RainCastle Communications, Inc.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of global marketing for Sengenics, a life science tools company that provides products for the discovery of autoantibody biomarkers.

What challenge were you trying to address with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

We needed someone to upgrade our website because it wasn’t making it clear to our customers what we do.

What was the scope of their involvement?

RainCastle Communications helped build our WordPress website from scratch and organized and helped develop the content within it, so our customers could easily understand what we do and find information about our services and products.

What is the team composition?

We mainly worked with Jill (Director of Client Service), Andy (Copywriter), Ji (Sr. Graphic Designer), and Paul (Owner).

How did you come to work with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

We were searching for companies around the Boston area and after narrowing down the list decided on RainCastle. I went with them because they were the most impressive and responsive out of all the companies we interviewed.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October 2021–March 2022. We will continue to work with the on maintenance and ad hoc projects.

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

The website hasn’t been live long enough for us to get any meaningful metrics, but the internal and external feedback is very positive.

How did RainCastle Communications, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

I was blown away by the way they managed the project.  They were highly organized and gave us a realistic view of the scope of the project there was never a question about when something was going to be done as the entire process was laid out clearly.  The website was completed and launched on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their organizational methods made such a huge impact on our ability to ensure we were on track from our side and to finish the project on time. I also worked closely with the copywriter, and he did an amazing job of translating really technical subject matter in a creative and digestible way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing they need to improve on because we’re very happy with the final product they delivered.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of Fount Bio, a life sciences company located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

What challenge were you trying to address with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

For early-stage companies like ours, it is important to have a website tailored to our needs. We required a site where people could learn about us and what our company did at a very high level while conveying some of the excitement about it. It would be mostly directed to future employees and other potential stakeholders, serving as a landing page.

What was the scope of their involvement?

RainCastle developed our website from scratch. On it, we have job descriptions and ways for applicants to connect with us. It is also artistic but simple, which helps us convey the presence of an early-stage life sciences company.

First, we had a call to convey what our company was about and why we were different. We also asked them to describe our technology without disclosing too much information — they were great at doing that.

Then, RainCastle came back with logos, font options, and color schemes. After that, they designed some simple graphics and an animated GIF, as well as the site’s pages, which included some imagery, stock photos, and creative transitions.

After the design phase, RainCastle brought a team that developed the wireframes and the metadata information for our descriptors, and they also integrated a Google Analytics functionality. The job was done very quickly and with minimum iteration.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Paul (Owner), who did a lot of the artwork and wireframing and brought great ideas to the table. During the execution phase, we also worked with a program manager, a copywriter, and a graphic designer. Additionally, we worked with IT people who were in charge of setting everything up for our launch.

How did you come to work with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

I’d worked with RainCastle for two other companies before. Paul always demonstrated that he knew the early-stage life science companies' space very well. They also accustomed me to their quick turnaround times. After I spoke to them about this project, a proposal was in front of me within two days. I then signed it, and we were ready to start collaborating.

How much have you invested with them?

I can only tell that their price was very fair.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started discussing the project around December 2021, and the site went live in February 2022. In the future, we will work with them to update the site.

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

We didn’t want an over-the-top site nor to spend a lot of money on it. RainCastle understood our needs very well and delivered what we wanted: a presentable, clear, and artistic website that presents our company in a simple way. Our internal team liked it a lot.

How did RainCastle Communications, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

RainCastle’s project management was exceptional. We had really productive and pleasant back and forth conversations with them. The good thing about them is that they didn’t go over unnecessary details that I was not an expert in, which made our engagement very smooth. We communicated via email and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

RainCastle was very artistic, empathetic, and an excellent listener.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

On these types of projects, the client is required to gather and learn about a lot of information to make the process more efficient. It would also be helpful to become knowledgeable about the different elements of web development. However, RainCastle is great at walking clients through the process.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president and CEO of a biotechnology company. 

What challenge were you trying to address with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

We'd gone through a significant business evolution and wanted to redesign our website. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

RainCastle designed and developed our website using a basic framework we provided. Their team completely redesigned the look and feel of the site. Our focus was on how the content was presented, so the RainCastle team ensured the design was very contemporary and represented our business. They developed new color palettes and visual and content elements as part of the process.  

