Storm Brain

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

DIG is a manufacturer and distributor of drip irrigation products, battery operated controllers, and solar powered controllers for automating irrigation. I am the president of the company and started it over 40 years ago when I came here from Israel.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Storm Brain?

We wanted a full redesign of our website.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to create a more user friendly version of our existing website that also serves as an educational tool for people who want to learn about drip irrigation.

SOLUTION

How did you select Storm Brain?

Our marketing team did extensive research online and interviewed multiple different companies. We checked yelp and other review sources and made a list of our top choices. We then had a 15-20 minute call with each of them before ultimately deciding on Storm Brain.

Describe the project in detail.

We have three main pages for our website since we cater to three different audiences. Our distributors sell to homeowners, professionals such landscape contractors, and growers/farmers.

Each of these markets requires access to different sorts of educational tools, and our website is designed to provide each of them with useful information. So each of our website sections had to be individually tailored to these groups, which is quite a design challenge.

What was the team composition?

Our team consisted of a graphic designer, marketing coordinator, and IT technician, while Storm Brain's consisted of a few developers, graphic designers, and a project lead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we have just relaunched our website as of a week ago, it is too difficult to give specific metrics. But the feedback from our users and employees has been nothing but positive.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was terrific. Both teams responded quickly with whatever information was required. The communication was always positive and all of our issues/changes were always able to be sorted out.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Storm Brain's communication and friendly demeanor made them very easy to work with. They also, obviously, are very good designers which is why we initially chose them. We were constantly changing things to the website, and it was already a difficult project to begin with, and they did a great job and responding to these challenges.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, I can't think of any.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on Feb. 12, 2021.

Eric Levy

Marketing Coordinator, DIG Corporation

Consumer Goods

51-200 Employees

Carlsbad, California

$10,000 to $49,999

Jan. 2020 - Ongoing

Project summary: 

Storm Brain provides website redesign services for a drip irrigation manufacturing company. The project includes migrating web assets from Ruby on Rails to a WordPress platform.

Feedback summary: 

The project is still ongoing with the final details being polished. The team at Storm Brain communicated regularly and responded in a timely manner. They acted quickly and professionally on changes to the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company specializes in the manufacturing of drip irrigation and alternative powered irrigation controllers. I work as a marketing coordinator and manage all internal and external marketing communications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Storm Brain, and what were your goals?

We hired Storm Brain to redesign our website, which involved moving a highly customized backend over to a new web platform. It was quite a tedious project and involved many, many hours. Our goals were to move all of our web assets successfully and into an easier-to-manage format, and also to redesign the frontend of our website.

SOLUTION

How did you select Storm Brain and what were the deciding factors?

I researched companies within our area that are highly reputable and then interviewed each company to find one that would align with our goals and budget. Storm Brain seemed to be the most knowledgeable during our interview and was able to address all of our questions and concerns without us even having to ask specifics.

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

The key deliverables of the project were a full website redesign and to move all of our web assets from Ruby on Rails to WordPress. First, our team was interviewed to help Storm Brain understand the structure of our current website and why we designed it the specific way that we did.

It is built from scratch and highly customized, which made it very difficult to move the backend. We also have three different customer bases which made the frontend difficult to redesign as well since it had to be appealing to three completely different markets.

Storm Brain mapped out a detailed plan on what they would do and how long each portion of the project would take them. Then there were many months of back-and-forth trying to get everything set up correctly. We were extremely nit-picky on many details of our website and Storm Brain was able to meet every challenge that we laid out. The website ended up coming together very nicely.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We mostly worked with Blake, one of the founders, and Tracy, one of the senior project managers. I'm not sure quite how many worked on their team, but there were some in IT, some in design, etc..

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are still finishing up some final details of the project before we go live.

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

In the beginning, we had weekly, or bi-weekly calls to get everything organized. We were provided a scope of the project that described each portion of what was to be done, and how long each of those portions would take.

Since then, we've had weekly and sometimes daily communication via email and zoom meetings, depending on the nature of the communication. They always respond in a timely manner and were on top of each aspect of the project.

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

We have been working together for nearly a year now and every single time that we have asked for some small change or tedious task, it was done quickly and professionally. They never made it seem like we were bothering them and were always happy to help.

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

I'm sure everyone can always improve on something, but there are no specifics I can think of at this time.

