Elevation

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive Director of Just One More Foundation

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A non-profit foundation focused on giving second chances.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Elevation to accomplish?

• Design a website from scratch
• Code the new website
• Train the staff

SOLUTION

How did you find Elevation?

Online Search

Why did you select Elevation over others?

• High ratings
• Company values aligned
• nonprofit web experience

How many teammates from Elevation were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Elevation had took on the challenge of designing and developing a new website from scratch for a new nonprofit with a unique mission: giving grants for second chances. We had very few ideas of the look of the website. Elevation helped us figure that out and delivered on our unique functionality requests. They also did this in half the time they usually allot for a new website project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered a website design beyond what we could have imagined ourselves. They beat the ambitious deadline, delivering the website a week early.

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

Project manager Pablo Rosas was the secret sauce who kept us and this project moving forward through our ambitious timeline somehow making it possible that they delivered a week early at Christmas time.

What was your primary form of communication with Elevation?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We love that they understand the nonprofit world and needs. They seemed to gather the best of the best employees and made them available no matter where they lived in the world.

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

The price point is high compared to other website design options out there. That might be an impediment for some nonprofits to work with them. That being said, we feel Elevation completely delivered on value. The two months of support post-delivery were very much appreciated. It would be nice to have one more month that could be cashed in at a later date, since it takes a minute or two to really use a new website and check out all the functionality.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the coordinator of community and coalition initiatives for a government initiative. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Elevation?

We were creating a workshop for a project we were working on. After gathering input from actual people through focus groups, we concluded that creating a website for easy access to information would be the most effective approach. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Elevation provided end-to-end services, including designing the user interface, creating wireframes, and managing the entire process from pre-production to launch using WordPress. We chose WordPress because our team members with web development knowledge were already familiar with it, making it an easy choice.

The Elevation team clarified the terminology and created a timeline based on our funding. They started from scratch, ensuring that we understood everything. They also gave us some benchmarks regarding what we needed to do to move the process forward.

With the help of the project manager at Elevation, we identified what we didn't want, and determined the appropriate color scheme and text style for our project.

The team at Elevation provided recommendations and listened to our input. They were responsive and were good at making suggestions based on their experience, some of which we took to heart because that isn't our scope of work. They made some suggestions that we weren't interested in, but overall, it was a productive exchange from my point of view.

Based on the overall vision and design of the web page, we knew that much of the information would be static and wouldn't require a lot of updating. The website had some specific content related to our state. Still, as we were developing the project, we knew that there was a potential for it to go national, or at least have potential national implications and impact. 

We asked that Elevation design the website so that we could quickly pivot from resources for one state to information on all 50 states. At the very end, when we were getting ready to launch, they walked us through how to add those drop-down views and the other 49 states.

We entered into a maintenance contract with them for three months, and everything went smoothly. There were a few minor bugs, but nothing significant. Furthermore, we had another two-month contract with them for a discreet add-on. During this time, we sought their guidance in determining the best design.

What is the team composition?

Agustin (Project Manager Team Lead) was our main point of contact. Additionally, we interfaced with 2–3 other people with design specialties. Some additional people worked on our project. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

As our group's primary point of contact and a facilitator, I frequently interacted with Agustin during the project. From my experience, he was always responsive and willing to assist with any inquiries. He was very patient with us and good at explaining different options in a way that made sense and allowed the project to proceed. 

How did you come to work with Elevation?

Our project manager aided us in selecting web developers by narrowing down our options, and we conducted interviews to make our final decision. Based on our vision of the website and the interview, we chose Elevation.  

How much have you invested in them?

We spent between $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement lasted from March 2021–April 2022. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've been using Google Analytics, and they helped us think through that aspect. Some folks on our internal team have developed a marketing campaign. We aren't getting the traffic we hoped, but we aren't surprised because we don't have the funds for marketing campaigns. Our ability to promote this relies on our network of connections, as we don't have a specific budget for advertising. 

We have been analyzing bounce rates, duration of stay, video views, and specific pages visited by our website visitors. We have been using this information to refine our content or marketing strategy as much as possible.

How did Elevation perform from a project management standpoint?

They used Basecamp for project management. From the start, they created a timeline and consistently provided updates on our progress along the timeline. They also informed us whenever we were falling behind, which proved to be helpful.

The people handling this work on our team had other responsibilities, and sometimes they fell behind; any delays were due to our team. The Elevation team was consistently punctual with their obligations. I can't recall a time when Elevation failed to fulfill a commitment.

Our internal work group had a standing meeting every Friday, and we invited Agustin to that when we first executed the contract with Elevation. Due to financial reasons, we quickly decided only to ask Elevation into our calls if necessary. Most of the coordination took place through either Basecamp or email communication.

The Elevation team preferred to have only one or two designated points of contact, which is understandable since communicating with 15 team members can be difficult. I was the primary decision maker; I had to approve various project elements. We clearly defined the process and knew the rules of engagement, which made the project smoother. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We have a website that we all feel good about. The Elevation team guided us on how to use WordPress, enabling us to perform updates independently. We wanted a website that was sustainable and adaptable to growth, and they provided us with the necessary resources.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything that Elevation needs to improve on. Some team members on our side were frustrated by Basecamp as a resource, but that wasn't my experience, as I was comfortable using it. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Our team found it beneficial to identify our strengths and weaknesses. In this case, we needed them to guide us into asking the right questions to help realize our vision of designing the website. 

