ImageX

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Vice President leading Marketing and Communications for the YMCA of Greater Dayton. Since 1870, the YMCA of Greater Dayton has contributed to the lives of hundreds of thousands of boys and girls, and men and women of all ages, races, religions, and economic backgrounds.

We are a not-for-profit organization with the unique opportunity to touch the lives of infants through seniors throughout the Miami Valley.

With twelve facility locations and numerous program sites throughout Montgomery, Greene, Preble, Auglaize, Mercer and northern Warren Counties, as well as YMCA Camp Kern, a large year round resident camp located in Warren County, the YMCA of Greater Dayton serves approximately 200,000 people annually through membership and programs.

We provide programs for youth and adults, swimming, gymnastics, aquatics, sports programs as well as child care, preschool education, and summer day camps.

For what projects/services did your company hire ImageX?

The focus of our work with ImageX is to partner with a full-service digital agency that will work with the YMCA of Greater Dayton to update and manage our existing daytonymca.org website, developed on the OpenY platform using Drupal, that integrates seamlessly with our current CRM/ecommerce platform (Daxko).

The vision of our website is to be on the cutting edge of OpenY website technology that creates an amazing user experience for our members and guests.

What were your goals for this project?

1. The facilitation of acquisition and retention of memberships through any and all digital connection points, including but not limited to, web, apps, and kiosks.
2. To ensure that our members and potential members experience an inviting and cutting edge digital experience when visiting the YGD website. This is accomplished by ensuring that Security updates, Drupal Core updates, Upgrades to the latest versions of Open Y, roadmap execution where budgets and prioritization allow are executed in a methodical and routine basis.
3. To enable a friction-free method for all YGD customers to interact with the organization for services such as child-care, camps, donations, and all other programs offered by the YGD.

How did you select ImageX?

We created an RFP and distributed this to several qualified companies that had been working on OpenY Websites. We then compared the proposals from five companies and ultimately selected ImageX.

The factors that we chose to use to make this decision were as follows:

• The proposed solution meets the needs and criteria set forth in the RFP
• The proposal shows expertise in recommending and communicating appropriate technical and aesthetic solutions
• Prior work demonstrates artistic, innovative, and user-friendly interfaces that engage communities and viewers
• Candidate has successfully completed similar projects and has the qualifications necessary to undertake the project
• The price is commensurate with the value offered. As a non-profit, the Y can accept pro bono services and recognize the provider to the full extent allowed by the IRS, including naming the proposer within the web site and other collateral as a supporter and partner
• The candidate firm has appropriate staff to develop the site in the time frame needed
• The information is presented in a clear, logical manner and is well organized

Describe the project in detail.

Primary Goals

• Execute a one year agreement for website maintenance and other related tasks.
• Maintain our current UX and design from http://daytonymca.org by working collaboratively with YGD to keep a simplified navigation structure and work within current website design branding guidelines.
• Assist in improving current trajectory of primary KPIs (traffic and leads) by assisting YGD in monthly measurement and improving our SEO capabilities resulting in improving the amount of organic search traffic that is finding daytonymca.org.
• Ensure high quality relationship and project management collaboration between YGD and Digital Partner.
• Perform required website maintenance and bug-fixes.
• Manage and give guidance to YGD on upgrades to latest releases on Open Y and Drupal.
• Install security patches as needed.
• Available to answer questions / technical support / technical consulting.
• New feature development when CDA budget allows or creation of separate Scope of Work proposal to add new features to the website. Secondary Goals
• Establish a long-standing relationship with a full-service agency of record for continued website improvements as we progress towards fully establishing OpenY capabilities.
• Receive strategic guidance to the YGD on, but not limited to:
• Drupal capabilities and the latest Open Y capabilities/recommendations
• Which elements/features of the current site should be prioritized for improvement.
• Which elements/features on the OpenY roadmap for 2019 and beyond should be prioritized differently than they currently are to ensure we are achieving the maximum ROI on our digital investment.
• Suggestions for future elements/features to include on our roadmap for 2019 and beyond to further drive growth associated with our primary goals and objectives.
• Give guidance and support with A/B testing functions to enable further iteration aimed towards KPI improvement.

