Nolte

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner and CEO of NVS.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nolte?

We had a branding exercise, as we had not had a cohesive brand logo, font and color palette that we could execute across presentations, websites and letterhead. This is what Nolte did for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We dealt with one person from Nolte’s team directly. They submitted an initial presentation, including different colors, fonts and logos. The first 5 pages were split into individual brand color and font groups, which gave us a good choice. We picked some logos and color schemes, which Nolte revised. We went back-and-forth 3 times in order to get the job done. There were enough options in the first set for us to key in on what we were looking for.

How did you come to work with Nolte?

I believe I found their company through my business network. We didn’t necessarily shop the project around; I simply saw what they had done, and talked about the process with Jeff Nolte. I was told what to expect, and what the deliverables and schedule would be.

How much have you invested with Nolte?

The cost was below $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Nolte around July 2016. The project was completed around August. They updated our website with the new brand, and I continue to reach out to them when we need changes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I don’t have any metrics, but the work was well-received by our internal team. Our business cards are clean and crisp, and the letterhead, website and presentations look great. This definitely made things better.

How did Nolte perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything was easy to deal with; it took me and my team a couple of hours to review and provide feedback. One or two days later, we came to the second round. We probably slowed the process down more than Nolte. The overall process was timely and with good quality.

They hopped on calls if we needed them to, and answered emails quickly. The communication was solid, and there were no loose ends. Everything was resolved quickly.

What did you find most impressive about Nolte?

They did everything they said they would. The presentation delivered was professional and thorough, giving us multiple options and showing us the ways of going about making a selection, in order to point Nolte in the right direction.

Are there any areas Nolte could improve?

I don’t think so, but I’m also a novice at working with an agency. To me, everything was great, which means that Nolte is good at what it does.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a marketing assessment specialist for the New York State Technology Enterprise Corporation, or NYSTEC. We have 170 employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nolte?

We were looking for a developer for our external website redesign.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nolte worked along with our design company on the website development. We have also kept them on for site maintenance as well as any necessary enhancements or changes. Nolte used WordPress as the site platform, but I don’t have details around the coding itself. I am not tech-savvy enough to understand what technologies were used.

How did you come to work with Nolte?

Our design company introduced us to Nolte after the site design project, which lasted 7–8 months altogether. They had used them on previous projects and spoke highly of the team. It was recommended that we also use Nolte for site maintenance after the launch. We met with Jeff Nolte, who gave us a solid presentation on what they could do and how the support would be provided. We went with it and so far, so good.

How much have you invested with Nolte?

The cost of their development work has been just under $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Nolte in October 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

A few clients have mentioned that the site is a vast improvement over what we had before. However, this isn’t really a fair comparison since the previous one was developed in 2008 using low technology. It was a good, functional site, but the new one looks more contemporary. It is also intuitive and designed to invite interaction from users. Internally, we get feedback every day about how good the site is. We’re a small, vertical-market company, so we don’t have the kind of traffic that other commercial sites might get. In terms of usability, the comments have been positive.

How did Nolte perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re doing a good job in this regard. Nolte has a solid foundation, a good plan, and functional response mechanisms. I feel that the communication could be a bit better, but this is only because I like to speak on the phone. I realize that we live in the 21st century, and that things have changed dramatically since I first started my career. I receive responses from Nolte through email, but I also like to talk to representatives. If that could be included, their service could be even better.

What did you find most impressive about Nolte?

I like the fact that, whenever we’ve reached out to them via email or the support site, Nolte was prompt and followed up very well. They took the time to think about our requests and come up with a solution. I had an issue this past weekend and needed assistance beyond normal business hours. I got in touch with one of their reps, who was responsive and ended up expediting the issues we needed to resolve to my satisfaction.

Are there any areas Nolte could improve?