When hiring someone for website design, it is important to trust their experience and guidance throughout the process. Allow them to do their job. Conflicts can occur if there are team members who have strong personalities and tend to micromanage.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Information Coordinator of Bolsa Chica Conservancy

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Bolsa Chica Conservancy is a private, non-profit organization, providing services that connect through community involvement and leadership in hands-on restoration and education in wetland science, watersheds, coastal ecology and environmental sustainability.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Elevation to accomplish?

• To develop a new website for our non-profit

SOLUTION

How did you find Elevation?

Online Search

Why did you select Elevation over others?

Referred to me

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

Developed a brand new WordPress website for the conservancy. Connected our email and additional service applications to it. Provide technical service for our website and provide updates. Established various webpages and web page templates for us to use with our new platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Establishment of webpages and content management for the website. Each feature and component for the website was monitored in a series of checklist steps, and each week we would have a check in between our team at the conservancy and Elevation to determine progress and needs.

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

Elevation delivered each of their items on the expected timeframe that was delivered to us, and are quick to respond to acknowledge changes in our needs and address any difficulties encountered during development.

What was your primary form of communication with Elevation?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Each member of the Elevation team was pleasant to work with. They listen well, ask appropriate questions to understand your needs, and are accommodating when requesting assistance from them

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

When a setback or issue is encountered, the agent that works with you is an excellent communicator, but there can be delays in getting the full scope of the situation as the technical team at Elevation isn't always part of the conversation with the client when these are encountered.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chair of Texas Gulf Coast Regional VOAD

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Texas Gulf Coast Regional Voluntary Organizations in Disaster (TGCRVOAD) assists voluntary organizations and non-profit groups, helping them effectively communicate, coordinate, cooperate, and collaborate in responding to natural and man-made disasters across the 13 counties of the Houston-Galveston Area Council.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Elevation to accomplish?

• Create a public facing website
• Create a members only security
• Create a Member Directory

SOLUTION

How did you find Elevation?

NVOAD website

Why did you select Elevation over others?

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

How many teammates from Elevation were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

We needed to create a WordPress website with public-facing pages and a secure members-only section. The security in the members-only area allowed authorized members to update their directory information and publish blog posts.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received our project on time and within our budget, and it met all of our expectations. The website we created was a major step forward for our organization, and although it was a lengthy process, we never felt neglected.

Elevation was very understanding while we were trying to resolve design issues, and they remained engaged when we encountered difficult obstacles. We felt they were fully committed to completing the project in a manner that would truly make a difference. We appreciate your dedication and hard work.

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

Project Management was excellent. They were very understanding while we were trying to resolve design issues, and they remained engaged when we encountered difficult obstacles. We felt they were fully committed to completing the project in a manner that would truly make a difference.

What was your primary form of communication with Elevation?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The project team's breadth of skills and professionalism are impressive.

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

No suggestions

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Amigos de Gunsaulus

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Amigos de Gunsaulus (ADG) promotes community engagement and support Gunsaulus Scholastic Academy parents, teachers, students and their families, administrators, and staff.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Elevation to accomplish?

• Design our Website
• Better accesibility
• Fundraising

SOLUTION

How did you find Elevation?

Online Search

Why did you select Elevation over others?

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

How many teammates from Elevation were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Timeline
• Communications plan
• UX Questionnaire
• User Personas and site map
• site design
• components and development
• Beta Link revisions and launching

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Page Views.
• Average Time on Page.
• Traffic Sources.
• Social Referrals.
• New Visitor Sessions.

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

The project was handled with care in a timely manner especially because it was designed based on our needs as organization and timeline. Elevation delivered the project in a timely manner because most of the time it was our members who needed more time to complete all their requests.

What was your primary form of communication with Elevation?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Elevation, especially our project manager, Agustin, was very knowledgeable, patient, very professional, sympathetic, and a very understanding person because no one in our team had zero experience with designing a website or how to respond to requests.

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

In our personal opinion, none. We had a fantastic experience; everything was better than what we anticipated.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Vice President & Research Director of Bureau of Governmental Research

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) is a private, nonprofit, independent research organization dedicated to informed public policy making and the effective use of public resources for the improvement of government in the New Orleans metropolitan area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Elevation to accomplish?

• Website redesign and support
• SEM/Google Ad Grant management

SOLUTION

How did you find Elevation?

Online Search

Why did you select Elevation over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

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

Elevation assisted us with a complete redesign of our website, which we launched in 2018. They have continued to provide monthly support and updates to the website. Elevation also assisted BGR with obtaining and maintaining a Google Ad Grant for our nonprofit organization.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website gives us significant flexibility, is mobile-responsive and has an attractive user interface. Our website traffic has increased. Elevation's work to maintain the Google Ad Grant has been successful and helped to increase website traffic.

