UPQODE

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Department Director of Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Foundation provides equipment, programs, and resources to address gaps in city funding and help the LAFD save lives and build resilient communities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Website development
• Maintenance support
• Webpage development

SOLUTION

How did you find UPQODE?

Online Search

Why did you select UPQODE over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from UPQODE were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The LAFD Foundation hired Upqode to develop a new website for us. Our old, outdated website lacked a dynamic feel, was not user friendly, and was challenging to edit on the backend. Upqode supported us with innovative UI/UX design, SEO, and a design that was responsive to the needs of our users across mobile, tablet, and desktop. Key deliverables included:

• Development of a new sitemap and content map
• Acquisition of assets
• Hosting
• Post-development maintenance 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The development of the new website resulted in an easy-to-navigate, dynamic, colorful design with improved bandwidth and overall "feel." The SEO development and intentional user-forward design has contributed to increased traffic to the website with more unique visitors when we look at year-over-year metrics. Additionally, Upqode's guidance along the way and after development helped ensure that our team was equipped with the tools and expertise necessary to make our own changes and navigate the backend of the site.

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

Upqode was very timely, especially considering the fact that our project was delayed significantly when the fires broke out in Los Angeles in January 2025. Upqode was incredibly patient with us, and very professionally ensured that we stayed on track while giving us the space and time we needed to navigate such a uniquely chaotic time during wildfire crisis that directly impacted our work and our city. 

What was your primary form of communication with UPQODE?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Most impressive was Upqode's expertise and ability to quickly solve issues. They are true experts in the field, and despite their being an international company, we felt as though they understood our needs in Los Angeles and aligned their methods and strategy with that knowledge. They not only solved issues quickly but also shared their wisdom and provided solutions for us to carry forward, empowering us to take the lead when necessary.  

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

Our only disappointment was with the subsequent maintenance plans that were required, but not clearly outlined at the outset of the project. It was totally understandable that maintenance post-development would be required, but we did feel a bit blindsided when we arrived at the end of the project and learned that there would be additional costs associated with their support after the project had been completed. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Partner of Little Candle Marketing on behalf of SEOPS Space

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

SEOPS is a leading provider of integration and launch solutions for smallsats headed to LEO, cislunar, and beyond. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Refresh the brand (& therefore website) to better reflect the company's offerings

SOLUTION

How did you find UPQODE?

Online Search

Why did you select UPQODE over others?

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

How many teammates from UPQODE were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

We engaged Upqode for a full website redesign & development. This included discovery and planning, requirements gathering, project planning and scheduling. It involved creating new brand / visual identity, including color palette and typography, a graphic style guide, and ultimately a new logo and an animation of that logo. They did all the UX/UI design, information architecture, wireframes, concept designs and several custom illustrations. They also did the website development, including all front-end and back-end development, including integration with our CRM system, forms and analytics. Finally, they completed content migration, SEO setup, all testing and QA, including the launch deployment and post-launch testing, training, documentation and support. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our primary goal was to elevate the brand identity from others in the industry, and create a web experience that was more cohesive in order to tell a more comprehensive story than the previous site. We also wanted to create more CTAs throughout the site to drive leads. Ultimately, we believed the traffic would increase because of more attractive layout and design, and early indicators are showing that to be true. 

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

100%! Upqode excels in project management. Whether it was during weekly calls or emails that succinctly outlined decisions, we always knew where we stood, and what the next steps were.  The team was super responsive to our questions, our requests to increase the scope, and extremely helpful with guidance, options and opinions.  

What was your primary form of communication with UPQODE?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I can't say enough good things about our experience with Upqode -- from sales, design and project management, to ongoing maintenance. They had a very experienced team that consistently showed their professionalism, expertise, and desire to create a project that fit our needs. We actually looked forward to our weekly calls -- and having done many website design and development projects over the years, I can honestly that doesn't typically happen. Huge kudos to our team there.

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

I think one of their strong suits is managing to a schedule, but still remaining flexible throughout the process. We never felt like we couldn't get more options, a new approach, new images, etc. They were genuinely concerned that we were happy with the work, the deliverables, and that we had ownership over how things worked (like forms and integrations). We threw some curve balls at them and they were very open about their process, their tools, and implications of our requests. We really felt like part of the team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Digital Marketing Manager of Forrest Logistics

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a drayage trucking company servicing the United States.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Completely Redo Our Website
• Infuse the site with our personality and values
• Have engaging visuals without using stock imagery

SOLUTION

How did you find UPQODE?

