Angle180

BACKGROUND

Please start by introducing your business and your position.

New Concept 180 is a design-build construction company. I am the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Angle180?

My business is mainly built on referrals, but I was in a position to expand it. In order to do that, we needed to expose ourselves to new potential clients. The old website had been created around 2010 and hadn't been designed with SEO in mind. It needed to be upgraded and made more visible on search engines and social media.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Angle180 handled everything, from designing our concepts to making the site work, and optimizing it for search engines. Their business is not something which I know in detail, so I can't go into technical aspects of Angle180's work. Still, whenever I had a question, it was explained to me by Angle180's team. To me, it was important to create a good-looking and easy-to-navigate website.

We are members of GuildQuality and had to integrate our profile from that platform into the site. We use Buildertrend software for business, so our customers can log into the app through our site.

The site has a blog which is managed by Angle180. They also produced all the content for the site, which is quite large. They're continuing to manage the site's appearance, tweaking it and adding new landing pages.

How did you come to work with Angle180?

I met Angle180 on LinkedIn. We started talking and came to do business. How a customer is treated was important, and I found Angle180 to be a good fit.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The cost of Angle180's work has been between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Angle180 in the fall of 2016. The development took one month to complete. We continue to make changes and additions to it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

New visitors have been spending a lot of time on the new site, which confirms that it can retain people's interest.

I had a first feedback meeting with Angle180 in January 2017. We are planning to have a second one next week, in order to go over the site's activity. I don't have more specific details since it can take a few months to build statistics.

How did Angle180 perform from a project management standpoint?

Work ethic and the ability to understand my business vision were important elements for me. I felt that I was on the same level with Angle180. I didn't have any issues in terms of project management. If I found any technical glitches, Angle180's technical staff took care of the problem the minute I notified them.

What distinguishes Angle180 from other providers?

The majority of the websites in my industry are doing pretty much the same thing. Angle180 has unique ideas in terms of design, which is something I was looking for. They offered me a couple of layout ideas at the beginning of the process, which were actually different. That told me that Angle180 had a lot of creativity. I see them as being a long-term partner.

Is there anything Angle180 could have improved or done differently?

I haven't noticed anything yet.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I have a one-person consulting company. I focus on helping organizations understand why people resist change and what can be done to build support instead.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Angle 180?

I created a new tool to use with clients called ‘The Energy Bar’. I decided I wanted a new website to focus on that tool. My regular website had information about everything I do, and it was too confusing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I already had a website that had a wonderful look, but I wasn’t getting work as a result. My clients are leaders in fairly large organizations, so I wanted a site that would be attractive to that demographic. I also wanted a site that was different than the somewhat cookie-cutter consulting sites out there. The whole team at Angle 180 was excited about this approach, and I basically gave them free rein to try something out. They brought a lot to the table.

I don’t know the technical details about the site. I have the good sense to hire people who know what they’re doing in those fields. I have great confidence in the team at Angle 180, and I trust their judgment.

I didn’t give them much direction at first because I wanted to see what ideas they would bring me. I thought the first draft they came up with looked great. I did some tweaking here and there, but it was basically 90% done before I started making comments.

They added a 3-question assessment to the site, which made it easy for potential clients to get results. I wrote all the text, but they made it user-friendly. I don’t think anybody gets confused on the site about where to go. There are podcasts, embedded videos, and an animated video that Angle 180 added.

After the first project, I had Angle 180 update the site again. They’ve offered to do some SEO work, which I’m considering, but that wasn’t part of the original project.

How did you come to work with Angle 180?

I looked online at various companies and reviewed their samples. I liked Angle 180’s site and what they were doing for clients. They had created websites for a range of organization, and each one looked unique.

How much have you invested with Angle 180?

I believe it was under $25,000. [Respondent offered to email more specific info later.]

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in late 2015. I’ve been working with them for about 1 ½ years, and we launched the revamped site a month ago. I have an ongoing contract with them, and they make any necessary updates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I wasn’t drawing a lot of unique visitors to my first site. Now, people are telling me that my site is really good. In fact, I had a conversation today with a client who decided I could help her based on the information on my site. I don’t concentrate on the total number of visitors to the site, but rather how many calls I get as a result. With the new site, it’s too soon to tell.