Overall rating: 5

Quality: 5

Schedule: 5

Cost: 5

Willing to refer: 5

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Marketing Director for Foundation Escrow, an independent full service escrow company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Storm Brain, and what were your goals?

We wanted a complete website analysis and revamp. We needed new copy, new imagery, and a whole new consumer focused site.

SOLUTION

How did you select Storm Brain and what were the deciding factors?

Our CEO Masud was passed Storm Brain's information through one of his executive groups.

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

This was a very thorough process. Competitor analysis, content, design, copywriting, SEO research, and launching a brand new website start to finish.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with 4 members of their team, including a senior project manager, a designer, a director, and an admin type contact

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're getting tremendous feedback on the look and how user friendly it is.

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

Their style was very structured and organized. We had consistent calls until we were in the launch phases.

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

They are very intelligent people. These days it's easy to hire a digital agency that doesn't know what they are doing. That is not the case with Stormbrain.

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

They were great. No complaints. Felt heard and taken care of throughout the whole process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the President of a family focused media company that creates premium cross-platform content and offers expert resources to help support parents. Founded, funded and run by moms, The Mother Company is guided by the mission to “Help Parents Raise Good People.”

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Storm Brain, and what were your goals?

We had a very broken and complicated website with two parts to it: blog/ parenting articles and book sales on shopify. We were working with an older version of wordpress that was impossible to update because of the many layers and design components piled into it over ten years. We had security issues and a million other problems. Storm Brain came in and fixed the security issues, changed over the hosting platform, increased the speed, redesigned some areas and have continued to help with issues going forward.

SOLUTION

How did you select Storm Brain and what were the deciding factors?

Heard via word of mouth and then scheduled an introductory call to discuss the project.

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

We shared our issues without even fully understanding all of the problems and Storm Brain took a closer look to figure out how what was happening and what we could do to fix the issues. They also gave us a great short term solution for emergency fixes as well as longer term fixes that were larger in scope but much needed.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked closely with Blake and Leah Nolan. Tracy Swenson helped with accounting.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our site is now faster, looks better and has not given us the myriad of problems we had before we hired the Storm Brain team. We are so happy with how it looks and are very proud of the site. They met our expectations and we are continuing to work with Storm Brain as needed.

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

We communicate with Blake and his team mostly via email. They are always very quick to respond, friendly and give us the honest informative answers and feedback that we are looking for.

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

They are fast and easy to work with. Very personable and seem to know exactly what our site, with its idiosyncrasies, needs.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner and CEO of a family-focused media company that creates premium cross-platform content and offers expert resources to help support parents. Founded, funded and run by moms, The Mother Company is guided by the mission to “Help Parents Raise Good People.”

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Storm Brain, and what were your goals?

Website development, design and major fixes to our site.

SOLUTION

How did you select Storm Brain and what were the deciding factors?

They were referred to us through word of mouth.

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

We had an initial discussion about the numerous problems we were having on our site, mainly from working in an old version of Wordpress. Storm Brain meticulously combed through our entire site and gave us the diagnosis we needed to move forward on fixing the short term issues as well as what we need to do in the long term. They changed our hosting platform, fixed and removed old plugins and a long list of other work in order to get the site both looking better and working better as a whole. We've also had them help with our google analytics.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We work with Blake Nolan, Leah Nolan and Tracy Swenson

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site is working well and looks much better. We made some major changes to the homepage and Storm Brain helped us with the design. We are so happy with how it looks.

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

Blake and his team have been a pleasure to work with. We primarily communicate via email. They get back to us right away and are always friendly and accomodating. They share honest information and help to make it easy for us to understand what the jobs will entail. They are extremely efficient and quick on the turnaround.

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

They are fast and great at what to do while also being super warm and personal.

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

Not that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I´m the CEO of a Software House Company called NextOS and Artificial Intelligence Director of Simulacra, a High Tech Multinational company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Storm Brain, and what were your goals?

We needed to redesign two key websites for our products, and because we have worked with StormBrain before with excellent result, we have them helping us to create those new websites with the hope to increase and promote new sales in short time

SOLUTION

How did you select Storm Brain and what were the deciding factors?

Storm Brain has been working with us for more than 10 years, always delivering superb services and top-notch quality. We never had any problems working with them, and their customer service is excellent.