After we finalized the design, RainCastle developed the wireframes and the site itself. 

What is the team composition?

The head of the company was heavily involved in the project, along with the project manager and the web developers and designers. 

How did you come to work with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

We were referred to RainCastle from our PR firm. We reviewed five companies for the project and selected RainCastle because they were the most suitable. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000–$50,000 with RainCastle.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project with RainCastle was from May–October 2021. 

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

We don't have any site usage metrics since we didn't complete an extensive relaunch after the redesign. However, we've gotten positive feedback from users on the new content and utility of the site. 

How did RainCastle Communications, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

RainCastle's project manager was very detail- and process-oriented. They focused on keeping both parties on track and set realistic development deadlines. They delivered on time and occasionally ahead of schedule. RainCastle's resource allocation on both sides of the project was good — we worked collaboratively and RainCastle ensured we were integrated into their planning. The entire project went seamlessly. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

RainCastle's design skills were exemplary. We went through several design cycles where we tested each design out, but in the end, we usually went with RainCastle's initial design recommendation. We know our brand and our company mission best, but RainCastle always made strong design decisions. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

RainCastle are great collaborators and very responsive — I have nothing for them to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd advise customers to go into the design process with an open mind — customers know their branding well, but RainCastle can contribute a wealth of design expertise. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief medical officer of a medical research company. We focus on breast and prostate cancer treatment.

What challenge were you trying to address with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

We wanted to create a website that’d appeal to potential investors and generate interest in the research and academic clinical community.

What was the scope of their involvement?

RainCastle Communications, Inc. redeveloped and redesigned our website starting from a product they created for me in the past. In terms of functionalities, the new site explains scientific concepts in a way that users can easily understand, including text and images.

What is the team composition?

We worked with five members of their team, including Paul (CEO), Jill (Director), a copywriter, a content creator, and a developer.

How did you come to work with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

Our CEO worked with them in the past, and their name came up when we started seeking developers, so their name came up.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $25,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August–November 2021.

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

We all loved their work! The website they created attracted a big pharmaceutical company to reach out to us to start doing business. Also, people have looked at our site and said that it looks great.

How did RainCastle Communications, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They were superb; Jill was fantastic and kept the project and their team going. Additionally, she was great at solving issues immediately through a responsive approach — she was terrific! 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

They fulfilled our expectations; their whole team solved our questions in a friendly and timely manner and was very patient with me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on. 

Any advice for potential customers?

I’d suggest looking for Jill and ensuring that she’s the one running your project.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager of an organization that services life science companies with products and services for separating chiral enantiomers.

We have five entities around the world that are considered part of Chiral Technologies — US, Europe, India, Japan, and China.

What challenge were you trying to address with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

We wanted them to rebrand our website — and basically everything else — so we could showcase our products and services in the best way possible. We were also trying to make our site more global, but we didn’t know how to do it because we had many different names and offices around the world.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially had a meeting with our whole marketing team, president, and VP to give them an understanding of our company and what we were trying to achieve.

RainCastle Communications, Inc. (RainCastle) worked with us through our rebranding and helped us figure out what we should do and how we should move forward with our new name. We ended up rebranding ourselves as Daicel Chiral Technologies, and they redesigned the whole look of the website.

They’ve finished the website but we’re working with them on all of our other collateral. They’re designing a lot of other templates and application notes.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Jill (Director of Client Strategy).

How did you come to work with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

We were looking for companies that had worked with life sciences before. We went online, found them, and had a phone call with Paul (President & Creative Director). We had a great conversation with him, and we just knew with that phone call that we wanted to work with them. They understood exactly what we were trying to do, and they gave us great examples of the work they’d already done.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started with them back in December 2020, and we’re still working with them.

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

The website is new, and we’re working with some SEO and SEM analytics, but we haven’t really gone into metrics.

