efelle creative

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and CEO of MRJ Constructors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with efelle creative?

We needed website development services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we had a kickoff meeting to go through our goals. They’d provided a list of questions ahead of time and we shared our answers. Then, efelle creative the phases of website development, including going through our approval process. After they provided the structure of the site, we shared and uploaded our information together.

The whole process started from scratch. We looked at focus areas to base the website on. efelle creative then expanded on each of these bullet points.

Design was a small part of their portfolio as well. We provided came from us but they inserted those in the shell they built. For the overall design, we provided requests and they allowed us to choose from a series of options.

Currently, their team provides maintenance for us and cloud hosting.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 4–5 people: a project manager, a programmer a creative resource, and more.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $20,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since May 2019. The development took around six months, and now they’re providing maintenance and hosting.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone is pretty complimentary about how the site looks and is set up. In terms of metrics, we don’t get work from our website; its purpose is to show our potential clients what work we do.

One great aspect is that the site allows us to organize and sort our projects. People who want to build a car dealership aren’t going to look at a self-storage facility we built.

Overall, efelle creative met or exceeded all our expectations.

How did efelle creative perform from a project management standpoint?

It was all good. If we were behind, it was because we weren’t quick enough in making a decision. They adhered to the schedule and did a good job. The way they’re structured, they’ve had a lot of changes in their project management, which made it difficult to figure out who to talk to next.

We communicated mostly over Zoom meetings. efelle had a program set up where we could review their work and provide additional information. This way we didn’t have to call them up every time, which improves coordination and prevents tasks from being dropped.

What did you find most impressive about them?

efelle creative is extremely original. Their experience working with other construction companies also stands out.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Have one project manager who’s involved from start to finish. Additionally, having more verbal communication over the phone would provide more personality than solely conversing through a program does.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Put some thought into what you want to accomplish because that’s the first question they’re going to ask. They truly use that information to develop your site.

I don’t have any other specific advice, as they did a great job.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the COO at an Executive Recruitment and talent advisory firm based in Atlanta.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were starting a new company from scratch and needed a logo and website to reflect our innovative and modern approach to the search industry. We also used efelle to create brand materials such as Word and PowerPoint templates, business cards, and they also provided the web hosting post launch.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We interviewed several web designers, many of whom were based internationally. We liked the process, creativity and accolades of efelle as well as our sales rep.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After discovery meetings where we mapped out the site plan, we worked through various logo designs and design templates. Then we moved into the homepage composition, before moving into the subpage composition. We wanted a website which was easy to navigate and had some elements of fun animation to bring the content to life. Finally, we worked together on the copywriting in tandem to the web development before concluding with the design / functionality testing.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with at least 6 people throughout the process including an initial sales rep who was available post sale, a project manager, the design professional, the brand story individual, the copywriter and I'm probably missing one or two!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The process directed by efelle kept the project moving despite many revisions. The team was very patient with multiple rounds of feedback and tweaks to the site.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The whole efelle team was easy to communicate with and very responsive, including to constructive criticism. We conducted all of our meetings over video conferences.

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

The team was very patient and thoughtful while listening to our feedback to create an outstanding product.

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

The only critique is that after 6 months into the project (and multiple iterations on our end) there was a time lapse which put the launch further behind schedule than anticipated. We were unaware that the delay in that section would result in a delay in launch which was still several months away.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the marketing director for a mid-size regional architecture firm that serves Washington and Oregon states.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire efelle creative, and what were your goals?

We hired efelle creative to design and create our firm's new website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We researched service providers on a national basis and identified six firms to whom we sent an invitation to propose on this project. We received two proposals from out-of-area firms and three from local firms, and conducted an in-person interview meeting with the top two proposing firms, of which efelle creative was one.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had an initial meeting with efelle's team to discuss our vision for the website and what we felt it should include. Their team, comprised of our assigned project manager and designers met with our in-house project committee virtually to present initial site design and architecture concepts. Based on feedback received, they presented a refined design reflecting our input, and upon approval, moved forward with the site build.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

On the front end, we coordinated with efelle's marketing director, and then project manager, two designers, a technical training coordinator who walked us through the process for compiling content, and another technical coordinator who gave us a virtual tutorial of the site's content management system.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We've only had the new site up for one week, so have no measurable results. That said, staff and industry colleague response to the new look and functionality has been uniformly positive.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Efelle was a terrific project partner at every stage of development, design, and technical delivery. Our project manager was a fantastic communicator who kept us apprised of progress during the build and gave us advance notice for horizon milestones and needs.

