has received great media coverage that has driven a lot of people to the site.

How did LINK Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

LINK does not have a project manager, which makes things a little bit confusing because we work directly with the developer and designer. This means that we don’t have somebody with a clear understanding of exactly what we want that also oversees the project in its entirety. I simply created a Smartsheet to share a project timeline, and we mostly use Google Docs for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The guys are really responsive and willing to work with us. We were a bit all over the place at the beginning of the project, but they were very understanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We are located on the east coast and LINK is on the west coast, so the time difference has made communication really difficult at times. For example, when we launched the site in the morning on Eastern Standard Time there were some bugs and LINK was very difficult to contact. They need a support system in place on east coast hours—it is hard to launch a site for a client and not be available.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would definitely make sure that you have somebody who can manage the project on your end because LINK does not have a project manager.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder of NurseJobsCA, the official website for nurse job searching in California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge where you trying to address with LINK Creative?

Three years ago, I had the idea for a website exclusively for nurses looking for jobs in California. I was hearing complaints about how difficult it was to find a job in a particular location and specialty on national databases built for all industries. As a result, my business partner and I conceptually created NurseJobsCA and went looking for a developer when we ran across LINK Creative.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built the website completely from scratch. We met with LINK and told them we wanted a website that wasn’t necessarily better than the competition, but would be elegant, edgy, and—in a word—incredible. I wanted people to come to our site and, within one click, see exactly how many nursing jobs there are in their location. Based on our concept, the team got started and built the site from the ground up.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a business manager, designer, and backend developer. They were a great, creative team.

How did you come to work with LINK Creative?

My business partner had some initial contacts, but they fell through so we began an area search for web developers. The first two companies we contacted never got back to us, but LINK responded immediately to set up an appointment. We went in and were instantly impressed.

How much have you invested with them?

The original quote was around $13,000 with slight adjustments over time. For example, a change we wanted to make might have cost us anywhere from $500‑$1,000, and we dealt with that as it came.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with LINK in 2015 and they had the site ready within six weeks. We still contact them for maintenance or bug fixes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were able to build us a site with the exact features we wanted. Specifically, they built a map function where a user can create a precise area they wish to search and the ability to choose from a plethora of specialties. Then, with one click, we list the number of jobs available in our database within that area in alphabetical order.

We are currently working on getting precise user metrics, but we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from users. I am a professor and my students think it is incredible. Their jaws drop whenever they use the website.

How did LINK Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

We were able to easily communicate with them. We talked over phone and e-mail, and their response time was great. We recently noticed a bug on the site and emailed LINK on a Sunday afternoon—within minutes they responded and had solved the issue.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I told LINK I wanted elegance, efficiency, and the most incredible user interface experience possible—they far exceeded my expectations. The entire team was extremely competent and creative, and their response time was outstanding. They had our needs and concerns at the forefront of their minds and were great collaborators—always debating the best ideas and strategies while working towards creating a perfect website. They are the total tech package and great human beings. We were fortunate to run across them and will use them for any future web projects.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they are incredible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Coastland Civil Engineering. We provide many services, including civil engineering, and I’m the marketing manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LINK Creative?

We had a very outdated website, and we were looking for a new vision on revamping our website completely, including some rebranding.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave a challenge, as our company offers many different services and it can be convoluted. They gave us solutions we hadn’t thought of for our site. We gave them a starting point of some websites we liked and what we had in mind. LINK Creative listened well and asked good questions to understand our vision. They gave us a brand new site that’s better than we imagined. The website has a few features that were new to me. We have a content management system for everything, including testimonials from clients. They integrated specific testimonials on certain service pages, which worked out well.

We provided the content, but they did help with a professional photo of our office. They did a great job with the colors for the site. Wayne from LINK Creative came to our office to get a look and feel for the culture at our company and our color scheme in the office. He used that to create a color scheme that was a good fit for the services we provide. Our logo didn’t change.

How did you come to work with LINK Creative?

I interviewed four agencies throughout the county, and LINK stood out to me. A lot of it came down to the vibe I got from them and the questions they asked. Other firms simply gave us a presentation, but LINK asked questions to get a better understanding of what we wanted. I could tell they really wanted to make the project fit our vision.

How much have you invested with LINK Creative?

It was just under $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted for several months in 2014 and is complete.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have specific numbers, but we have very positive feedback from our clients and staff. The new site is also an effective tool for attracting potential employees.

