Olive Street Design

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Executive director of a nonprofit association for practitioners in the integrative healthcare space

For what projects/services did your company hire Olive Street Design, and what were your goals?

Our website was 6 years old. We needed an all new website with an up to date look. It needed to be much easier to navigate. It needed to tell a story that would be useful for different types of people that came to the website. It needed to have actions that people could take.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

At the same time as this project we were also changing our back end system. The people doing it referred us to Olive Street. We Met with them. We had already done a lot of marketing work getting clarity on our avatar and our message. We needed a webs design team to make them a reality. Olive street gave us a basic design as a proposal and we could see that they got what we were talking about. Their price was reasonable. So we said yes.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We provided a great deal of the copy and the structure. Olive street then created a wire frame that we approved. Then they created look and feel. Once the basics were done, We selected images and the like. The next step was to build everything out. Then there were several rounds of tweaking. Olive street used DUDA as the main engine for the Website

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

3 or 4. the Creative Director, the Director of Operations, and 2 other people. I do not know there positions

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We've gotten tons of positive feedback on the new Website. The look , the navigation. Its a bit too soon to tell about comparative google analytics.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They listened, They were highly responsive. They took initiative. They got things done on time.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Frankly, I have high expectations and I am usually disappointed by the service and the responsiveness of most companies and people.

Olive Street exceeded every single expectation that I had. When I first saw the movie the Fellowship of the Ring and in the final scene where you see Mordor from a distance, I thought, “My God that is exactly what I saw in my mind when I read the book!!” That's what Olive Street Design did. Only they went one better than Peter Jackson. I already had a vision based on Tolkien's book. For the website, I didn't have a vision, until Olive Street Design brought it to life.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Nope

Please describe your company and your position there.

I currently support our family businesses including family pizzeria, my partner's law firm, and my family's professional services firm. Three very different industries all with unique challenges and needs.

For what projects/services did your company hire Olive Street Design?

For the law firm and professional services firm it is a complete rebranding, marketing strategy, and modernized brand and identity that is part of natural growth. This included a new website with the integrations we wanted with our back-office systems. For the pizzeria it is a more modernized web presence starting with a more secure and reliable web page.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal for the law firm and professional services firm is to attract more clients, attract higher value clients, and have a more specialized, expert focus versus broad focus. With the growth and experience of both firms, Nat and his team demonstrated that leveling up the brand for each was critical to build higher value engagements and projects and longer term partnerships with recurring revenue.

Our initial thoughts and plans for the initial phase of work evolved into a more full service project after Nat and his team demonstrated the value in a more holistic approach. The goal for the family pizzeria was to modernize the web site to be more stable, secure, and achieve broader reach through optimized pages and SEO. Ultimately the goal is to attract more customers, and continue to build the carryout business in response to COVID.

How did you select Olive Street Design?

Research on top marketing agencies proved that Olive Street was the partner we needed. I was not simply looking for a web designer; I was looking for a full service marketing agency with the industry experience needed to best advise us. Olive street demonstrated that before our first conversation. After meeting with Nat for an hour to discuss strategy and approach we knew there was no one better to develop a long term partnership with to achieve our goals today and into the future.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The law firm is our first primary target. We now know we require a new brand identity and marketing strategy for growing the law firm and achieving our goals. After our initial strategy session we collaborated closely with Nat and his entire team on rounding up all the relevant content. The team immediately started churning out new logos and color schemes that will serve as the foundation for our new image.

In parallel to the creative efforts, the technical team was exploring what was needed to achieve the integration we wanted with our back office systems to enable for streamlined, seamless, and fully automated processes to enable and support the growth we were after. Even before we had our initial meeting with the team, they had already started exploring and inquiring for necessary information based on our initial request and came fully prepared to hit the ground running.

Once we targeted the relevant content the team needed in order to go to work we collectively started building it out and I shared everything we had with the Olive Street team. At that point, they got to work, churning out what will be a fresh start to a growing law firm.

What was the team composition?

I have worked closely with the principal Nat to drive the overall strategy and execution of the project. From the beginning Nat brought in the key players, including Creative Director, Technical Director, and web team to hit the ground running and work side by side with us to drive the project forward.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Nat demonstrated progress and success before even being officially hired. His preparation and efforts before our initial consultation demonstrated his success. Since partnering with Nat and his team, we have finalized logo options for final review and have built a structure and approach to the new website. The team is working quickly, collaboratively, and getting after this challenge faster then we could have hoped for.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Given our busy schedules Nat and his team adapted to communicating all via email. This could often be a roadblock to making progress however the team remained diligent and communicated effectively, providing the necessary nudges to ensure we don't lose time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Nat's preparation before ever being hired, the team's diligence and excitement for the project, and the overall success and industry experience is what elevates Olive Street above any other marketing/web firm I have ever worked with. The industry success was most apparent when strategizing and planning the project. They knew what was best from proven success versus what we viewed in our mind.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not sure at this time I can think of anything that can be done differently.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Leroy Alan & Company is an independent provider of claims management and specialized staffing solutions to insurance companies and self-insured entities with an expansive nationwide network serving clients throughout the entire United States.

