PixelChefs

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner/Consultant of mattcraine.com

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're a branding, online growth, and development company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Design Websites
• Technical SEO

SOLUTION

How did you find PixelChefs?

Referral

Why did you select PixelChefs over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Responsiveness

How many teammates from PixelChefs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Design and build a e-commerce website for a high end jewelry store with thousands of products., on a highly customized wordpress platform.

• Wireframes and graphic design of the site, all custom. No templates.
• Development and coding of the website with an emphasis on technical SEO optimized for local search.
• Delivered in under 60 days and under budget.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The finished site was graphically very high-end and effectively communicated the premier level of the brand.
• Additional improvements, features, and designs provided by the vendor that were not part of the original scope
• Dramatic increase in rankings for hundreds of jewelry-related keyphrases we were targeting
• The performance of the site was extremely fast on both desktop and mobile
• Very user-friendly WP backend for nontechnical users

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

PixelChefs was very responsive and timely. All communications (phone/email/video) were responded to within hours, and they were available at any time to address questions, ideas, or changes. The project also came in earlier than projected. 

What was your primary form of communication with PixelChefs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Multiple things:

• Very fast development
• Expert developers and programmers
• Outstanding design ideas and skills
• Reasonably priced compared to other vendors considered

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

Frankly no. They were top-notch. I've worked with them on multiple other projects, all with great results. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of Pure Palate. Pure Palate is a culinary lifestyle brand that inspires wellness by understanding natural ingredients, confidence in the kitchen, and global cuisine.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PixelChefs?

I hired Alex and his team to re-do my website. They completely redesigned and restructured the colors, style, and format of my entire site and I am so pleased! It is everything that I wanted it to be:)

SOLUTION

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

Alex and his team were recommended to me by a food SEO company called Top Hat Rank.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Alex worked with me at every step of the way to make sure that my website had all the artistic detail and beauty that I had envisioned! We had several discovery calls and then created wireframes/ mockups together. We went over these wireframes together after every submission and made sure they were perfected before sending them out to the design team. Once the design team began work on their end, Alex personally went over the workflow and we had several meetings together to fix any needed tweaks and adjustments.

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

I worked with Alex directly:) He is prompt, friendly, understanding, and always delivers exactly what is expected and outlined.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I am absolutely thrilled with the outcome of the website! I loved working with Alex because he worked with me every step of the way. He understood my vision, and did everything in his power to make it come to life:)

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was very effective between myself and Alex. We always did video chats and he would share his screen so that we were both on the same page. They also went the extra mile to make all of my edits and tweaks to be exactly how I wanted them.

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

I loved that Alex was able to see my vision as an artist. He understood that I wanted the color and design to be very specific to match my overall style and vision.

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

No. I will 100% continue to work with this team, as my business grows!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the AVP and marketing manager at Iberia Bank.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PixelChefs?

We needed a company to update our brochure website to make it more efficient for lead capture and better explain our SBA 504 loan program. We also needed it to comply with Web Content Accessible Guidelines (WCAG) for visually impaired users.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PixelChefs developed our website in WordPress and made sure it was WCAG compliant. They created some content for it, and we had some content ourselves. They did SEO on the content that we provided, and we hired them after the project was done to do SEO for a couple of months. I would have loved to continue it, but our parent company ended the relationship. It wasn’t stopped because of PixelChefs’ work.

What is the team composition?

Four people worked on it. My main point person was Alex (Co-founder/UI Designer).

How did you come to work with PixelChefs? 

I knew of Alex because we’re both Greek and live in Orlando. We interviewed three other companies, one of which designed the original website. I completely stepped away from the process and had my bosses select the person.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $40,000–$45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from January until September 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The goal of our website is to give people information on the loan product we do and help them understand that they can do it with us. Using the new funnel that PixelChefs created, we’ve had many times more people give us their information. 

I go to different conferences and meet different partners that we’ve worked with for years. After we launched the website, they said it looks so amazing and that we’re helping the industry by having a place they can send people that explains it simply.

How did PixelChefs perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed really well. They delivered anything we asked them for. Alex would remind me to get what he needs so that the project wouldn’t be delayed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve seen a lot of the work that they do. I’m sure they have a specialty industry that they know better, but you wouldn’t know that if you look at their projects. They learn what the client needs, and they can make a website that showcases the work in the best way possible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they delivered the best work I’ve received from anyone I’ve worked with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Tell them exactly what you’re looking to do. Give them all the information you have. Be open to suggestions from them. You’re going to find out things that you hadn’t considered.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of search marketing for a resort chain. We have about 28 resorts and we function in both the vacation ownership vertical as well as in the hotels and group meetings verticals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PixelChefs?

