Grad Agency

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of a startup in Stockholm. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Grad Agency?

I hired Grad Agency to develop a customized WordPress theme and website. 

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to receive a WordPress website of best quality in terms of design accuracy, security, and loading speed. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I initiated contact with several agencies. They were the most flexible in terms of timing, scope, communication, and perceived quality. 

Describe the scope of their work in detail. 

Grad Agency developed a WordPress website with several customized implementations. 

What was the team composition?

I was in touch with a project manager and developer. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

No clear sales or KPIs have been gathered yet. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their project management style was great. They had a clear team structure. It was easy to get in touch with the project manager through Slack. In order to discuss different tasks, we used Trello, which I prefer to other platforms. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Grad Agency produces excellent deliverables, meeting the requirements. They ensure end users are pleased with their products. Their team handles work professionally, overseeing the specifications well. Grad Agency also provides good advice with regards to the technology choices and project management. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

None of what I can think of. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner and founder of Artlab Studio, a boutique digital creative agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Grad Agency?

Our website—a custom WordPress theme built from scratch based on our original designs—was full of bugs in its CSS and JavaScript code. It was not responsive and often broke on different devices and screen resolutions. We needed someone to step in and take over development to fix hundreds of bugs

What were your goals for this project?

The website serves as a portfolio for our creative agency. We needed it to look pixel perfect and to be responsive to all modern browsers and devices. We wanted it to match our original mockups, complete with micro-interactions, CSS animations, and interactive feedback.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We led an extensive window-shopping period and considered many applicants. After searching on freelancer sites, we came to Clutch to find vendors with extensive experience in similar projects and with high-quality workmanship. The project already took two cycles of bug repairing with two different freelancers, so we wanted to consider vendors more carefully this time. We also wanted an excellent communicator. We found Denis (CTO & Co-Founder, Grad Agency) highly responsive, patient, and fluent in our initial conversations, which reassured us. The team also came recommended by a local client who found the team to be reliable and professional.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Grad Agency addressed about 200–300 bugs on our site. Some bugs required rewriting long chunks of code and some development from scratch. The project involved multiple QA cycles and testing the site on various devices, browsers, and screen sizes.

What was the team composition?

Denis personally managed and supervised the project. Yuri (Front-End Developer, Grad Agency) served as the developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Grad Agency addressed every bug on our list. The website is now finally fixed and operational. It currently serves as our agency’s storefront, which is a huge milestone. We’re thrilled with Grad Agency’s work. They excelled at testing their work and making sure each part works well in everyday use and extreme cases.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Denis ran an outstanding project. Attentive and available, he ensured that their work met our standards and requirements. If any issues arose, he was quick to ask Yuri for solutions or offer them himself. He led intense brainstorming sessions to solve tough bugs until we fixed them all.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Grad Agency was highly responsive, available, and hardworking. The team had a positive and personable attitude that made collaboration easy and seamless. Their work also demonstrated top-notch quality and professionalism. Grad Agency delivered clear value for our investment.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we had a wonderful experience working with Grad Agency. We’re entirely satisfied with their work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of Perfect Partners, an export and import consultancy for Middle Eastern and African markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Grad Agency?

I needed help developing a website so more people would know about my services.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted a website where people can view information about my company, read recent news, and view the latest photos. I also wanted users to be able to submit a form for service.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended to me by a friend.

Describe the project in detail.

Grad Agency started with UX design. They came up with the idea that our website should be a landing page with a second-page gallery, where people can see the latest photos of our products. Then their team designed the mockups and a logo. They spent a week developing my website in 4 languages. They also designed my business cards and letterhead.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a project manager, designer, and developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

More people have started to recognize my brand, so I have more leads for my products.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was pretty flawless. I liked their first design, so there wasn’t any need for revisions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their speed was impressive. Their team was so involved in the product. They really thought about what would be best for my business and how to gain more leads.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don’t think so. I liked everything they did.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

WARD is a digital artist who creates original, one-time installations. He's a client of our marketing agency, Get Seen Now.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Grad Agency?

We wanted a slick, elegant website to showcase our client's art.

What were your goals for this project?

The website needed arresting parallax, simple navigation and layout, and easy upload and edit functions.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We've been working with Grad Agency for some time, and their results have always far exceeded our expectations.

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

They quickly designed, developed, and configured the site. They also made a video tutorial for managing and updating the website.

What was the team composition?

The team included two developers and a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With his newfound, immaculately stylish web presence, WARD can now begin marketing and social media activities with confidence.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The team gave regular updates on email and Skype. Notably, they spoke excellent English. Our client found the process easy and pleasant.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They went the extra mile. They were effective communicators and exceptionally creative.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

There was nothing to improve. Every single thing was perfect.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of a veterinary shop located in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Grad Agency?

We hired them to help us develop an online store for our website.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to be able to sell our products online and attract new customers via web traffic.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I already knew the CEO of the company, so I contacted him about helping us with this project.