Online Search

Why did you select UPQODE over others?

The quality of their work

How many teammates from UPQODE were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Complete website redesign and rebuild from scratch on WordPress
Custom design tailored to brand identity and vision
Original illustrations and graphics created from scratch
Responsive layout optimized for desktop, tablet, and mobile
Content migration from old site to new platform
User-friendly navigation and improved site structure
SEO-friendly setup for better search visibility
Integration of forms, contact features, and interactive elements
Quality assurance testing for functionality and performance
Launch support and post-launch adjustments

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Improved website engagement
Faster page load speeds improving user experience and SEO ranking potential
Better mobile usability and higher mobile visitor engagement
Higher search engine visibility due to SEO-friendly structure
Positive customer feedback on the new design and usability
Easier internal updates thanks to user-friendly WordPress backend
Consistent brand presentation through custom graphics and illustrations

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

Upqode’s project management was outstanding! They were incredibly patient and supportive throughout the process. Even when our reviews and feedback took longer than planned, they never pressured us, always embraced our pace, and met us on our timeline, delivering milestones on schedule while ensuring every detail matched our vision. Their responsiveness and flexibility made a major difference in the project’s success.

What was your primary form of communication with UPQODE?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What impressed us most about Upqode was their combination of technical expertise, creativity, and genuine patience. They didn’t just build a website, they brought our vision to life, creating custom illustrations and graphics while carefully attending to every detail, all while supporting us at our own pace. Their ability to balance professionalism with a truly collaborative approach felt unique and exceptional.

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

Not a thing could have been better. They are the perfect web development partner

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Digital Marketing Specialist of Rebelution e-Commerce

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Rebelution is a full-service e-Commerce commercialization company that empowers brands to maximize profitability and market reach across platforms like Amazon and Walmart through advanced technologies, expert logistics, strategic consulting, product development, content creation, and targeted marketplace marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Redesign and Modernize our Website
• Include Original Animations

SOLUTION

How did you find UPQODE?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select UPQODE over others?

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

How many teammates from UPQODE were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

UPQODE designed and developed a fully customized 67-page website for us hosted on WebFlow. It features several unique page templates, modern UI/UX design, technical SEO optimization, responsive design, and we have a post-launch maintenance plan. Deliverables included style guides, project management via ActiveCollab, and several iterations of designs. They provided a lot of inspiration for us and gave there expertise throughout this process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We used ActiveCollab to track project progress, in addition to a few other platforms to review designs. We didn't just stay on track, we launched early and couldn't be happier with the result. 

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

Kat was our project manager, and she was phenomenal. We had an open line of communication, and she was incredibly responsive to emails. We asked a lot of questions, wanted her opinion, adn valued her extensive knowledge on WebDev and Design. She was very insightful and honest, which our team strongly values. We also worked with Daria and Val, who were helpful as well! All deliverables were on time and went above our expectations.

What was your primary form of communication with UPQODE?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Compared to other agencies we met with, the whole team at UPQODE was very personable and genuine. They're all very approachable and were comfortable with receiving project feedback. Their portfolio has a great variety of projects and creative directions, so we knew they would be able to execute our vision perfectly.

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

At the beginning of this process, we were told the team was American based, which we looked for due to time zone changes. However, everyone we worked with was outside of the U.S. This ended up being ok, but I recommend informing people up front :)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I'm an executive at Kera Capital

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Seasoned Investment Professionals Providing Institutional Expertise, With Small-Firm Culture

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Redesign Website
• SEO

SOLUTION

How did you find UPQODE?

Online Search

Why did you select UPQODE over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from UPQODE were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Refresh the design of our website to appear more modern, professional, and eye-catching.  Include greater responsiveness without glitches or lag time, to promote a better user-experience

Analytics and Website Development Technical SEO:
• Setting up Google Analytics 4
• Configuring Google Search Console
• Establishing Bing Webmaster Tools
• Activating Ahrefs Webmaster Tool
• Creating and submitting XML sitemaps
• Generating robots.txt files
• Ensuring the website's indexability
• Ensuring the website is accessible via a single domain
• Ensuring mobile-friendliness
• Implementing HTTPS
• Optimizing images
• Addressing Core Web Vitals
• Configuring editable SEO page titles and meta descriptions
• Structuring SEO heading hierarchy
• Implementing Hreflang for multiple languages
• Optimizing URL structures for short and descriptive URLs
• Rectifying broken links (404 errors)
• Resolving 301 redirect chains issues

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Created a beautifully designed website that fit my target audience.  SEO and indexing works much better than the previous version of my site.