PixelChefs developed the vacation ownership, or what we call specialty marketing side, of our business for an enterprise-class website that was meant to drive call-in lead generation per vacation ownership. This is the side of the business with vacation ownership and the sale of the ownership.

It’s a challenging vertical because all conversions have to be done via phone so it’s not e-commerce. We were looking for someone to help us make a digital pivot into sourcing leads that could cross over from the web to making that phone call.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PixelChefs is mainly focused on our SEO efforts. From the ground up, they took a look at the space where we had the most footprints in terms of resorts. Then, they built an organic search campaign around all opaque terms such as getaways, vacations, and other things that didn’t have a direct book mentality. Their team built out an entire architectural silo around those terms. Once that was approved, they built out the actual design for the campaign.

They also created the content around the suggestions from the strategic keyword research. I like to separate organic search marketing into three buckets — technical, content marketing, and outreach for organic links. PixelChefs owns all three areas in addition to handling the web design piece of the efforts.

Alex (Founder) started out as a web designer so the design elements of what their boutique firm does are part of our agreement because we wanted someone to own the entire thing, without having to bring in multiple vendors. PixelChefs does it all.

Their team provides our frontend development through enterprise WordPress. They develop through that and also use a non-consumer variant of the Themeco framework.

What is the team composition?

We work with about 5–6 people. This includes frontend developers, one designer, and a couple of content individuals. At one point, there was an outreach person dedicated to reaching out for organic links to different pages.

How did you come to work with PixelChefs?

I’ve known Alex for a couple of years on the FMX ungagged pubcon circuit for search marketing. He has a pension for taking on verticals that are too challenging for other people and vacation ownership is a challenging vertical. One conversion led to another, we discussed what the deliverables would be like, and went from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $250,000–$275,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement started in March 2015 and is ongoing. Since the pandemic hit, there are a lot of things outside of our control including the current state of the travel industry. Right up until the point that it happened, things were going quite well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The overall mix of organic PPC and retargeting have been very impressive. In 2019, we did about 55 million dollars in vacation ownership sales that are directly attributable to that.

PixelChefs’ design work is also very good. The design has a very slick UX funnel and it has clearly worked because it drove lead generation up quite a bit.

How did PixelChefs perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has gone pretty well. We’ve never had any issues in terms of missing deadlines, work lag, or turning too much on something.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Alex is willing to go after verticals that other people aren’t or just think are too challenging to go after. I’ve worked with a lot of people, including big firms who set out to go after our vertical. They estimate that it’ll take one million dollars a month to get what we want — that’s not reasonable or realistic.

Everyone says they can go after challenging verticals, but there are very few who actually can and will build an agreement that works for everyone and can incur money.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It depends on the organization but sometimes you can outrun your blocks on developing a strategy. We can only move as fast as our slowest strategic link. There have been one or two times where we came out ahead of something and needed to take those pages down because we probably didn't need or want to publish them yet.

And I don't care because, from my perspective, I've been on the search marketing side and would rather ask for forgiveness. I can go to my C Suite, apologize, and take ownership of my fault. In turn, it’s no problem to take it down and so we do.

PixelChefs is very good at reacting to things quickly and ideating around the strategy. Sometimes we'll say, wait a second that silo is up and running but we haven't even looked at it yet. However, I'd rather have a company like this than one that takes forever to turn out.

I knew a bit about Alex’s work ethic and methodology before we hired him. I was confident we were going to get into an agreement with someone who was good at what they did and would work hard. We haven’t been disappointed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s good to have a point of contact within the organization that’ll be the champion and link to work within their project management tool as well as respond in real-time to iterative tasks. We’re fortunate because we have people who can do it.

If a potential customer utilizes an absentee owner then they’re going to get what they put into it. My best advice is to be an engaged client because PixelChefs will outrun you really fast and you may find yourself needing to pull back.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and operator of Storage Units LLC.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PixelChefs?

We hired them to do our marketing and web design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did everything I needed online to get my business operational including local SEO and map marketing, Google Ads, and more. They also did development work to connect our website to the software we use in the facilities. This incorporated real-time updating to our price logs, as well as the sizes and structures of our business to create an online booking experience.

What is the team composition?

There were probably four people on the team. I mainly worked with Alex (Co-Founder).

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $16,000–$20,0000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since December 2013. We got our feet wet in early 2014 and then grew into a larger physical site and then more locations. Currently, we’re up to 15 locations mainly located along the east coast, though we’re looking to expand west.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our business has felt like something stuck in the past, and Alex’s team has brought us into the current day and age with our look and feel. He created something new for our business platform that people hadn’t seen before. The website is very advanced for a storage rental company. It’s user-friendly, for sure.