How did Angle 180 perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m not a good project manager, and I’ve been burned before. With Angle 180, I didn’t feel like I had to manage the project. Whenever they needed direction, they would reach out to me. I had no headaches, and I don’t think I could say that about my work with web designers in the past. They were great at keeping me informed about the progress on the project and met their deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about Angle 180?

Throughout the project, I’ve only needed to contact one person. I know who to call, and he knows me. I don’t have to give him my account number or other information before he can help me. It feels very personal, which means a lot to me.

Are there any areas Angle 180 could improve?

No. I like everything about the relationship. I’m really satisfied with what they’re doing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Velsicol Chemical has been around since the 1930s. We've gone through several iterations and sizes. We're going through a growth phase at the moment, and have been acquired by a global organization selling flame retardants and other additives that help plastics perform better.

I am the business director of several product lines. I am a 30-year veteran of the chemical industry. I joined the company two and a half years ago.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Angle180?

We needed help creating an up-to-date vision on the internet. We needed a world-class website with the look and flexibility for capturing any kind of attention that we may get from the marketplace.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Angle180 built our website and helped us put together the marketing collateral that we send out either electronically or physically.

Angle180 helped us track analytics for our website, sorting through the data. I see this as a long-term part of our work.

How did you come to work with Angle180?

Angle180 had already completed the first phase of our website when I joined the organization. I needed to create some collateral for the organization and asked my colleagues who designed the company site. I was put in touch with Angle180's principal and got to know him through that design effort.

How much have you invested with Angle180?

We spend around $5,000 per year on Angle180's services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have signed up with Angle180 for a year-long maintenance contract. In addition to this, we use them for separate projects. We started working with Angle180 3 years ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The design and impact of the work done by Angle180 has put our company on a professional pillar. We've gotten very positive feed-back from customers. In addition to this, our distribution partners have also enjoyed the work and we've often referred Angle180 to them.

How did Angle180 perform from a project management standpoint?

Angle180 appears to have some solid resources from a project management standpoint. Usually, whenever I have a request, they will be very quick to respond.

What did you find most impressive about Angle180?

Regardless of our situation, Angle180 has been very efficient and personable in getting things done. This has been very important to me, and I've found a level of comfort with Angle180. I know that they would be able to point me in the right direction in any situation. I also appreciated the direct contact and lack of bureaucracy on Angle180's side.

Are there any areas Angle180 could improve?

I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work for Techgen Media Group. We are a digital publishing house that feeds into the metal fabrication industry. We have a digital e-reader that we use to distribute our magazines and publications.

What is your position?

I am the vice president of editorial and the editor in chief of a handful of the publications that we publish.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Angle180?

We were working with an outside contractor to produce the e-reader that we use. There were a couple challenges that we were experiencing while working with that design firm.

We were concerned that the URL for the e-reader was not under our domain. This meant that the outside firm that we were working with was getting credit for any type of online visitors that came to the site. Obviously, website traffic is of great interest to advertisers that we work with, so we needed to find a way to get credit for those visitors. This required the development of our own e-reader.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

In addition to developing our own proprietary e-reader, Angle180 also manages and handles the design of all of our online publications. They translate those designs into HTML so that they can be presented in the e-reader. The scope of the project goes from the initial development of the e-reader and goes on a continual basis with the design of multiple magazines each month.

We produce the article and all the corresponding artwork and they, in turn, take all of those materials and build out the magazine. They lay out all of the articles and design the articles within a certain scope that we established as a team. Then, we're presented with a first proof.

We always go through design choices and look for errors and spelling mistakes. I will say, however, that we're always more than pleased with the design decisions that they make. We go through about three levels of proofing, and then that is converted over to the HTML where they then let the magazine go live.

How did you come to work with Angle180?

I was a marketing manager for an IT [information technology] firm outside of Chicago, and we were in desperate need of a new website. We worked with Angle180 to develop the website. It was leaps and bounds better than what we had before, and it was enjoyable to work with them along the way. It just left a positive memory in my mind, which was why I recommended them to my boss at Techgen Media Group.