When we first met with Nolte, after signing the contract, they promised us more in-depth training. We should have been more proactive in this respect, but I managed to pick up the platform well, given that I’d worked with content management systems in the past.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We provide a revision app for GCSEs, which are The UK’s nationalized tests. I am the founder of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nolte?

I was new to the process, and didn’t know where to go for help creating an app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nolte developed our app using the Ionic framework. The core idea behind it is taking various mini-tests for different topics and subtopics, and building a template. Users can check their progress over time, and keep track of scores.

How did you come to work with Nolte?

We spoke to a few different agencies, which were out of our budget. They referred us to Nolte.

How much have you invested with Nolte?

The cost of the iOS and Android versions was $75,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Nolte in March 2016. The core project was completed in February 2017, but development is still ongoing in terms of updates and changes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Our main feedback so far has come from reviews, which are all positive, especially in terms of the design, idea and functionality of the app. Our only negative feedback has been related to the app not having enough subjects. We only offer biology, chemistry and physics, but people would like more subjects. This has nothing to do with Nolte.

How did Nolte perform from a project management standpoint?

The collaboration has always been fluid, and Nolte has always replied quickly to us. I have no negative feedback in terms of project management.

What did you find most impressive about Nolte?

This was my first experience of its kind, and I have nothing to compare it to. At the same time, it seemed very personal, and Nolte wanted to help me get where I wanted in the best way and as quickly as possible. I found it amazing how friendly and personable they were.

Are there any areas Nolte could improve?

I have thought of improvements that Nolte could make, but everything has been minor. They could improve in terms of communication, but not really. I have no real negative comments.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a creative director of Collins.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nolte?

We have worked on a number of projects with Nolte. A memorable one was for a client who had asked us to explore a partner for developing a website. That partner really dropped the ball, and we were running low on time.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nolte came in and saved the day. Their team redesigned what had already been started, and developed the WordPress site, doing a spectacular job. The client actually put them on retainer, which has been now going on for two years.

We had six developers on the project. There was excellent project management on Nolte’s side.

How did you come to work with Nolte?

I met them through a mutual friend from a previous job. They had worked on developing a personal project of mine in 2009, and, over the next eight years, I continued to hire them. I have worked on projects for Toyota with them, and many projects for my current company.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the latest project in April 2015. It ended in June, with a quick turnaround. The client loved working with them so much that they kept Nolte on retainer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Site traffic more than doubled after the new version launched. Company-wide, all 1,000 employees the company has in North America, were able to use the new platform, and raved about it.

How did Nolte perform from a project management standpoint?

They never skipped a beat. They reinterpreted our designs exactly, offered feedback on how we could make it perform better, made changes in real-time. The QA was exceptional, and we had two daily check-ins. For such a fast-moving project, I consider myself blessed to have worked with Nolte’s team.

What did you find most impressive about Nolte?

For this project in particular, there was exceptional customer service. We don’t often bring partners into client relationships directly, but I was comfortable enough with Nolte to do that. Apart from this project, the products being developed by Nolte are very interesting. They develop a number of custom solutions, and they’re all exceptional.

Are there any areas Nolte could improve?

I’ve watched Nolte grow from three people to however many they have now. They only get better and more professional over the past 9 years. The culture there is wonderful, and the atmosphere is peaceful, despite the fact that they have such an insane amount of work to do at any given time. As a leader, Jeff knows how to bring in talent and manage it effectively.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Printmor, a printing company. We produce postcards, business cards, letterheads, and so on.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nolte?

We needed an e-commerce website, but had many obstacles in the way.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nolte was able to make sense of everything I told them. They developed a full e-commerce website for us with many options and features. I estimate that Nolte assigned  8-10 developers over the course of a year and a half.

How did you come to work with Nolte?

I came to know about Nolte by word of mouth. They seemed to be a good fit, so it made sense to work with them. The team understood what I was talking about.

How much have you invested with Nolte?