For what projects/services did your company hire Olive Street Design?

Our company website was built internally, with minimal web design experience. We had no steady traffic and decided to invest in a new website. We do not have any in-house engineers, so we needed to outsource the entire redesign and rebuild.

What were your goals for this project?

We approached Olive Street to assist in the rebuild of our website, seeking a modern, easy to navigate website that stood out against a competitive market. We wanted a website that was clear and informative of our business objectives and engaging to our visitors while being built on a user-friendly platform.

How did you select this vendor?

Our team searched online for web designers and compiled a list based on the case studies and portfolios on their website. The entire team at Olive Street was very knowledgeable and understanding in what our goals were, and very supportive of our business needs.

We selected Olive Street based on the quality of their proposal, their willingness to train our team on how to interact with the website post-launch and their price point, which we felt was extremely fair.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we selected Olive Street, we had a series of discovery calls to discuss our goals and objectives. Within the first two weeks, we received an initial design for the main page.

After a few discussions, we finalized the design and provided feedback on how we wanted the rest of the site to look. Olive Street came back to us with concepts for our other pages including an updated and engaging appearance throughout the entire site.

What was the team composition?

Initially, we worked with Nat who supported us and served as the main point of contact throughout the project.

As the project progressed, we worked with Christine, the designer, including James and Ben who assisted with some more of the technical aspects of the project, plugging in our third-party ATS system and incorporating this fluently into our website. Everyone was great and extremely responsive!

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Within several weeks, our new website was launched, and we started to see a huge increase in traffic and felt more comfortable with our online appearance. We continue to hear positive feedback on the usability, flow, and look on the site both from existing and potential customers and candidates.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Nat and the entire team were easy to communicate with and provided us frequent and very honest feedback – something that was very important to us! We connected over the phone a few times a week and used email for all other communication.

Overall, I was impressed by the timeliness of the team, their transparency, and willingness to educate us on the do’s and don’t’s of a website's structure.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was blown away by the knowledge that Olive Street had about website design, user experience, and optimization. We learned much more than we thought possible, and we appreciated that they were patient with our progressive and high energy approach.

This was a particularly collaborative and positive experience, and will certainly engage with Olive Street again for any website needs that we have in the future.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Everything can always be done faster, but we were very satisfied with their work every step of the way. In the end, quality is more important than speed and we ended up with a beautiful product.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the communications coordinator for the Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida (UF). 

What challenge were you trying to address with Olive Street Design?

We wanted to launch an arts and culture response to COVID-19 to help on the pandemic front. One was a repository of projects, artists, and collaborators bridging arts and public health, both for projects already in progress and as projects come up. We had a very antiquated website and CMS that lacked the functionality we needed to make it.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had a sense of what we needed. Nat (Principal & Chief Marketing Officer) helped flesh it out and take it to the next level while making it visually appealing. The big thing was that we needed a responsive design. Nat was on the same page very quickly and provided exactly what I looking for.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a few people. Nat had the bigger picture of visualization and Kristen (Lead Web Developer) and James (Support Manager) executed on it. 

How did you come to work with Olive Street Design?

A student connected me to their team. I chatted with the founder and found them to be fantastic.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in mid-March 2020 and finished in April. Olive Street Design is still available if I have questions or need to make an adjustment.

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

We have collaborators across the nation. When the new site launched, we got a ton of positive feedback about how visually appealing it was and how much easier it was to use compared to our previous website. Looking at our analytics, we have a decent amount of traffic for our niche as well.

How did Olive Street Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered high-quality work against a quick turnaround and were super professional throughout. They were all very responsive and proactive. Sometimes, they’d predict something difficult I’d come across or have a question about, and they’d provide that insight before it came up for me.

It was all very, very seamless. The timeline was well spelled-out. It felt like they worked around the clock leading up to our launch as if we were their only client.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Olive Street Design felt like a family. Their communication was professional and yet had humor, which humanized the experience. I couldn’t be happier. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

That’s difficult to answer; I was happy from start to finish.

