Roja Interactive

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a digital signage company that focuses on healthcare, specifically doctors' waiting rooms and treatment areas in orthodontics, dental, vision, and cosmetic surgery. I'm the co-founder and owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Roja Interactive?

We needed a new website. We put off creating a new website for years, and we finally asked Roja Interactive to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started by visualizing the website. We knew exactly what we wanted, and we used our own design skills to create mockups for each page. They turned those visuals into reality. They did all the coding and everything else to create an accessible webpage for our users. Our requests didn't always translate, so we worked together to achieve our goals. The end result is a customized WordPress site.

What is the team composition?

I had one primary contact on their team. I'm not sure how many people they had on their side.

How did you come to work with Roja Interactive?

They've been our app developer for several years. We knew they did websites, so it was a natural progression to use them to build our site.

How much have you invested with them?

In all, our cost will be around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on the site in March 2019, and we launched it at the beginning of December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site just went live, so we don't have any proven analytics yet. It explains our products so much better, and it gives us more peace of mind. We know that users get the right representation of our brand and our style. I'm much more confident in our online presence, and I'm happy to drive our customers to the site. We hope it will increase the number of leads we receive.

How did Roja Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager is extremely professional, easy to reach, and always very responsive. Communication is clear, and they call me whenever something needs explanation. Their customer service is excellent, and we've had a very positive experience. On average, we communicated once or twice a week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They helped us achieve our goals, and the end product is absolutely what we hoped it would be. They took all our ideas and turned them into a reality.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes, things would break without their noticing. We alerted them whenever that happened, and most of those issues were fairly small.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They can work on multiple types of development projects, so it's important to come to them with a vision. If you rely on them to figure out what you need, they will only be able to do so much. Plan everything out clearly before you contact them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of Dickinson Square West Civic Association, a community development nonprofit.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Roja Interactive?

Web outreach and social media strategies are key to any public entity’s success. My company lacked a functioning website. We also wanted to start advertising to increase revenue and reach local businesses. We hired Roja Interactive to build our website and work on our advertising efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

My company formed a committee to determine what our current site lacked. We canvased other organizations similar to our own and looked at their websites.

As the committee’s point person, I met with Jason (Founder, Roja Interactive) to discuss our findings. He presented a set of templates, which our committee approved. Since people who are new to an area often seek neighborhood information at schools, Jason visited the local schools to discover what people wanted to find and therefore what content to include on the website. Following this, Roja Interactive scaled the site and built new functionalities.

In keeping with our mission as a civic association, our website has a listing of all local businesses. Roja Interactive designed a spotlight series that highlights these businesses on our homepage for a fee. We also feature businesses, volunteers, and neighbors that are doing something particularly noteworthy on our website and social media platforms. Roja Interactive proposed a new way of integrating our Twitter and Facebook feeds with our website.

What is the team composition?

Our main contact was Jason. Various Roja Interactive team members worked on different parts of the project.

How did you come to work with Roja Interactive?

After looking at numerous providers, Roja Interactive had the best ideas and seemed the most motivated. Being local was an added benefit.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2018, and the engagement ended when we launched the site in March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the site just launched, we don’t have many metrics. However, we see higher engagement through the things we can measure. For instance, we wanted to increase our social media presence, and the website design effectively does this by pushing people to our various social media platforms.

How did Roja Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

Their performance exceeded our expectations. When my team asked for something, they delivered. They provided crucial counsel and were engaged in the project, which was particularly valuable.

We generally communicated at least once a week, either via email, phone, or an in-person meeting.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their design and development expertise allowed them to know our audience and what our site needed. Roja Interactive turned our vision into a reality; in fact, the site is even better than what we had envisioned. Our committee had varied interests and views, which their team accommodated. The team was receptive to what we wanted but also made different suggestions and proposed new ideas that we had not thought of. They were the perfect fit for us and adhered to our low budget

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't. This was a positive experience; they were very customer-centered, responsive, and proactive, which is rare to find.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Roja Interactive is extraordinarily knowledgeable and professional. If you present them with an articulated goal, you will get even more than you asked for.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Montessori Children’s Center, Inc runs two large Montessori schools in Herndon and Centreville and an affiliated Montessori school in Manassas, all in Virginia. We educate and prepare children, holistically, from as young as six weeks up to the age of six years ready for kindergarten and first grade, as applicable, and with potential to become future leaders. Our after-school activities for children up to age twelve are a more enhanced and enriching environment than traditional daycare.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Roja Interactive?

Our organization doesn't have a lot of technical abilities in-house, so we hired Roja Interactive to design our website. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We described how we wanted the site to look and how it should get our message across to prospective parents who want to enroll their children in our schools, and Roja Interactive handled all the design aspects of our site. 

