Big Drop

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your organization?

I work for a national healthcare provider with 17 locations around the United States. We specialize in providing non-surgical scoliosis treatment to both children and adults.

What is your position?

I’m one of the founders and lead physicians. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were attempting to address when you initiated the relationship with Big Drop?

We had sizable user volume coming to our site, but our lead conversions were much lower than I’d expected, considering the amount of contact forms submitted by users. One of our primary challenges was trying to get people to take action on the information they consume on the site. Our other primary challenge was improving our placement in organic search results. We needed our site content optimized for search engines, so we could increase the number of unique visitors to our site, effectively increasing the size of our lead pipeline. Those were the core issues we faced when deciding to find a vendor.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of the projects in greater detail?

They were responsible for replacing our old Joomla-based site with a new WordPress site, which required both design and development work. They were also responsible for optimizing our site for search engines and configuring our marketing campaigns. They provided both technical and strategic services to us and continue to provide ongoing support on a case-by-case basis.

Could you describe the rationale behind your transition from Joomla to WordPress?

WordPress was the recommended CMS [content management system] proposed by Big Drop. First of all, it’s a platform they have significant experience with. Second of all, they made it very clear to us that WordPress was the more user friendly and accessible of the two solutions. I had some basic knowledge of WordPress, and I trusted their recommendation, so we decided to ditch Joomla and implement a WordPress site.

How did you select Big Drop as your solution partner for this endeavor?

We conducted some online research on developers in the area. Big Drop was one of a handful of vendors that I shortlisted and decided to send our statement of work to. The proposal I received from them was very convincing, so I decided I needed to meet their leadership in person and discuss the details of our work. They came to our office and showed us some of their previous work as well as described their approach to our project. Based on that evaluation, I just felt confident in their ability to deliver the site we wanted.

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

In total, our new site cost between $5,000 and $7,000.

When was the site launched?

We launched the new site on April 15 of this year [2014].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback you’ve received that would demonstrate the effectiveness of their work?

Using Google Analytics, I was able to see that our bounce rate improved from 65 percent to 53 percent. Our unique page views almost doubled. We’ve received very positive compliments from some of our end-users.

When working with Big Drop, is there anything you’d consider unique about their approach or development methodology that distinguishes them from other vendors?

I’ve worked with Web developers and designers for a very long time, basically since the beginning of the Internet. My experiences with vendors have varied pretty widely, but they really stand out for the quality of their coding. I’ve been very impressed with the consistent nature of their high-quality work. They clearly have some real talent on their team, both in terms of technical development and project management.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your firm.

We are a law firm. We deal primarily with medical malpractice and personal injury types of cases. We also are familiar with the state work, products liability, and those types of assets. Our biggest concentrations are medical malpractice and personal injury.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m a paralegal for the firm. I deal specifically with our estates in New York with settlements that have to do with infants. An infant being defined in the state of New York is anyone under the age of 18 where you need to pursue court approval for settlements. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for the work with Big Drop?

Our firm needed to reach out to the public and to show transparency about what the firm is and what we do. We express this through social media like Twitter and Facebook. We need to have a clear, concise and transparent website with an interface that people are familiar with. We couldn’t be more pleased with the results.

SOLUTION

Can you please describe their work in more detail?

The work involved improving our website. First of all, we had a lot of links that didn’t work. The interface was completely off. Pictures were all around the place. It wasn’t very clean at all. We didn’t have a real direction for the web content. We had some ideas. We wanted to include the logo on our page.

We wanted to have a fresh perspective and almost like an outside type of communication with either the public or our own clients. Big Drop was able to assist with putting together something that is not only appropriate, but is effective and efficient. Outside of the actual Web design, there is also training. In our field, things are always constantly being updated and changed. He is training a few of our staff to update the website. That is also an asset that they provided. It is a living document.

What was your process for selecting Big Drop?

To be honest, I don’t know the process. In hindsight, it was obviously the right choice. One of the biggest issues that we’ve had in the past dealing with the website is communication and making sure that our ideas are lined up. Communication is key since we always have an idea of what we want but need to communicate it to the Web design team.

Previous firms would simply do the Web development work and never talk to us again. They wouldn’t talk to us about changes and we were stuck with an imperfect product.

Can you provide a sense of the size of the initiative with a general cost range?

I think it’s a pretty significant investment for these purposes. The initial website work was around $8,000.

When will the work be completed?

As I said, he is training a few of the staff in our office to update the WordPress site. We’re doing a live blog. We need to familiarize ourselves so we can update our postings. Should there be something where a significant revision is necessary in the site, we will call Big Drop first.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Was the work wrapped up successfully?