What is the status of this engagement?

We launched a new magazine design, which was essentially their introduction to our projects, at the beginning of the year. We kicked off 2016 with magazines that were designed by them. However, the engagement period leading up to that lasted several months. There was, as you can assume, a fair amount of back and forth. They also presented us with a variety of design ideas for each of our magazines.

There is no end date as far as I'm concerned. We're so incredibly pleased with the work that we receive from them. We're actually launching additional magazines in 2017, so the scope of the work that they'll be providing for us will increase, probably by about 25 percent.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I receive emails on a regular basis that speak to the quality of the designs of our magazine. The people that we work with are always over the moon in regard to how articles appear. We are receiving more than double the amount of traffic coming through our site as a result of the redesigned e-reader.

I will also say that we have a tighter relationship with Angle180 than we did with the previous design firm. They have faster response times. We can go to them with a last-minute edit and we're able to see those changes made in short order. That is one of the reasons why we're going to continue working with them.

How did Angle180 perform from a project management standpoint?

We didn't expect them to function as a project manager. That's always been my role, giving very explicit instructions for the project. I've noticed during these past seven months that we've been working on tight production deadlines that they'll often come to the table with ideas for how we can improve our process. I would almost say that they're almost like a co-project manager. They bring as much to the table as I do in terms of making sure that the process is streamlined, accurate, and on time.

What distinguishes Angle180 from other providers?

It's nice to know that Angle180 is a one-stop shopping firm, for lack of a better cliché. If we have any technical issues that we're having, they're just as quick to give us support as if we're coming to them with design changes.

Angle180 serves as more of a partner as opposed to being just a service provider. They're always ahead of the curve in terms of digital publishing. It's more than apparent that they are educating themselves constantly on digital publishing trends. It's just great to know that they have our best interests at heart.

Is there anything Angle180 could have improved or done differently?

This is always the most difficult of questions, especially because we are so happy with the services they provide. The president of the company is from Lithuania. I would say 95 percent of the time I can understand what he is trying to relay to me, but every once in a while I have to interpret what he's trying to say. It's not a big deal, but I would tell other people that English is his second language.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Polar Tiger is a cleaning company, and we clean with dry ice, which is unusual. We clean everything and anything.

What is your position?

I'm the owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Angle180?

All we needed was a website so I could start getting some calls and could be found on Google.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They did everything. They built the website and after the development phase began with the advertising. They run our Google AdWords pay-per-click campaign, and I pay them monthly. They're still making improvements to my website, and they're trying to generate generic websites so I won't have to pay for each click. Our website is purely informative and lets potential clients simply see what we're doing.

How did you come to work with Angle180?

My previous IT [information technology] guy actually recommended that I call them. I looked everywhere. They are pretty expensive, and I wasn't looking to spend so much for a website and for all the advertising, but I didn't like the other providers. I even decided to pay almost double what the others offered just to have Angle180 do all the work. They showed me some samples, and I loved them compared to the competition. I could have paid less and got a cheaper website, but I still decided to go with Angle180.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was slightly more than $10,000. That does not include our monthly fee for them, which is probably around $400 to $500 for the advertising.

What is the status of this engagement?

It took them four weeks to design everything. On April 6 [2016], I paid the down payment just to begin work. The website was finished May 10, so it's been almost two months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Before getting the site, I didn't work at all. Now, I have work, and I'm so busy I cannot even keep up. I'm about to hire some people to work for me. I've been receiving more calls, emails, and inquiries from the website. I do not advertise anywhere else, just on Google and the website.

How did Angle180 perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication was super. The project took four to five weeks and they were at the timeline. They didn't go past five weeks.

What distinguishes Angle180 from other providers?

I looked at the samples of their websites, and that was all the difference. Others would ask me for $2,000 to $3,000 just to develop an overly simple website. There's a huge difference with Angle180. I understand why they ask for that much money. They have good designers, and they're good writers, which others couldn't provide for me.