They developed a website that helped us convey our Montessori Philosophy and Method of Education, describe our programs and emphasize our differences from traditional daycare. The homepage gives users a snapshot of our organization. It includes a slideshow of photos featuring our students participating in various activities.

From there, users can access specific pages for all three of our organization's schools. Other areas of the site are dedicated to announcements and events, and an enrollment section with instructions about how to apply.

The team set us up on MailChimp and WordPress and taught us how to use both platforms. We send out alerts about any events or issues like delays or closings to our subscribers via our email listserv. We also make these announcements on our website. Roja Interactive also helped us with the logos. We’ve kept them on to provide maintenance and support.

What is the team composition? 

The main person I interacted with was Jason (Founder, Roja Interactive.) We worked with the team through him. I'm sure that other people from the company worked on our project. 

How did you come to work with Roja Interactive?

We found Roja Interactive through a recommendation. We were desperate to get our site design completed and considered all types of developers. My son, who was studying computer science in college at the time, introduced me to the founder of Roja Interactive. 

How much have you invested with them?

It cost about $10,000 to design the site. We also pay them a monthly fee for maintenance. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Roja Interactive about 5 years ago when we engaged them to build a new website for our business. From that time on, we've been continuing to use their website maintenance services. We recently engaged them to redesign the website to be more current and relevant to the state of our business and marketing trends. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Roja Interactive has done a great job for us. Frankly, I'm very impressed. They’ve delivered on everything we’ve asked them to do. The website is currently up and running. It's performing very well. 

We believe, the parents of our students love the website Roja Interactive designed. From a messaging point of view, they helped us offer clarity about our mission and services. Since many of these parents are tech savvy or even work as programmers, the fact that they were impressed by our site means a lot.

How did Roja Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

Roja Interactive is very efficient. They did an excellent job at project management. Everything they delivered was very prompt. Their quick turn-around time on our projects met all our expectations. 

The founder is our main point of contact. During the design phase, we spoke every week to discuss progress and make sure we were accomplishing everything we needed to. 

Recently, we've been contacting them frequently. Our school just received accreditation. We needed to spread the word, including to our subscribers and parents of students at our schools. They helped us get the right information onto our site without any delay.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Roja Interactive goes out of their way to support us.  They're always prompt and ready to help. They've educated us well, and it's never been a problem to contact them. 

They're very knowledgeable about the nature of work. I have no qualms about their abilities at all. If we ever get stuck, they solve our problems. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

So far, I haven't seen anywhere they need to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I encourage anyone considering working with Roja Interactive to go for it. They'll give you an excellent service. I'm confident that you’ll be very happy with them. Along with designing your website, they can maintain it too. They will always come to your assistance. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of School Support Services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Roja Interactive?

Our website was outdated and difficult for customers to navigate. We needed an experienced design firm to enhance the site’s UI/UX.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Roja Interactive redesigned our website using WordPress. Jason (Founder, Roja Interactive) initiated a discovery process to understand the service we provide, how customers find us, and what persuades them to give us their business. That allowed him to determine what elements were missing from our site.

Once Jason presented his design pitch, we agreed to move forward with his proposed outline. We were satisfied with the site’s backend infrastructure, so he designed the frontend to integrate with existing functionalities. His team understood what we were trying to accomplish and completed the redesign within our expectations.

What is the team composition?

Jason was our primary point of contact.

How did you come to work with Roja Interactive?

After finding several design firms, we analyzed each company’s body of work, estimated delivery time, geographical location, and pricing structure. Roja Interactive impressed us in each category, so we hired them.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our involvement with them took place from August 2017–April 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Roja Interactive’s work helped increase customer growth by 9%. Most importantly, our revenue has increased by 13% as a result of their work. Those figures indicate that they accomplished the goal of streamlining our customers’ ability to make purchases online. We’re happy with their overall performance.

How did Roja Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

We met with them face-to-face three times when the project first started. After that, most of the communication was done via phone or email. They were able to grasp the project’s challenges quickly. We met in person once more when the site was ready to launch. They carefully coordinated everything so that the business didn’t experience any adverse effects during the transition.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve had bad experiences with similar vendors in the past, so it was refreshing to work with Roja Interactive. Jason presented options and solutions upfront. It was nice to work with a firm that demonstrates integrity.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would’ve liked to have access to additional contacts when Jason wasn’t available.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give Roja Interactive a chance to succeed. We’re definitely glad we did.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of StayDog LLC, a company whose primary business model is invisible fences.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Roja Interactive?

