Firefly Agency

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a founder and creative director of Emtisquare, a design studio for a step forward, located in Zagreb, Croatia. I work directly with clients who aspire to achieve custom brand experiences. Most of Emtisquare's projects are focused on strategic visual brand development, and many times through improving UX and UI of the client's digital products or services.

To achieve flawless execution of the design solutions, we need a reliable partner for development who can support us. And we have found one in Firefly Agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Firefly Agency, and what were your goals?

In 2022 we have collaborated with the Firefly Agency on a few projects in the field of custom web development. In this era of internet, web presence and web based services have become more complex and directly dependable on the quality of the web experience. To achieve quality experience, both front-end and back-end side of development need to be aligned with aesthetic and functional requirements of the clients. And to find companies who can do both (and on time) is very hard.

SOLUTION

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

I have found out about Firefly Agency through a verbal recommendation of a mutual acquaintance. After very pleasant initial meeting, my thoughts were: "Wow, this team is really passionate about their job!" To me, the deciding factor for a collaboration with Firefly was clear communication, deep knowledge of the various aspects of coding and programming processes and the fact that all three of the founders of Firefly Agency are specialised coders and programmers with rich previous experience.

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

As collaboration between Firefly Agency and Emtisquare has happened on multiple occasions, I'll sum up the usual flow. Firefly is included from the beginning of the UX design/redesign process as the technical consultant. It is very important for us that the design and the development team are on the same page. We explore and optimise possible solutions and test them through surveys, workshops or sometimes based on a previous experience.

After the UX phase is concluded, Firefly usually starts with preparations for the coding and programming, while UI design is still being ongoing. While developing UI design, technical recommendations from Firefly are always taken into consideration, because usability is a vital part of the user experience and we never "over-design" just for the sake of aesthetics.

After client's confirmation of the UI design, Firefly usually develops gradually, while testing and proofing the design as segments of the projects are done. This saves us time and gives us opportunity to correct things on a more frequent basis. After final testing, adjustments and client approval, projects are deployed. In many cases, collaboration with a client continues with a support, so we can track progress, pain points and analyse overall experience.

Technologies used for the projects are HTML, CSS, Javascript, Wordpress (CMS).

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

I collaborated with 5 people from Firefly Agency; founders and/or project leads.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For the presentation based web projects, the goal was to improve the brand, increase the brand awareness and to attract high-quality leads. For web platforms, the goal was to make more conversions/sales, increasing brand awareness and brand engagement at the same time (supported by the digital marketing and SM campaigns).

Some clients were open to share the general numbers with us and some not so much. But overall client's satisfaction was very positive, which is confirmed through multiple additional collaborations with the same clients.

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

Firefly teams respect every individual person and are very included. They communicated openly and with ease. Email or Slack is the main platforms for communication. Status meetings are quick and efficient. Timeline for every phase of the project is agreed and scheduled in advance. If there are any disruptions in production, they communicate them on time. Everybody respects deadline.

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

In their office everybody (except the guests) wear slipper. It shows how comfortable they are at their workplace and how relaxed their work culture is. They are open to honest feedback, they always have good reasons to support their decisions, and many times they offer solutions that are better than the initial request.

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

No, I don't have any suggestions, as my overall impression of them is really great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the leading director of Lubin; we operate a restaurant and a fish shop.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firefly Agency?

We wanted to target new customers through digital marketing to keep up with technology. We aimed to grow our visibility on Instagram, Facebook, and Google.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Firefly Agency has built a new website for us and supported our digital marketing needs. At the beginning of the project, we provided background information regarding our company and gave them access to our data and website. They discovered that the template for our old website failed to meet security protocols and was causing the site to crash, so they recommended building a new site from scratch. 

Then, we met to discuss the details we wanted to include on the new website, and they built it using custom code and WordPress. Since they built the site using code, we’re able to update the font, color, and pictures ourselves.

