We’d like to share another story of a client we were so excited to work with here at ES&Co., the Macon-Bibb Urban Development Authority.

At ES&Co, one of our passions is helping our local community and area legitimize the image they share with the rest of the world. Our love for Macon and Georgia is evident to anyone that talks with us for more than a minute.

So, needless to say, we were super excited to get the chance to work with the Macon-Bibb Urban Development Authority.

For those who don’t know, the Urban Development Authority is a development body with the goal of helping revitalize downtown Macon. The UDA serves as a bridge between private resources and public sector positions. Basically, they help speed up and expedite government processes so that we enjoy the fruits of the revitalization faster. Their board works tirelessly to continue transforming Downtown Macon into the greatest downtown in Middle Georgia. The Macon-Bibb Urban Development Authority also helps get resources to local small business start-ups.

We could go on and on about them, but we should move on to talking about our project with the UDA (which will also give you little insight into why we have the “&Co” in our ES&Co name).

A little more about our team

As you know, the ES in our name refers to Elizabeth Schorr, the company’s founder. But you might not know there’s an important reason why we have the “&Co” in our name, and we’re not simply known as the Elizabeth Schorr Agency.

ES&Co. is a group of passionate people with specialized skills that they love to use to help businesses and organizations legitimize their image. Anytime we’re evaluating a new job or client, we look long and hard at the specific needs of that project. Then, we make sure the right people are on our team and ready for the job.

For this project, one of our favorite partners, Jessica Walden, had already been working on the Macon-Bibb Urban Development Authority project on their messaging and story development. As she was completing the content, they needed a new website and so, Jessica turned to ES&Co.

We worked together to craft a modern, clean website with colors as bold as UDA’s plans for a new downtown area. The UDA is a group with a plan, and we made it easy for visitors to locate and read more about that plan. We also added a healthy mix of graphic, photo, and video elements to break up what could be a text-heavy website into something more approachable for everyone. This is where the magic of Big Hair Productions came in. A video on your website from Tabitha and her team is a sure fire way to turn things all the way up!

In the end, we all were thrilled with the new website and are excited about the possibility of encouraging a new generation of Macon-advocates to join the vision for a better Macon!

Of course, our work with the client never stops with delivery. We continue to provide ongoing support for their website. If they need any changes, additions, or updates, we’re available to quickly make the change for them, freeing up their time to focus on the important work they’re doing. We also monitor all the back-end, ensuring their site has all the latest security patches and isn’t broken by any updates.

We might be smaller than some other operations, but we see that as a plus. Projects like this one and the many others we’ve done for larger organizations show that we’re capable of delivering websites and digital marketing projects to large organizations.

Ensuring the right graphic design through a content-focused process

We were able to deliver this website on time and without any project creep because of our partnership with Jessica. Before bringing us on board, she had put in the time and effort on the content side.

This is actually a crucial step that many people overlook when they want to make a new website and something we’d like to highlight. Most people get fixated on the fancy new designs. They rush into decisions about colors, styles, and themes, overlooking a key detail. A website is a way to deliver your messaging and information to your customers. Yes, it needs to look legit, and it shouldn’t be dated. But, it needs to be built with a purpose. That purpose is delivering specific content.

Anytime anyone approaches us about a project, we first ask to see the content. If you have a website that wins graphic design awards but doesn’t have the content your audience needs, they’ll move on to your competitors. You might not expect us to say that. We are a graphic design agency, after all. But we firmly believe that your designs must match the content you’re delivering.

You have to gather together everything you might want to include and not put anything off. Often folks are so excited to jump right in they get started without the content in place, promising to deliver everything as soon as possible. Here’s an all-too-common scenario – In the early stages, a client will think the About Us page should have around 300 words. So the graphic designer gets started designing things for that expectation. Then, once the client really gets into the content, they realize they need 1200 words and multiple subpages. This breaks the original design and forces numerous delays on the project. You end up with a site that looks hodge-podge, instead of well-designed and seamless.

These delays and pieced-together websites can be avoided with proper planning. That’s why we take the time to get to the heart of a project before starting any website designs. We also always partner with the right people to help pull this information out of you. Partners like Jessica help ensure we have all the content created and in place before the designs are started. This results in fewer delays and a more cohesive finished website.

At ES&Co, you’re not just getting Elizabeth Schorr. You’re getting an entire team that all share our founder’s passion for legitimizing the look and feel of businesses. As a team, we take pride in what we do and work efficiently to ensure that the best results are delivered promptly.

If you’re a business in the greater-Georgia region, USA, or the world in need of a new website, a rebranding, or anything else, please call us today. We’re as comfortable helping out large companies as smaller family-owned businesses. Our heart is helping businesses legitimize their look, no matter where they’re located.

We’d love to hear about what you’re doing and hopefully help you out. If we’re not the right fit for you, we’ll be happy to recommend someone else who is. We’re committed to our area and believe that everyone can find success in our humble (but worldwide influential) little corner of the world.