Blue Flamingo Solutions

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a department director at DRK Lighting

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

DRK Lighting are a London-based commercial lighting specialist, excelling in sustainable lighting remanufacture and value-engineered lighting solutions

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Blue Flamingo Solutions to accomplish?

• Revamp our website in a creative and modern way
• Allow for three different audiences with three different intentions navigate to what they're looking for easily on our site
• SEO

SOLUTION

How did you find Blue Flamingo Solutions?

Online Search

Why did you select Blue Flamingo Solutions over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Blue Flamingo Solutions were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

DRK Lighting recently had the pleasure of working with Blue Flamingo on the complete revamp of our website, and we are thrilled with the results. The scope of work was extensive, and Blue Flamingo exceeded our expectations:

1. Initial Consultation: Blue Flamingo began the process with a comprehensive consultation to get to know our business, target audience, and design preferences
2. Wireframes and Mockups: They provided detailed wireframes and mockups that beautifully translated our discussions into visual representations
3. Responsive Design: Ensuring a seamless user experience across various devices was a key deliverable. Blue Flamingo crafted a responsive design that looks great on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
4. Brand Integration: The website needed to align with our brand identity. Blue Flamingo created a cohesive and professional look, whilst adding quirk and interactive design elements. Our business has three different audiences with three different needs and Blue Flamingo helped us create a site that can direct each audience where they need to go
5. Custom Features: We requested specific functionalities like a contact form, energy-calculator and an interactive timeline. Blue Flamingo implemented these seamlessly and added valuable suggestions to enhance user engagement
6. Content Integration: Efficiently integrating the provided content, including text, images, and multimedia elements, was crucial. They ensured that all content was presented in a visually appealing and easily navigable manner
7. Training and Support: Blue Flamingo have provided comprehensive training on how to manage and update the website independently. Their ongoing support has been invaluable, and any questions or concerns are promptly addressed

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Increased User Engagement: Our new website has only just launched, but we are already experiencing a boost in user engagement, with longer average session durations and increased page views
• Positive Feedback: User feedback has been very positive, with visitors noting the new website's creativity, functionality, and ease of navigation
• Enhanced Search Engine Rankings: Thanks to the SEO optimisation efforts, our website now ranks higher in relevant keywords, and we’re excited to see how much higher we can climb in the coming months As our site is live for longer we are looking forward to seeing improved conversion rates as site visitors are encouraged to use our contact form to make enquiries

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

• Project Management: Blue Flamingo exhibited their project management expertise throughout the entire process. They established a clear timeline at the outset, outlining key deadlines. They met any deadlines and provided regular updates on the project's progress, keeping us informed at every stage. They introduced us to Click Up, allowing us to all collaborate seamlessly and stay up to date with their process
• Responsiveness: Blue Flamingo were highly responsive to our needs and concerns throughout the project. Communication was easy, with quick and clear responses to any questions or requests. They demonstrated a genuine commitment to understanding the vision and incorporated any feedback promptly
• Problem-Solving: In instances where unexpected challenges arose, Blue Flamingo showcased excellent problem-solving skills. They never just presented us with issues, they always also provided solutions and worked collaboratively to overcome obstacles, ensuring the project stayed on track

What was your primary form of communication with Blue Flamingo Solutions?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The attention to detail, creativity, and professionalism displayed throughout the process were exceptional. We now have a visually stunning, functional, and user-friendly website that perfectly represents our brand and Blue Flamingo's ability to understand our vision was vital to this. Not only were they professional, but they were personable, kept calm under pressure and never made the scale of the project feel overwhelming for us.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Blue Flamingo Solutions could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a financial services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Blue Flamingo Solutions?

We were updating our branding, so we wanted a new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Blue Flamingo Solutions provided web design services for us from scratch. They helped us modernize and optimize our website for quick loading times and be able to display our products neatly for our customers. Regarding the process, they started by showing us some options they came up with for us to choose from, and then we started working together on the site.

What was the team composition? 

We worked directly with Mark (Founder), but other members of Blue Flamingo Solutions’ team were involved in the process.

How did you come to work with Blue Flamingo Solutions?

We had worked with Blue Flamingo Solutions on other projects, and we chose them for this task because they understood our needs and market.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around £25,000 (approximately $30,000 USD) with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July–October 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the website Blue Flamingo Solutions designed went live, we noticed a spike in traffic and an improvement in some of the site’s features. Moreover, we received a lot of nice feedback from existing and new customers.

How did Blue Flamingo Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Blue Flamingo Solutions was responsive. Regarding tools, we used Trello and ClickUp, which were helpful for project management tasks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Blue Flamingo Solutions’ team was personable and friendly, had good customer service, understood our needs, and delivered to a high standard. Moreover, they were good at coming to us with different options and solutions to our requests.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should expand their areas of expertise.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Adapt to their project management tools because that can make the journey quicker and easier.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Emma Taylor: I work in the marketing department for IPSX, the world’s first regulated stock exchange for commercial real estate. As with other stock exchanges, we have admissions and listings, and people can buy shares for buildings.