Additionally, the team has taken over our digital marketing and social media efforts. They’ve organized photo shoots to take pictures of our menu items for promotional purposes. The team has also captured video content, which they’ve produced into Instagram reels. They’ve also fine-tuned our Instagram and Facebook posts to generate new leads for our restaurant. Now, guests can receive discounts when they share which platform led them to us. 

Furthermore, Firefly Agency has rescued our emails. Our former email provider has pivoted their business focus, so the team has merged our email addresses and transitioned our emails to their server instead.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 2–3 team members, including a leading director. 

How did you come to work with Firefly Agency?

I found Firefly Agency through a referral from a friend.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around €10,000 (approximately $11,000 USD) in the project. The website was €3,000 (approximately $3,200 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2022, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m really satisfied with Firefly Agency’s work. Our visibility has increased on Facebook and Instagram, and users regularly engage with our content and inquire about visiting the restaurant. Additionally, they’ve taken good-quality photos of our menu items.

How did Firefly Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We clicked with Firefly Agency from the beginning, and they’ve been a responsive, flexible partner throughout the project. The team is excellent when it comes to communication, and they’re transparent about their capabilities. They meet deadlines and deliver work under budget, which is great. We typically communicate via phone, WhatsApp, and email and meet virtually.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been impressed with their thought process and approach to the project. They listen to my ideas and anticipate my needs; it’s almost like they can read my mind.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve by upscaling to include more technology and development expertise. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Share as much information as possible so that they can deliver the best possible results. Giving them insight into your thought process and vision will help them deliver a great end result.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My name is Zeljko Martinovic, I hold position of Business development manager in Significo group. For more than 14 years, the Significo Group and its more than 200 employees have been offering business solutions that enable support to a large number of companies from various industries in communication with their own clients and potential customers. The company’s headquarters are located in Zagreb, with offices in Zagreb and Sisak.

The Significo group grew out of a company that has been involved in proactive sales for its customers since its inception. Whether it is proactive sales agents, “door to door” sales, tele-sales, or any other innovative way of selling, our team has always shown ambition to meet the demanding sales goals of our clients. We still do this every day for some of our clients. Our advantages are local support and expertise, speed, and ease of implementation of our solutions and “sales DNA”, which we have nurtured from the very beginning.

Whether it is a need for incoming or outgoing communication, Significo Group and its business solutions cover the needs of customers through the following products: contact centre, sales, marketing campaigns, customer support and CRM, market research, receipt of orders and reservations, user data verification, analytics and reports, and video identification. All products and solutions support all channels of communication with clients, or customer partners: phone, E-mail, chat, Whatsapp, video, social networks, and depending on the need, in several foreign languages.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Firefly Agency, and what were your goals?

A year ago, we started negotiation with company Firefly Agency for the development of our omnichannel Significo 360 platform. The software platform is modern CRM/CMS software solution for management of clients, campaigns, tickets, contacts and knowledge gained with every new project. Part of Firefly service was also integration of the platform with 3CX (phone central) system.

SOLUTION

How did you select Firefly Agency and what were the deciding factors?

After initial business process analyses and definition of programming languages we started to looking a company for hiring. In this process, we sat down with several companies, however Firefly Agency team showed biggest knowledge and understanding about our existing databases. Decision about hiring Firefly, execept SQL impressions, we reinforced with reference checking. In additional they offered very transparent prices and convincing SLA

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

The project was based on an SLA agreement which part was technical specification. Except specification, we spent a lot of time talking with people who will daily use application. There we got a lot of inputs which narrow down a bit our development needs. We used GIRA, GITLAB, and other tools for development following and we organize monthly meetings with app status for Significo management board.

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

Our team has followed members:

• Signfico database expert
• Business development manager (PM - Significo)
• Front end developer (Firefly)
• Back-end developer (Firefly)
• SQL expert (Firefly)
• Project manager (Firefly)
• Management board of Significo
• Other employees of Significo (agents, supervisors, managers)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Very good estimation of hours needed for development
• Highly class design of software
• Impressive search module over the application (totally impressed) - Intuitive application
• Education materials (very easy to understand)
• Availability of Firefly Agency (for even the most smaller detail)

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

We use agile methodology for software development supported by different tools (GIRA, Microsoft teams, GITLAB, continuous integration and many others). Timelines and milestones were led mostly by ensuring quality of software and then speed.

