Orbit Media Studios

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the SVP of Sales and Marketing of EDE

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

EDE creates personalized experiences for trade shows. We design, build, execute onsite, and manage all the services to provide full turnkey services for our clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Orbit Media Studios to accomplish?

• Increase traffic
• Increase leads
• Update our website to be more modern

SOLUTION

How did you find Orbit Media Studios?

• Online Search
• Through their content marketing

Why did you select Orbit Media Studios over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Helpful content proving they are a thought leader

How many teammates from Orbit Media Studios were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We worked with Orbit Media Solutions to design a new website for EDE. We had been using the same website since 2010 and it was in dire need of a makeover. The team at Orbit was excellent from beginning to end. They were consultative asking lots of questions about what we wanted to accomplish, who we wanted to attract to our site, and helped us use existing assets to bring to our site to life without breaking the bank. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our website traffic has increased by 150% since launching our new site. In addition, our site was only ranking for about 88 keywords before the launch and now we're ranking for nearly 700 keywords. By every measurable outcome, our sites performance has greatly improved. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The Orbit team delivered on time, on budget, and with no surprises. Even after the launch, their team has been responsive to all of our needs. Whenever we need support their team responds within 1-3 hours at most.

What was your primary form of communication with Orbit Media Studios?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What was most impressive to me was that they were teaching us how to maintain, update, and enhance our site after completing our project. They are always available for consultation and ideas. Their service is very impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Orbit Media Studios could have done differently?

For us, there were no areas we felt they needed to improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Auxiliary Board President of Off The Street Club

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Off The Street Club (OTSC) is Chicago’s oldest youth club located in West Garfield Park. West Garfield Park is one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the country and OTSC has one simple mission—to bring hope, play, and casual joy to the deserving kids who live there. Every year OTSC serves over 3,000 kids by offering community, mentorship, tutoring, and access to opportunities or experiences they wouldn’t have otherwise.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Orbit Media Studios to accomplish?

• Design a web platform that positively positions Off The Street Club to potential visitors
• Generate donations with new conversion-optimized content and page designs
• Execute on-page SEO best practices
• Create a responsive web experience for desktop, mobile, and tablet devices
• Allow for easy maintenance and updates using a modern content management system

SOLUTION

How did you find Orbit Media Studios?

Referral

Why did you select Orbit Media Studios over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Orbit Media Studios were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

This project was made possible by Chicago Cause and Orbit Media, who donated $50,000 in website design, development, and copywriting services, plus free website hosting for the life of the website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Showing up on Google is the clearest sign of success. The previous website had issues showing up on search and Google favored Off The Street Club's social media accounts over its website, so the fact that now it's the top result when you Google "Off The Street Club" is incredible. This project also included adding Google Analytics to the redesigned website, so we're now able to track visitors.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Amazing. Communication was incredible.

What was your primary form of communication with Orbit Media Studios?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their knowledge and dedication. Orbit Media is 100% dedicated to web design and development, so their expertise is unmatched. Plus, Orbit Media Studios was a super fun team to work with.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Orbit Media Studios could have done differently?

No, only good things to say about them and their project process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Applied Tech

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide proactive and strategic managed IT services for small and mid-size businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Orbit Media Studios to accomplish?

• Rebrand existing web site
• Migrate web site to more flexible CMS platform
• Complete project in 45 day time frame

SOLUTION

How did you find Orbit Media Studios?

Referral

Why did you select Orbit Media Studios over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Orbit Media Studios were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Rebrand and replatform existing Applied Tech web site and integrate content from another domain/brand acquired through a merger. Specific deliverables, included: 

• Create an updated design based on Applied Tech’s new brand guidelines, and rebuild the existing website on an updated WordPress theme 
• Audit the merger website and create a migration plan for the necessary content 
• Preserve existing web page rank 
• Create a user-friendly and responsive web experience for desktop, mobile and tablet devices 
• Allow for easy maintenance and updates using a modern content management system (CMS)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Complete the project within tight 45 day timeframe 
• All content rebranded and replatformed while maintaining 
• SEO/SEM page rank Maintain web site availability throughout project and during cutover

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The project management was exceptional. Meetings were productive and had an appropriate cadence schedule. All project components, milestones, tasks, etc. were kept in an online tool all team members had real-time access to. Expectations were set and met and all action items were documented. Orbit's communication was outstanding and all project goals were completed on time.