Any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you provide the things they need so they can meet deadlines and keep the project running smoothly. Be as responsive as they are.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a film marketing company that’s worked with top companies like Adidas and Atlantic Records. We’re a multi-award-winning agency that creates commercials, music videos, documentaries, and short films with the goal of inspiring the world.

What challenge were you trying to address with Olive Street Design?

We wanted to redesign our website to be more mobile- and user-friendly. We also needed to fine-tune it for SEO purposes. Since our website critical to our business, we needed someone who could improve both the design and function of the site.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Focusing on ease of navigation, Olive Street Design revamped our website to have improved functionalities. These included streamlined booking forms that facilitate professional inquiries. They also included our new offerings, like our online courses.

Additionally, they audited the site for SEO-purposes to ensure that it was maximizing our digital visibility. They also migrated our old website onto a new server and set up a G-Suite for us.

Their support specialist worked with us to ensure that we could make changes to the website on our own. We’re now able to rearrange and update our content very easily. 

What is the team composition?

We initially engaged with Nat (CMO, Olive Street Design) and Kristin (Lead Web Developer, Olive Street Design) was our web designer. Jimmy (Support Manager) helped us set up our new email system.

How did you come to work with Olive Street Design?

Our old web designer recently retired and referred them to us. He was looking for the best company to take over our account when he found them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement lasted between October–December 2019.

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

The quality of their work is excellent. Along with delivering an eye-catching design, they’ve made it so easy for users and customers to book us for various services. They chose the right colors and fonts. The site is extremely easy to navigate, and we’re now able to make changes to the website ourselves.

How did Olive Street Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They always implemented the changes very quickly, so the process was swift and efficient. After we got all of our administrative tasks out of the way—like our email set-up—everything was quickly executed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really have the “care factor,” where it’s evident that they’re genuinely concerned about your success. They never pushed products or services that we didn’t need, and they didn’t overcharge, either. I felt very comfortable with them because they understood what we needed and delivered it. That kind of authentic commitment is hard to find.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t really say anything negative about them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be upfront about your goals in the beginning. Keep in mind that your own speed in providing the materials they need—whether it’s copy or imagery—determines their speed and efficiency.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of three art and events companies.

For what projects/services did your company hire Olive Street Design?

I have hired Olive Street Design to design and develop websites for my three businesses over the last 10 years. Additionally, I have relied on them for website hosting and email support.

What were your goals for this project?

I hoped to connect to more of my customers through professional and brilliantly designed websites.

How did you select this vendor?

My business partner in Chicago recommended them to me 10 years ago.

Describe the project in detail.

Over the years, Olive Street Design has designed and developed websites and provided tech and email support. They are truly a comprehensive team.

What was the team composition?

I’ve worked with several members of their team, but my point of contact changes depending on the specific task.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Every time I require a redesign, they can deliver a fresh and updated version that is necessary for me to have an online presence. Olive Street Design has been invaluable to my business and my development.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It has been remarkably easy to communicate and work with their team. They have a keen sense of design, which helps highlight the complexities of my businesses. What’s more, they have always been available to help, and they work efficiently.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

It’s difficult to highlight one thing because they are impressive in so many ways. It’s a relief to have a talented company such as this helping me advance my business interests.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, everything has been perfect.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Jarvis Engineering Components.

What challenge were you trying to address with Olive Street Design?

I needed web design and subsequent marketing services to drive traffic.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Olive Street Design asked several questions about my goals and then produced example designs, logos, and a feel for the site. Next, the team designed the website and I wrote the content. During the project, they gave me several options. They collaborated with my marketing partner and supplied regular traffic reports.

What is the team composition?

I interacted with the owner.

How did you come to work with Olive Street Design?

One of their customers—who is also a principal of mine—referred them. We then met Olive Street Design and the company hit all the key points for getting to know our business, customer needs, and the manufacturing space. The price point was economical as well.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $4,000–$5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September–November 2017.

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

Conversions just site generated about $400,000 in new business. In addition, the team used a proactive approach to make the site current and functional.

How did Olive Street Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Impressively, they were detailed, on time, and responsive. To bounce ideas back and forth, we had one in-person meeting and about four phone conversations. This communication helped Olive Street Design make subsequent tweaks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I enjoyed working with the owner because he was responsive and delegated in an effective manner. Those attributes created a positive experience.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president of Harley Boy Innovations Inc., a video production company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Olive Street Design?

I had a couple of websites designed previously, and they didn’t accomplish the goal of presenting the professionalism and message I needed to get across to my audience.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The website was for an initiative that a television network is conducting for teenagers. It’s a teen anxiety project that will collect stories from teenagers, and those stories will be made into a movie. I had a very short timeline in order to complete this website.