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

The most impressive about this Company is that team members are very good listeners and they precisely capture our development idea.

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

Not at all.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder and CEO of Kod Biro, a software development agency from Zagreb Croatia. We are a small team dedicated to developing products and services for clients all over the world. Lately, we've been focusing on developing our own products in the field of augmented reality.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Firefly?

We've developed the Nautical Information Services mobile application for the Croatian Ministry of the sea. Due to our shifting focus on Augmented Reality technologies we've lacked the resources to support the development of new features for the app. We've known Firefly from earlier business interactions and offered them the opportunity to work on further development.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals for the project were to completely rehaul the UI for both Android and iOS applications, implement additional features on the interactive weather map and generally improve the stability of the app due to be compliant with new devices and OS versions.

SOLUTION

How did you select Firefly?

We've worked with Firefly earlier that year on a couple of smaller projects and we were really satisfied with their performance - quality, timing, and pricing. We did not consider any other agency when we needed help since we were sure they can deliver.

Describe the project in detail.

The client requests were following: - Implement the new UI for the whole app - Improve existing features on the app (such as add download progress for the weather data download) - Implement new features such as a tap on any point of the map to get the localized weather data across multiple weather parameters (temperature, pressure, UV index, wind speed, and direction etc.) - Known bug fixes and platform optimisations Our designer provided the designs but we've all contributed in the feature planning phase. Firefly proved to be very important in this phase due to their vast experience in developing mobile apps. All of this needed to be done on both iOS and Android platforms and they took the responsibility for interpreting the design and implementing it on two different platforms keeping in line with the standard UI/UX rules for each one.

What was the team composition?

They provided both the project managing and development side (for each platform). The only thing we provided was screen designs. We've kept the communication overhead to the minimum by having only one contact from their side which was very helpful since the deadlines were very short.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we do not own the app we do not have access to the internal metrics - downloads, usage etc. However, the clients were very satisfied with the results and are planning even further updates for the app. The one metric we do have access to is the app stability, and after the update the crash-free sessions are well above 99%, compared to the 95% on previous versions. There were several bugs and stability issues due to new OS versions which were handled by Firefly team.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We've communicated with their project manager on a daily basis. We were very well informed on the status of the project which in turn gave us the opportunity to sync expectations with our clients regarding the deadline and features that will be available in the new version. We've used Slack as a main channel of communication as well as in-person meetings for the initial phases.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their responsiveness and ownership of responsibilities were impressive. There were moments when some request were not clear and they made sure to get all the info they needed on time from us and let us know if something is not adequately defined so that we could communicate it with our clients and ask for additional input.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would really have to be nitpicky to find things that could have been done significantly better. But if I must, then there was one situation where in the release candidate version there was one bug which I found out and the team missed. It was a relatively minor thing, it required a deeper knowledge of the app workflow and it occurred only on smaller subset of Android devices. Once I let them know they jumped on it and made sure to figure it out and fix as soon as possible.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company makes cakes, cupcakes, cakesicles and all kind of deserts. I am the owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Firefly Agency, and what were your goals?

Our company didn’t have website so we horde Firefox Agency to design one for us. By doing this, we were hoping to increase our traffic and to reach for the people who don’t use social media such as Instagram and FaceBook.

SOLUTION

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

We’ve got recommendations from a friend for them. After interviewing them, we decided to choose them based on their design skills and cost.

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

We told them which are our wishes and goals and the team delivered wireframes for iur site. After a few iterations, they designed and developed web site.

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

There were 2 developers and designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching our site, traffic increased a lot.