How did PixelChefs perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve never had an issue with that. They’re very responsive to communication over phone and email. I sold some of our businesses recently and Alex was able to step in and ensure a smooth transition between me and the buyer.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with a couple of other people in the past, and PixelChef stands out because of their passion for growth. They’re always ahead of the curve, seeking out new innovations and bringing new things to the table. They’re also more attentive to me as a client, on a personal level, than other vendors have been.

Are there any areas they could improve?

This is hard because they’ve also worked with me on anything I’ve approached them about.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go in with a clear idea of what they want. Alex’s group is great at making projects work on specific projects. If you know how much you can spend upfront it will be helpful. They also help people imagine what they could do for their website as well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is called NanoCraft Boats, and we build very high-end flats fishing boats used mostly for site fishing. I am the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PixelChefs?

I hired their team to develop a website for us because we had zero online presence prior to working with them and wanted to be taken more seriously in the digital space.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built the entire site from the ground up, including working with us on the UI/UX and designs before building out the front- and backend entirely. We provided photos and copy for them to include, and they handled the rest.

What was the team composition?

We worked with about 4–5 members of their team.

How did you come to work with PixelChefs?

A friend of a friend recommended them to us, and since I didn’t have a lot of experience with web development, I decided to trust their experience.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we spent approximately $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from August­–November 2017. We did an initial release in October but continued to fine tune and add fishing-specific verbiage to the content for a brief period afterwards.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is very creative while still being incredibly clear and easy to navigate. We have about six pages, and it is simple to get from A to B from any point on the site, which was one of my main goals for the project given the pain points on similar sites.

I don’t worry too much about tracking the results of the site, but that’s what I wanted because I’d rather spend my time focused on building my boats. I lean on my guy on their team who charges a reasonable monthly fee to provide reports and highlight all the stuff I actually need to know.

How did PixelChefs perform from a project management standpoint?

They did an excellent job managing the project given the amount of time that I was able to devote to it. I provided some guidelines and parameters, and they handled everything from there. Then, they submitted it to me for a review and I was able to have input without having to be massively involved in the process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think their creativity and open communication were what impressed me the most. We had a lot of conversations over the phone, and he was always easy to get a hold of no matter what I needed them to do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing I wish we could have had were more images of the boats themselves, but that was on me because at the time I was in the process of building the first prototype boats and those images simply didn’t exist, so we had to rely more on CGI.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CMO of CottageCare

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Corporate HQ for house cleaning organization called CottageCare. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Rebuild and update the website.
• Build unique tools.

SOLUTION

How did you find PixelChefs?

Referral

Why did you select PixelChefs over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from PixelChefs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Pixel Chefs has been our go-to for web design, consulting and dev work for the last few years. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All trackable performance metrics for our website are significantly better and the time saved on not having to figure out any issues has been invaluable. 

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

Always on time. 

What was your primary form of communication with PixelChefs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The quickness to understand needs and respond to them to get to a project completion quickly and without error was both unique and impressive. 

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

Nothing I can think of that I would ask them to improve on. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive of Shopaveli LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

ecommerce business 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Create a custom website
• incorporate leading industry design
• create a platform that is scalable

SOLUTION

How did you find PixelChefs?

Clutch Site

Why did you select PixelChefs over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from PixelChefs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Top to bottom vision and completeion of an ecommerce website 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• delivery time
• quality project 

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

They always delivered on time.

What was your primary form of communication with PixelChefs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Owner managed and prompt communications throughtout the custom build

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of 136 home

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Provide home decor, design, and DIY resources to create a home you love one detail at a time.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Crate an elevated online blog presence to provide helpful resources
• Ensure social media and marketing modules were present to drive growth
• Deliver a scalable SEO optimized presence for long-term Ad placements

SOLUTION

How did you find PixelChefs?

Referral

Why did you select PixelChefs over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from PixelChefs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Create a full-scope website with a high-end brand visual. The website needed to support forms, social, and the ability to promote content optimized on mobile.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Clear phase deliverables. Clear analytics integration that shows optimizations and growth.

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

Strong! Super clear, timely, and available to trouble and design in real time.

What was your primary form of communication with PixelChefs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

There can do, a collaborative effort at a great rate. It was worry free!

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

I would love to work with them all the time!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at Aimee Mars Living

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Food blog.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• To create an entirely new website for my blog.

SOLUTION

How did you find PixelChefs?

• Referral

Why did you select PixelChefs over others?

• High ratings

How many teammates from PixelChefs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

They created a beautiful and functional website for my food blog.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The completed a site that far exceeded my expectations.

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

Yes, and they responded quickly.

What was your primary form of communication with PixelChefs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They were personable and understanding of what we wanted to accomplish. They were also very quick to fix any issues.

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

I would have liked it to be completed quicker but understand the timeline it took.