The first website I had designed left a lot to be desired with its layout and creativity. I met with Olive Street Design’s team, we pulled up the site, and we critiqued it together. We talked about what it should be instead. They read through my notes and brainstormed ideas. Their writer started editing and rewriting all copy on the website. The old website was WordPress-based, but they told me about the superiority of Duda, and they highly recommended it. I had never heard of it, but I followed their advice.

What is the team composition?

One designer handled the initial design, and another designer handled the final design. There was one writer, a coder, and a Duda expert.

How did you come to work with Olive Street Design?

I searched for website design companies in Chicago and found Olive Street Design. I spoke with the owner and researched their work, and I felt comfortable with them. I felt they could meet my creative challenges.

How much have you invested with them?

I paid $27,000 for the website.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in July 2018, and my site went live two weeks after our first meeting. I then hired them to manage my social media accounts as well.

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

The website is much more visually appealing now, and the television network noted that it would be proud to include it in its initiative. People who have seen the site have said that it is far more creative than its predecessor. From an aesthetic and branding perspective, it’s wonderful.

How did Olive Street Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager was impeccable. He walked us through every step of every day. It was the first time I’d worked with a web company that delivered what they said they were going to deliver. It was a pleasure to work with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

From our first meeting, I felt like a part of their family, like we were members of the same team accomplishing a mission. They make their clients feel like family.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They delivered everything I asked of them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a principal of our consulting firm, which focuses on the intersection of the public and private sectors.

For what projects/services did your company hire Olive Street Design?

We needed to develop websites for each of the independent coalitions we incubated.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a fully functional, interactive, and user-friendly website that could serve as an information hub about the census

How did you select this vendor?

The founder of our company was already knowledgeable about Olive Street Design.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Olive Street developed a branded website from scratch. They created a logo and the overall design. They prepared our site to be fully functional before our public launch.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of 2 principals, a graphic designer, and a web designer.

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

We recently launched the new website and don't have any metrics. However, we received very positive feedback on the site from users. We are pleased with its designs and functionality.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The team was responsive and worked well within tight deadlines. Even though we gave them detailed requirements, they really stepped up to the challenge—especially the day of the launch.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were open to feedback and accommodating to our client requests. They were great at suggesting solutions if there were any issues.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

They could've paid attention to some small details, but this was negligible compared to their wonderful responsiveness and overall hustle.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of partner sales for a technology company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Olive Street Design?

We needed to build a site for a general contractor.

What was the scope of their involvement?

It was pretty simple. We had a great intake call and interview where they asked me what we wanted to achieve with the website.

They asked me about the design aesthetic and color schemes I wanted, the number of pages I needed, and the type of layout and theme I would choose. We kept coming back to our goal for the site. 

They explained the elements that they would incorporate to drive business leads to the general contractor. That was really important to both of us, which was great. The website needed to serve as a conversion funnel for the business, and that is what they gave me.

They used the Duda platform, which aligned with Google’s best practices for SEO, page speed, and HTTPS issues in Chrome. I knew the site would be ranked higher in Google search results right away because of the great native SEO. Their sites tend to convert and rank higher than WordPress sites.

I wanted the mobile experience to be unique from the desktop experience. I wanted the mobile experience to be touch responsive, have a larger font, and feature a mobile-specific call to action, such as quick to call buttons.

On the desktop experience, I wanted a lead generation form that would integrate with a Google Sheets form. On the contact page, I wanted map elements that showed the physical location of the business.

The mobile view of the website featured a lot of mobile layout design options, which was fantastic. We worked together to select a view that would convert the highest number of mobile visitors. I also wanted a free quote generator.

What is the team composition?

Two members of their team were assigned to this project. One was the account manager and one was the designer, who was very professional, friendly, and knowledgeable about best practices in SEO, design, and layout. She was also very efficient. After the intake call, she came back with a concept. We made two rounds of changes and tweaks before publishing.

How did you come to work with Olive Street Design?

We had a referral from a friend. I heard that they were economical and professional, and that they created beautiful, simple lead generation sites for small business, so we decided to go with them. Nat (CEO, Olive Street Design) was super friendly, engaging, and attentive. We considered a few other companies, but I was comfortable with the referral, especially after I spoke with Nat.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them in August 2017.

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

Conversion rates have gone up by 30%. We haven’t taken more advantage of the services, but we will probably go back.

How did Olive Street Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. Everything was delivered on time and within budget, which was a welcome surprise.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They delivered everything that they promised. The performance, feel, and look of the site were accurate. Their flexibility made everything that they promised come true.