What does Launch Brigade do?
We help companies grow by better integrating their marketing and technology efforts.
Most of our projects involve our clients digital presence. We might redesign a website, or modify it and test the effects on conversion rate, or rearrange parts under the hood to make it more stable. We might bring more customers to a website using search engine marketing or social media advertising. Sometimes we save our customers time with automations, like when we increase engagement by automatically adding new customer inquiries to your MailChimp.
In the course of our work, we naturally help our clients develop strategy, give technical advice, and manage projects from start to finish.
We’ve helped clients from around the world. So far that includes businesses large and small, from the United States to China to Europe.
What’s your background?
Our founder, Chris Miller, has been in tech since the mid-90’s. He started out as an IT technician, survived the dot-com crash in the late 90’s, and started his own company in 2005. Along the way, Chris split the company into two divisions: Launch Brigade and Cloud Brigade.
Launch Brigade focuses on digital marketing and technology, while Cloud Brigade focuses on cloud services.
What are the options for you to help me?
There are a couple of types of engagements we do. The right option for you depends on your needs and your budget.
Discovery
Dealing with a technical problem, and you’re not sure what’s causing it? A discovery project could be right for you.
This isn’t our most common type of project, but it’s a small investment that gives you a clear picture of what’s going on. It can be a great starting place for someone experiencing technical difficulties.
We examine your technical environment, then generate a report of what’s happening and how you might go about fixing it. Afterwards you can engage us to fix it, or take the report anywhere you like to help get the situation fixed.
Redesign, buildout and launch
Want a complete service to help take your business to new heights? You probably want a web redesign, buildout and launch.
We do research to thoroughly understand you, your business, and your playing field. If you have an existing website, we analyze your technical environment and any data you have to form a results-oriented plan. Then we consider marketing technology improvements, design your new website, build it, and launch it.
This is our most common type of project. As our client, you get a strategy, implementation, and support going forward.
Buildout
Have designs ready to go but need skilled builders? Share your mockups with us and we’ll work with you to make them reality.
Platform migration
Do you have an existing site that looks fine for visitors, but it isn’t stable or it’s clunky for you to manage? You probably need changes to the underlying platform, while keeping the appearance of your website the same.
Another common reason clients choose to do a platform migration is because they want to add new functionality to their site, but the existing infrastructure won’t support it.
Whatever the reason, we keep things looking good up front and make sure things are humming under the hood.
Web application development
This ain’t your grandpappy’s internet. If your website will have complex interactions, it’s probably less of a website and more of a web application.
These projects are typically measured in months and involve a host of integrated technologies and languages, such as Angular.js, jQuery, PHP, MySQL, Symfony, and more.
Performance optimization
Getting web pages to load faster. Ranking higher in search engines. Having more visitors take the actions that drive your business. More general stability.
If you have an existing site that needs work but doesn’t need a massive overhaul, this is your ticket.
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If you’re considering a project like any of the one’s above, we’re glad to do a free call with you to determine if we’re a match.
And if we’re not, we’re happy to put you in touch with someone who might be.
How much do your services cost?
Projects vary depending on the goals and value to your company. But here are some guidelines that could help you out.
Most web design and development clients invest US$10,000+ annually.
Web applications are typically US$100,000+ to develop and deploy.
If you’re looking at digital marketing help, such as someone to plan and execute your Google AdWords campaigns, expect to invest at least $1,500 to $3,000 a month.
How do I pay you? Is it all at once? Over a period of time?
In most cases, you don’t pay us all at once.
For larger projects, there’s a deposit to get started and installment payments along the way, usually on a monthly basis.
For smaller projects, we do payment in full and then we get started.
How soon can you start?
It depends on circumstance, the nature of your project, and our current production schedule. For instance, sometimes we can start a smaller project while a larger project is wrapping up. But if a project is larger, we’ll probably set aside a dedicated time for it.
After a phone call to talk about the details of your project, and to determine if we’re a fit, we’ll be able to share an estimated start date with you.
If everything looks good, you pay a deposit and we reserve that spot on our calendar for you.
How long until a project is done?
Again, this depends on the details. A typical web project for a small-to-medium business takes 6-8 weeks. For a larger business, such as an enterprise client, expect work to continue for at least 12 weeks.
Who works on our project?
While we explore a possible fit, prospective clients will often speak with the agency owner, Chris Miller, or a brand manager or project manager from our team.
Once work starts on your project, your primary contact will be a project manager dedicated to your project.
Do we meet remotely or onsite at my office?
We mostly work with clients on a remote basis—by phone, email, Asana, and other tools.
We often do some on-site work as a part of larger projects. For instance, certain types of strategy meetings work better in person. But you’ll need to weigh whether the travel costs are worth it.
We’re happy to share an estimate for both approaches.
Do you outsource my project?
No. Never.
Sometimes, if a project calls for it, we’ll augment our team by bringing in trusted local contractors to work with us. These are people we know personally and have worked with before. We trust their skills, we know they’re professionals, and we know we can work with them closely and successfully.
We believe in an honest day’s work and that you get what you pay for. So we never outsource your work to another shop or send it overseas.
In addition to time zone headaches and cultural misunderstandings that can delay work, overseas companies are often a gamble. You don’t really know what you’re getting and we’ve had many clients approach us to fix substandard work produced by a company from overseas.
Can you give references?
Yes, although not immediately.
Our clients love us but we have to respect their time. So we can’t be giving out their information all the time.
Once you’ve read our proposal and determined Launch Brigade is the company you want to work with, let us know what kind of information you’re seeking and we’ll connect you with references who’d be a good match to answer your questions.
Can you recommend other other agencies?
Absolutely. If we aren’t able to help or we’re not a good fit, we’re happy to recommend other agencies that might be better for you.