Monogram

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a keynote speaker launching a speaking brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Monogram?

I needed a website to advertise my speaking services and capture interest in my upcoming book.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Monogram built my website on AWS. I gave them some sample websites and benchmarks for a successful speaker’s website. For example, it needed to be easy to navigate and to find a contact form. Click-through rates are very important. Once I gave them my goals along with a list of required pages (along with some pages I want to add down the line), Monogram took it from there.

About 90% of the work they do is around web development. However, they’ve also helped with a few videos. I gave them some film, and they cut them up into clips. They’ve also integrated some marketing tools like MailChimp into the website.

What is the team composition?

I work with three people. TJ (Creative Director) is my contact for web creation and is also in charge of the relationship. We meet every now and then to discuss how things are going.

How did you come to work with Monogram?

I found them through word-of-mouth, which is a really important factor for me. A close friend of mine had seen Monogram’s stuff, and when I asked him for places to work with, he recommended them. 

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent about $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in April 2018 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have the data I’d like to have because my brand is not mature enough to track my return on investment. What I do have is anecdotal feedback. Everyone who sees my site absolutely loves it. I get so much unsolicited positive feedback, it’s incredible.

How did Monogram perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re really flexible and committed. Monogram does a good job of making sure that I’m successful, which is important in any business. If your customers are successful, then you’re successful as their partner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I want to emphasize their dedication. I see Monogram putting in late nights and weekends and juggling a lot. I didn’t expect that of them, but it’s good to see that level of commitment.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If I were being picky, I sometimes have to send them an email more than once because it gets lost the inbox. However, I wouldn’t ding their score for that. I’m still happy with what they’re doing.

Any advice for potential customers?

Tell them what you need, and be honest and direct. I’ve recommended them to a number of people. I’m very pleased with what they’ve done.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of two healthcare companies. One company provides clinical services to hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. The other is a Saas company, manages a healthcare employee's lifecycle of onboarding, managing, and educating them.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Monogram?

We needed a new website for a national marketing campaign. We wanted a robust website that was twenty notches above what we already had beforehand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created our new website using a Prismic CMS. They focused on the design and the layout, and we focused on the content. From the business side, we told them what our vision was and how we wanted things to be lined up.

What is the team composition?

We had contact with a salesperson and a designer.

How did you come to work with Monogram?

One of my contacts is a brother-in-law of a really good friend.

How much have you invested with them?    

We’ve invested $12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in February 2020, and we wrapped up in April 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We did a poll at our company and everyone gave the new site a 9 or 10 out of 10. They understand the client and their design needs. We’re completely satisfied and they did a fantastic job.

How did Monogram perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via email and text. They’re available 24/7.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a laid-back group of guys, but they’re very talented and hard-working. They go above and beyond. They give themselves pretty short deadlines and they push to meet milestones. I definitely valued that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think they should start using a consistent project management tool so everyone can be on the same page.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to go to them with an open mind so you can get their professional input. Give them the freedom and they’ll be a beneficial partner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive producer and co-founder of Form Films, a production company. We engage in story-based marketing for companies of all kinds, nationally and internationally. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Monogram?

We wanted support with developing a brand that expresses our values to our customers. We decided to do so primarily through web development, which Monogram supported us with.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our approach to work is very holistic. We help companies investigate themselves, creating strategies around their culture and messaging to ultimately craft videos that support their brand. We wanted a website that would do the same thing for our own company. 

From the start, we knew we didn’t want to go with a templated approach. We engaged Monogram to create something more custom and curated for our brand. We had an idea of what we needed to communicate, but didn’t have the specific design in mind. The team listened to our pain points and desired outcomes, and we collaborated together for the first phase of design. 

They built the site from the ground up in Prismic and integrated it with Amazon Web Services. The team has several capabilities in areas like mobile apps and other softwares that we can take advantage of to create a better, cleaner experience for our clients.

What is the team composition?

We know their whole team, but we’re in touch with two members primarily.

How did you come to work with Monogram?

Our own office was right down the hall from theirs, and we met them as we were moving offices. We had an organic business relationship from there, and we decided to bring them on to develop our website.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent less than $10,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in July 2019 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have a lot of metrics, but anecdotally we’re very pleased with the site. We’ve seen very little downtime, if any, on the website and the speed is fantastic. Because everything Monogram has built was custom, we have no difficulty going back into the site and updating or revising certain things.

Visually, our clients find the site to be professional, which is very important for our industry. It represents us well. Monogram implemented a little detail, a custom film grain, that plays over the top of content. It was a small touch that went a long way to separate us from a standard, templated site.