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

The entire team was always quick to respond via email or with a meeting.  Upqode uses collaboration project management tools which made it easy for me to suggest and see changes implemented in real time.  I was impressed with the overall execution.

What was your primary form of communication with UPQODE?

Virtual Meeting

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

The company cares about their deliverables because it is on the internet for the world to see.  Their design was thoughtful and took into account my specific niche target audience.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP Sales & Marketing of Eurobound

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We sell tailormade European travel packages through travel agents to their clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Redesign our website
• Capture our points of distinction

SOLUTION

How did you find UPQODE?

Online Search

Why did you select UPQODE over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from UPQODE were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Project Management
• Web Style Guide
• Website UI & UX Design
• 1-4 Revisions per Home Page
• 1-2 Revisions per Inner Pag
• Frontend Development
• Backend Development
• Technical SEO
• Testing & QA
• Copywriting
• ​10 Page Templates
• ​22 Total Pages

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Google spreadsheets

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

Project management was excellent.  Weekly Zoom meetings and regular emails kept us on track and up-to-date.  Links to sample pages helped to visualize progress.  Examples of websites that we provided were helpful to create the look and feel we wanted.  The "invisible hand" of the project with these elements guided their design choices which provided freedom and curbs to the final product.

What was your primary form of communication with UPQODE?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The first moment of truth with my initial contact made me very comfortable to proceed.  The second moment of truth, the proposal was in scope to my budget and expectations.  The third moment of truth, the project managment handover, impressed me with their overall capability and professionalism.  The relaxed communication format continued throughout the process and minimized technical barriers, although there were new tools I had never been exposed to.

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

Since this is not my area of expertise, I could not recommend areas for improvement because everything went very smoothly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Manager of Murray-Brown Laboratories Inc

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Microbiological and chemical analysis on products intended for human consumption such as food, supplements, and beverages. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Create various order forms for clients.
• Update and modernize our web site.
• Increase SEO.

SOLUTION

How did you find UPQODE?

Online Search

Why did you select UPQODE over others?

• High ratings
• Said they could develop our order forms

How many teammates from UPQODE were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

A whole new web site was created, including copywriting. We identified 12 industries which we would focus on. We researched information for each industry including an overview, results interpreration, related tests, and FAQ. We developed highly specific order forms for each industry page.

We defined an extensive test library and devloped a data bank of well rounded resources. 

We created an in depth About Us page and highly intutive Sample Submission Page. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ability to produce the order forms that we asked for including easy-to-update functionality with notificaitons including an excel file that we could copy the information from. 

We should be able to have more orders placed through our new web site compared to our old one. I will refer to it continuously when answering questions for my customers.

Improvement of SEO functionality. 

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

UPQODEs' responses to our needs were outstanding. The task of creating our new web site was incredibly complex, more so than either side imagined it would be. Together we hit many road blocks but worked through all of them. Alina and her team could not have been more patient, understanding, and supportive in puzzling through every issue we came accross. Alina and her team would often have to propose multiple soultions to various issues and allowed me to choose amongst them. Sometimes, Alina and I would finally puzzle through something together during an online meeting. The project did take longer than expected due to the complexity and also delays on my end; however, in the end, I believe everyone who worked on this project is better for it. We all learned a lot.

What was your primary form of communication with UPQODE?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We were shown unique looking websites with complex functionalties previously created by UPQODE. We liked that the company is made up of a large and diversified group of individuals and believed that they would be able to provide us with what we needed, being our specific order forms.  

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

I thought that I discovered more errors during my review/approval tasks than I should have discovered considering the UPQODE team had already reviewed the pages.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Development and Marketing of Bethesda

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Bethesda is a not-for-profit social ministry organization dedicated to serving seniors in West Central Minnesota through residential and community-based health and wellness services. Bethesda has been caring for seniors for more than 100 years! Today, we provide a full continuum of care, including skilled nursing care, short-stay therapy centers, home health care, hospice, outpatient therapy, independent and assisted living, adult day services, and wellness center.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Create a fresh, modern, and easy to navigate website

SOLUTION

How did you find UPQODE?

Online Search

Why did you select UPQODE over others?

We liked the look of other sites they created. Modern and clean.