What was the team composition?

As a full service digital agency, ImageX has provided us with a dedicated Account Executive, Lead and Support Developers, SEO Team Lead and other support staff when requested. Thus far our entire team has stayed intact and has been a very beneficial component to our work with them to date.

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

The overall service that we have received from ImageX has been great! So far in 2021 we have seen a decrease in our bounce rates, an increase in engagement and increased online sales through the website.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Project management and communication has been exceptional!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I have been most impressed with the knowledge and insight from the staff team assigned to our account.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None so far.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of enterprise systems for a maritime academy. I oversee the website, our ERP, admissions CRM, and basically all our websites and systems.

We’re a small, specialized state school. Our majors all specialize in going into the maritime industry. It doesn’t mean that our students will necessarily go out to sea. We have two majors, marine engineering and marine transportation, where students will have their careers out on the water. Our other majors are related to the industry in general.

We have 1600 FTE students in undergrad. We’re a regimented school so our students are in a regimen and wear uniforms. There’s no military obligation for them when they graduate, but it does feel very military-like on campus, so we’re very specialized in that way.

What challenge were you trying to address with ImageX?

We did a big move to Drupal from ColdFusion about five and a half years ago with ImageX. Just recently, we brought them on to redo our website and migrate it from Drupal 7 to Drupal 8 with all of our new school branding applied to it.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We went through a planning stage with ImageX. We created our own design with a graphic designer that we work with separately. Our team supplied the design work to ImageX and had some discovery calls with our internal constituents at the academy to decide what would be the best method of delivering that with Drupal 8.

Next, we created a number of custom blocks with ImageX so we would have a lot of flexibility in using different design pieces on various pages. Even though we have a template, it’s really flexible for us because they created all of these different blocks that we could add to pages. There’s also the flexibility to use a layout builder so not every page has to have the same layout. It was a lot more flexible than our Drupal 7 build.

From the discovery session, we moved pretty quickly into the development sprints. We took a piece at a time in the build and reviewed it at the end of each sprint. Once we felt there was enough in place, we started moving our content over ourselves. We did a huge content overhaul. Part of the goal of the new website was to eliminate anything that was outdated or unnecessary to show to a prospective student.

We were moving away from the idea that the website was also a repository for our current students and staff and wanted to use it as a marketing tool, first and foremost, to prospects and alumni. On our part, we had a lot of work to do to massage all of that content and put it back into the new site.

After launching, we still have some development pieces and features that we decided we’d like to continue working with ImageX on. There were things that came up in the project that we thought would be nice. Things like additional ADA compliance or optimization would make it easier for people using adaptive or accessible technology on our site. We did sign a service agreement with ImageX after the launch so that we could continue doing these second-phase development pieces.

What is the team composition?

We had a large team to start with during the discovery phase. ImageX has specialists in everything like business analytics and UX. The main players on our team were our project manager, a financial controller, and lead developer. There were some other developers, but I didn’t correspond with them much.

How did you come to work with ImageX?

Five or six years ago, we researched a lot of different companies. Our team created an SOW with about five Drupal firms. We ultimately went with ImageX because of their positive reviews and wide folder of working with higher education institutions. It was such an easy choice to go with them again because the Drupal 7 launch went so well.

How much have you invested in them?

The new launch was around $125,000. Annually, we spend about $7,500 on our service agreement.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked with them for six years now. We started the ongoing engagement in October 2014.

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

Our launch was in December 2020, and it was very smooth. The call to action that we wanted our academy to be easier to find definitely has been accomplished. We get more clicks on the things we want people to click on. We’ve seen an increase in engagement on our pages for majors and how to apply depending on what applicant type; we have numbers to support that.

How did ImageX perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very responsive and dedicated to making sure the client is happy. I consider myself to be a somewhat difficult client, and they always deliver. ImageX is always accommodating to new requests. I say I’m difficult because I’ll add new requests throughout the project as things change, are revealed, or develop.

They’re very responsive to change, which is excellent. ImageX is very open to adding pieces to our phase two and very easy to work with. The lead developer we had was very responsive. Things didn’t always have to go through a funnel to get to the lead developer. We have an easy connection right there with them.