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

We had a kick-off meeting to discuss our goals and objectives. From there, the team delivered mock-ups and wireframes for our site. After a few weeks, their team design and developed a webpage using the most recent technology like Microsoft Azure services, C# programming language with Javascript, and real-time 3D players.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

The owner himself and 3 full-stack developers and 2 designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't released the new website yet, but we hope that after that we will reach many new customers and retain good media attention

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

We had almost daily stand-ups with their project manager, who communicated with the rest of the team. We use Slack, Asana, and Zoom video conferences

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

They have excellent customer service and were very professional in submitting their deliverables.

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

Just before we plan to launch the website, there were minor adjustments and changes that they were quick to fix

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a biotech firm and I am the Communications Specialist.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Storm Brain?

We needed to redesign our brand website.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to have a well-designed site to raise brand awareness, drive sales, and be a resource for others to learn more about our technology and process.

SOLUTION

How did you select Storm Brain?

After researching online and asking for referrals, my team and I spoke to ten different firms located within 30 minutes from our office. We then selected three vendors and visited their offices. Storm Brain appeared very organized and had done research on our company and product.

We also appreciated their portfolio and liked the clean, modern design of their websites. In addition, they presented a strong understanding of the underpinnings of what drives site traffic- SEO, content marketing, UX, etc.

Describe the project in detail.

Storm Brain created the website concept, strategy, design, development and support. From wireframes to finished website, Storm Brain designed it all. My team and I contributed the written content and Storm Brain did the rest.

They would create the page mock ups and then my team would review and submit feedback. Storm Brain was extremely responsive and readily made changes that accurately reflected our input. The whole project was managed very well and timelines were adhered to.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with their project manager as well as with Leah and Blake when needed. They were always accessible and prompt to reply to requests or to schedule a meeting. I know that our project manager worked with a design team as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our stakeholders have been very pleased with the redesigned site.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent. The communication was excellent. Expectations were accurately set and well as timelines. They were always accessible and prompt to reply to requests or to schedule a meeting.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their project management skills are excellent. They also have great design.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, I can't think of anything. Any concern I had, they addressed immediately.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Communications Manager at a SaaS company that focuses on providing software solutions to professionals in the mortgage and real estate industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Storm Brain, and what were your goals?

We are currently working to launch a series of stand-alone "apps" that will be available for purchase separately from our more robust software offering. These apps have a slightly different target audience, so we decided that we needed to differentiate them with a new, separate website.

SOLUTION

How did you select Storm Brain and what were the deciding factors?

We work with Storm Brain on our main company website, so it was a simple decision to choose them when moving forward with this new project!

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

We are still in the process of this project, but I've been impressed with the schedule and work from Storm Brain so far. We had a kickoff meeting, as well as additional check-in meetings, a Dropbox file with deliverables that are easy to access for everyone and quick and consistent email communication.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We have worked with various members of Storm Brain's team, including their CEO, Founder, and Chief Strategy Officer, Senior Product Manager, and other team members.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since this project is still in process, I don't have specific outcomes to share, however I'm excited to see the finished product, and am confident that it will help us reach our goals!

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

We have regular (just about weekly) check-in calls that are helpful and well-prepared, as well as email communication as necessary. The content management has been through Dropbox, which has worked well for us.

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

Storm Brain's communication and quick responses to any questions we have is amazing! They're very friendly, helpful, and responsive.

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

Our experience with Storm Brain has been extremely positive!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

L'ATTITUDE is an annual business event with an audience of 5,000 attendees. I am the Director of Brand and Digital Marketing

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Storm Brain, and what were your goals?

Storm Brain was brought on board to not only help us develop a new, multifaceted, dynamic website; but to also help us with our SEO rankings and digital marketing.

SOLUTION

How did you select Storm Brain and what were the deciding factors?

Storm Brain was recommended by a trustworthy source who has also been a client of theirs. They came to us with high reviews. Upon meeting Storm Brain, I was impressed with both their vast knowledge, expertise, and experience; but also their kind and can-do attitude.

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

We had an initial kick off meeting to discuss the scope of work to be done. From there, Storm Brain mapped out deliverables to keep us on track and scheduled follow ups, including providing wire frames, copy suggestions, etc. After working together on all, Storm Brain has executed a dynamic and interactive website + an e-commerce portal for our event.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

On a nearly daily basis, I work with closely with 4 individuals at Storm Brain, including the founder and CEO.

