Backpack Works

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Creative Director of mParticle

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

mParticle is a customer data platform that helps B2C enterprise companies turn their customer data into customer joy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Backpack Works to accomplish?

• Develop Website
• Develop Email Templates
• Maintain website code base, security, and privacy updates.

SOLUTION

How did you find Backpack Works?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select Backpack Works over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me
• Their skillset and experience matched what we were looking for

How many teammates from Backpack Works were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Backpack Works has been more than just a vendor. They are a vital part of our team. No job is too big or too small and in the weeds. They are solution oriented, fast, and diligent. Over the years we've worked on many projects together. Some have been limited scope projects, and some are ongoing and rely on them being proactive. Maintaining website performance and compliance.
Projects we've worked on together:

• Complete website rebuild during rebrand (multiple over the years)
• Maintaining security and codebase of marketing site
• Migrating content from one website to another post aquisitions
• Improving technical SEO and website performance
• Training and onboarding new team members on how to use our website CMS
• Installing SDKs, maintaining APIs, tracking cookies, and maintaining privacy and legal documentation on our marketing site. (working with lawyers and security/privacy stakeholders)
• Helping with 1:1 marketing website popups, and other website personalization efforts. Helping implement and keeping track of personalization and testing.
• and much more...

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Measurable outcomes:

• Improved SEO and Google Lighthouse scores
• Increased traffic
• Decreased time to build and implement new landing pages
• Cohesive look and feel post rebrand
• Never having any website downtime since 2018

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Working with Backback works has been great. They are on time. They clearly communicate. They are solution-oriented. It's like having your own in-house team. I can tell they value high-quality work, and strive to help the business succeed every day. 

What was your primary form of communication with Backpack Works?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They were flexible and solution-oriented. Even when the asks are unreasonable, they support and ground me. Focus on what's achievable, and continue to show progress. They are like a valued partner and consultant at times. The longer we work together, the more we both learn and continue to improve our work.

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

I know that they have more skills and expertise that we could leverage. The only thing I could think about is regularly share learnings from their other customers that we could learn from? Maybe once a quarter refresh me on all their offerings that I could take advantage of, or just learn what else they are working on.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Former Marketing Head of OpenReel and mParticle.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Remote video software

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Backpack Works to accomplish?

• Hire Backpack words as a fractional UX/UI designer and front-end developer
• Completely rebrand and refresh our marketing site while staying on WordPress
• Make as much of the website dynamic vs static as possible to empower the Marketing team to make necessary content updates without the need for a developer

SOLUTION

How did you find Backpack Works?

Previously worked together

Why did you select Backpack Works over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Backpack Works were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

I had the pleasure of working with Graham and his team at Backpack across two high-growth companies, and I cannot recommend them highly enough.

At mParticle (a Series B to Series D customer data platform), I first hired Graham as a fractional front-end developer to help us manage our new headless CMS environment built primarily with React. Graham's reliability, talent, and collaborative spirit made him an invaluable partner. When I transitioned to OpenReel (a Seed to Series A remote video technology startup) as their first marketing hire, Graham was my first call.

As our dedicated fractional front-end development partner, Graham and the Backpack team played a crucial role in delivering a major website refresh. Working within WordPress, under tight deadlines and budget constraints, their expertise in front-end development, server management, and UX/UI design was instrumental. Graham and his team weren’t just implementers; they acted as a trusted soundboard, providing invaluable insights that elevated the project.

Backpack has proven time and again to be professional, reliable, and scalable partners for both large and small projects. Their ability to adapt to evolving organizational needs and deliver high-quality work with consistency was critical to our success. Both companies — mParticle and OpenReel — were eventually acquired, a testament in part to the brand presence and marketing sites that Graham and his team supported over the years.

If you’re looking for a skilled, personable, and flexible team to help with front-end development, UX/UI design, or website management, I wholeheartedly recommend Graham Dubow and the Backpack team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The deadlines, turnaround times, tooling, resources, and project goals between OpenReel (a Seed to Series A startup) and mParticle (a Series B to Series D startup) were drastically different. Despite these challenges, Graham and his team at Backpack consistently delivered exceptional results. Throughout every project, I always felt like a valued customer.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Graham and his team at Backpack Works demonstrated exceptional project management skills across all the projects we worked on together. They consistently delivered items on time, even under challenging circumstances such as tight deadlines, limited resources, and differing tooling between companies. Their ability to manage complex projects — whether it was working within a headless CMS at mParticle or delivering a website refresh on WordPress at OpenReel — was remarkable.

They were highly responsive to our needs, proactively addressing feedback and providing thoughtful, strategic insights throughout the process. Communication was seamless, with clear timelines, regular updates, and a collaborative approach that ensured alignment at every stage. Graham and his team went above and beyond to accommodate shifting priorities and challenges, making them reliable and invaluable partners.

What was your primary form of communication with Backpack Works?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What I found most impressive and unique about Backpack was their unparalleled flexibility and professionalism. Graham is truly a unicorn developer — equally talented and an absolute pleasure to work with. Even in the most challenging circumstances, whether it was dealing with shifting priorities, tight or even unfair deadlines, or operating on a shoestring budget, Graham and his team always rose to the occasion.

What truly set them apart was their ability to find resolutions and forge a path forward, no matter the obstacles. This combination of technical expertise, creative problem-solving, impressive active listening skills, and a genuinely collaborative approach cannot be overstated — it made them an invaluable partner in every project.