The cost of their work was around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Nolte in 2015 and continue to work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I don’t have any metrics, but Nolte made our platform work. They’ve made our job easier and streamlined everything so that the process made sense to us. If we ever have an issue, Nolte helps us get back to normal within a couple of hours. I’ve been very happy with their work.

How did Nolte perform from a project management standpoint?

I haven't been stringent about sticking to deadlines. When a specific portion needed to be done, Nolte met our requirements.

What did you find most impressive about Nolte?

I needed a specific upload module that created PDFs. I went to other companies, but they couldn’t do it correctly. Nolte made sure that all templates worked correctly and at high resolutions. 

Are there any areas Nolte could improve?

I can’t think of anything that needs to be changed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a cross-platform media and content company. I run strategy and operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nolte?

We wanted to redesign our website which was owned and operated in-house.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nolte gave us a better aesthetic look for the site, added some extra functionalities for encouraging user engagement and helped grow our audience. We had a consultant who ran the technical side of things, so I can’t provide any info there.

How did you come to work with Nolte?

The company was working with Nolte before I arrived. I know that they have a strong client list, and have done good work for other companies, which is probably why we chose Nolte in the first place.

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve personally worked with Nolte since my start at the company, but they had been here before, probably since 2015. The collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We’re all happy with Nolte’s design. They were able to turn the project around quickly, which was impressive.

How did Nolte perform from a project management standpoint?

They had a ticket-filing system, and we kept in touch via email. Nolte did a good job of getting things done and staying in touch with the group of people on our side, who were not very technical.

What did you find most impressive about Nolte?

They do a good job of working with nontechnical people in order to get technical tasks completed.

Are there any areas Nolte could improve?

Working with people who aren’t tech-savvy is always a challenge, and the process can always be improved.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of client services at JConnelly, an integrated marketing and communications firm with a focus on public relations. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nolte?

We were undergoing a rebranding of the company, moving away from the public relations core to more of an integrated communications approach. We wanted to start with a fresh and modern image and build a website telling visitors who we are.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nolte provided consultation on the best experience for marketing to our industry prospects, giving them a user-friendly experience on our site as well as a good understanding of who we are. We also wanted to share our case studies on the website.

We have an internal design team as well and have worked closely with Nolte in order to create some branding guidelines, which will be implemented on the website. Our primary goal for them was to create a modern and attractive user experience and have the ability to share news and case studies. Nolte walked us through the process and provided recommendations on the best solution.

We have a WordPress site with integrated Google Analytics. From a blogging perspective, we’re using HubSpot, for which Nolte provided insights. We have worked with one or two developers directly, but I believe that there was a bigger team in the background.

How did you come to work with Nolte?

We had a prior relationship with Nolte, and I believe they were found through a referral. They helped us make some initial updates to the site, but that was a much smaller scope compared to what we’ve taken on in the last two years.

How much have you invested with Nolte?

The cost of Nolte’s work on our latest project was around $40,000, all in all.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in October of 2015. We launched in March of 2016. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We received immediate feedback on the rebrand. Clients have mentioned how cool, modern, and fresh the site looks. From an internal user perspective, the new backend is very intuitive. Nolte created a platform with our team in mind, allowing us to make updates and have a user-friendly experience. We’re not techies, so it’s important to have easy ways for the marketing people to make changes to the site. It’s a seamless process, and we’re happy about it.

How did Nolte perform from a project management standpoint?

We didn’t use any project management tools and communicated through email mostly. I think that Nolte had a chat platform for their own team.

What did you find most impressive about Nolte?

Their CEO and founder has a hands-on approach for working with larger clients and boutique firms alike. He becomes involved from the bottom up, not just from a scope perspective. We were given recommendations from the SEO team and from a social perspective on platforms through which we could see all our data. It was more of a partnership, and we were given the next steps to evaluate after the site was built.

Are there any areas Nolte could improve?