1. Founder and Chief Strategy Office
2. CEO
3. Project Manager
4. Copywriter
5. Team of developers (behind-the-scenes)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have received a significant amount of positive feedback from sponsors and attendees. We have also seen SEO rankings increase significantly; hundreds of places. Plus, our digital advertising has experienced a wide reach.

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

We conduct weekly status meetings with timelines and deliverables discussed. We communicate on a daily basis; and when urgent work needs to be complete Storm Brain always manages to pull through on our behalf. Additionally, Storm Brain takes the initiative to meet with other key teams including PR and other design teams to keep all facets of our brand as they relate to the website connected.

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

Storm Brain is so easy to work with. The positive can do attitude mixed with the level of experiences make them great to work with. They are also very open to new ideas and adaptable. They work very well with other teams. They take initiative and keep everyone on track.

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

There are really no complaints about reliability or delivery.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Pacific Event Productions / PEP Creative is a large, multi-division Special Event Production Company producing 2000+ events per year in over 50+ destinations throughout the United States and Mexico. We have been doing business for over 30 years. I am one of the Founders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Storm Brain?

To Design and Implement a new Website for Pacific Event Productions / PEP Creative supporting our current needs and vision.

What were your goals for this project?

Better exposure and smooth access to our large array of product offerings. A more modern and exciting presentation of our company. A more logical, alluring and enjoyable website experience for the users. More depth, more tools and more experience enhancements. Mobile Solutions.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Storm Brain is such a COOL name!!! Haha. Kidding, but it really is a great company name! But seriously, their presentation and materials are great. And it was crystal clear, they know what they are doing, they are super creative and willing to collaborate, which was very important for us.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Brand New Website Design and Development...start to finish. On-Site SEO Optimization. Mobile Solutions. User Experience Enhancements. And, everything else that is involved in producing the above.

What was the team composition?

Blake, Leah and Tracy as primary Storm Brain contacts, plus a Support Team in the background for additional Design and Development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback we have received regarding our new Website has been wonderful and all positive! Our clients are loving it and it has become a great resource/tool for them as they develop new, creative events with our products and services. The depth and ease of this Site has provided a more efficient method to describe and design product solutions for our customers. Our Website is now a tool we use to build our proposals and contracts, which never happened in the past.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project Management is one of Storm Brain's top skills. This is how they like to run the process and it was very effective. It kept everyone focused throughout the process...beginning to completion.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The ability to listen and adapt to our needs and desires stood out. A new Website requires both technical and artistic solutions. Keeping both of these attributes equally important is a delicate dance. When we had input regarding various changes and/or tweaks in either of these areas, Storm Brain listened, provided great suggestions and in the end executed with great success and solution for the Website.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No. This was a wonderful experience from start to finish. We are very happy with the end product and the process was as smooth as a new Website Design and Development could be. Thank you Storm Brain!!!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

President of the International Business Council. We are an alumni organization for a student group on 3 catholic universities. It is a business community that seeks to leverage business as a force for good. We've been leveraging technology to create a close community that can grow and help each other.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Storm Brain?

We needed to build a professional, world-class online platform that included our own custom features plus integration into a 3rd party platform that included additional functionality.

What were your goals for this project?

Complete build of an online platform that users are excited to engage and brands us well.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Interviewed 5 different vendors in San Diego and determined they were the highest quality for the cost.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They began by brainstorming with us different functionality for an online platform. Once we identified what we needed, they assisted us in interviewing various 3rd party providers to make sure we can execute and integrate.

They then built our side of the website which included design, UIX and everything else along with integrating an API from a 3rd party so the two platforms (ours and the 3rd party) communicate seamlessly and the user does not realize there are two parts to the website.

What was the team composition?

Project manager + Developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are now able to scale our user offering to thousands of alumni quickly and manage them with relative ease.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Routine check-in phone conversations/email were the main forms fo communication

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We ran into some struggles with the integration that was not the fault of Storm Brain. Our 3rd party provider was eager to ensure us all their robust integration capabilities and it turned out they were less than ideal. Storm Brain went above and beyond to finish the project without increasing the budget.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Only suggestion, and it's just personal preference, would be more frequent communication when a problem arises. There were a few areas where I appreciated storm brain trying to solve the problem on their own and come to me with a solution.

We may have gotten one slightly quicker by bringing me into the conversation sooner. Nevertheless, I appreciated why they didn't bring me in; their thinking was we will figure it out and come to the client with a solution (which is admirable as well).