How has the Fission CMS made your business more manageable?

It's (CMS) so user friendly and makes sense and it really takes no time at all to make a functional active account for someone to begin receiving subscriptions. Having that flexibility of being able to easily create an account is a very good thing and CMS works very well for that.

One of the primary benefits and values to CMS to me is the degree of automation and the power behind it; being able to manage the account and send out the newsletters all in an automated all in a sort of self managing functionality that frees me up to focus more on the other important aspects of the company which is the actual product, and it's content. So I think that CMS allows me and the people that are working with me to efficiently coordinate and manage the day to day business components of the company.

Your business operates out of Texas, and we are in NY. How was the process of working with someone out of state on this project?  

I think that one of the nice things that you guys have done is the online webinar (360 PSG uses Yugma) thing that we did, where you guys kind of walked me through how things work; that made it much easier.  

As far as communication across state lines and sending information, I feel like overall it has been pretty good from the standpoint that I send you guys information and seems that you understand what it is that I need and you get back to me on those things.

I remember visiting your site early on or maybe half way through this process and you guys had a little Flash video tutorial of how your CMS worked. You showed somebody logging in, and then you clicked on this and you showed how the page opened up, and you manipulated something, and then you saved it and then refreshed the page. It was a really short schematic of how CMS sort of functions. That thing was awesome. It helped me so much to understand CMS when I was first engaging in the process. Obviously now I understand it a little more and I'm getting a little better at it. At the early stages of development though seeing that one function was very helpful. Seeing that visual manipulation without you all having to tell me anything or spending too much time talking to me was huge. It really helped me see the power and the user-friendliness of CMS.

Now, as we've added these programming things, I've been amazed at what the system can functionally do and can be customized to do. I mean it can pretty much do most of anything. That's probably been the thing that's been most impressive to me, as I sit there and go ‘wow.'

I would say that a good portion of my company and the website is self managing. It will create an automatic renewal. It will allow people to subscribe without having to call me. We've got every payment method. That kind of power frees me up, especially at a small company, we're brand new, very little infrastructure, so we're in the baby steps of growing, this (CMS) is very powerful for helping us to expend our energy and time on other things that would maybe help us start to expand our business instead of being stuck solely behind a computer scanning credit cards. 

What were you looking for in a website and what directed you to 360 PSG? 

It was actually through the designer; originally when I worked with (a design company) Pressley Design Studio, because I knew that they do basic webpage design in addition to other marketing design and products, so I went to them first from a referral. When I met with them (the design company) to explain what kind of functionality I was seeking, that self-managing component, the system running itself and managing itself, she is the one who put us in contact with a 360 PSG in Virginia. We started out meeting with them, and immediately it was like ‘whoa' this is the type of self management and customized programming that we were wanting. And that's when Joel (Colombo) got on the phone, or they contacted you guys since you were the ones that developed the program and could do that kind of programming. That's how I got connected with you, through that sequence of events.  

How was the experience of working w/ 360 PSG? Was it a positive experience? What made it good, or what could we have done better? 

You guys have been great at being able to hear one the last minute needs and making it feasible and you made it important, and I'm really appreciative of that. 

It has still been an overall positive experience and I'm excited about what has been created, where we're at, the functionality. It's powerful. It's awesome. It's a golden machine. 

Would you recommend 360 PSG to other people or businesses? And if so, why?

What I would say is what you guys are capable of doing with that (CMS) system, to customize it, to meet the needs of that specific customer and that company's design is by far a great advantage. And I think if that's what they're looking for, from my experience, then you guys can do that. I think you can make it happen.

What I also learned through this process is I don't know what the cost is for other companies to do something like this. I've been told that what I've done here and what you guys have helped put together for me and for my company would cost significantly more money by a different company. I don't know that for sure, but if that is in fact true then that's even another plus that you're willing to work with new start-up companies, customize their needs in an affordable format. I feel like what you guys have done for me and what I've paid is very fair. 

How does the Fission CMS benefit your customers? 

It helps customers to be largely in control of their account and the products and services and how they use it. CMS allows them to log into the website, get access to the newsletters when they need them, anytime they need them. It's going to allow them to manage their own account settings. To me, it automates it for them, and allows them to be a little bit more in the driver's seat for their own account instead of having to call us and need us to take care of them every day when they need something. To me, I think it makes it user friendly. To renew, to checkout, to get what they need. It think it really gives them the immediate access that they need. We are working on a few things to enhance that, but I think CMS facilitates them being in the driver's seat instead of having to email and bother other people to get something done.  

Do you have anything to add about your website or 360 PSG? 

I'm excited about where we're going, and I appreciate the attention you guys have given the site and to me. It means a lot. I greatly appreciate it especially at this critical juncture. I have just really appreciated you guys taking in a few of these last minute changes and making them priority. That's very valuable.