No, they have a strong team with good communication. With any web design project, there will be some shuffles to go through, but, as a team, we made it work. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Greenergy is located in the San Francisco Bay Area. We research and develop gray water recycling systems for residential purposes. We allow people to install systems for treating the water going through their houses, and reusing it onsite. We’re a relatively new business, having been in activity for a couple of years. We’re reaching the end of our research and development phase. We’re still a small business with fewer than five employees. I am the office manager, and I’m also in charge of logistical and HR work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nolte?

We’d had a website that was very basic. We wanted a more professional version since we were trying to approach bigger firms and get bigger deals, rather than having a few homeowners looking at our site. We wanted to reach apartment buildings, for which we needed to appear more professional. We searched for someone who could help us build the website, and came across Nolte. They were looking to work with more companies focused on environmentally-friendly products, so it was a great fit.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nolte helped us build a brand-new website for the product and company. I was involved in the business development part of the project.

They built the website from scratch using WordPress. It has payment functionalities. We came in contact with at least five people from Nolte’s team and mainly worked with one contact. That person was switched towards the end of the project, but both of them were great.

How did you come to work with Nolte?

We googled around 100 web developers and reached out to quite a few. Nolte was the one who matched our budget, and we liked their profile and previous work.

How much have you invested with Nolte?

The cost of Nolte’s work was around $20,000. We’re a small company, so we had a small budget. They were able to work with it, even though the project took a bit longer than they originally thought.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Nolte in mid-November 2016. The project was completed at the end of January 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We’re still within R&D, so we haven’t reached out to many clients yet. The only feedback I have is from our own company and a few contractors. We work with a lot of plumbers, and they like to redirect their own customers to us. Our partners told us that the site works great, is straightforward and easy to operate.

How did Nolte perform from a project management standpoint?

We have used Google Hangouts for phone conferences with our team. Skype was also an option. We were given weekly updates on what Nolte had completed and what was upcoming. They were good in terms of communing the progress in terms that we could understand, especially since we didn’t have a technical person in our own team. Anything we asked for was handled immediately.

What did you find most impressive about Nolte?

My predecessor was the one who worked the most with Nolte. I joined when the project was 80% done. She told me that their team was great with starting the project and worked with our CEO directly. The whole process was simple and we were led through it. We valued this since, as a small company lacking experience, it’s helpful to have this kind of help.

Are there any areas Nolte could improve?

The only issue we had was that the project was delayed. Some of this was on us, in that we weren’t prepared to provide the copy for the site, but it was also due to the changes Nolte was going through. Their company was growing as well, so they moved offices, changed their name, as well as some of the staff. The lead project person we were in contact with changed, and there was some miscommunication around the things which needed to be done. We had some delays, but they were resolved quickly when we pointed them out.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My name is Susan Karlin, and I am the founder and CEO of Suka Creative.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nolte?

We have developed websites with their team. We handle the creative part, while Nolte works on the backend.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We bring Nolte in for proposal and kick-off meetings with clients, in order to be transparent about whom we use as a development partner. Jeff and his team have been amazing to work with, and have understood the client, making appropriate recommendations. They have developed WordPress sites and installed various plugins for them. Nolte has also trained clients on using the WordPress platform.

My creative team is usually close to the day-to-day activities. We have worked with three or four people from Nolte’s team, including Jeffrey himself.

How did you come to work with Nolte?

We received a cold email from Nolte around two years ago. We were intrigued, and were looking for a partner at the time. We hadn’t found someone whom we felt matched our service and values. There are many smart tech people out there, but less so in terms of reliability. We had an initial meeting with Nolte, and really clicked with them. Jeff happens to have a very nice way about him, and he’s extremely knowledgeable. We decided to move forward with a first project.

How much have you invested with Nolte?

Collectively, our projects can range from $75,000 to $200,000 each. I prefer not to say what Nolte’s percentage is.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Nolte in late-2015. We have finished some sites, and are continuing to work on others. The duration of a project can be anywhere from three or four months to one year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Metrics can be hard to judge at times. One of the sites that Nolte worked on won an award. It was made for The National Philanthropic Trust, and it received a lot of traction and visits.