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

Every person with whom we worked at efelle, including administrative, technical, design and project management was friendly, professional, exceptionally competent and obviously committed to delivering great customer service and a positive client experience.

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

No. Even in addressing the minor post-launch issues, the efelle team maintained responsiveness and follow-through, and we can tell that we'll be able to count on them moving forward if anything we can't address on our own should ever present.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Marketing Manager for CK Worldwide the leading manufacturer of TIG welding torches and accessories in the world. My day to day tasks involve communicating and developing a cohesive brand identity and image that matches our business philosophy, while promoting engaging content that is relevant to our industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire efelle creative, and what were your goals?

We hired Efelle Creative to take over the redesign of our webpage, which had not been done for over 15 years. Though there had been updates to the site in the past 5 years, the platform used was becoming archaic and not user friendly. Looking to update the look, feel, as well as responsiveness of the site we interviewed few different companies to finally land with Efelle. We really wanted something that would take the industry by storm and provide an aesthetic that was pleasing, yet highly functional.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We selected Efelle based upon reviews, pricing, and overall attitude of the key managers and individuals involved in the process. From day one we were treated as a valuable asset with extreme focus on our desires as a company and as a customer. The overall experience started off on a great note with quick communication and follow-up concerning our needs.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

This project started with a kick-off meeting to discuss goals, and look at various websites that we liked that may contain a similar framework to what we were considering. Moving forward with a chosen design we were then shown a design mock-up of what the site should look and function like while working on providing the actual sitemap of how things will be organized.

From there we continued to provide image, text, and other data to start populating the site. After the majority of that was complete the site was ready to use on the backend where we started to tweak certain aspects and continue to enter data. This lengthy process eventually came to fruition and we launched a little over a year later.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

The first contact and fantastic individual we met with was Jason Shindler, Digital Strategist, whom helped to define our goals. He helped intermittently along the way and even provided SEO assistance and quotation to help further our project down the tracks. Sara Feldman, Project Manager, helped coordinate the presentation and kickoff of the project when we did our on-site visit eventually passing off to Miranda Towler, Account Manager, to run the show.

Miranda really helped with everything and anything under the sun to help us meet our requirements in a quick and timely fashion. She provided great assistance and was very willing to always figure out an issue no matter how difficult, and no matter how long it took us to get her an answer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Customers, partners, and employees truly love the new look and feel to the site. It provides an easy to use format, while also being aesthetically pleasing. We have yet to see a huge increase in traffic, but are working to include other elements into our marketing plan that should engage people onto the site further.

Overall the site matches the rest of our branding elements now with a strong platform to move forward with in the next few years while being able to add new elements such as videos and blog posts to help drive up engagement.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Communication about all aspects of the project were facilitated using Basecamp, phone calls, and video meetings. There was never a gap in communication and all items were addressed in a very timely and consistent manner.

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

Efelle provides a quality customer service experience from the start to finish. What was unique was that every little thing that needed to be done to keep us on track was generally complete within a weeks time or less. Most of the time their team was waiting on us, rather than the other way around. Nothing makes creating a new site easier than consistent, quality communication and willingness to see our perspective on what needed to be done. There were very few added costs for the amount of changes we implemented during the building process.

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

Honestly I think the Efelle team did a stand-up job and I would gladly recommend, or work with them on another project again.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a simulated shooting range business. The targets are animated as they come towards you.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with efelle creative?

We needed help building a website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our website from the ground up. They asked us who our target customer is, how we wanted the look, feel, and design to be. Then, they had a copywriter create all of the content. It was a very collaborative process. The team also worked on our site’s SEO, including keyword research.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four people from their team, including a lead project manager.

How did you come to work with efelle creative?

I did research on web developers in the Seattle area, and efelle had a lot of good customer feedback. All the websites they created looked engaging and interesting. They seemed like the right way to go.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $75,000–$80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2019, and we launched an initial landing page in January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because of COVID-19, we haven’t been able to go live. That being said, they have very good SEO managers that are effective at getting our name ranked highly for the right keywords.