What was your primary form of communication with Orbit Media Studios?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The entire process, beginning with the proposal and through project completion, was very well managed. Expectations and timelines were clearly communicated. The Orbit team was composed of experts in each of the different areas (project management, content creation, web design, etc.) needed. Communication was proactive, meetings were productive and on time, and everyone was well prepared and responsive.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Orbit Media Studios could have done differently?

I have no recommended areas for improvement. This project was very well executed and resulted in a very high quality web site delivered on time and on budget.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Communications of Fieldwork

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Fieldwork provides recruitment, management, and facility support for virtual and in-person qualitative market research.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Orbit Media Studios to accomplish?

• Improve site navigation
• Update overall appearance
• Clearly convey what we do and how we do it

SOLUTION

How did you find Orbit Media Studios?

Referral

Why did you select Orbit Media Studios over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Orbit Media Studios were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We partnered with Orbit Media to create a brand new website for Fieldwork. We wanted an updated look to our branding while keeping the brand recognizable. Our main interest was creating a new navigation that was intuitive while maintaining our hard earned SEO. Orbit worked with our team to develop copy, design the site, and develop the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our goal was to launch a new website that our clients were happy with and we did just that!

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Krista, our Orbit Project Manager, was a rockstar. She kept the project on time and on budget. Weekly meetings were kept on track with an agenda and served as a touch point to address concerns. All emails were promptly responded to.

What was your primary form of communication with Orbit Media Studios?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The way they listened to us was refreshing. They graciously accepted feedback and implemented changes as needed.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Orbit Media Studios could have done differently?

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of Marmon Utility

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Marmon Utility is the parent company of Hendrix and Kerite, and manufactures overhead and underground cable, as well as polymer insulators for the T&D industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Orbit Media Studios to accomplish?

• Create a fresh, modern look for our website
• Build a new web platform that positively positions Marmon Utility to potential visitors
• Execute on-page SEO best practices and preserve ranking of existing web pages
• Create a mobile (and tablet) friendly experience through responsive web design
• Allow for easy maintenance and updates

SOLUTION

How did you find Orbit Media Studios?

Referral

Why did you select Orbit Media Studios over others?

• Pricing fits our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Detailed Proposal

How many teammates from Orbit Media Studios were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Scope and Requirements Orbit is responsible for implementing the following: 

• Content Planning o Conduct a kickoff interview to understand the target audiences, goals, and messaging strategy for the website o Create a sitemap and content plan within a Content Workbook o Write Draft Copy for 20 pages including the home page and 2 key product or service pages with one round of revisions per page 

• Design o Design the home page and product catalog pages with the Marmon Red (#A32829) and Marmon Black (#000000) color values o Design a responsive WYSIWYG table 

• Programming and Implementation o Deploy the staging environment o Apply design color palette changes from the design to the HTML and CSS for the following templates and features:

▪ Mega menu 

▪ Page block tools 

▪ Product catalog 

▪ Rep locator 

▪ Web forms o Program responsive WYSIWYG table styles o Update the logo, organization name, and favicon o Enter up to 20 pages of content o Import product and rep locator databases o Train Client administrators to enter and revise remaining content o Conduct Accessibility Compliance review for up to 16 hours of effort total 

• Testing and Deploy o Create and implement a testing plan o Configure Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Google Tag Manager o Configure the Data Privacy Compliance tool o Install SSL o Launch 

• Project Management o Coordinator internal and external communication to ensure all project requirements are completed as expected o Coordinate the project meetings

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Increased web traffic Positive feedback from employees, customers and reps Number of web conversions

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Orbit Media Studios' project management was phenomenal! They are extremely detailed, organized, and efficient, and always made sure I was aware of what they were working on and what was coming up next. They had 100% follow-through during the entire process and were extremely responsive.

What was your primary form of communication with Orbit Media Studios?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I was extremely impressed with their organization and prompt email responsiveness.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Orbit Media Studios could have done differently?

I can not think of anything that would have improved this process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the chief of staff for a medical group.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Orbit Media Studios, and what were your goals?

Our website was built for a single location and was no longer adequate for our growing, multi-specialty and multi-location medical group. We wanted to maintain our simple, online booking, while also conveying the breadth of services we offer. Our goal was to create a clean, modern and easy to navigate web experience that communicates what we offer, while making booking an appointment easy for our patients.

SOLUTION

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

We researched several web development and design groups in the Chicago area and interviewed a few teams before deciding to work with Orbit Media. Their clear communication, thorough proposal, organization and rave reviews helped us reach our decision.