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

They started by analyzing our competitors and then developed a number of templates that suited our business model. We gave feedback and made some changes here and there, and then they moved on to the UX design. I was immediately satisfied with that, so we progressed to the development stage, which took about a month.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, UX and UI designers, and front- and backend developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They completed everything well and the site is ready to launch. I still have to add content to it, so I can’t say more yet.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We communicated by phone and email, which was pretty effective and straightforward.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They had good knowledge of best UX practices and designed the site based on what users like and dislike. I didn’t realize how important this part of the design was.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I suppose they could code faster, but the project timeline was fine for me.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-owner of a women’s clothing shop.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Grad Agency?

I needed to create an online shop and set up my site using SEO strategy.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted to increase sales.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended to me and I also know the CEO.

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

We analyzed our competitors and then developed the UX. They finished development one month later and we had a finished site.

What was the team composition?

We had a dedicated project manager and worked with a developer. We were also in touch with the CEO.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I saw an increase in sales after some time because more people were aware of my shop and my products.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

I communicated with the CEO by email and there were no workflow problems.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They gave custom advice for free and were invested in my success.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I can’t come up with anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a CTO of Stroybat. We do in-house repairs and renovations for our clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Grad Agency?

We hired them to develop a landing page that would promote our services to potential clients.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was pretty simple—to develop a landing page that would attract us more clients.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I know Denis, co-founder of this company, so I contacted them right away and didn’t even search for other vendors.

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

The team analyzed our competitors and came up with UX design of the website. We gave them several comments and then some things were changed. They also worked on the UI design. That offered two variants—in yellow and orange. We liked the latter more so chose that.

What was the team composition?

There was a project manager, two UX/UI designers, and a frontend developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw an increase in leads after the designs were implemented. We used to only gain clients through referrals, but now we understand that our website can also be used to bring in clients.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We contacted each other using Skype and there were no problems with the communication.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The level of expertise they have to develop a good product. For a relatively cheap price, they developed a much better product than our competitors have.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I can’t think of any, everything was on point.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the Internet Marketing Manager at ECOLINES, the largest bus operator in the Baltic States. We serviced 200 cities in 21 countries on a daily basis.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Grad Agency?

We needed them to develop a website for our special event, ECOLINES Race.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase awareness in the Polish market, and, more broadly, reach new customers through various branding activities.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A colleague recommended them. We contacted the agency and reviewed their portfolio, which met our expectations. The prices were also reasonable.

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

After accepting their statements of work, we discussed visions for the project. They created graphic designs and UX mockups with text. We provided feedback throughout the process. Grad Agency offered one month of free support after the site’s launch.

What was the team composition?

They had five resources that interacted with our three-person team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project achieved our set goals. They met all deadlines while providing responsive 24/7 service.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They were accessible, helpful, and professional. We communicated via phone and email, in both Russian and English. There were no language barriers.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Although the process was bilingual, we didn’t experience any language barriers.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

We were satisfied with everything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the managing director of a creative company that specializes in gift tickets. I’m responsible for all of the business activities in the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Grad Agency?

We hired Grad Agency to develop and design our corporate identity, including a landing page and logo.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to create a unique and creative website that will attract potential customers and increase sales.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My business partner recommended them. Although we had a lot of questions, their team gave clear answers.

Describe the project in detail.

After we determined our specifications, the team started analyzing the market and creating mockups for our landing page. While I changed some things here and there, their overall design was great. Once we gave all the needed materials and edits, the team developed and launched our new landing page. After finishing the project, I received free marketing consultation from the team.

What was the team composition?

About six people from Grad Agency worked with three people from my company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

They fully met our specifications. The new website helped us promote our gift tickets and get recognition on the Internet.

How effective was the project management?

We contacted each other via Skype, and there were no language issues. They were always online and responded even during non-working hours. I found them professional and pleasant to talk to. They followed deadlines, but the launch was late by a week because I was not in town.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was really impressed by their mockup designs. Clearly, they were deeply concerned about my results and tried to create the best product possible.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

They need to consider unexpected situations in the project plan to avoid delays.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CTO of an elite barbershop. Our services include men's haircuts, beard and mustache grooming, children's haircuts, hair styling, and hair tattoos.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Grad Agency?

As a new business, we needed to have a website. We didn’t have any friends that could build one for us, so we decided to let professionals create it.

What were your goals for this project?

Popular barbershops in our city usually had websites, so we decided to build one in order to attract customers. We also wanted to make it easy to book an appointment online.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

One of our friends recommended this Grad Agency. We contacted them after looking at their previous work.

Describe the project in detail.

Grad Agency looked at the websites of our competitors and marked down what worked and what didn’t. They provided a mockup of the home page, which we liked after changing a few details. After their team then created mockups of all the other pages, we started the design process.

We didn’t really like their first color palette, but on the second try, the team delivered exactly what we were looking for. Then they programmed it on WordPress, adding search engine optimization options and a booking platform. Currently, Grad Agency still supports our website, updating content and providing help with marketing campaigns.

What was the team composition?

Our website was created with the help of a designer and two developers. Most of our interactions were with their project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

We’re really happy with the website. Our clients say that we have the best website in our niche, and others have imitated some of its design elements. We also saw a 25% increase in our traffic after we updated the content.

How effective was the project management?

It was pretty effective. They met all of the deadlines while delivering great quality. The conversation with the team was very pleasant, and they usually responded quickly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by the amount of analysis the team put in prior to creating our website. They really understood our problem, coming up with a lot of ideas to improve conversion.