We use Basecamp for message communication. Our teams used a rate log throughout the whole project, which was in Google Drive, but that was great for prioritizing different items and looking at what was going to be delivered in the next sprint.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s just how responsive they are. We work with a lot of different providers for different things across our campus. Our academy has many systems, and it’s always a breeze to work with ImageX because we know they’re going to respond. They are going to look into exactly what it is that we want so requirements and expectations are met.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing is coming to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

ImageX has numerous experts in different aspects of web development, UX, and business analytics. It’s a good idea to have a solid foundation of what you’d like the outcome of the project to be because they’ll present you with many experts and you’ll have to decide what’s the most important according to your budget. If you had an infinite budget, it’d be amazing but you have to boil it down to what it is you want to include in the project.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of systems technology at Nacha. We are a nonprofit organization that manages the ACH Network.

What challenge were you trying to address with ImageX?

Like any type of organization, we manage various technologies, and in my work, I manage a lot of web apps that are catered to customers. With that, we have various websites including SharePoint, Drupal, and other custom applications.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, I just wanted to try them out, so they provided IT and web-related support for Drupal. I asked them to manage 5–6 Drupal websites, which involved updating modules and implementing functions. 

Once they proved that they were reliable and could complete the tasks, the scope of their work grew. We now have a general contract agreement, and they developed a microsite for us. On top of web and app development, they also provide workflow and productivity software support.

What is the team composition?

I work primarily with Ian (Service Account Manager) and Alex (Technology Director). Depending on the project, the team will also occasionally bring on up to two designers.

How did you come to work with ImageX?

I met their founders at DrupalCon Seattle in April 2020. I initially engaged them for basic support, and the scope grew from there.

How much have you invested with them?

In our first year together, we spent $18,000. This year, we’re up to about $45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in June 2019, and our engagement is ongoing. We have an annual contract agreement.

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

In terms of maintenance and support, ImageX has been able to support us well. This project had a couple of project owners, and they were all satisfied with their interactions with the team. 

How did ImageX perform from a project management standpoint?

They did very well. They were initially using Basecamp, and I asked them to work using our Jira board, and they did. In terms of communication and adjusting to our needs, they did very well. ImageX is very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

ImageX has very talented teammates with diverse skill sets. Alex is amazing. I threw a lot of challenges at them in terms of technologies, and they were able to resolve them efficiently and cost-effectively, which was very helpful during this time.

In addition to web development, when I was looking for assistance in Jira and creating workflows, ImageX had staff for that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could work on centralizing information, as well as managing hours. They're slowly improving, and we’re using DocuSign now for all of our revisions and contracts.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Hire them. They’re a great, cost-effective firm.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director at the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles. We run a lot of community service programs and have 26 branches and 70,000 members.

What challenge were you trying to address with ImageX?

We have a Drupal-based platform that we share with all other YMCA branches in the US, but our website was a major pain point. Among several challenges, we couldn’t pull a lot of data from our previous site because we had limited data tracking. We needed to rebuild the site to make it easier to navigate.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They completely rebuilt the site from top to bottom. Starting with a complete evaluation of our site, they went through the site page by page and analyzed the UX.  From there, they outlined what our challenges were and established new goals. Now they’re building a new virtual platform.

What is the team composition?

I interfaced with about five people, including our project manager a designer, a UX designer, a few backend programmers, and the CEO. I’m sure there were more people working on the backend as well.

How did you come to work with ImageX?

We worked with them in the past and they helped maintain our site. They also have a partnership with the Y of the USA and several other branches have worked with them.

Although our organization has several partners, we chose ImageX because they have a solid experience with Drupal. They’ve worked with a number of different companies who were similar in size to us and their projects were similar in scope. I interviewed several of their former clients and got overwhelmingly positive feedback.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent less than $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started this project in February 2020 and continue to work with them.

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

The average time spent on our site is up over 20%. On top of that, we wouldn’t have been able to create the new virtual platform if we had not upgraded the site first.

How did ImageX perform from a project management standpoint?

