efelle creative

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a consultant for a healthcare company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with effelle creative?

We engaged effelle for web development and SEO services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Effelle integrated two different websites into new CMS platforms that allowed our team to manage and make changes on our end going forward. They've also provided additional SEO services as needed.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Fred (Founder and CEO, effelle creative), as well as a few members on his team.

How did you come to work with effelle creative?

They were recommended to us by another vendor we were working with that ran out of capacity to meet our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

The first web development project cost around $35,000 and the second was around $17,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since around 2011, completing our most recent project in February 2018. We still reach out to them for any technical support or questions as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Efelle's web development efforts streamlined internal efficiencies and increased our online performance overall. By integrating our sites into a new CMS, we now have full control of our online presence. They also helped boost our organic search rankings without us having to pay for ad campaigns.

How did effelle creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very responsive and timely with tasks, following up with us as needed to ensure the projects continued to move along smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very knowledgeable, professional, and pleasant to work with overall. I really appreciate everything they've done for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the sales and marketing manager for an international energy consultancy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire efelle creative?

We hired efelle creative to design a custom website and optimize it for search engines.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to attract and retain new clients. The website would also act as a recruiting tool.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We did an RFP and scored about 30 replies. efelle creative was recommended by a vendor that had already worked with them and scored one of the highest scores. After interviewing a half-dozen firms, efelle stood out because of their business understanding.

Describe the project in detail.

Initially, we met with our patient and understanding account executive, who mapped out a strategy before charging a penny. Then, efelle went to work to make it a reality.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a full team, including a strategist, project manager, two designers, a content manager, a copywriter, and an SEO manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site surpassed our goals across the board. We easily hit our expectations on key metrics, from site traffic and engagement to conversion rate.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was incredibly effective and seamless. It was obvious that efelle creative had extensive experience. They kept the project running even when my team was causing delays.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed from the start. Our account manager called upon receiving the RFP and asked several key questions that no other agency did. We had worked with two other agencies over the years, and this was the best experience by far.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Hughes Media Law Group (HMLG) is a small but mighty boutique law firm based in Seattle. I’m the office manager. We provided a variety of business law services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire efelle creative?

We needed to completely redesign and launch the website.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to stand out in the sea of terribly ordinary law firm websites with a fresh look that reflected our skills, spirit, and company culture.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I’m not sure. I wasn’t with the company when they selected efelle creative for this project.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

The efelle creative team put together a totally new look for our website. The team used modern design elements to embody our company’s contemporary culture. They also guided us through the launch process, and they continue to provide support.

What was the team composition?

We work with Marc (Account Manager, efelle creative).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The new design is great. We’ve received compliments from all of our customers.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Marc directly oversaw the entire project. He’s very responsive to any of our questions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

It was great to work with them. Their team is friendly and knowledgeable.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the marketing manager for a large national mortgage lender and agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire efelle creative?

We hired them to update our website and build our digital marketing strategy.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a mobile-friendly website that would generate leads.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My team researched potential vendors online and then interviewed five companies. Out of those, we narrowed it down to three and had each one pitch their approach.

Describe the project in detail.

We had a kick-off meeting to cover the schedule, requirements, and deliverables. We shared our ideal customers, worked through user personas, and waited a week or so for the initial homepage concept. After some revisions, the subpages followed and then the development began.

What was the team composition?

We had a project manager assigned to us who took ownership of the project from beginning to end. We also had access to and meetings with designers and copywriters, but our main point of contact stayed with us for the entire project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We ended up with a website that everyone in the company was proud of and which also received high remarks from clients. It was mobile responsive, intuitive, and provided an excellent base from which to launch other marketing initiatives.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our teams worked great together. efelle creative took the time to explain industry jargon and made sure that everyone understood each phase of the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their team immediately impressed us with their knowledge. It was clear that they not only knew more about websites but also lead generation and our industry. They saw us as a long-term partner unlike everyone else who just wanted to build a website and walk away.

Another thing I liked about efelle creative’s approach is that they were able to help us with content while the site was still in development, which really sped things along.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No. In fact, they were ahead of schedule and offered the lowest price out of the five companies we originally requested proposals from.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the marketing manager at Doc Popcorn when I worked with efelle creative.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire efelle creative?

We wanted to develop a new high-quality e-commerce website. We then wanted advice in implementing digital marketing strategy.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase brand awareness, improve Google rankings, and drive sales.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

One of our leadership’s colleagues recommended efelle creative. We considered six different bids for the project and chose efelle creative after interviewing the team.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

efelle creative audited the site and then presented their recommendation for a digital strategy. Next, they did a custom web design and built integrations for the e-commerce platform. Additional services included copywriting, messaging, and organic SEO.