We had an outdated e-commerce website that needed to be redesigned to be more user-friendly. I was disappointed with our previous supplier because they charged us lots of hidden fees and wrote the backend so only they could control it. I had to go to them for any changes, and that cost me more money, so I wanted to find a new partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Roja did a template of the main website and provided a couple of different versions that we could pick from, which were based on examples that we’d given them. We chose our favorite, made some small changes, and then Roja started building the backend, also making sure we had the correct SSL certificate. We supplied all the data and expectations, and Roja was great at putting it all together in a user-friendly way.

For example, we wanted our shopping cart to have special features like the ability to add sales. They built that along with a coupons page that we could easily change and adapt. They created an admin section where we could see all of the users and track what changes were made and revert to previous versions, if necessary.

They pretty much redesigned, from the ground up, a Magento website for our company. Most of the features are easy for us to edit by ourselves, so we don’t have to run to them every time we need something changed. Roja also works in conjunction with our SEO company.

What is the team composition?

I initially worked with two people, but now I mainly just work with Jason (founder, Roja Interactive).

How did you come to work with Roja Interactive?

Their former founder used to work for a company we contracted with, and when he formed Roja, he let me know. I met with them, went over a proposal, and compared them to another company we were considering. I liked Roja’s quote and what they offered; plus, they were a smaller company willing to customize what we needed, so we went with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a little less than $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in April, and the site launched in August.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the biggest changes Roja did was make our site mobile-friendly. It’s opened up access to a lot more users.

How did Roja Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

Jason was on top of his responsibilities. He made sure things progressed and deadlines were met. For example, the credit card for the site expired without me knowing, and when I called him to reactivate the account, he had it up and running within an hour. I know I always have his support when I need it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provide quality website work for a reasonable price.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes, they weren’t proactive in giving advice and finding solutions. I’d bring concerns up, and they’d say whether they could fix them or not, but they sometimes didn’t provide feedback unless asked. Overall, though, we had a great experience.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Have an idea of what features you want so that everyone can start on the same page and manage the project better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am VP of brand operations for MBB Management. We’re a full-service hospitality management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Roja Interactive?

Roja mainly does website design and SEO [search engine optimization] for our clients in the hospitality business—restaurants, hotels, bars, etc. The business goal is driving traffic to their website, which will ultimately drive sales.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Jason [Founder, Roja Interactive] hosts and maintains our personal website, mbbmanagement.com. He does MBB’s SEO and keyword optimization. There’s also a little bit of social media as well, writing blogs and newsletters for our website. He also builds, hosts, and maintains websites, along with an SEO program, for half a dozen clients of ours. Those are the main services that we utilize Roja for. He does a great job for us.

He’s got a super creative mind and knows what he’s doing, but certainly, we need to provide him with our content and how we envision the site. He gives every client of mine a list of deliverables he needs. Providing that we give him good content, tips, and information, 90% of the time he can take that and build a website to our client’s liking. It’s certainly interactive between Jason, myself, and the client.

How did you come to work with Roja Interactive?

When I came onboard three years, Jason from Roja was already a partner of ours. I think someone referred him to us, and we started using them approximately five years ago.

How much have you invested with Roja Interactive?

It varies, depending on whether a client wants a basic templated website or a fully customized website with e-commerce and all the bells and whistles associated. It all depends on the client’s budget. Out of the six or seven websites he’s done, only one exceeded $10,000. The other websites averaged about $6,000–$7,000 each, so it’s been under $50,000 total.

What is the status of this engagement?

It all depends on how quickly the client can get us the content, how quickly they can meet with us as far as their vision, and whether they want a basic templated website or a customized website. It usually takes Jason four to eight weeks to turnaround an approved website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have Google Analytics that we review weekly. I have a weekly call with Jason every Wednesday morning at 10 AM to discuss all of our clients. We look at traffic, rankings, and how well the keywords are doing. I’ve got Analytics reporting from beginning to current on our clients. We start out with a company on page 15 of Google, and within 3–4 months they are on the first or second page. Certainly, we have measurable goals that we keep an eye on to make sure Jason’s producing results, and he certainly is. The proof is in the reports.

How did Roja Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

Jason is the owner. He is heavily involved in every single project as well as in the service aspect of his business. Jason and I interact regularly, and he’s very easy to work with. I don’t think he’s missed a deadline. If anything, I’ve missed deadlines that he’s put on me rather than the other way around.

We use Google Drive to share materials back and forth. We don’t use Skype. It’s nice that Jason’s office and my office are about 30 minutes apart from each other, so he’s local. We have face-to-face meetings quite often, where we go and get the clients together.

What did you find most impressive about Roja Interactive?

His expertise is what’s most impressive. He knows what he’s talking about. He’s very knowledgeable and has a lot of expertise.

Are there any areas Roja Interactive could improve?

No. The only one area that I thought he needed to improve on was a couple of years ago. He needed to hire a few more people because he was taking on additional clients not only from us but other people. I was afraid that we were going to outgrow him, but he solved that as soon as he recognized it and hired a few more team members, and we’re still off and running.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Roja Interactive?