How did efelle creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They were fantastic. If anything, they pushed me to keep everything on track. We managed the project via BaseCamp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of service stands out. Every person that I dealt with throughout the process was fantastic, congenial, accommodating, and attentive. The whole team is at the top of their game.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I didn’t have a single thing I could complain about.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to be prepared with a good business plan, so they can really understand what your needs are.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former COO for Human Incorporated, a consumer electronics company that produces a set of next-generation headphones.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with efelle creative?

We were launching a new product, so we needed to set up a new e-commerce site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team set up our CMS, building the entire backend. They also worked with us to establish a partnership with BigCommerce. We worked with them through the site's launch, which included refreshing, replicating the site for different domains, and making sure the site worked with different payment options.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four people regularly.

How did you come to work with efelle creative?

Our marketing team found them.

How much have you invested with them?

We probably paid them around $100,000, not including the services they connected us with.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with efelle creative in early 2018. They’re still working closely with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team at efelle creative was involved in all aspects of the engagement. Our marketing team is full of experienced people that are used to working with sophisticated agencies. We also had newer people on the team. Their team was able to work with all types of people. They filled in any gaps.

How did efelle creative perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they were excellent. Their team did whatever needed to be done, including working on the weekends. We corresponded through a lot of emails and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team at efelle creative knew a lot of concepts that we didn’t. They work with their clients to make them stronger. Their entire team is comfortable to work with and extremely transparent. It was a refreshing engagement.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I strongly encourage working with them. They’re flexible and bring value. They also work well with other vendors.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work as a general manager handling day-to-day business operations at Charismatico an online clothing and costume retail store focusing on providing handmade custom stage wear for many types of performers including Latin dancewear, burlesque, cabaret, and drag queen outfits. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire efelle creative, and what were your goals?

We hired efelle after a month long vetting process comparing them to other AdWord agencies. We were looking for a company that could help us refine our Google AdWords campaigns to more effectively market to our US customers by growing a campaign that more concisely reaches our target demographic as well as help us reach potential new customers.

SOLUTION

How did you select efelle creative and what were the deciding factors?

We compared their proposal with other proposals we received. While scope of work for this type of work tends to be similar, what we appreciated about effelle was their creativity and honesty in our interviews prior to contracting with them.

We appreciated that they were willing to be creative in their approach to our particular niche and the personal/human touch they brought to the table rather than a cookie cutter solution we had received from some other companies.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

The project scope was to create Google AdWords campaigns that would yield good ROI while also helping us reach our target customers with lower ad spends while also exploring new potential customers niches that would help us grow our business. We also tested Google Shopping campaigns to determine it's viability as a new ad budget to drive sales.

Deliverable's were growth in sales and an adequate ROI from the marketing ad budget. Ultimately the goal is to grow our business with our existing customer niche's while also exploring potential new customer bases.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We had two primary project managers that we dealt with on a more regular basis. The sales manager helped in pitching us and onboarding us. He was very honest and easy to communicate with.

We never had the impression that he was just trying to sell us (bait and switch) but was honestly interested in helping us solve a need. Our project/account manager helped us interface with the technical team and was always active when we had questions or concepts.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We started to seeing positive results by the third month of our contract as effelle continued to hone and fine tune our campaigns.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

The team used Basecamp for day to day communications to keep everyone in the loop on any questions or concerns raised and as a place to keep people updated with any new information as necessary.

Apart from that we had a monthly conference call (as we are in different geographical locations) to go over the performance of the campaigns and review new plans. Their style is friendly, straight forward, and pragmatic. I appreciate their straight forward communication style and honesty.

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

Google AdWords is a highly technical exercise that is very mechanical. I appreciate effelles human touch to working with this type of information and I appreciate that they don't treat you like a number in corporate customer roster. They are personal and personable in their communication with you and honest.

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

Not that I can think of at this time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an early stage company that is making medical equipment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with efelle creative?

Our team needed help with ground-up design work for our website and creative assets as we got the company up and running.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project started with the development of some original design concepts and a discussion of how to best relay our messaging through the design, colors, and graphics that we chose. From there, they also helped us with web development, hosting, and SEO, including both front- and backend and all of the features included such as CTAs, calculators, and other interactive pieces.

What is the team composition?

We had a project manager, a creative director, and about four other members of their team interacting directly with us, as well as several others who were responsible for the programming work behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with efelle creative?

They came up on a search that we ran because of Clutch, and we were impressed with their reviews and the previous experience they had so we decided to move forward from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $25,000–$30,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project probably ran from around August­–December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We pay close attention to our Google Analytics suite to measure things like cart abandonment, stickiness, and other typical metrics that you want in a successful website. We’ve been very pleased with the results that we’ve seen as a result of their work for us.