On the other hand, the general feedback has been great. I just received an email from a colleague in China saying that she was looking at the website and wanted to use one of the pictures that RainCastle designed for the main homepage. Overall, the feedback from Chiral Technologies Global has been very positive.

Also, we’ve heard from a few customers that it’s much easier to find things and they really like the website.

How did RainCastle Communications, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

For the website, I met with Jill on a weekly basis to touch base and make sure that everything was on track and we were hitting all our deadlines. They kept us on target and it never felt like they were pushing us.

Right now, we’re communicating with emails just when it’s needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understood everything we were looking for. We had many pages on our old website, and they didn’t have to rewrite a lot of it. They were able to look at what we had and be intuitive about what we could get rid of and what needed to be grouped together. Everything was just seamless and prompt.

Also, we had them create an application note based on the look of the new website. It usually takes a lot of explaining for designers to understand what we’re trying to accomplish with our application notes, but they pulled it off on the first try. We were very surprised and happy about it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At this point, we haven’t had any problems. It’s really easy to work with them, and we’ve been really happy.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would absolutely recommend them to anyone that was looking for an upgrade to their website or just collateral for their company. They’re just very easy to work with, and honestly, their pricing is great.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing communications at BsotonSight. We manufacture scleral contact lenses, which are oversized contacts for patients with ocular surface diseases.

What challenge were you trying to address with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

Our previous website didn’t provide a good user journey. It was cluttered with the same information on multiple pages. It was also difficult to navigate the menu. We wanted to clean it up, refresh the brand colors, and create a simpler, easier experience for doctors who want to learn about our product.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our new site on WordPress. We wanted some interactivity, so we asked them to create some motion graphics. They also migrated a practitioner search feature from our old site that lists every practitioner that uses our product for patient convenience.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Jill (Director, Client Services).

How did you come to work with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

I was at another company a few years ago, and I was working with a web vendor out of Washington DC. We were having a lot of trouble, and the project was taking way too long. I happened to see a website that I really liked, and I saw at the bottom that it was created by RainCastle. It had the style I wanted, so I gave them a call.

Paul (Owner) spent about two hours for free talking to me about the issues I was having. He gave me a lot of information I needed to get the project done. When I moved to a new position and needed to build another site, I knew I wanted to work with RainCastle because of their customer service; it’s a quality that seems to be lacking in a lot of web companies. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2021, and we wrapped up in March 2021.

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

I’ve noticed that our PDF documents are getting downloaded on our site. We also used the new site to launch a new product; those product sales have done even better than our forecast.

How did RainCastle Communications, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

The project was managed well with constant communication. I knew what was happening every step of the way. Jill was really top-notch. The fact that we easily met our deadline says a lot about their work. We used a shared Google Doc and Marksheet to manage the project. We also used Go ToMeeting calls for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We struggled a bit at first at getting the design tone of the website correct. Paul had a vision that didn’t exactly match ours. Even though we disagreed on that, they really listened to us, and we got to a place where we were thrilled with the results. They spent a lot of time providing options that were more in line with what we were looking for.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. I’ve worked with 5–6 web vendors over the last six years. This was the least stressful web project I’ve ever worked on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear vision of the look and color palette that you want. Find examples of existing sites so that it’s easier to convey your idea to the team.                             

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO and a managing partner of a financial services organization. We mainly work with accounting and law firms.

What challenge were you trying to address with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

We wanted to rebrand with the primary goal of establishing a new website. Before that, we had a very outdated site.

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the website, they used WordPress and started from scratch. It is what we refer to as a validation site, which means that our clients will check the credentials of our team to make sure the services they need are available and see our industry knowledge.

As part of the site initiative, we thought the timing was good also to redesign our logo. They’ve also created marketing materials for us.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a couple of different people. Jill (Director of Client Strategy) oversaw the entire project, but we also worked quite a bit with Paul (President & Creative Director) on the logo design. On the copy side, we worked with Andy (Copywriter & Brand Strategist).

How did you come to work with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

A firm that we do a lot of business with had used them for their website. We spoke to them a few years ago, and they said that they had a positive experience.