From a client service perspective, they were terrific. They kept the project on schedule, and if we fell behind, it was easy to have a conversation with them about why. I was able to ask questions, and if the person I was talking to didn’t know the answer, they got back to us quickly.

We had very honest and forthright conversations with them, which I really appreciated. We were able to lean on them to come up with new solutions for us.

They used Basecamp as their project management tool. We exchanged emails, but everything we sent was recorded in Basecamp.  We also had weekly phone calls.

When we first started the project, they planned to come to LA for a week so we could meet in person. That would have been incredibly helpful as we ramped up.  We weren’t able to meet up because of COVID-19, which probably made things more difficult. However, they were able to work through it and everything turned out well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They communicated very well so nothing surprised us. ImageX was great for us and I would recommend them wholeheartedly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything went well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you do your research so you find the right partner for you. Take the time to interview different companies. While I think ImageX would work well under any circumstances, you need to make sure that they meet your needs.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO for a nonprofit organization supporting the tech sector in Canada, focusing on HR needs in the tech industry. 

What challenge were you trying to address with ImageX?

We were doing some diversity and inclusion work, hoping to provide resources for the tech sector. We had the opportunity to build an online resource hub and needed a company to develop the site for us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They handled web development and design work for us. The solution functions as a resource library, so we needed a clean, attractive site that could host hundreds of resources. They built the resource to be searchable and scalable as we continued to get more content. The site was created in Drupal 8. We have an ongoing service contract with them now.  

What is the team composition?

There was a project manager, lead designer, lead developer, and digital strategist.  

How did you come to work with ImageX?

I found them through an online search. It was a bit of a leap of faith to select them, but they had great online reviews. They were local, and I was impressed with their portfolio. 

How much have you invested with them?

The development cost just shy of $100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

They started the development work in January 2020, and the project was completed in July 2020. 

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

They delivered a high-quality website that had the functionality we were looking for. We appreciated that they completed the work on time and according to budget as well. Our team didn’t have a great idea of what we were looking for, but they helped us prioritize a positive UX.  

How did ImageX perform from a project management standpoint?

They used Basecamp for communication and project management. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were on top of the schedule and milestones. Additionally, the professional look and feel of their final product couldn’t have been better. Their design work is stand-out. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were a pleasure to work with, so I don’t have anything for them to improve upon.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Budget time for meetings and communication on your end. They’ll do their best work when you can provide them with as much information and guidance as possible.  

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing and communications at the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario. We provide a number of different services to a number of different communities across southwestern Ontario.

What challenge were you trying to address with ImageX?

We needed a partner to design and develop a brand new website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

ImageX essentially helped us design as well as develop the backend integration of the website with our CRM database. They managed the frontend design and provided some content support. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with around 10 people, including Brant () Kylie (), and Gordon (). There were a couple of other individuals who helped us with the design as well. 

How did you come to work with ImageX?

We put the project out to tender to a number of different web developers and designers across Canada. We had an RFP process, and ImageX was the one that we unanimously decided upon. 

How much have you invested with them?

We totaled around $170,000 CAD (approximately $130,000 USD) for the website, and our ongoing monthly service agreement in the neighborhood of about $10,000 CAD (approximately $7,600 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since August 2019. The website is complete and working well, and we now have an ongoing service agreement with them.

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

We’re really happy with the level of service ImageX provides.

How did ImageX perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate digitally through Basecamp and Slack, and we also stay in touch with video calls and email. We’ve never seen any major delays, and we’re very happy with the project management aspect.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re just very personable. ImageX really understood and embraced our culture, and they delivered exactly what they promised. They continue to provide us with exceptional customer service. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend working with ImageX. They’re a good partner.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Argon designs and manufactures rugged computers, displays, and peripherals using COTS items. I am a project manager for Argon as well a inside sales support.

For what projects/services did your company hire ImageX?

Argon hired ImageX for a website overhaul. Our website was outdated and needed a total refresh.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to have a new website that would allow our customers to interact with us on a basic level (submitting inquires and RFQ's via the website) as well as find all basic info needed about our products, previous programs, and company history.

How did you select ImageX?

One of my colleagues found ImageX (I believe) online while researching for companies that could perform a website overhaul.