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

We were communicating on daily basis over emails, Whatsapp and phone. There were no delays at all and web site was actually designed and developed before expected.

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

First of all, the web site design is amazing! Second, communication with them was great and they did great job in very short period of time!

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

No, nothing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a company that provides occupational health and safety, fire protection, environmental protection and adult education.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Firefly Agency, and what were your goals?

Our task was to improve our business through the implementation of services through the e-learning platform in adult education and other types of education

SOLUTION

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

We came to the vendor through a word of mouth recommendation, and they additionally confirmed the competences through introductory conversations and understanding, which is essential for achieving the goals.

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

we organized several understanding meetings about the content, appearance and implementation of the platform. They did the rest of the work themselves. We often made changes on the fly that the vendor monitored and implemented in the platform.

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

3 employees from their side and 3 from ours

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

it is still in the measurability phase

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

They are aimed at the goals, we mainly communicated with one person who would lead the entire project

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

They had an excellent goal-oriented team. They solved problems and were open to questions. They do NOT create them.

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

Absolutely not.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Engineering Manager at Choco.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Firefly Agency, and what were your goals?

We hired Firefly to support us in building our app for suppliers. Our goal was to have a lean app for this group of users. The solution needed to be in iOS and Android. Firefly supported us by providing resources for mobile native development.

SOLUTION

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

We had a good relationship with Firefly Agency years ago, and the speed in which they answered us was crucial to close the deal.

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

They helped us build a brand-new app for suppliers. Android and iOS native development were the technologies used. The work was done in a 2-week sprint cycle.

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

1 person. Mobile engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to release some key features with the help of Firefly: broadcast feature, invite link, and address key technical debt.

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

Speed and adaptability

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

All good.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm head of purchase and marketing department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Firefly Agency, and what were your goals?

We hired them to make a web shop for our new premium haircare product Hask.

SOLUTION

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

We chose them based on recommendation and their vision on how the web shop should look and work.

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

We had a meeting where we presented the task and explained what was our goal with the web shop. Firefly made the first design and presented it to us. After we agreed on final look, they began with full implementation.

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

Project manager was the one who was communicating with us. There was no need for any other contact with developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Web shop provided us with a new channel for selling our product and it helped us with pushing new brand to the market. It became almost 10% of our total turnover,+.

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

We communicated by email or phone since there was no need for daily meetings. Timeline and deadlines were as agreed upon.

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

They were very easy to work with, didn't report or concern us with challenges or problems they stumbled on. Did the good job overall.

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

Everything went smoothly, so even if there was something to improve, the final result was more than satisfying.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of Be skilled company. I design learning experiences for individuals and professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Firefly Agency, and what were your goals?

I needed a website and they have helped me with that. They have put all of my wishes to life.

SOLUTION

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

I needed someone who would understand what I want to do, who will be responsible and organized. I have found all of that in Firefly agency.

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

I needed to choose the name, the domain, create all of the designs, write texts for the web page, upload all photos and articles written. and we only had few months to do it.

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

Only 1 person - he was a web developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I would choose them again. They have proven that they are responsible, they are there for their client, they do their best to help their client in any way they can.

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

We have used e-mail, slack, and phone to communicate.

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

Their devotion to their client is the most impressive thing about them.

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

We did it over a year ago, and I am still very happy with the way they have taken care of me.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CEO of Pacio Core Ltd based in Saint Lucia. We are developing Triple Entry Accounting and associated management systems using Distributed Ledger Technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Firefly Agency, and what were your goals?

Mobile app development

SOLUTION

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

Online and location as we had people based in Austria. Close.

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

Too much!

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

• Android developer
• iOS developer
• UI/UX Designer (We retained use of the designer for another year after the Smartlike project ended to work on another project.)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Unfortunately, we stopped this particular project because of covid changes. Not FirFly's fault.

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

Firefly fitted in with the tools we used - Slack and Assassin

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

We appreciated their flexibility and willingness to adjust.

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

Faults, if any, were on our side re management.