We’ve received a lot of compliments about the design and usability of the site too, which we largely attribute to their willingness to collaborate on the entire project. They took all of our input and feedback and were easy to work with, while still being creative and providing their expertise where it was needed.

How did efelle creative perform from a project management standpoint?

Rebecca (Account Manager) is one of the best project managers I’ve worked with across any type of project I’ve ever been a part of. She really was exceptionally organized, proactive, and responsive to all of our messages and requests. We used Basecamp to keep track of the deliverables, and everything progressed almost seamlessly throughout the work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The value of their ability to deliver a high-quality product both on budget and on time cannot be understated. The process was flawless from start to finish.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I had a positive experience all around.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take the time to make sure that you and the project manager are a good fit and will work well together. As long as you have that piece of the puzzle, you’re going to have a great experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the marketing director of a boating accessory manufacturer. We manufacture and design wakeboard towers and accessories.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our e-commerce website was difficult to update and crashed constantly, and our conversion rate was dropping, which hurt sales. We brought efelle creative on to design and develop a new e-commerce site with additional functionality.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to migrate several years of customization we’d done on our old site to a new platform, while also adding complex new features. This would enable us to showcase customers' boats by make, model, and product, and let people upload their own stories (that we could tag our products in). We also wanted to improve traffic through SEO and PPC and increase our conversion rates and average order value.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed six agencies from all over the country and were most impressed with efelle creative. They cost half as much as a New York agency we were considering and provided original ideas before we even started paying them. While other companies seemed to be satisfied with building us a standard, pretty website, efelle understood that we wanted a beautiful site that would also grow our business. They asked questions that no other agency thought of and looked at two years of business data before charging us anything. Two of the ideas they shared were so good we implemented them right away. In the end, they were the most qualified, energetic, and affordable.

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

They began by distributing a survey to build our target persona and demographic models. Afterward, they laid out their process, and we discussed our expectations and timeline. Their web work involved developing a sitemap and content suggestions (since we opted to do our own copywriting). They also undertook significant competitor research, the insights from which we incorporated into our design, along with the survey answers. We then chose from multiple design styles and examples.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, a digital marketing strategist, a content director, an SEO resource, two designers, and two developers. The company has around 40 people, but we selected our team based on their experience and interests.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our sales were up 27% the first week the site launched. Our bounce rate dropped considerably and our conversion rate nearly doubled. The site paid for itself in under three months, partly because efelle developed ingenious product bundles. Customers can earn a larger discount while adding additional options to their products in real time. This has increased our average order value tremendously.

They also built an interactive image gallery to showcase our products, which has had a positive impact on our organic SEO around make and model terms. It’s also added a personal touch to the site and helped us connect with our customers.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We had weekly meetings, and I received online updates throughout the entire process. We used Basecamp to keep our team updated and share the visuals while they were being created. Also, they provided a development version of the site we could play with as it was being built.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Everything about this company is impressive, from the attention they gave us on the first call to the gift we received after launching the project. These people love what they do and love helping their clients. We’ve worked with two other agencies before and the difference between them and efelle creative is starker than night and day. We enjoyed them so much we hired them for two more projects.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I can’t find a single thing to complain about.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the business broker for Union Bay Group, a sustainable corporate catering and lunchbox delivery service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We entered the market and had to compete with established industry leaders. We needed branding and SEO services, as well as an easy online ordering solution.

What were your goals for this project?

Our small startup needed a significant online presence. We wanted to rank first for the terms “Seattle lunch delivery” and “Seattle lunch box.”

SOLUTION

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

The team designed the brand visuals to reflect Union Bay Group’s status as a woman-owned company. They also redid our online ordering system to make the experience more efficient for administrative staff—our target audience. We used the backend reporting system for managing marketing, sales, operations, and accounts receivables.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and a technical lead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We quickly ranked in the top Google search results. We’re now a staple provider for several well-known corporations in the Northwest.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The team was creative and turned some stressful moments into laughter and solutions. They worked well with our other vendors and previous web developer to achieve a timely launch.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team is responsive, smart, creative, passionate, and committed. They are also hilarious.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

No company is perfect, but efelle creative works through every problem to ensure amazing results. I’ve done two different websites with them and have referred clients to the vendor since 2007.