VisionSnap, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

When I worked with VisionSnap, I was working with a company called Sanctuary Builder, a company that did semi-custom home and commercial building. Their focus was on tenant improvements (TI), or customization to rented properties to accommodate the current tenant. I also worked with VisionSnap while working with 38 North, which represents 22 condos in Phoenix, Ariz.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with VisionSnap?

When I engaged their team while working with Sanctuary Builder, we were looking to create a website that gave potential customers a great deal of information around our process and who we were as a company to gain their trust and confidence. We also wanted to showcase our work and implement a design that created a high-end look and feel.

While working with 38 North, we were creating a site that was geared toward millennials. We wanted to get people’s attention with the site and provide information on our three floor plans and the surrounding community.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Both projects started with me providing a site map and walking the VisionSnap team through my ideas for the home page and additional content pages. They used this information to manage expectations and provide an accurate quote for each project. We worked collaboratively to plan out the infrastructure and general layout of each site, and they went on to manage all aspects of design and development. I don’t recall what technologies were used for Sanctuary Builder, but they explored several different options to meet our budget during the project with 38 North. We ended up using a templated site that saved us a significant amount of money while meeting all our requirements and maintaining a high-quality UX/UI.

Additionally, while I was with Sanctuary Builder, we serviced homes and later expanded to commercial properties. This shift required a site redesign and the addition of several content pages that included this new information, which VisionSnap also oversaw.

What is the team composition?

I primarily worked with Ian (Owner, VisionSnap) throughout both projects.

How did you come to work with VisionSnap?

My boss at 38 North was working with another company in Phoenix that was using VisionSnap to build a website of their own. They recommended VisionSnap very highly.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $10,000-$15,000 on each project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2009 and completed all projects around the end of 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My boss at Sanctuary Builder was blown away by the quality of the site that VisionSnap created. It was very visually appealing and user friendly. Customers were also very impressed with the layout and had high expectations for us as a builder, which was our initial goal with the site.

As for our project with 38 North, the condos are part of an infill project, so they’re located in a very modern, chic area. The templated site that VisionSnap created looks like it was custom built, and matches the feel of the area perfectly. Both buyers and professional colleagues were amazed at how well it turned out. They had a great understanding of our goals and built the site accordingly.

How did VisionSnap perform from a project management standpoint?

Ian was on point with everything. He had me build out the sitemap and allowed me to think creatively while keeping me on track. When we went too far on a given tangent, he would reel us back to the original focus with an emphasis on maintaining our original budget and timeline. He was always available and very responsive whenever we had questions. We communicated primarily via phone and email for both projects.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ian provides personalized service and always took the time to answer my questions thoroughly. He was very patient in walking us through various options leading into and throughout the development process. He was also always accommodating in adding new features and working with me to create the best site possible. VisionSnap’s customer service, depth of knowledge, and overall availability were all outstanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I still use them for web development projects that come up, and I’ve never had any complaints.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Provide as much information as possible upfront. It will help them quote accurately and set realistic timelines. Ian is very accommodating and can work around most budget/time constraints.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m vice chairman of a banking organization, Valley National Bank of Arizona (in organization).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed a new website for our potential investors and clients. It mostly needed to look good in order to draw people in.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built the entire site for us. Ian (owner, VisionSnap) asked a lot of questions and listened to what we needed. It’s mostly an informational website so it didn’t require a complicated front- or backend. It has information, across a number of pages, about our directors and how to contact them. The site allows us to upload new content as needed. It’s pretty straightforward. 

What is the team composition?

I worked primarily with Ian.

How did you come to work with VisionSnap, Inc.?

We sent out a bunch of bids, and VisionSnap was by far the lowest price. We were on a very tight budget, so they were the most affordable.

How much have you invested with them?

I believe we spent $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around October 2007, and the site was done in less than 30 days.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our goal was met. They created a site where potential investors and board members can find out about us. It did exactly what we needed it to do. It’s been many years, but I still use the site as a reference.

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

Ian was always available if I needed him. Even if I called him right now, he'd go in to the site and change something for us. The site didn’t need much maintenance or support, but I occasionally needed him to change text or images. His response time to any request was incredible. He'd sometimes have the changes made before I hung up the phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was blown away by how he laid out the site. It’s visually appealing and easy to navigate. We were pretty vague with what we told him, and didn’t give him any wireframes. He came up with this incredible site. It's absolutely amazing that he was able to nail it on his first try.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything. He does excellent work, and he does it for 25%–50% less than anybody else.

Any advice for potential customers?

Let him do his job. He is so good at what he does; there’s no need to micromanage. He really researches and studies which techniques work best. Trust him do the job, and he'll do great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and CEO of a communication company in the wireless and fixed space. We offer wireline solutions in POS and cloud security and have direct partnerships with multiple wireless carriers. We support enterprise accounts and mobility management companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with VisionSnap?

We started to grow very quickly and needed help projecting the right brand image in the market. We wanted to improve our credibility with an informative, visually appealing website and needed a company that could groom our online appearance.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We explained our vision and they transformed that information into a top-notch corporate enterprise site that rivals anyone in the business. They were very good in scoping sessions and pointed us in the right direction.