Is there anything Angle180 could have improved or done differently?

I don't think so. I'm happy. What they did for me is just super.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

NetSphere Strategies is a technology company. We build, support, and maintain e-commerce sites for mid-range companies. We're an IBM business partner. The product that we tailor for our customers' needs is called IBM WebSphere Commerce.

What is your position?

I'm the president.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Angle180?

It was for development of our website. Our website needs to be our marketing tool that's essentially our virtual sales assistant when we can't talk to our audience directly. Angle180 put up our website, supported it, and helped us design it.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They provided all the web development. They did the hosting, support, and upgrades for it. We were using the JoomlaWorks technology, so when updates or revisions came up, they would upgrade us to those, including all the plug-ins that went with it. We started from scratch with the website. They developed wireframes for us to approve and went from there. They used their expertise to help us with the navigation, user interface, layout, and those types of elements.

How did you come to work with Angle180?

I knew of them through my network. I talked to them a few times, and we brought them on for a project or two. They did a great job on those, so we said let's have them do our website.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Our main project was less than $10,000. We have done a couple other projects with them for clients that are in the same ballpark of around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them for three years. Our site went live in March 2013, and we've undergone a couple of upgrades since then. We still maintain a working relationship because they actually recently migrated us from one hosting environment to another because performance was bad. Performance is now three times better than it was.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

It's hard to validate someone putting a website up because what they're responsible for is the technology and the imagery and all that – how it's laid out. They did exactly what we requested of them, and they did an excellent job. When we went to migrate it off our old platform to our new hosting center, it was seamless. The performance is three times faster than it was, especially on our blog site.

How did Angle180 perform from a project management standpoint?

They kept us informed. We had milestone dates to hit and those were attained. We always had a weekly conference call to talk about where we were at and what we liked and didn't like. During the course of the project, which I think was maybe four or five weeks once we actually got it started, the communication was constant. There was no catches or surprises at the end. It was a smooth transition throughout the whole process.

What distinguishes Angle180 from other providers?

The key things are accountability, responsibility, and quality of work. If I have a question I'll get an answer from them within three or four hours, and that's fine. When there's an emergency, when we've had some issues, they are addressed in a prompt fashion. Even though we're hosting with someone else, we still have security issues that Angle180 is able to address. They have always maintained the site, so that might be part of the reason why we have so few issues.

I can trust the team and I have confidence. I think those are the two keywords: trust and confidence. That's hard to do nowadays. People promise you the world and deliver half of it. They'll deliver it, and if there's something that can't be delivered, they will come back and say, "We gave it our best shot. This is the best we can do." I can't think of a situation where that has happened, but that's the mindset. If they could lose money on a project just because they're trying to make the customer happy, they probably would do that.

They are always accountable. I have confidence when I make a decision. I know it's going to get done. They've got a proven record that when you ask them to do something, they do it, and they do it to the best of their ability. You can't say that for many companies.

Is there anything Angle180 could have improved or done differently?

The only thing that I would say is that they don't do everything that you ask them to do. They don't do hosting, they don't do Oracle databases, and they don't do Java development. There is a limit as to what any company can do but, for what they do, they're excellent.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an Executive at SPS Online LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Sell genuine SATO printers and parts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Angle180 to accomplish?

• To build a clean and effective eCommerce platform for industrial products
• To effectively market SATO's brand online through web design and long-term marketing spend

SOLUTION

How did you find Angle180?

Worked with them previously

Why did you select Angle180 over others?

• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Angle180 were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We hired Angle180 to do a full websdesign and also to coordinate the use of products, data and pictures on their respective pages. Long-term Angle180 provides support and marketing on various channels. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website was profitable in it's first year and continues to grow and be successful.  

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

• Delivered on time, website launched successfully. 
• Helpful, very quick response times.

What was your primary form of communication with Angle180?

Virtual Meeting

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

• Excellent attention to detail, very throughout in their process in making sure everything serves it's purpose. 
• They were an excellent resource for website strategy, providing web strategy expertise we don't have.  

Are there any areas for improvement or something Angle180 could have done differently?

Not really, overall very happy with the experience