SYZYGY 1 Media

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of operations and meetings for the National Council of Higher Education Resources.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SYZYGY 1 Media?

It was a twofold reason. First, it was a cost-saving measure. Secondly, we needed to spruce up our website. Our site was dated, and it needed to be refreshed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SYZYGY 1 Media has created our website from scratch. They’ve used WordPress and WooCommerce. The website is a primary platform for our members. It has a database management system that allows us to send out a newsletter on a template each day. Also, they provide maintenance. 

What is the team composition?

We have two people on our team, but we’ve mainly worked with one.

How did you come to work with SYZYGY 1 Media?

I’d previously worked with someone who was very tech-savvy. We started talking and came up with a plan. SYZYGY 1 Media had leading-edge technology and knowledge that would allow us to get into the new age.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2020, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to their efforts, I’ve freed up much of my time on the operational side. I can do other projects and don’t be so focused on the website. Moreover, the site has helped us retain members because it’s now more user-friendly.

How did SYZYGY 1 Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve met deadlines, and their project timeline is very detailed. Also, the billings have been accurate. We haven’t had surprises.

We usually communicate through emails, phone calls, and text messages. They’re flexible. Additionally, we did some training on Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve stood out for their knowledge and flexibility. We’re a small association, so sometimes things don’t go as planned. Nonetheless, they’re able to adapt.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there isn’t anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t hold back on any ideas you have. They’re great at discussing a project to develop a user-friendly approach.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of Grand Master Kim's Taekwondo.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SYZYGY 1 Media, and what were your goals?

Our website needed to be updated when the previous managing instructor at the school relocated to Arizona and the current Senior Instructor partnered with the local YMCA to continue teaching our classes.

We needed an all-in-one solution to provide program and pricing information to potential students, allow only current students to access to training materials and to overall promote the school.

SOLUTION

How did you select SYZYGY 1 Media and what were the deciding factors?

We reached out to Mark at SYZYGY 1 Media because he is a student and an instructor with us. We knew that he would be able to communicate the program information in a way that would be easy to understand for someone who was unfamiliar with martial arts.

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

The senior instructors and the healthy living director of the local YMCA met with SYZYGY 1 Media to go over program details, registration forms, and the need to allow access to videos, techniques and terminology, based on belt levels.

How many people from the SYZYGY 1 Media team worked with you, and what were their positions?

The owner, Mark Putman, met with us directly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching the new website, our retention of students has been much higher due to their ability to supplement in-class learning with at home online materials.

Also, the class registration process and communication with new students and parents is much better since instructors are not trying to return calls to incorrect phone numbers or email addresses that were previously hand written from incoming phone calls or recorded voicemails.

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

SYZYGY 1 Media worked quickly and often exceeded deadlines. When they had questions, Mark reached out to find out answers and to get our perspective instead of guessing which approach to take.

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

They often anticipate our needs and make changes to our website content before we even ask them.

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

No, they did a fantastic job!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of a Kansas public library.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SYZYGY 1 Media?

 We wanted to update our website to make it easier for the community to find information about library resources and programs. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed and designed the site using the Divi platform on WordPress. This work also included integrating library-specific software and adding help desk features. They’ve continued to provide updates and improvements whenever we experience issues. 

What is the team composition? 

Mark (Owner) was our main point of contact, and there was one additional team member from SYZYGY 1 Media. 

How did you come to work with SYZYGY 1 Media?

We put out an RFP and we received two bids. We decided to go with SYZYGY 1 Media because they’re a local company. Mark’s children attend schools in our district. Additionally, he was acquainted with one of the members of our board of trustees. 

How much have you invested with them?

I think we spent around $20,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from February-August 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I haven’t monitored the site metrics. However, we’ve received positive feedback from our patrons. 

How did SYZYGY 1 Media perform from a project management standpoint?

We decided it would be easier to communicate face-to-face, rather than over the phone or through email. Mark was very willing to meet with me in person regularly to discuss the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think their customized design was impressive. They’re always looking for ways to improve the website. They’re on top of it and were also very open to learning more about the specifics of how libraries work. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so. It’s been a good relationship. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s good to have in mind what your goals are, and what content you want on the website. You should have a clear idea of what you need before you approach them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a salon manager at a salon and spa.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SYZYGY 1 Media?

We needed them to manage our website and online business presence. Our schedules became so busy that we couldn’t manage it on our own.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For ten years now, SYZYGY 1 Media has handled the web development for our platform. They’ve rebuilt and refreshed our site a few times and conduct updates on our pricing and specials. Their team has also helped us with our new online booking services and more recently with SEO and Google AdWords services. What’s more, they also update our computers, servers, and wireless network. They took us from Windows 7 to Windows 10.

How did you come to work with SYZYGY 1 Media?

The founder is a client of ours, and we’ve known him for a while. We asked for help with our website ten years ago and slowly added the other services.

How much have you invested with them?

We started working together in 2010, and our partnership is ongoing.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve invested between $20,000–$30,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our tracking system has shown that we’ve increased new site users by 30%. The client size for our salon and spa has increased, and we have a lot more guests who come in.

How did SYZYGY 1 Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very efficient at project management. We’ve never had any complaints or issues. If I ran into a problem, I could call him today and he’d respond immediately by coming in or troubleshooting it remotely.

What did you find most impressive about them?

SYZYGY 1 Media is always there when we need them the most. They make themselves available and don’t ignore phone calls, messages, or e-mails. Their quick response time is the most impressive thing for us. Also, they’re great at making suggestions about things we don’t think about or have time to deal with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything; they meet all our needs.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I don’t have anything negative to say, I’d definitely hire them again.