How did Monogram perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve taken a very personal approach. We use Slack to engage when we’re not on phone calls or text messaging. They feel like an extension of our own team. We feel capable when we know we have Monogram in our corner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There’s a lot of talent in the world, but Monogram brings a high level of personability to the engagement. They’re not only technically proficient, they’re fun to work with. They don’t take themselves too seriously and they really enjoy what they do, which is something we relate to and appreciated. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

As with all companies, as Monogram grows there will be capacity constraints. I think that will be their biggest challenge moving forward. They have a tight team, but as demand grows, it will be tough to stretch them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t overthink it. Be yourself, be real, and don’t be a jerk. As long as you have a high level of character and integrity as well as a collaborative spirit, you’ll be in great hands. Trust them to do what they do and be open to their feedback, and they’ll deliver an excellent end result. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an entertainment company. We focus on creating content for families that champions diversity, fosters empathy, and builds community. We develop shows, books, podcasts, and more.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Monogram?

We needed a new website. We had a very static website, and we needed one with more robust capabilities. Recently, we’ve been planning more virtual events like live readings of different short stories, so having a strong website was especially pertinent.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we weren’t sure what we wanted to do. We had some brand materials but didn’t have a strong vision for what our site should look like. They came in, asked us questions about how we describe ourselves, what our mission is, etc. They used that information to determine how to go about the design. They drove the process, and we provided what they needed. 

We were previously using Squarespace, but they built us a new, customized website from scratch which was more scalable. 

What is the team composition?

TJ (Creative Director) and DJ (Managing Director) were my main points of contact. 

How did you come to work with Monogram?

We received a recommendation from a friend via Twitter. We talked to a few other companies, but Monogram understood what we wanted and was the most accommodating about our tight deadline. 

What is the status of this engagement?

They were able to develop the site within 2 weeks during March 2020. The site is up and running, but they’re still working with us to develop more functionalities. Currently, they’re working with us on logo design and uploading LeVar’s reading and podcast schedule.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received positive feedback and a lot of visitors on the site. 800-900 people have downloaded the free Kindle version of one of our books. People have told me that the new site is easier to navigate. 

I’ve worked with a lot of teams, and they were phenomenal. They treated us like a family and were very genuine. 

How did Monogram perform from a project management standpoint?

We were in constant contact with them through the two weeks that they were building the site. They were quick to share different iterations of the design and get our feedback.

They were also honest about the process, even when speaking directly with LeVar. Oftentimes, people become less willing to assert themselves when LeVar is in a meeting. However, they remained candid, rather than just saying “yes” to everything. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Sometimes virtual teams can be hard to work with. However, we didn’t have any issues with them. They were very accommodating and worked with us on our office’s time zone. Their team was great. They push hard to get things done. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We were so limited on time, so it’s hard to judge. Ideally, it would’ve been nice to see more options, but I think given the time constraints, they did well. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just be honest and upfront about what you need.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of a real estate brokerage and construction company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Monogram?

We needed a higher quality web presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They took our existing website and completely redesigned it from scratch. I had a look that I liked, and they matched the design I wanted.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people from their team.

How did you come to work with Monogram?

They found me and we decided to work together from there.

How much have you invested with them?    

We've invested $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in June 2018, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We get a lot of compliments on the site and the design stands out. We get a ton of traffic now, and the site does a phenomenal job of getting leads.

How did Monogram perform from a project management standpoint?

They're extremely responsive, very easy to get in touch with and it's been a great experience. We typically communicate over email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're creative and have a really good eye for design.  They're not just technical; they do well with design, and lead generation. They're a good balance of everything and bring a lot to the table. They’re a full package.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I like the way the relationship has been so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd recommend them. They know how to give you the best bang for your buck in terms of lead generation, lead capture, and aesthetics.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Regent Cabinets is a kitchen cabinet manufacturer that focuses on large multifamily projects of 100+ apartment units. I'm the VP of Sales.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Monogram?

We wanted to develop a customer portal that allowed current customers and potential customers access to our company product information.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have used Monogram on a previous project

Describe the project in detail.

A customer portal that select customers can have access to and see our company product information along with pictures and certifications.

What was the team composition?

We worked with Claudio and DJ

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Monogram did a great job. Very responsive and open minded. Gave us great ideas on how to best format the site. As with many projects we made some changes on the fly, and Monogram always reacted quickly.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Great. We communicated very well either m email or phone calls

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Reaction time. They really got back to you fast, which helped the project move quickly. Also, had great ideas our how to best format the site

Are there any areas for improvement?

None. They were great to work with