When we spoke to RainCastle during the vetting process, they seemed easy to work with. We also liked that they were a smaller firm like us. Their work product also seemed top-notch.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $30,000–$40,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project with them started in September 2020, and we should be wrapped up soon. We keep adding different projects.

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

We’re measuring the success based on the timing and delivery of what they’re providing to us. We’re also looking at the overall project management and the final outputs. They’ve definitely hit upon all of those metrics, exceeding our expectations.

How did RainCastle Communications, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they’ve been excellent. In the beginning, they laid out a timeline. If there were changes, they would update us. Sometimes, it was on our end, which they were flexible with.

Overall, I found that their communication, timing, and expectations for deadlines were extremely clear. If something was getting out of line with the scope, they let us know right away if we need to expand the scope.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team was able to sit and talk with us about what we want as a firm and then translate that to copy for our website. I felt that spending all of that time with them was key. They surpassed our expectations in terms of capturing who we are. Our materials tell our potential clients exactly who we are.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really don’t have anything. Their responsive team works well together.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what you’re asking for as you go into the process. Try and look at the bigger picture of what they’re doing. We added components throughout the project, but I think if we had gone into the project with everything identified, we would’ve ordered them a bit differently. That would help everything be mapped out effectively.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director of a medical device company. We manufacture, sell, and market orthopedic devices for the pediatric population.

What challenge were you trying to address with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

We have a brand new surgical procedure for kids with scoliosis and we needed a digital presence to help physicians, patients, and families understand and become more educated on the procedure, as well as ways for them to get in contact with the appropriate individuals to learn more.

What was the scope of their involvement?

First and foremost, we started with the positioning and messaging of the new procedure because we were just entering the US market. The deliverable for this was a messaging document that included interviews with key stakeholders. We had RainCastle Communications, Inc. interview possible surgeons, patients, and family members and all of that fed into the final messaging and positioning document.

Phase two was to redesign our website. Our website was very outdated, so they did a full redesign, provided copy, layout, and imagery. After the redesign, they did the development on WordPress and launched the website. Currently, they maintain the website on a monthly basis and are responsible for making any adjustments.

What is the team composition?

Jill (Director of Client Services) is our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

They were recommended to us by someone we knew who had a really good experience with them. What made them stand out during the evaluation process was the examples of their work, the clarity in terms of their approach, the deliverables, the budget associated with it, and the proposed timeline.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested less than $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on the site from October 2020–February 2021; however, we engaged them again for the website, as well as another project, and that is ongoing.

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

We’ve gotten really great feedback from basically everyone including internal folks and customers.  I’ve recommended them to work with our parent company and now they’re engaged with them as well.

How did RainCastle Communications, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

In the early days of the project we had weekly meetings but then as we got into the groove where we were handling a lot, we utilized email. When we need to address something over the phone, those are more ad hoc conversations. They’re able to remain on time and on budget.

They use Smartsheet to lay out all of the deliverables and how they interact or are contingent upon one another. We use that to get an idea of when to expect things and when the turnaround time is. Jill keeps us on task in terms of any deliverables that are required moving forward.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their general acceptance of feedback and their adjustment and flexibility throughout the project is great. As things evolve, they’re able to project their willingness to adapt and roll with the changes we make along the process.

I’ve worked with a number of website vendors at previous companies and they were one of the first vendors that really owned the copy. Others seemed as though no one ever wanted to own that. I’m pleasantly surprised by that aspect and their willingness to proofread both theirs and mine, which helps tremendously in terms of freeing up my time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have an open mind when it comes to copy because they have a different position.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a cybersecurity startup in Switzerland.

What challenge were you trying to address with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

We needed someone to develop our website to showcase our product.

What was the scope of their involvement?

RainCastle developed our WordPress website. We had a preexisting one, but they reworked everything. They didn’t reuse or take over existing stuff except our logo. The team created the design as well. 

It’s a simple website that presents the company product. It’s not technically sophisticated — rather, it’s more about the content side. Content wise, we gave them something to start with but they took it further. They had a copywriter who translated it into technical marketing language. RainCastle also created a product brochure for us.

What is the team composition?