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

If there’s one area for improvement, it would be expanding the team to take on even more clients. Graham and the team at Backpack have such a unique combination of talent, professionalism, and flexibility that companies of all shapes and sizes could greatly benefit from their services. Scaling their team even further would allow even more businesses to experience the same exceptional partnership that I did.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Vice President of Marketing of PebblePost

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Performance advertising and marketing services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Backpack Works to accomplish?

• Improve Page Speed and SEO
• Create a fully editable website
• Redesign website with new branding

SOLUTION

How did you find Backpack Works?

Other

Why did you select Backpack Works over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Backpack Works were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Backpackworks helped us to fully redesign our website to better reflect the companies new posiitoning and branding using a framework that we could easily update and edit without having a developer on staff. During this process, they were also charged with optimizing the site to improve load times and worked closely with us to streamline workflows and improve the performance of key pages through A/B testing. 
Upon completeion, they continued to work with us on basic maintenance and expansion into landing pages for various marketing campaigns.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Implemented intuitive Wordpress page builder. Saw better load times on pages and improved site performance.

Improved mobile page speed by 63%

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The team always delivered timely items and immediately responded to requests. They were patient with us when we needed it, and were very receptive feedback and quick to make edits. They are relaxed, but always consumate professionals. If they don't have an answer for you on a call, they'll tell you exactly when they expect to have one by and always follow through. Can't recommend them enough.

What was your primary form of communication with Backpack Works?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The team feels like a part of your team. They are remarkably responsive and have a good understanding of the space. They also aren't afraid to tell you when something isn't going to work, because they work with you to understand what your end goal is, and will help you get there another way.

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

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Art Director of LiveIntent

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

LiveIntent was a people-based marketing platform that also offered monetization and identity tools to publishers and brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Backpack Works to accomplish?

• Improve Google Core Web Vitals
• Improve Technical SEO
• Design user friendly navigation
• Design high converting landing pages

SOLUTION

How did you find Backpack Works?

Referral

Why did you select Backpack Works over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Backpack Works were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Over the years that I worked with Backpack Works, they created numerous landing pages for eBooks and events, rebuilt our entire site to use WordPress, redesigned our homepage and blog, and created engaging and interactive product pages for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Improved mobile site speed by 83%

Increased organic website traffic by 98%

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

We had sprint meetings every 2 weeks where we would discuss currently projects and timelines. Graham and Backpack Works consisently delivered on timelines they promised and communicated very clearly.

What was your primary form of communication with Backpack Works?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Along with Graham being very enjoyable to work with, his team was great at communicating, worked very quickly, and always delivered high quality work.

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

Honestly, nothing comes to mind. I think Graham and Backpack Works collaborate very well and do top-notch work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Web Experience of Dandy

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Digital dental lab and lab management software for dentists. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Backpack Works to accomplish?

• Build a custom Wordpress theme and provide ongoing design & development support

SOLUTION

How did you find Backpack Works?

Online Search

Why did you select Backpack Works over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Backpack Works were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Graham and the Backpack team came in when we had an extremely hard coded website, rebuilt our site, and created flexibility in our web experience for the first time. After the rebuild, they provided us with an extensive user guide to ensure that the team was enabled to use what had been built. They built with re-usability in mind so that we did not have to create net new components or experiences with every new update to the website. They also helped us implement cookie consent, proper tracking to systems including Marketo, Google Analytics, and Salesforce, and were a great sounding board for website strategy. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Increased overall website conversion rate by 126%

Better usability of the website

Increase website speed & technical SEO 

Increased organic traffic by 313.7%

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The Backpack team is incredibly responsive. We were never in the dark regarding the progress the team was making. Feedback was implemented quickly and changes were communicated proactively. They trully felt like an extension of our internal team. 

What was your primary form of communication with Backpack Works?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

When you work with Backpack, you feel like their only client. Backpack Works is always on top of things, can increase or decrease scope as you see fit, and think about problems holistically rather than just thinking about individual problems. You always know when you're working with an agency that's doing the bare minimum and you always know when you're working with an agency that goes above and beyond. Backpack goes above and beyond, they set the standard I've come to expect from any agency I work with. 

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the former Director of Marketing of Digilant

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Media strategy and buying for small-to-medium-sized businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Backpack Works to accomplish?

• Improve conversion rate of landing pages
• Design additional product pages
• Improve technical SEO
• Build Landing Pages
• Improve existing website and address issues

SOLUTION

How did you find Backpack Works?

• Referral
• Worked together previously

Why did you select Backpack Works over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Expertise

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Backpack Works helped us build landing pages for our web content and downloadables, addressed major issues with out site that were rending it completely unusable, and helped us build and launch a brand new newsletter. By collaborating with Backpack Works, Digilant was able to turn its website around — transforming it from a website that barely loaded, to one that helped us capture leads and engage audiences. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Improve Google Core Web Vitals

Obstacles or friction to using our site were eliminated

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Backpack Works is incredibly professional. Their team is great at keeping tabs on projects, providing updates, and checking in regularly to ensure we're meeting deadlines and moving projects along. They're responsive and easy to work with.

What was your primary form of communication with Backpack Works?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

My favorite thing about this company—apart from their team's ability to execute and deliver high-quality work—is their approach to education. By working with Backpack Works I've learned a lot about what to do and what not to do, how to handle web-related issues, and what to look out for to ensure a healthy and well designed website. Backpack Works always comes to the table with ideas on how to meet our needs, they understand how to translate mere vision into landing pages and experiences. They do such a great job at providing education and rationale behind specific strategies or approaches that one feels—and comes to recognize—that they're in excellent hands. It's easy to trust Backpack Works. Their work and expertise speaks for itself.

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

I have no notes for Backpack Works on what they can do differently. I have been thoroughly pleased with their work and will recommend them to everyone.