What was the team composition?

We had a single point of contact. As a whole, the team included a strategist, a project manager, two designers, a developer, and a content director.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

efelle creative’s work had a huge impact on our business. SEO rankings exceeded expectations and the site paid for itself in three months. The added functionalities increased the average order value. As a result, we achieved repeat orders and recovered users’ abandoned shopping carts.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They had an effective approach. The team accommodated our holdups in a flexible manner. The project manager was able to resume paused work without interruption.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I have worked on three website projects with different companies and efelle creative is the most effective vendor I’ve worked with. They delivered an exceptional product at a great value—they weren’t even the most expensive company we solicited—in a limited timeframe. The team was top-notch and the project organization was stellar.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I would love to see them offer in-house video production services. They referred us to an outside videographer for our video projects, but I would’ve preferred to have the entire project completed by one company.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of Dental Implants Solutions, a dental practice dedicated solely to the placement, restoration, and maintenance of dental implants.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire efelle creative?

My practice concept was very new in the dental industry and I needed to decide the best way to market my business.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted to grow my business in an undefined space.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

efelle creative built the website for my previous business, a general dental practice. That website was gorgeous and effectively connected me to new patients.

Describe the project in detail.

I met with efelle creative’s design team to discuss direct-to-patient marketing and doctor referral-based marketing. During the meeting, I explained my ambivalence about which approach was best for the patients I wanted to target. We compared similar competitor websites and identified my taste in color schemes and website features. efelle creative then designed my website in a manner that would allow me to pivot once I chose my final marketing direction. The team also created my logo and showed me the new design in a Go-To meeting. They made a few minor changes and launched the site after I approved the final version.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and a designer. We received input from other employees as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I experienced an immediate influx of new patients. I loved the result from an aesthetic perspective. The team captured the look and I feel I wanted; I was proud to have that as my website. The features and pages were well-organized as well.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team was communicative and accommodating. We worked very well with them.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I've worked with efelle creative for over a decade now. They have designed three websites for three different companies of mine; they are now designing the fourth. The quality of their work— both aesthetically and functionally—far exceeds my expectations.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, I'm pretty happy with everything. I watched them grow from three employees to over 40. The products keep getting better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-owner of Neko, a cat cafe. We have resident cats for which our goal is to find forever homes amongst our customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with efelle creative?

We hadn’t opened yet and wanted to build an online presence that would drive people to our site. We were looking for a partner to develop a website for us that would be flexible as we grew our business. We wanted a site that was tailored in look and feel and built on a platform with a user-friendly backend that would allow us to create new, branded pages easily. We needed the site to be able to make reservations online and capture leads.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

efelle creative built our site on their proprietary platform called Fusion CMS. We started with a kickoff meeting for us to share our overall branding direction with their designers and for them to give us different examples of the directions in which we could go. After that meeting, we went into the design phase. Once the designs were approved, they built it out. The whole process took between three and a half to four months from initial contact to site launch.

The site has our branding scheme built into it so that whenever we create a new page, it’s already reflected there. It has a functionality that integrates Instagram feeds with calls to action for booking a reservation that drives the user through a pipeline to the final click.

What is the team composition?

We worked with an account manager as well as with their CEO.

How did you come to work with efelle creative?

We looked at different kinds of companies that customize websites. We had a flexible budget but wanted to keep the cost as low as possible. We initially looked at the platform Squarespace but found it would be difficult to have our branding established on all the different pages and subpages. We looked at different sites of cat cafes around the US but they weren’t representative of the direction we wanted to go in. We wanted something more personal.

We found efelle creative when we searched a local Seattle creative site. We looked at their past work. We also chose them primarily because of their proprietary platform with an easy backend.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $22,000 on the website and plan to spend about $400 per month on SEO.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2017 and launched the site in early November 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

People really enjoy our site. It’s easy to navigate and expresses a narrative that gets customers to that final conversion. efelle creative also pushed us in the direction of having cat profiles for different cats on the site and it’s a personal touch that customers love. They come into the cafe already having a relationship with the cats because they’ve read the bios and are excited. It makes adopting out the cats much easier.

How did efelle creative perform from a project management standpoint?

We met in person a few times, including at the kickoff and the launch. There was a lot of collaboration throughout the process. Our account manager orchestrated the schedule and timeline and really held our hands through it all.

We occasionally felt that there was input from too many people. The experience at the time was a bit overwhelming. In retrospect, that they brought in so many players allowed us to know how much they cared. The level of effort was remarkable.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The best thing about the engagement was our relationship with their CEO. He really understood our goals and was able to translate that to the site. He started coming up with ideas without even knowing the industry. He suggested things – like the cat bios and a booking system – that we didn’t realize we needed. He was able to push the envelope and take us where we wanted to be with our web presence. He’s passionate about what he does and it resonates with his company.