There was the owner, the copywriter, a project lead, and tech people. We also had a project manager who was making sure everything was working according to plan.

How did you come to work with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

We are a very specialistic technology, and we knew they had worked with another cybersecurity company and did a good job there.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project took place from April-August 2020.

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

We’re very happy. It’s a very good website, and the content is great. People that see it like it. The product brochure received really good feedback.

How did RainCastle Communications, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

RainCastle was very reactive and well organized. They were on time and efficient. They didn’t waste time. It was really positive. They had a project management tool, and we communicated via email and a conferencing tool as needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their copywriter was most useful. He was an effective communicator and good at transforming technical content into something digestible to a broader audience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was not much room for improvement on this site, they were really excellent. Perhaps with more time, they could make some of the diagrams even stronger.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I totally recommend using RainCastle. They did everything well. The collaboration was flawless.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a communications manager at a pharmaceutical company. We develop products mostly focused in the hematology and oncology space.

What challenge were you trying to address with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

As we grew our US-based organization, it became clear we needed a web presence that would attract a US-based audience. The one we were currently using was a translated version of our Taiwenese site, so we needed to do a full refresh.

What was the scope of their involvement?

RainCastle started by rewriting all of our web copy and redoing the structure, to give the site a  whole new look and feel. That included new imagery, new color palettes, and other new brand styles. 

For the design aspect, we gave them a lot of flexibility. We knew we needed a refresh, but we didn’t necessarily have the end goal in mind when we started the process. We gave them examples of other companies that we thought were conveying the right sentiment and tone, and let RainCastle create from there. We went back and forth quite a bit — it was a very collaborative process. 

As for the development, the site was developed on WordPress.

What is the team composition?

The primary group was a team of four: a project manager, a copywriter, a design structure lead, and the technical lead who was in charge of web development. 

How did you come to work with RainCastle Communications, Inc.?

I believe we found them through a referral, but they’d already started the onboarding process and had begun their work when I joined the team.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in February 2020, and we wrapped up the major piece of it in November. However, we’ll probably continue to do some expanded work, as well as some additional web support into 2021.

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

We don’t have any specific data metrics yet, but we’ve found the work has been done really well. Even with an ambitious timeframe, RainCastle delivered a very good, polished product. 

The searchability has improved dramatically from where it was before, and it’s also improved hiring discussions we’ve had in the US. The new site has noticeably improved our ability to attract candidates. 

Since we’ve launched, we’ve had requests from multiple other country affiliates within the network asking us to share the assets, imagery, and style, so they can replicate it within their own market. We’ve started a bit of a groundswell of change in our company with the help of RainCastle.

How did RainCastle Communications, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done really well. Our project manager is remarkable at her job, and she’s tried to the best of her ability to keep everyone on track. She was always crystal clear and made sure we were always on the same page. She pushed us for things we were missing to make sure the project progressed. Her contribution was great.

There were some times when we could’ve had a little more clarity in terms of how long things were going to take, but for the most part, they were really clear with us in what to expect and what they needed from us. Overall, the project with RainCastle was better than most web development projects I’ve undertaken.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were really impressed with our project manager’s capabilities and dedication to the project. Without her, we wouldn’t have gotten across the finish line.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At times, we were working with leadership who didn't know exactly what they want, but knew they want some improvement or change. RainCastle is very good at what they do, and they definitely have a creative process and vision. However, sometimes the vision wasn’t crystal clear in those initial discussions, which required us to go back and forth a little bit, to not only educate our team, but make sure RainCastle knew what direction we were going.

It was a normal part of the process, and it reflected that RainCastle was really committed to and invested in the project. I don’t see it as a huge problem, but there were definitely times where we probably could’ve been a little more efficient with another conversation.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

RainCastle does a great job, especially compared to other web vendors I’ve used. Their process is solid, and they map out timelines in a very precise way. I think anyone who works with them will have a positive experience. 

To get the most out of the relationship, come prepared with as much clarity around timeline, vison, and results as you possibly can to get everything off on the right foot. Give RainCastle enough time to process, digest, and understand the goal.