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

The Orbit team was tasked with integrating an online booking system into a clean and modern design. A kickoff meeting was held to walk through our main priorities and goals. The Orbit team listened, rose to the challenge, and created a site outline that would maintain the simple user experience, while also telling a story to allow patients to learn more about our key service areas.

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

We had a dedicated project manager who was always available to us. She, along with a designer and two content managers led us through the project from start to finish.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Patients and employees have been raving about the new site design. It tells a story, looks professional and most importantly, is simple and easy for patients to navigate so they can book an appointment. Our Google scores have improved and we have experienced no issues since launch.

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

Orbit was incredibly organized from start to finish. They created a timeline, used a client portal to communicate progress and next steps and held regular calls with our team to ensure things were moving in the right direction. In addition, the project manager was always availble to us and extremely responsive.

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

They heard us. It's clear that they listened intently to our unique needs and built a site to meet those needs vs. a cookie cutter site. The site they built is also easy for us to update and maintain.

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

We were thrilled with our experience working with Orbit Studios and we would absolutely hire them again.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Higher education institution focused on integrated health and wellness. My role: Vice President of Marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Orbit Media Studios, and what were your goals?

Our website was in need of a major overhaul. It has been built on an old and outdated platform, was difficult to update, the user experience was poor, it was not search engine optimized, and it was difficult to get any meaningful metrics. Our goal was to partner with a professional organization with expertise in website development and enhancement, and then to help us with our ongoing needs as we continued to grow and expand.

SOLUTION

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

We researched and talked to several vendors, inviting them to participate in a RFP process. We then invited leading candidate firms to our office to meet with multiple stakeholders. Orbit Media presented us with a strong proposal, and extensive knowledge and exceptional leadership, and were visionaries. We felt they would be a strong partner for us, and they were.

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

We held a kickoff meeting to discuss goals and objectives. The team delivered mock-ups and wireframes for our site. After several discussions with marketing, IT and key stakeholders, the team developed our WordPress site. They updated the content to reflect our products and services, and guide the customer journey.

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

We worked closely with a project manager, who had multiple developers and writers they were working with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw a measurable increase in traffic, and a significant boost in organic SEO. We were able to more effectively track metrics including length of time on site, conversions, etc. The team was extremely helpful in recommending enhancements and opportunities, which continued to be beneficial.

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

Exceptional communication by project manager. Used a variety of tools including reports, verbal and written communications, phone calls. Very timely.

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

The depth of talent. They are lead by an exceptional CEO who is a Thought Leader, visionary and understands the continuous evolution of digital technologies and the consumer experience. All individuals we worked with over multiple years and in various disciplines were talented, strong communicators, had superb recommendations, and I always felt they had our best interests in mind.

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

Nothing. They were great partners and we valued them. I always felt they were a seamless extension of my marketing team. They were an absolute pleasure to work with. I was impressed from my very first contact, and that continued throughout the years we've worked together, I have always had great confidence in the talent and expertise of everyone on the team I've encountered, and all work has always been completed with the highest of standards. Additionally, I could always rely on forward-looking insight and recommendations, which I greatly valued. A true testament to their CMO's leadership and vision.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior marketing manager for PLZ Corp. We’re a manufacturing company specializing in servicing household and automotive cleaners, industrial air carriers, and more. I oversee all the digital and marketing efforts, as well as our websites.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Orbit Media Studios?

We wanted a website that better represented our current values and organization. We wanted to modernize it and ensure it was technologically sound and up to date.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we contacted Orbit Media Studios to help with a website redesign. They’ve built the WordPress website from scratch. They’ve rewritten the existing content and reorganized the page and its flow. Also, they provide maintenance and hosting services.

What is the team composition?

We work with 5–10 people, including a project manager, a copy manager, and the technical team.

How did you come to work with Orbit Media Studios?

We found them on Clutch.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2022, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received a lot of positive feedback internally and externally about the website's new look, feel, and navigation.

How did Orbit Media Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is excellent. They use an internal intranet for control, and we communicate through email, phone calls, and Zoom meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to merge creativity and website strategy is outstanding. They’ve been able to create a pleasant-looking website while keeping the Google Core Web Vitals compliant and prioritizing the navigation and UX.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing at the moment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as specific as possible about what you’re looking for on your new website.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an industrial equipment manufacturer that produces grinders, conveyors, and plant designs for the coffee industry. My position is the director of digital marketing. I’m in charge of bringing in leads and helping craft our digital marketing strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Orbit Media Studios?