Most people that we deal with are family-owned and operated businesses, and they’re not really knowledgeable about website SEO. What I recommend is to be as honest as you need to be with Jason. Tell him that you are an idiot. Tell him that you know nothing about this, and Jason will hold your hand through the entire process. Before you know it, you’ll be an expert. He’s the kind of guy that doesn’t like to keep secrets to himself. He definitely likes to share his knowledge.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My business is Cope Better Therapy, a mental health private practice in Rittenhouse. I’m the owner of that company as well as the therapist.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Roja Interactive?

My challenge was getting the name and web presence of my company out there. In doing so, I could generate referrals to my private practice.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Roja Interactive did everything for me. We had a phone conference regarding what my goals were and what I wanted to accomplish by working with a web design company. They asked questions about my style and provided examples of things that they could do based on my personal preference—things that looked good to my eye.

From there, they ran with the project and made me a beautiful website that had everything I needed—from landing pages to the services that I offer. They also set me up for blogging, so that’s helped with my search engine optimization, too. They might be doing marketing I don’t even know about. That’s like a foreign language to me. I really trust their opinion. They’ve helped my business so much.

How did you come to work with Roja Interactive?

I found them through a Google search when looking for a web-based design company in Philadelphia. They had good reviews—five stars with over 18 reviews. That really stood out because it’s rare to see a company that has five stars across the board. I thought I needed to reach out to them and see what they can do for my business.

The price was a concern because, as a newer company, I didn’t have $100,000 to put into a website. I was looking for someone that had competitive rates, but also someone that I knew was accessible. I know some companies tend to do a lot of overseas-based work. In doing so, the people who help build and maintain the websites aren’t available at the times when I might be available. I wanted someone responsive who was also over here in the States and wasn’t farming the work out. Roja Interactive always seemed very responsive. Anytime I emailed a question or called the office, the turnaround time was quick. Roja Interactive was the only company I remember considering. If there were other companies, they quickly fell off my radar.

How much have you invested with Roja Interactive?

I spent $6,000 or $8,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in mid-January 2016 and launched in February or March 2016. The website development took five to six weeks at most. It was pretty fast.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I came away really satisfied with my end product. It was something that almost made me want to cry when I looked at it because it looked so beautiful and professional. What they designed for me took my vision to the next level, for it was something that I would never have been able to do. I’ve had people comment on how nice and professional the website looks. Roja Interactive encouraged me to do social media presence during one of my early conferences, so I started a Facebook and Instagram page for my business. Those things have generated leads to the website for the blogs that are there. That has resulted in people reaching out to me with concerns regarding depression, anxiety, or relationship issues. People are calling to see if they can come in and schedule an appointment, or inquiring about what it is that I do at my business. Since my website and the blogs have been up and running, I’ve seen an increase in leads and client referrals.

How did Roja Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

I found them to be really responsive. If I sent an email, I usually got a response within an hour or two. They always picked up as soon as I called. If I called and they were on break, they called me back right away to say they we were at a meeting or something. They are one of the more responsive companies I’ve had the pleasure to work with.

Everything was within budget. They gave me a price range, and it fell right within that. I’m also pretty sure they kept to the timeline. If there was going to be a delay for a few days, they gave me a heads up and kept me in the loop. If they were anticipating one piece of the website done for me to test but it wasn’t available on time, they wrote me an email saying, “We thought this thing would be done, but we actually need an extra day to work on it. But we’re still going to hit the deadline.” Despite those delays, everything still fell within our projected launch date.

What did you find most impressive about Roja Interactive?

Their responsiveness stood out. When I talked with Jason, who I believe is the owner, I felt like he really took the time to listen to what my vision was and the concerns I had. It was a collaborative approach. I felt like they cared about my project as much as I did. To me, that made a big difference. I didn’t feel like I was a client per se. Instead, I felt like I was a member of their team. When I talked to other companies, I didn’t quite get the sense I was working with a team of people helping me bring my vision to life. Instead, it felt like I was hiring a company to do it and have to be directive in what I wanted. His team just got it from the beginning. There was a natural sync there that stood out for me.  

Are there any areas Roja Interactive could improve?

Not to my knowledge. Maybe that’s just me not knowing. I’m happy with everything, so I can’t think of ways they could improve because I’ve had great success with them.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Roja Interactive?

It’s important to have a vision of what one wants because it helps the design company give life to that particular vision. I certainly recommend that people give some forethought into what they want instead of calling cold or being ambivalent about things. Having some level of direction helps give Roja that extra stuff in bringing the vision to life. Then from there, they can walk you through it. It would be helpful to think ahead and have an idea ready.