They’re an innovative company that really captured the overall vision that we had. We were picky and stubborn about our branding guidelines and they worked with us. From the initial kickoff, they presented us with great designs right away. We developed an amazing relationship with them. To this day, they reach out to us and check in. They even come to the cafe. They’re constantly trying to take our site to the next level. They’re supportive of our business and that personal touch is really helpful. We’re expanding to a second location now and excited to work with them again.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were a lot of people that were really involved with the project. I think there could be a bit more clarity on who's taking lead. There’s so much collaboration between their team but sometimes it seemed like there were too many cooks in the kitchen.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of Lamperti Facial Plastic Surgery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire efelle creative?

I needed someone to redesign two of my websites with responsive designs.

What were your goals for this project?

My sites hadn’t been updated since they launched a few years prior, so it was time, especially when it came to introducing responsive designs.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I’d previously worked with efelle creative on the design of my original websites and had a great experience.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

The project involved completely redesigning both of my websites and migrating the content from my original sites to the new sites.

What was the team composition?

The team included a project manager and designer, along with a web developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The redesigns have greatly helped with my SEO, and my patients can view my sites on a variety of devices.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was highly effective and was accomplished through regular emails and occasional in-person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

efelle creative has quite a collaborative approach and provides great customer service. They also do a terrific job troubleshooting any issues I have when making updates to the site.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

No, I can’ think of any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of a mid-sized construction company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire efelle creative?

We hired efelle creative to design a website that allowed us to easily expand and contract. Since we work in five states, our markets fluctuate tremendously. We needed a website that we could manage ourselves.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was simple: to build a website that stood out and performed properly in terms of SEO and PPC.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A person we met through Upwork recommended efelle creative.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Since our company is unique, we met with them to describe our business and industry. We came up with design ideas and they offered their suggestions. 

Then we designed the home page. They gave us an image we could scroll through and look at. The process was simple, and they nailed it the first time. Later, we placed content into a spreadsheet. They designed more pages and helped us hone our PPC strategy.

There was still a lot of work to do after we launched the site. However, we can complete tasks like adding service areas and changing content. I love that I control our website. I don't enjoy computer work, but I like trying new marketing tactics and changing the way our site looks.

What was the team composition?

Our account manager led the team through the design process. Once we launched the site, she turned us over to a team member who helped us with PPC and SEO.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Before we hired efelle creative, we spent $20,000-$30,000 on advertising each month. We didn't track that spending well, since about $20,000 went toward traditional print magazines. We've since stopped using those magazines in almost all our markets and cut our monthly advertising cost to $16,000-$18,000.

We haven't seen a dip in sales but have noted an increase in profitability. Our cost per lead has probably halved. The metrics on our PPC campaign are excellent, and far better than what we had achieved before.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow between our teams was good. Since we're a small business, we couldn't dedicate much time to this project. efelle creative gave us time when we needed it. 

They always kept their appointments, responded to feedback, and took our issues seriously. Late on a Friday night, I noticed that our PPC wasn't running. They fixed it that night, not Monday or Tuesday when they got back to the office.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I most enjoyed watching the website come together and seeing how impressive it looks. There were no surprises in the final product because we communicated so much. They have a great team and system. We've tried multiple firms and feel extremely lucky to have found efelle creative. We've told literally everyone about them.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I struggled to fill out the content spreadsheet, but I hate learning new computer tasks.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of Hairball Audio, a pro audio design and manufacturing shop located in Seattle, WA.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire efelle creative?

We hired efelle creative to re-design our website.

What were your goals for this project?

Our overarching objective was to modernize the site’s design and interface while maintaining our existing e-commerce backend.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I conducted an extensive web search and emailed several companies I found through this process. 

Describe the project in detail.

During our first meeting with efelle creative, we reviewed web designs we liked and highlighted features and functions our site needed to include. We met with developers to discuss how we could create a new interface that worked with our e-commerce solution. Our budget was insufficient for a full e-commerce redesign. The team presented us with design mock-ups. After selecting our favorite ones, we made our desired adjustments. We stayed connected with the team throughout the design phase, testing process, and launch.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a wonderful project manager, two designers, and a developer from efelle creative.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Immediately after the launch, our customers indicated that the new site is stunning and effortless to navigate. Internally, we’ve found the platform easy to update and maintain.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team was very responsive and easy to work with, which led to a great workflow.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The staff at efelle creative is full of energy and very creative-minded. No matter what we threw their way, they handled the challenge well and solved it beyond our expectations.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We fell a little off the timeline.