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

• Project roadmap with timelines and resource allocations
• Finalized design specifications and prototypes
• Developed application/system with testing documentation
• Live deployment in the production environment
• Post-migration support and final documentation

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We worked with Upqode on a website project, and while the site isn’t live yet, there are some key takeaways from the experience. Upqode’s team was always patient, responsive, and willing to answer our questions, showing a clear commitment to delivering a quality product. They consistently provided guidance and feedback, helping us move forward through each phase of the project.

However, the process felt more challenging and time-intensive than expected, requiring a substantial number of hours from our end as well. While we’ve seen progress through completed design prototypes and development milestones, the journey hasn’t been without its difficulties.

Overall, Upqode’s support and dedication are strong points, but we would have appreciated a more streamlined process. If you’re looking for a hands-on partner who values patience and collaboration, Upqode is a solid choice—just be prepared for an in-depth process that may demand more time and effort than anticipated.

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

They delivered on time and were responsive. 

What was your primary form of communication with UPQODE?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

 
Working with Upqode was a long and, at times, challenging process, but the team’s calm and patient approach truly stood out. From the beginning, they were thorough in their communication, and while the project required a lot of time and effort on our end, Upqode’s steady guidance made the experience manageable.

Despite the complexities, their team remained composed and helpful, responding to every question with care and never rushing through details. If you're looking for a partner who brings not just expertise but also patience and a calming presence to the table, Upqode is an impressive choice.

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

Yes, there were aspects of the process that could potentially be improved, especially for small teams like ours. As a very small team with limited bandwidth, we found the process quite demanding and time-intensive. It required significant hours and coordination on our end, which was challenging to manage alongside other responsibilities.

While Upqode’s team was always patient and thorough, a more streamlined approach would have helped us significantly. Perhaps breaking the project into more manageable phases with clear expectations on time commitments could make the process smoother for smaller teams. Additionally, having templates or more automated solutions for common design and development steps might have eased the workload.

Overall, while the project’s support was excellent, adjustments to streamline the process could make it more accessible and less taxing for clients with smaller teams.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Creative and Art Director of an education company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a kindergarten to eighth grade social and emotional learning curriculum developed on the core belief that, in order for students to be academically, socially, and behaviorally successful in, out of, and beyond school, they need to learn a set of social and emotional competencies, namely cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control (C.A.R.E.S.).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

The goal is to build a new website that gives a high quality user experience to all consumers by providing easy and accessible navigation, conveys clear and confident storytelling, and provides a seamless shopping experience.

SOLUTION

How did you find UPQODE?

Online Search

Why did you select UPQODE over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from UPQODE were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Clearly inform users about our products and solutions by: 
Implementing clear and modern design principles
Smart solutions content heavy sites
Clear storytelling 
Confident language 
Enhanced UX/UI 
Attract quality clients by: 
Defining of target demographics and audience 
Setting up clear CTAs
Emphasis of company culture and values
Logic of CTA placements
Easy navigation
Full responsiveness to all the devices and browsers to allow a web page to be viewed at 100% focus, for easy browsing, reading, viewing and sharing whether the visitor is using a mobile phone, tablet or desktop. This will increase page views, visitor retention, satisfaction, leads, sales, shares and referrals 
Represent our market(s) by: 
Conducting market research to understand the landscape 
Design elements that will clearly distinguish the markets  
Improve interactions with existing and potential customers by: 
Setting up Hubspot
Redesign of the contact forms
Improvement of loading times/speed to keep users within the site 
Building/Reestablishing our brand by: 
Completing a modern and clean redesign 
New style guide creation
Using more visual content and appealing animations and video 
Meet Wordpress standards by: 
Increase security by using HTTPS for secure and encrypted browser-server transfers and implementation of basic and mandatory security measures and safe deployment 
Use no more than 20 plugins
Meet gold standard
Optimize SEO/SEM with a clear strategy 
Reduce website management costs by: 
Use of specific technology and providing support enables us to easily update content, media, files, and create new pages with completed templates
Give us autonomy within our website 
Essential Integrations:
Hubspot, Salesforce, WooCommerce, Live Chat/Chat bots, Online bookings, social media integrations, meets ADA compliance 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have working as a partnership as we continue to build our new website. It's been a great experience and I'm so excited to see the final product! 

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

The UpQode team delivers materials on time, is highly organized, and are very responsive. 

What was your primary form of communication with UPQODE?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They offer various skills, including web design, WordPress expertise, SEO optimization, UX/UI, and security measures.

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

UpQode has been an incredible partner to our team and to our organization, we look forward to continuing this partnerships on future projects.