They also revamped our logo and made improvements to our color schemes and other visual assets. We needed more efficiencies for our partners, so they developed a portal that lets clients place orders on the site after the initial build was completed. They worked from scratch to customize solutions for us and finished everything within an impressive time frame. We continue to make changes and improvements as our business grows.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with Ian (Owner, VisionSnap).

How did you come to work with VisionSnap?

I’ve known them for a number of years. They helped me at another company over a decade ago and always did good work. When we started on this project, I knew they were reliable and reached out to them. I was about to make a capital investment and I trusted them to deliver what I needed.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent at least $40,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2017. The bulk of the project was finished within a 90-day window, but they’re still helping us with adjustments and additions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The ROI is huge, especially thanks to the portal and all the custom design they did. We’ve already seen a seven-figure return.

How did VisionSnap perform from a project management standpoint?

They do a great job. I’m fairly easily distracted, but they keep us on task and pointed in the right direction. They make sure we hit all the important points and are very communicative. We email each other constantly and I talk with Ian at least once a week. They’re a big part of our success.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ideas are phenomenal. We have strategy sessions and constantly throw new projects and add-ons at them. They do a fantastic job and their delivery times are unbelievable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They accept every challenge and haven’t failed us yet. We’re completely satisfied.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work at Rulersmith, a quilting ruler manufacturer. We create precision acrylic rulers through laser cutting and silkscreening. I'm an engineer by education and referred to as the “number one grunt”. I basically run a lot of small projects and do whatever is needed to keep the business rolling.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with VisionSnap?

We work with a couple primary customers as well as a number of small OEMs. Our objective was to appeal to a broader range of potential clientele to bring in new business, preferably a large OEM.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After going over our objectives, Ian (owner, VisionSnap) took our information and made the first cut at the website. He worked with us and continued to refine it and then brought in SEO aspects. He brought in ideas we hadn’t thought about and assisted us with colors, video content, and photo content. He basically built the website for us.

We do things here until we are happy with them, and Ian was very receptive and easy to work with. We would see his work, we’d have a meeting and review it, and then send him a memo or email with our suggestions. He’d make most of the changes unless he felt the changes were a step in the wrong direction.

What is the team composition?

We primarily work with Ian (Owner, VisionSnap), but have also been in touch with a few others, including a videographer and photographer.

How did you come to work with VisionSnap?

Several staff were involved in the search process for a web designer. We interviewed a few different vendors, but VisionSnap stood out the most.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested $10,000–$25,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2016 and we're still working on iterations to the website before we're ready to go live. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Feedback from our team internally has been great. We're very happy with the overall look and functionality of the site as it continues to come along.

How did VisionSnap perform from a project management standpoint?

Ian has been patient in working us, receptive to our many requests for iterations. As a private contractor, we know he has a lot of clients to juggle but we appreciate his ability to communicate with us so well—he's skilled at setting expectations appropriately and timeline estimates. 

We operate through checklists and send most of our product specifications and requests for changes through email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ian is very personable and great at communicating expectations to clients. He's responsive and sets up next steps for every deliverable. He's also good about asking strategic questions to help me refine my requests to ensure I get exactly what I'm looking for.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Occasionally, we've had to wait longer than we would have preferred, but that's because Ian has other accounts to juggle as a private contractor. Overall, we've been happy with everything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Provide as many details as possible, including specifications, so Ian can meet your expectations. He's very skilled at redlining requirements and sending back iterations as requested in an organized manner. By providing detailed specifications, we've found it quite easy to progress through our work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of sales at Rustler’s Rooste, a large, family owned and operated restaurant. I’m responsible for booking the banquet space for conventions, corporate gatherings, weddings, etc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to broaden our appeal and draw more attention to our website. We needed help with web design and online marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an older website. They nearly started from scratch to make it visually appealing. They collected input from 4–5 of us, but we let them take the lead. We wanted to include a lot of photos to make the site visually appealing. They also worked on optimized our site to make sure it is on the first couple of pages of a Google search, and they track clicks and visits to our site.

What is the team composition?

We primarily work with Ian (Owner, VisionSnap Inc.) as well as a couple of other members of his team.

How did you come to work with VisionSnap, Inc.?

We had a personal relationship. As his company and our restaurant grew, we reached out to him. We had seen what he had done with other companies and how helpful and responsive he was. His work and his character made us want to work with him.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent between $100,000–$250,000 over the years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in 1999 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The volume of emails, inquiries, and phone calls has doubled in the last couple of years. It is amazing what a good website can do for your company. Our sister company worked with someone else around the same time, and our site progressed much faster and is much more effective.

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

Ian is always so attentive to us. I can always email him, and I get a response immediately. We usually communicate through phone or email. We are really lucky to have someone like Ian who can help out with all kinds of communications.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ian answers questions and helps us out when we get stuck with something. He is always responsive, helpful, and always prompt. They are good at what they do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d like him to come and visit personally.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let him know what you want to accomplish and let him give you his ideas and show you some mock-ups of what he thinks will work the best and be the most productive for you.