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

Elevation is very responsive to email questions to their website support team, and our virtual meetings on SEM help with planning our website content.

What was your primary form of communication with Elevation?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The staff is very helpful in finding solutions, large and small, to help us get the most out of our website and engage more users.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive Director of Prevention Network

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Prevention Network is a nonprofit that provides resources, training, and technical assistance to support substance misuse prevention activities across Michigan.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Elevation to accomplish?

• Design a website to meet the needs of our organization

SOLUTION

How did you find Elevation?

Online Search

Why did you select Elevation over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Elevation were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Pablo and the team at elevation reviewed the current website, took time to understand our users and the needs/capabilities of the website, and built a custom site with features such as a searchable resource library, a map of other coalitions across the State, and a chat forum.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A UX report was created and presented to the organization and a website was built based on the functionality needs and UX report.

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

The entire team was very organized and had clear communication of timelines, needs, and workload throughout the process, making this a great experience. If items were not going to be delivered by the original deadline, this was communicated well in advance, along with the expectation of us throughout the process.

We used a Gnatt Chart to stay organized with tasks and Elevation was always quick to respond to any message in Basecamp. They have their process well planned and organized, making everything really clear.

What was your primary form of communication with Elevation?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I appreciated their shared values of creating a website that reflected the needs and backgrounds of our communities. I also appreciated the clear and constant communication. I always knew what was going on and felt like I didn't need to keep track of the progress - they were doing that for me. Lastly, I appreciated working with Pablo for everything, as that was much easier to manage than reaching out and working with everyone at once.

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

No, I loved working with Elevation and have recommended them to others and continue to work with them on other projects.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Communications & Media Relations of Identity Theft Resource Center

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The ITRC is a non-profit organization established to minimize risk and mitigate the impact of identity compromise.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Elevation to accomplish?

• Revamp and increase performance of our Google Ads Campaign

SOLUTION

How did you find Elevation?

An old employee found them and I cannot remember how

Why did you select Elevation over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Elevation were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

This project was to completely revamp our Google Ads camping. Our goal was to increase clicks, click-through-rates, impressions, etc. We wanted to properly use Google Ads and our Google Ads grant to get us as much exposure as possible. We also wanted to update the optimization and content in the campaign.

It was out-of-date when Elevation took over and they re-optimized the campaign and updated it with our new and up-to-date content. Now, we have a campaign that is performing at its max capacity, up-to-date, promoting our services properly, and is being maintained monthly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our stats. If you look at our performance, it is so much better now than in the past. Our stats are not just higher, they are more consistent as well. Now, we work to try and maintain those stats while keeping it up-to-date.

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

We meet monthly or quarterly. They also send us monthly updates on how the campaign is performing. I send them updated content to add to the campaign.

What was your primary form of communication with Elevation?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They've delivered what they promised us!

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

We have had a few billing issues in the past. However, I think that was more miscommunication than anything. We have resolved all of that. We are very happy with what Elevation has done for the ITRC.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a department director of a non-profit company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a nonprofit that works for LGBTQ justice in the United Methodist Church.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Elevation to accomplish?

• Redesign website
• Update navigation
• House new resources

SOLUTION

How did you find Elevation?

Online Search

Why did you select Elevation over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Elevation were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Elevation provided complete website redesign services to our nonprofit. They also continue to work with us on website troubleshooting, search engine optimization, our nonprofit Google analytics Grant, and website design tweaks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Elevation presented a completely redesigned website for us. The product was modern, clean, and a marked improvement from the website we had been using. In addition, they are knowledgeable Google analytics team helps us to maintain our nonprofit grant and increase web traffic to our website month after month.

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

Although I do wish that we were able to more clearly deliberate design drafts, the rest of their project management process was seamless. I appreciated having a roadmap before we began. We still have a couple of plug-in and third party integration issues we are trying to solve together, but I am overall happy with their responsiveness.

What was your primary form of communication with Elevation?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I appreciated that elevation was a good cultural and values fit for our justice seeking organization.

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

I would have liked a different process by which review the beta version of the website before it goes live. There were intricate details that needed to be fixed before we launched, and that I could not have foreseen needing to fix. We therefore had to fix them with Elevation after the launch, which utilized some of our service hours we had purchased from Elevation.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Donor Engagement and Communications of a youth development nonprofit.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Youth development nonprofit offering afterschool academic enrichment and social-emotional skill-building for middle school students.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Elevation to accomplish?

• Update website design and structure for better navigation and user experience
• Increase conversions (donations, enrollments, volunteer applications)
• Increase site traffic

SOLUTION

How did you find Elevation?

Online Search

Why did you select Elevation over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Elevation were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Update website design and structure for better navigation and user experience.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

TBD, site has recently launched so the metrics are still being tracked. 

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

Items were delivered on time and the team was very thorough, organized, and communicative.

What was your primary form of communication with Elevation?

Email or Messaging App

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

They had a very clear and transparent à la carte pricing structure, and we appreciated that they specialized in nonprofits. 

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

More virtual check ins throughout the process would be helpful.