The site was just posted a couple days ago. Everyone wants to look at what makes us important and what makes them want to call us. The new site really streamlines the ways of communication and allows viewers to find out all of our expertise in an easy manner. It has a very easy navigation menu and is very interactive. It doesn’t look outdated like many websites in the legal industry.

Is anything unique or special about Big Drop compared to other companies?

I would just say two things. Sometimes, there are too many cooks in the kitchen. We are able to trust them where we can give a big picture, and he is going to fill in all the blanks. It is not like we have to go every single thing if we want it to look just like the product itself. When we say this is the grand scheme, let me take care of that, and it is exactly what we wanted. There wasn’t a trillion times going back and forth. The other side of that, the communication is always there. I can’t highlight that enough of how important that is compared to some experiences we may have had in the past where it’s just not there. Highlight, one, the communication and, two, the trust and visibility to get to dot the I’s and cross the T’s when we’re giving him a canvas and allowing him to put in the ideas in his own format. It came out terrific.

Looking back on the work, is there anything that you think they could improve upon or something you might do differently?

I really don’t know. I can’t think of one.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your firm.

We’re restaurant equipment distributors. We use the e-commerce channel as our only solution channel. We have a classic e-commerce store with about 5,000 SKUs[stock keeping units] at this point, and we’re planning to expand to 50,000 by the end of 2014.

What is your role?

I am the owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What is your goal for the work with Big Drop?

We started working with them in June last year. We were trying to create a simple e-commerce store. We ended up creating a huge store with high quality because there are a lot of features that allow us to rise in the rankings in Google, making the customers’ experience a lot easier or user friendly. We spent about four months to make our site perfect. We’re still working on that actually. It’s a never-ending story. 

SOLUTION

Can you assess Magento’s effectiveness for your company?

Magento gives you the flexibility of the backend office, and users can have complete control on what is going on in your site. You don’t have to go back to developers or designers to change small things. For example, if you want to get the customer’s account history or you want to configure your shipping process, you can find a way.

I strongly recommend Magento. It isn’t expensive if you use the Community Magento versus the Enterprise Magento. They constantly upgrade the backend of the platform itself. Magento added business channels so you can connect your catalogue to eBay, Amazon, or Google product accounts. They’re constantly updating the steps, and I really like it. It’s positively user friendly. You don’t have to have a computer degree in order to use it.

What was your process for selecting Big Drop?

I actually went through several companies, and I had a bad experience. With one firm, I purchased the site and wasted $7,500 for something that never worked.

My former business partner recommended Garry [Kanfer, Big Drop’s vice president] to me. I think Garry and Big Drop were doing the informational site for them because they have a different kind of e-commerce structure.

I like the way they designed my site. Big Drop, after they deliver the product, still communicates with the customers, to see how the site is behaving, because they want to make changes, if necessary. We went live on September 12, 2013. I still speak to Garry now on a weekly basis. That’s his main advantage versus other Web design firms.

Can you provide a sense of the size of your work with Big Drop with a general cost range?

I can give the exact number. The cost was more than $15,800, plus they helped us find the copywriter’s product.

Do you have any plans to expand the work with Big Drop?

I’m actually planning on expanding. I’m planning to create another 12 sites. The next stage is the design. I’m not really a designer, so I’ll use what Big Drop designers decide.

We are working on more functions for the home page and shopping cart still. These are the basic functionalities and with the checkout system that Magento provides. The one-page checkout system was also designed by Big Drop. The carts were designed by them.

We redesigned several sites because the scope of products is massive. Our portfolio is about 5,000 already, and we’re planning to expand it. We sell large equipment, small appliances, and kitchen essentials. There’s a different set for every single category of product. We spend a lot of time in terms of working in our category system. We actually started understanding our products a lot better after we’ve worked with Big Drop because they helped us categorize all the SKUs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any stats or metrics to track the success of the project?

We started in September 12, but realistically, we started putting up a lot of SKUs on our site around December because we’re changing vendors and catalogs. Starting from December, our sales went up from 15,000, we’re closing down to almost 100,000 already.

The big jump happened when we started going up in the Google rankings. Big Drop provides SEO [search engine optimization] for Google also. They showed us the rules on how to upload the pictures, how do you name the picture, how do you put the description of the product, and what’s the proportion of this video, picture, text and support. By the time we were done, we started going up the Google rankings rapidly.