Describe the project in detail.

The project was an entire redesign of the Argon Website.

What was the team composition?

We first worked with a sales person who then passed us off to a Project Manager that stayed with us for the entire development/deployment phase. Once the website was deployed, we where passed off to an after sales/customer service support.

Our experience with the ImageX team given to us was seamless and very enjoyable.

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

Our experience with ImageX was very good. The team was very responsive, everyone was very kind and knowledgable in there area, and the overall energy of the Argon team and ImageX team working together was very good and pleasant.

I would recommend ImageX for web development service to anyone.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

the work flow was very good. Both teams worked very well together.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The level of knowledge about web development was very impressive. It seemed like every request we had was met in a timely manner and with high quality.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, I do not feel there is need for improvement. I think for the level of project that Argon contracted ImageX for, they performed exactly as expected, if not better.

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Akron Area YMCA is 150 year old non-profit organization serving a 3-county area with programs for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. I am the Director of Marketing and Communication and the LEAD for the Open Y project with ImageX.

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

Our website, built by a priority developer using their own structure, was sorely out of date and out of sync with the demands of our organization. We were intrigued with OpenY and sought to find a way to fit it into our budget to meet our needs and exceed the user experience. We sent RFPs to three recommended vendors and evaluated each over several phone calls and emails.

All vendors were outside of Ohio; two being out of the country -- our country. We were looking for people who not only were experts with Drupal and OpenY but who could also hold our hands, answer our questions and deal with our anxiety over jumping into a large project with little or no previous experience in web development and design.

How did you select ImageX and what were the deciding factors?

I met Brent at the CMO Conference in Minneapolis after a few phone calls with him prior. He was honest, approachable, and willing to make adjustments to the budgeting needs set forth by my CFO.

I read the reviews of ImageX and checked with a few trusted counterparts who had used them in their Associations for the OpenY project. At first, I was a little skeptical of the raving fans -- until I became one myself.

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

The project began with an agreement in December 2019. From that point, we developed a project team at the Akron Area YMCA. A key-person representing top functions (Membership, Childcare, Camp, and IT) was chosen to be on the team, along with myself as the marketing creative.

We had weekly ZOOM calls at first, which were later moved to twice a month. Much of our development time happened during shutdowns of both our businesses during COVID-19. However, we never skipped a beat with the connections to the Vancouver team and our working from homes in Summit County, Ohio.

BaseCamp was immediately deployed to keep us on target. We also used Google Docs. We followed all the steps set forth by Travis, our knight in shining armor, who kept us on our toes. We completed the project on time and within the budget set forth in our agreement. Our beautiful OpenY site, with the Carnation theme, was seamlessly launched on August 5, 2020.

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

• A Sales Connection - Brent
• Project Manager - Travis
• Lead Developer - Trainer Mark
• Lead Developer - Aaron
• Maintenance Lisasion - Richard

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

We've only had the site for less than a month, but the feedback from our internal and external users has been terrific. Due to COVID-19, we, unfortunately, lost many members but are eager to welcome them back with new programs, easy registration, and a jam-packed array of contents that's meaningful and fun.

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

ImageX wrote the book on project management. Everyone on the team was extremely effective and efficient. They used all the tools (Basecamp, ZOOM, Google Docs) to keep us always focused. Their response time was lightning fast -- sometimes responding, it seems, before I even hit SEND on my end. I was beyond impressed and grateful.

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

I liked them. The prices that we gained from other vendors who responded to our RFP were in the same ballpark. But, I had an instant connection with ImageX. Not only were they personable, but they were also professional.

They were intuitive to our needs and understood our quirky behavior and adapted immediately. Because they are the experts in OpenY and Drupal, they can definitely do the job. But because they are truly nice, caring, and PATIENT -- we saw them as friends who we really looked forward to seeing. In fact, (some of us) got a little misty when it was time for the official hand-off.

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

If I had to do it all over again, I would have budgeted for some face time instead of all ZOOM calls. In the beginning, although we were comfortable with the team, I do think that we could have benefited from our Discovery phase being an actual sit-down. This was no reflection on ImageX -- just a nudge to someone who may be considering their use for a project.