Nolte has typically worked on corporate sites for us, though. I don’t have exact metrics for them.

How did Nolte perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m not on the frontline, but I know that Nolte has made recommendations for us to deliver some things for them using certain software. In terms of project management in general, Nolte has been exceptional. The attention to detail and responsiveness were unmatched with any of the other partners we’ve used in the past.

What did you find most impressive about Nolte?

We have worked with a freelancer in the past. Even though the price was lower, we didn’t get the team support and attention to detail that Nolte can bring. It behooves us that we can bring in a group like theirs, and have them perform to our standards.

They have a strong and tested process, and they follow it. Nolte keeps timelines, and their communication channels are always available. We haven’t hit any bumps, and they genuinely want to do great work. Nolte’s philosophy is very much like ours, and, whether it’s technological or creative, the service is equally good. We could have great technology talent at our disposal, but, without the attention to detail of the QC team, and without client-facing skills, we can’t make it, especially in New York.

Are there any areas Nolte could improve?

I can’t think of any. The reports I’ve gotten from my team have talked about how great and easy it is to work with Nolte. Clients who are using their WordPress sites and have been trained by Nolte’s team have thanked us for making their lives easier. Nolte is making us look good.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a mortgage company located in Miami Beach, Florida. We have been servicing the local market since 1998. I am the business development and marketing manager of the company. I work directly with our president and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nolte?

We needed assistance with rebranding our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nolte developed the wireframe of a new website. They also created a brand new logo for us, new colors and a new look and feel. They did a fantastic job and captured exactly what we wanted, namely a modern look that was also representative of Florida and our company. We didn’t want to take away so much from our old look to the point of people not recognizing us, and Nolte definitely adhered to that.

For example, the old logo had our full name on it, but the current one only has one word. It keeps the old color scheme, but it’s more up-to-date and modern. In terms of wireframes, Nolte took care of pictures and helped us realize that we needed certain colors that would encourage people to take us seriously and build trust. There are certain colors which do that, which is why we stuck with blue. They also built a great basis for our blog.

After the site was done, we wanted to take care of the rest of the process internally. We uploaded all the content for the site, and got Nolte to take a look at it and ensure that everything was streamlined.

There were four people involved from Nolte’s team. In terms of design, I spoke with two different people. I can’t recall what was used for wireframes, but we mainly used Illustrator for design work, and Adobe Photoshop for retrieving wireframe work.

How did you come to work with Nolte?

My boss is friends with a gentleman who knows Jeffrey Nolte. We got connected and felt that they understood what we needed better than other companies we looked at.

How much have you invested with Nolte?

The cost of Nolte’s work was around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Nolte in 2016. The project took one or two months to complete. Everything on their end has been finished. We’re continuing to work with Nolte’s wireframe with web developers and internally.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We don’t have any documented statistics. The site has just been made live, and we’re continuously working on it. But, we have received many compliments from employees and customers, saying that they really like the new look, and find it fitting for our company and brand. People are definitely responding well to the new site.

How did Nolte perform from a project management standpoint?

We typically communicated through email and phone calls. I believe that Nolte was transitioning through some people on the team, which made it a bit confusing for us at times. We may have been speaking to one person this week, and to another one the next week. It only happened once or twice, and, other than that, the communication was clear. Nolte responded quickly and understood what our vision was.

What did you find most impressive about Nolte?

They are in-the-know about a multitude of industries in general. It’s not common to find a partner who knows a lot about the mortgage and finance field. When we spoke to them, Nolte’s people had done their research, and suggested certain colors and looks based upon the research conducted with other finance corporations. It was very proactive of them, given that most people would have just given us some artwork and asked for an impression.

Are there any areas Nolte could improve?

Making sure that, when a team is put together, it will remain consistent. And, if there are any changes, people should be made aware ahead of time. Other than this, I don’t have anything.