The only mistake that I made with a separate SEO expert was when he started building links, Google sent us the manual action notice that we were not acting properly within two weeks. I strongly recommend not using link building and just stick to regular SEO techniques. Do not outsource your SEO. I actually had to ask Big Drop to take down all the links and started working with them exclusively on SEO.

Are you satisfied with Big Drop’s performance so far?

So far, yes. We’re planning to redesign our site, a better version of the design. I want a better understanding of what we need from our side. We’re currently preparing a project for new design work with Big Drop. Maybe in May or June, we’re going to start working with them again. But, as a normal process, e-commerce stores need to be updated and changed in terms of design every year to 18 months. We will work with Big Drop long term.

Is anything unique or special about them that stood out as different from other companies?

First of all, they completed the job correctly. That’s a big issue with a website developer. Big Drop did a great job with design, development, and SEO. Google automatically started indexing the site and we started going up in the rankings. That’s a better advantage because the real expansion is not just how you design the site, but how you’re going to handle optimization afterwards.

Looking back on their work, is there anything you think they can improve upon or something you might do differently?

Definitely, the pricing plan. He gave us 50-50, so 50 percent down payment and 50 percent when finished. I’ve been negotiating with Garry to do 33-33-33 percent, but I haven’t convinced to do that.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your firm.

I work for a low-rate lawsuit financing firm. We provide advances to lawyers and others involved in lawsuits to pay for legal fees or other large expenses. We are based in New York, but have clients nationwide and two offices total.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I am a vice president, I'm responsible for marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge you were trying to address?

Our website is supposed to be our main source of leads. At the time, the website wasn't helping produce leads, and our cost per conversion was too high. This was really hurting the business. 

We were looking to convert more leads at a lower cost. We felt that switching to a new website could be a tremendous marketing opportunity.

SOLUTION

Can you talk about the scope of their work?

It included Web design and development. We decided to use WordPress because Big Drop recommended it.

Why did you select WordPress as your development platform?

We looked into a number of similar platforms. The main competitors were WordPress and Joomla. The visual images that WordPress offered were better, and that was our key attribute in the decision-making process. 

What was your process for selecting Big Drop with which to work?

We found them though an Internet by typing relevant terms into Google. We really liked their website and the process that they outlined for client projects. I decided to give them a chance for this project because their experience was impressive. We didn't have any development or design skills in-house, so they provided the full range of services.

Can you provide a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms?

No. That's confidential.

When was the project completed?

It took 90 days and was launched in 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project?

We improved our conversion rate and our branding image. We are very happy with the new site and customers tell us they love it also. We are happy with our decision to choose WordPress.

How did Big Drop perform?

The project was successful and wrapped up cleanly. There were no issues with the scope and budget. Big Drop is very responsive and flexible.

When working with Big Drop, what is unique or special about them compared to other firms?

Their great response and guidance is unique.

Looking back on the project, is there anything that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

No. Nothing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We are one of the nation's largest debt consolidation companies. We operate in 43 states, and we've been in business since 2007. We focus strictly on online marketing.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the president and founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Big Drop?

We wanted to create a user-friendly interactive website that is appealing to consumers, and that gives them information that they need.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

They did training and support in addition to website development. We are pretty knowledgeable in WordPress, and there was some training for the plug-ins they created. We didn't need much training otherwise. WordPress is working well for us. It's easy to use and does the job.

What was your process for selecting Big Drop to work with?

I did some online research and found them on Top Ten, and they ranked fairly high on the list.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

There were about 25 different pages and seven or eight different templates for pages, plus three or four plug-ins. The work was completed in early March of 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

We’ve received very positive feedback from our visitors.

Please assess Big Drop's overall performance.

We are absolutely satisfied with their work. They were very flexible in the changes that we requested, turnaround times were good, and there were very few bugs that we were able to find.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

They are very easy to get in contact with.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I oversaw an internal marketing transition for MakeOffices. I managed all marketing efforts and digital backend changes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Big Drop?

We needed them to handle all of our web development needs during the transition and to provide continuing support.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted them to provide rapid execution, respond to our ad-hoc needs, and deliver high-quality work.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My firm’s relationship with BigDrop began before my time there.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They did web redesign, including fixes for our WordPress plugins, integration with third-party platforms, and improvements to visitor tracking. They also restructured ad platform event calls.

What was the team composition?

We communicated with an account representative and it seemed like the end developer heeded our instructions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

They competently executed the work in a timely manner, allowing us to focus on our core business.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

BigDrop’s assignment of a single point of contact worked without issue.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They delivered quality work in a short time frame and at a reasonable price.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything.