NEVERBLAND

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CMO of HOLD Self Storage

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an urban self storage business helping Londoners make space for what matters.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Deliver differentiated brand experience
• Modernise the online purchase journey
• Create an SEO optimised website
• Make a website that can scale with future growth

SOLUTION

How did you find NEVERBLAND?

AUFI

Why did you select NEVERBLAND over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Previous client work

How many teammates from NEVERBLAND were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Phase objective: 

• Deliver a high-performing, engaging website that has online enquiry, booking & payment functionality 
• Create a friction-free process for customers to log in to their online portal for account management (pre-defined software see below) 
• Create the site infrastructure to support key PPC strategies (eg. landing pages, lead gen) 
• Ensure full SEO optimisation + infrastructure following the latest Google requirements 

Target audience: 

• Acquisition of prospective local customers 
• Retention / anti-churn of existing Attic KX customers 

Task drop: 

• Define full site pages, integrations & requirements 
• Create and sign off the site map and wireframes 
• Work with CPP SEO specialists 
• Page designs and content creation 
• Add SEO optimisation layer to the whole build 
• Build site + test Sign off / Go live

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

On budget and on time as project KPIS

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

the project management was very good. We had regular meetings as well as bigger stage-gate reviews depending on where we were in the project. when things got busier towards the end, I was invited to their daily stand-ups as the client. Regarding deadlines, there was a hard deadline of when the website had to go live (at the same time as a physical location was launched), and Neverbland hit that deadline.

What was your primary form of communication with NEVERBLAND?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their willingness and desire to push the boundaries creatively - I had a vision as the client to bring something new to the self storage industry from a brand and online experience point of view, and Neverbland understood that, and then pushed it further.

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

Overall, the team was excellent to work with. The only area in retrospect was perhaps spending a bit more time making sure I understood what we were getting from a CMS side of things. We spent a lot of time on how the site looks & feels, but less on the CMS (ie. back-end). As a result, there was a little misalignment at the end when the CMS was delivered. There could have been a CMS alignment session in the process potentially.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at a healthcare company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Develops magnetic sensing technology that allows surgeons to accurately locate, stage, and remove breast cancer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Create and deliver a website that showcases our entire portfolio, increases lead generation, and enables scalability

SOLUTION

How did you find NEVERBLAND?

Online Search

Why did you select NEVERBLAND over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Modern brand and work

How many teammates from NEVERBLAND were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Design and deliver a new website with a primary goal to showcase our portfolio in a visually engaging way. Alongside a creative overhaul, the main objective for the new site is to be able to retain ability to handle multiple locations and languages, drive and capture leads, and increase awareness of our brand. Key deliverables include: 

• Website discovery 
• review of current website and research of competitive landscape 
• UX design 
• creation of wireframes for each screen based on approved sitemap.
• UI design
• new design of website and page features 
• Development 
• set up of CMS, front-end technologies, code repository and build of site

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Fully functioning website with no technical issues
• Streamlined lead generation process 
• Improved mobile responsiveness 
• Good website performance metrics such as page load speed 
• User metrics e.g. increased time on page/site (average session duration)

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

Neverbland managed the project well from start to finish, and acted in timely manner to our development and design requests. They adapted to our change of scope throughout and ensured all deadlines were met.

What was your primary form of communication with NEVERBLAND?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Despite changing scope and timelines, Neverbland consistently provided excellent web design, development and technical expertise throughout to ensure our new website was visually appealing, distinctive and functional. We were lucky that the key team members were all approachable throughout and went above and beyond the ensure our project was delivered to our standards.

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

Project management towards the end could have been a little better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CPO at Tommys Tax Ltd, a tax app for individuals who want to manage and process their tax returns.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NEVERBLAND?

We needed help with web design and development. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired NEVERBLAND to guide us as we brought our interactions to life through technology. They helped us with UI design and overall web design using Figma. We had some internal technology and design teammates as well. NEVERBLAND directed us to make sure our development matched the specifications they created.

App users could upload their expenses and income information. At the end of the year, they could calculate how much they owed and submit their tax returns through our app.

What is the team composition? 

I worked with NEVERBLAND’s director of project management and head of design. 

How did you come to work with NEVERBLAND?

I worked with them previously and found them to be very trustworthy. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–May 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

NEVERBLAND did amazing work. They delivered what they said they would on time and within the budget. We measured success by the output of the final product, which was fantastic. Once the website is live, we’ll have more metrics. They were a fantastic agency.

How did NEVERBLAND perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very organized and stuck to what they said. NEVERBLAND could customize deliverables to fit different budgets. We communicated via Slack. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

NEVERBLAND’s communication, design skills, and understanding of how we delivered what needed to be delivered were great. They were really understanding about our brand and had great knowledge of technology.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they handled everything perfectly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You’ll be in safe hands. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a manager for a wealth management platform. I look after the technology and processes that enable our marketing team to thrive and succeed. My responsibilities include overseeing our website to constantly innovate and evolve and managing and augmenting our marketing automation platform to ensure it's properly integrated with our CRM. I also handle performance marketing, playbooks, and mergers and acquisitions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NEVERBLAND?

We went through a rebrand and wanted to translate our new visual identity to our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we met with NEVERBLAND to go through a scoping exercise where we captured the requirements and agreed on a statement of work. From there, we worked together to ideate and unbox what we wanted to achieve. Then, we moved to the design phase, where NEVERBLAND created various visuals for our stakeholders to review.

After sharing several rounds of stakeholder feedback, the team iterated the designs using Figma and produced the final visual. Then, we went into production and started building and testing the site. While NEVERBLAND didn’t create the site from scratch, they moved our technology over to a new, headless CMS called GraphCMS. Once we were satisfied with the final product, we proceeded with deployment. 

Since delivering the final website, the team has helped with other web development projects using Sanity CMS. They’ve also continued to support us with business priorities, and value adds for the website.

What is the team composition?

Our core project team size ranges depending on the project size; we’ve worked with a project manager, designer, and developer for smaller projects. We’ve worked with the same team and 2–3 more developers for larger projects. 

How did you come to work with NEVERBLAND?

We found NEVERBLAND through a referral from the service provider we engaged to rebrand our visual identity.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested £113,000 (approximately $127,000 USD) in the website build and £204,000 (approximately $228,000 USD) in additional projects. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with NEVERBLAND in December 2021. They delivered the website in February 2022; now, we engage them on a retainer to build new sections into the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

NEVERBLAND has delivered a website that has brought our visual identity to life, and we’ve been pleased with the results. When we launched the website, we saw an 80% boost in users year-over-year. Our year-to-date user growth has also been tracking at 59% year-over-year. Furthermore, they used headless technology for our CMS, which has modernized the site and made the frontend quicker. 

How did NEVERBLAND perform from a project management standpoint?

As with most development projects, we’ve faced some challenges, but NEVERBLAND has managed projects well for the most part. I’ve worked with various companies, and it’s typically hard to find a partner who surpasses project management expectations. 

It comes down to assigning the right developers to the team because developers can make mistakes. However, NEVERBLAND has always been willing to swap out developers, which we’ve appreciated. Our partnership has been a great learning experience for me, and they’ve worked to find the right team to manage our complex requirements.

Overall, I’ve been satisfied with the engagement. NEVERBLAND has been an honest, hardworking partner who has delivered results on time and within budget. We’ve met for daily stand-ups and used Asana to keep track of tasks.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

NEVERBLAND’s biggest strength is design. We’ve been able to explain our ideas, present the brief, and they’ve digitized our concepts to deliver great designs. They’ve helped us deliver our new visual identity with a unique look and feel website.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As a business, it’d be beneficial for them to grow and scale the team to access more resources, which they’re doing. We faced some project challenges, but it’s about putting the right developer on the task from the outset. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I advise others who plan to engage NEVERBLAND, or any development partner, to test, test, test. Ask the team to test everything before it’s delivered, so you don’t need to spend your own time testing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of NMBLR, a collaborative strategic platform. The platform provides a structure for people to develop a strategy in the pharmaceutical and biotech sector; it’s a specific market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NEVERBLAND?

We needed to develop the platform for iPhone, iPad, and desktop devices.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we explained what we wanted, and NEVERBLAND worked on the UX/UI design. They created wireframes, which we then took to our customers for feedback. Afterward, they started to build the platform, and it’s been an iterative process. Each phase is a step; we go through it and then move on to the next.

Additionally, they’ve worked on branding as part of the UX/UI design process. They’ve taken care of the logo.

What is the team composition?

We have a team of three tech people: a lead developer and two other developers. Additionally, there’s a UX/UI designer and a project manager.

How did you come to work with NEVERBLAND?

I wrote to the Institute of Services in London and asked them to recommend companies. They sent a list of 50–100 companies; we searched each and shortlisted two. NEVERBLAND was the only one that responded.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $1 million–$1.5 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2020, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t launched the platform yet; we’re just showing it to people. The design process has been quite long, but the project’s traction is huge. People see it as visionary, and they’ve all commented on the exceptional UX/UI design.

How did NEVERBLAND perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a daily stand-up meeting. They’re professional and committed, so everything has been fine. We use Asana for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their interpretation of our needs and the design are exceptional. Also, the way the developers work has been fascinating.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Since they’re not our employees, we don’t have control over their availability. However, I’m not sure that they could improve that. In general, everything has been good.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear on the brief and what you’re asking for. Moreover, being involved in the process is vital to pick up any misunderstandings quickly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Penso Power Ltd. We are a developer, owner, and operator of grid-scale battery energy storage sites.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NEVERBLAND?

We needed a company that could develop a new website for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

NEVERBLAND built a new website for us. We gave them a scope of work, which included looking at how we portrayed the company publicly and the key messages we wanted to get across. They incorporated the idea of clean, green, renewable energy into the site’s and our branding’s design and updated the company logo and the fonts that we use. The site is hosted on Vercel, and they used Contentful to build a CMS.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four people from NEVERBLAND, including a project manager and a designer.

How did you come to work with NEVERBLAND?

We found NEVERBLAND through a referral.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around £30,000 (Approximately $37,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2021–April 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are very happy with the look of the website. We are very pleased with the way NEVERBLAND used illustrations rather than photographs for the images on the website. We also liked the idea they came up with of making it a sustainable, low-energy website to fit with the positioning of the company. 

How did NEVERBLAND perform from a project management standpoint?

NEVERBLAND performed well in terms of project management. We communicated through phone calls and emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There were occasions when we thought that things would be delivered more quickly than they were. The overall work contact was longer than we had initially expected.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I was most impressed with NEVERBLAND’s design ideas. I think we ended up with a fairly unique-looking website compared to other companies in the sector, so we're very pleased with the end result.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to take more time upfront in terms of agreeing with what’s going to be delivered and when.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work in the CEO office at a multinational global healthcare company, and I’m responsible for a number of central strategy projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NEVERBLAND?

We were having trouble driving engagement to our code of conduct document, so we needed someone to digitize the experience to make it more immersive.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

NEVERBLAND is recreating our code of conduct on a digital platform to encourage our employees to sign up. They’ve implemented 25 different languages and adapted the platform to cater to different employee types and personalities.

Apart from that, they’re providing us with web hosting and maintenance to optimize the product further.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact is Sam (Operations Director).

How did you come to work with NEVERBLAND?

NEVERBLAND was recommended to us by another agency.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve roughly invested around £350,000 (approximately $420,900 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in January 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had around 12,000 people visit and sign on the platform on just the first day of its launch, and since then, we’ve increased our engagement and traffic.

We currently have 40,000 people signed on to the platform and about 100,000 unique visitors, so overall, it’s been a success.

How did NEVERBLAND perform from a project management standpoint?

NEVERBLAND is very creative in their approach to the work, and I didn’t expect them to bring this level of professionalism regarding project management. Their brilliant communication skills exceeded our expectations, so it made the partnership more seamless and smooth.

We use Asana to manage the project and typically communicate through Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re an easy choice for us to make because of the quality of the work they deliver. We’re also impressed with their personality, attention to detail, and approach to communication.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing major they need to improve on, as they’re able to flex and work around us really well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as clear as you can on user requirements upfront; we lost some time during the project because we hadn’t articulated clearly what our user requirements would be for our most common user profiles.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Togetherall is a peer to peer community based digital mental health platform with 24/7 clinical oversight. I work with Togetherall as the Chief Product Officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NEVERBLAND?

Initially, Neverbland was brought in rebuild the platform using new technology and allowing for future scalability. After the completion and delivery of this initiative, the team stayed on in reduced capacity working within and alongside our Product team is maintaining and evolving the platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Project management, product delivery, and ongoing support.

How did you come to work with NEVERBLAND?

They were one of the vendors who put forward to rebuild our platform. They scored highly on all the pre-defined criteria and they were well aligned to our values and demonstrated an understanding and passion for the impact we are trying to make in the world.

What was the team composition?

A blend of Engineers, UX/UI Designers, and a Project Manager

How much have you invested with them?

Over £2 million (approximately $2.4 million).

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement with NEVERBLAND has ended solely because we have grown and decided to bring development 100% in-house

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were a good development partner as they were able to deliver what was required, but chose to stay with us to evolve the platform continuously. Moreover, they helped us build our team internally, by onboarding the right candidates to continue what they started.

How did NEVERBLAND perform from a project management standpoint?

They embedded well into our internal team so they were quite responsive and communicative throughout the project. We mainly communicated through Slack, and they managed the project through GitHub and JIRA

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with how well they understood our mission, vision, and the impact we wanted to have and how they often put forward ideas that they thought could help make this a reality. 

In addition, they always went above and beyond to support us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's nothing they need to improve on, so they should just keep doing what they do best.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Taking them on the journey is important, so make sure you share the challenges and don’t exclude them from the information. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of Clays, an activity bar based in London. We have a large venue where groups of friends and corporates can book a big night out to drink and eat while playing a grown-up version of a video game.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NEVERBLAND?

We needed a high-quality website. Since we knew that at least 85%–90% of our customers could come through the site as their first point of contact, we needed a high-end development company with strong design credentials. We engaged NEVERBLAND six months before we opened.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we went through a scoping session where NEVERBLAND brought in design, technical, and project management teams to understand the full scope of what we needed. From there, they delivered a budget proposal, and we selected different areas with what we wanted to build and put them into phases. 

We had some design sprints and gave NEVERBLAND brand guidelines. NEVERBLAND designed and developed our website from scratch, producing design prototypes using Figma and building the site using ReactJS and GraphCMS. Currently, they provide ongoing maintenance services too.

What is the team composition?

We've worked with about six people from NEVERBLAND. Sam (Ops Director) oversees our project manager. Ralph (Design Director) is our lead designer, and he had one other person supporting him. Sarah (Developer) is our lead developer, and she has the support of their CTO.

How did you come to work with NEVERBLAND?

We were keen to have London-based developers and went on a few websites that compare companies. After a scoping and tendering project between three companies, we ultimately selected NEVERBLAND.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around £50,000–£70,000 (approximately $61,000–$85,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Although we started the tender project around December 2019, the actual project didn't begin until the summer of 2021. Currently, the partnership is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

NEVERBLAND is the absolute best. We've referred 3–4 other companies to them because of what those companies have liked about our website. Overall, our engagement has been a resounding success.

How did NEVERBLAND perform from a project management standpoint?

They're brilliant at project management. On our side, we haven't been as organized as we should be, so we've spent a little bit more than anticipated on design because we went through a few iterations.

We communicate mainly through emails and use Google Meet since NEVERBLAND likes to be on a call together. We initially worked in person and then moved to Google Meet during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What did you find most impressive about them?

NEVERBLAND has everything, from design talent to genuine development skills beyond websites.

Are there any areas they could improve?

None.

Any advice for potential customers?

I would advise you to have your own internal project manager or a project management team. To do things in the timeframes you want, NEVERBLAND needs a lot of engagement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the e-commerce manager of a premixed cocktail business called Moth Drinks. I mainly take care of the B2C e-commerce side of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NEVERBLAND?

Our current website didn’t seem attractive enough to customers who didn’t know about our brand, so we asked NEVERBLAND to completely redesign it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To start off the project, we sent them a brief outlining our key requirements. After that, they proceeded with the work, redesigning our Shopify website according to the given specifications. They’ve helped us optimize our site, add new features, and implement a user-friendly backend, which would allow us to manage our site on our own.

What is the team composition?

We work with three different designers from their team.

How did you come to work with NEVERBLAND?

We found them through the Shopify website. We also noticed they previously worked with other brands that we knew.

How much have you invested with them?

We would prefer not to disclose this, but it has felt like a good investment.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2022, and it’s an ongoing collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching the website, we’ve noticed that our bounce rate has been reduced to half, from 75%–32.5%. Our conversion has also improved by about 3%. Overall, we’ve had really high gains thanks to our new site.

How did NEVERBLAND perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very good at meeting our deadlines, but we’ve gone over budget by a little, but there has always been an open dialogue on this. For communication, we interact with them mainly via Slack. We’ve also had daily meetings on Google Meet prior to the website launch.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re really impressed with their more bespoke approach to our project. A lot of other vendors would usually just offer us various solutions that are not tailored to our brand. On the other hand, NEVERBLAND has been deeply invested in understanding our brand, allowing them to create long-term solutions that align with our requirements.

Are there any areas they could improve on?

I think they are a great agency for what we needed. We would have loved a fixed pricing structure, but we did understand why they don't work like that, and it did allow for evolution in the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to have a well-structured brief so that they’ll have a good understanding of your requirements.