We needed a company with SEO experience to build our website. Our goal was to have a website that could compete organically within our space.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Orbit Media Studios developed an SEO-friendly website for us on Drupal 7. They started by scoping out the project, estimating how many pages we’d need, considering how we wanted to use them, and then walking us through the design. 

The latter was a collaborative effort. They presented three mood boards that detailed the overall look and feel. Once we gave feedback, we worked to align on a direction. When the site was operational, they walked us through the site map and trained us on how to craft our content.

The team also did a lot of SEO work in preparation for the site, which mostly involved keyword research. They looked at behavior flows and informed us of analytics that we should take note of. It was really about finding opportunities for us to grow. If I even ran into a plateau regarding our organic rankings, they would help us do better to move past it.

What is the team composition? 

Jay (Project Manager) was our main account person, and Sarah (Web Strategy Director) managed the project. I also worked with Andy (Co-Founder & CMO). 

How did you come to work with Orbit Media Studios?

We searched for web development agencies in Chicago in Google, the logic being that whichever company ranked first had a good SEO strategy. That’d be a sign that they knew what they were doing and could get us to the top position, too. 

Orbit Media Studios was one of the most promising agencies that we saw. We got a good vibe from them when we reached out, and they understood our company. Not only could they craft a website for us, but Andy was an SEO guru. It seemed like a promising start to have him and his team working on our site.

What is the status of this engagement?

They worked on the site from January–June 2017, and then we had them host our site for the three following years. The engagement ended in 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was a great project overall. Before working with Orbit Media Studios, our site left a lot to be wanted. We had a lacking contact form that didn’t provide much information to our customers. 

Their team then developed a new site that had far better tracking and lead conversion capabilities, which resulted in us getting more prospective customers through our site. Users were also satisfied with the better usability and information. We definitely saw organic improvements, but that’s probably due to a combination of their contributions and the marketing work that I did. 

How did Orbit Media Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Jay did a great job of keeping things on track, and Andy would also step in to see how the project was going. They gave us access to a client portal where we could log in and see their progress. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Orbit Media Studios was definitely a premium offering. Everyone on their team was really talented — we weren’t dealing with people who were just getting their start. These people had a lot of experience under their belt in each of their individual silos. That was pretty unique. I lot of agencies these days try to cut costs, but I never felt that way toward Orbit Media Studios. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind. I was always happy to work with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared to put in some work yourself because you really want to work collaboratively when building a website. Of course, you pay for an agency to bring their expertise and be honest with you, but you also need to know when you have to step up. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm an editor for a nonprofit environmental ethics group called the Center for Humans and Nature. I work in the publication wing, mostly digital publications on our website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Orbit Media Studios?

We needed a website and publications platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Orbit Media Studios initially developed our website, humansandnature.org. They also did a major redesign of the site about four years post-launch. They continue to manage all the technical support for our web platforms as well.

They use a CMS called Mighty-Site as the project interface. It's similar to WordPress but it's custom designed and developed for their clients. They use that to work with us and to manage the content.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with a designer, a dedicated programmer, and a couple of people on the business and account side.

How did you come to work with Orbit Media Studios?

They were hired to develop the first website before I joined the organization. I know that we were looking for someone in the Chicago region so that we could meet in person as necessary.

How much have you invested with them?

The redesign was around $75,000, but I don’t know the amount of the total spend.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2011 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Orbit Media Studios won a Webby award for the design of the initial website. It was great to see it recognized outside of our community. Internal feedback has also been positive. The custom pieces that they created increased engagement with our readers. They did a good job helping us understand what we needed in a website and what was possible. They involved some members of our board in terms of feedback on the final design. It was such an exceptional experience developing the initial website that it was an easy decision to return to them for the redesign.

How did Orbit Media Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They provide a very collaborative culture. During our engagement, they introduced a new online troubleshooting platform. They use it to track any issues on the website or projects in development. I can log into the platform and see ongoing work orders. We also use it to communicate. It's an elegant system compared to sending many emails back and forth. Their team is responsive, professional, thorough, and careful. Our team doesn't have much web or technical expertise so we really appreciate how helpful they are. They’re good at translating programming terms into language we understand.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Andy (co-founder, Orbit Media Studios) is an expert in content marketing. They invite us to workshops and events where members of our team can learn directly from him. Particularly for us as publishers, he's been an amazing resource. We really appreciate how generous they are with their knowledge and expertise.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.