How did LINK Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They were super-accessible. They met all the deadlines and responded to our questions right away. They worked quick. We had good communication. Our meetings went smoothly, and we could reach out to them between meetings with any questions. They asked us thought-provoking questions to get a better idea of our vision and make the end product meet our goals.

What did you find most impressive about LINK Creative?

I felt very good about their team. They really went above and beyond. They asked questions and listened, came to our office to get a feel for our company. They provided guidance to us along the way, and we still contact them as questions arise about our site.

Are there any areas LINK Creative could improve?

I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Silicon Valley Data Science is a consulting firm based in Mountain View, California. We help clients with data science, agile engineering, and data strategy. I am the director of communications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LINK Creative?

We needed a new website. We had worked with them on the first version of our website, and it had served its purpose when we were a young company just starting up in the spring of 2013. However, as we scaled as a company, and as our reputation and presence in our industry grew, we wanted to improve the look and feel of our site as well.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our original site was built on Drupal, but we decided we wanted to move to WordPress to have more flexibility in the things we could do. We worked with LINK on a complete overhaul and migration from Drupal to WordPress backend. It came with a total redesign, and we added a bunch of new features as well. Their work was strictly design and development.

I’m not sure how many people were working behind the scenes at LINK. I worked directly with three people. I’m sure they did things with InDesign and other tools, but I don’t have the details. The site itself was built on WordPress with Pantheon, and they wrote some custom code as well. They created a custom WordPress theme for us and did a lot of customizing on the backend. I suspect they used PHP and JavaScript, but I don’t know the developer tools they used to write that code.

First and foremost, our site is a place to feature the services we provide, so there are several pages dedicated to describing our services. Those were straight-up text pages, but we wanted a very particular look and feel. LINK designed what the overall page flow should look like, from the header to the footer. We wanted a dynamic header on the home page, so they worked out something that scrolls up as you move down the page.

There were also some dynamic features on the services pages. They designed custom icons to represent those services. They also designed a way to present an excerpt of our case studies upfront, which then lets the user click through to the content.

We wanted a timeline of the company’s progress on our ‘About’ page. They also customized a parallax element that had been on our previous site, making it more subtle. They customized the blog to our specifications, allowing posts to be attributed to multiple authors.

On the ‘Careers’ page, we had a big wish list for the way we wanted the information presented and how potential applicants could submit resumes. They worked through this with us in a systematic way. They accomplished everything we asked for in a way that went beyond our ability to imagine from a design perspective.

We’ve commissioned them to create custom icons we use in marketing materials. We really like the look and feel they created for us, so some of their work carries into our print materials as well.

How did you come to work with LINK Creative?

We’ve been working with LINK since before I was hired, so I can’t comment on that process.

How much have you invested with LINK Creative?

This project was in the $10,000-50,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

The redesign project started in June of 2015 and was finished in October of that year. We keep going back to LINK for website updates and custom design work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re so responsive and easy to work with. We feel that we get a great value for the money we spend with them.

The feedback we’ve received has been positive across the board. Our clients say that they love the new look and feel. Our colleagues in the company love it. It’s fantastic on the backend. Everyone who contributes to the blog says that it’s so much easier to work with the new site. A lot of the custom features that LINK built are so easy to use from the backend. They were able to build something that is robust from a design standpoint, but easy for us on the backend.

How did LINK Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly communicated by email. As we went through the design process, they sent us mockups in PDF for review, then we met over the phone to discuss them. They laid out a schedule and hit every deadline they set. They were very flexible in accommodating us when we were behind schedule by a day or two. Overall, I was very happy with the project management. Part of the reason we keep engaging them is because they’re very responsive to us and they stick to their schedule.

What did you find most impressive about LINK Creative?

I’ve worked with a number of outside companies, and LINK really stands out heads and shoulders above the others. They make us feel that we’re their only client. There’s a sense of having very personalized attention from them. Every time we have a question, it gets answered within a day or two. They hit every milestone they set. It really feels like we’re getting their full attention.

Are there any areas LINK Creative could improve?

No company is perfect, and I’m sure there are areas where they could improve, but we’ve just been thrilled with them. There could have been more quality control before the project got to us. We found one or two bugs in the code. They fixed them right away, but these were things they could catch themselves before they sent it to us.