Martin Potgieter: I’m in charge of the technology and operations for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blue Flamingo Solutions?

ET: Blue Flamingo originally built our website 4–5 years ago, and they were also in charge of its maintenance. For this particular project, we needed a whole reskin and redesign of our site, so we assigned them the project.

Our main challenge was to make sure that people knew who we were and what we did. On top of that, we had to comply with very technical regulations crucial to our business, so there was a lot of pressure on this website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MP: Blue Flamingo originally built our website from scratch per our specifications. For this project, they took it and redeveloped it. Before deploying the website, we also worked with them to come up with a test strategy to ensure everything was working properly.

As for the technology stack, Blue Flamingo built some parts of the website using Django and others in WordPress. For certain components, they used a mixture of Djando and JavaScript. Moreover, the site gets data feed from a third party through Java.

ET: Our website is used to get real-time pricing information for the shares listed on it; that’s its most important feature. Given that we’re a heavily regulated business, having a constant live stream of prices was a priority.

On our site, users can also learn about us, see the admissions they can currently buy, and learn how to sell shares. We also have a PR piece on our site, so people can see our news there.

MP: Behind the securities pages of the site, we get a technical live data feed. A lot of securities data is being posted on a live basis, including prices, quotes, and trades. The site has a pre- and post-trade screen that we’re obligated to have as a regulated exchange; as long as the market is open, the screen needs to be feeding market quotes. Otherwise, we would be in breach of our regulatory obligations.

ET: In addition to what Blue Flamingo did for us on this project, they also provided advice regarding SEO. Even though it wasn’t part of the technical scope, they worked alongside our SEO team and helped us with Google Analytics.

MP: As part of this project, Blue Flamingo also helped us implement a control framework. This framework involves their team monitoring the actual key pages and key data subscriptions. If data or some pages drop, we get alerts.

What is the team composition?

MP: We worked with three people from Blue Flamingo: Mark (Founder), Tim (Co-Founder), and a technical expert. Mark worked as the coordinator and project manager, Tim was the technical person on the website side, and the other person was in charge of developing the connections for live data streaming.

How did you come to work with Blue Flamingo Solutions?

MP: Although Blue Flamingo was originally hired before our time, the person who was in my role before I took over was key in finding them. I believe they were referred to us. Mark had a background in the London Stock Exchange, but this was the first time they would build a regulated website.

How much have you invested with them?

ET: We spent around £30,000 (approximately $37,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

MP: Blue Flamingo’s original contract goes back to around 2018. Still, we worked together on this particular project from August–December 2022. Now, I’m working with them on a separate project to do a strategic change for product delivery.

ET: Although this project is concluded, Blue Flamingo works with us on an ongoing basis to maintain and host the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

ET: The results of this project have been amazing. We follow our Google Analytics closely, so we’ve watched our metrics improve, including the number of sessions, bounce rate, and site speed. Mark showed us the Google speed test, and we achieved a 97/100.

From a UX perspective, our site looks beautiful and mature, and it’s very efficient. People are spending less time on the site overall but looking at more pages, meaning that they efficiently navigate the site and get the information they want quickly.

Given that the site went live a month ago, we’re looking forward to seeing how our analytics for Q1 2023 look. Q1 2023 will give us a better perspective of these results away from the holidays. Overall, this project was fantastic, and we look forward to continuing to get better results.

MP: From a technical perspective, our goal was to ensure that the redesign happened without a regression in my technical obligations; we needed to ensure everything kept running and within regulation. Blue Flamingo was successful in that regard as well.

How did Blue Flamingo Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

ET: Blue Flamingo was very flexible, practical, and responsive. We got a hold of them whenever we needed, and they were accommodating to the fact that we changed the scope a couple of times by adding more tasks.

Moreover, Blue Flamingo set very manageable and realistic expectations, and they delivered within the deadline they promised. Throughout the project, they offered great advice and showed excellent skills in managing the different parts of the project.

For project management, we used ClickUp, which was brilliant. We hadn’t used that tool before, but we would use it again because it made our collaboration easier.

What did you find most impressive about them?

MP: Blue Flamingo offers excellent expertise with an extremely friendly and helpful attitude. Moreover, they were very attentive to detail.

ET: Blue Flamingo excelled at project management, and nothing was ever too big of a request. They were very calm, responsive, thorough, and realistic without losing their ambition. Additionally, working with them felt very collaborative, and they were excellent at problem-solving. Overall, I would recommend them to anyone.

Are there any areas they could improve?

ET: There’s nothing Blue Flamingo could improve on.

MP: I can’t think of anything Blue Flamingo could have done better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

MP: Define clearly your requirements and objectives before engaging with them. Blue Flamingo will add ideas to your input and help you solve your challenges.

ET: Be upfront and honest about what you’re looking for. Blue Flamingo will find a way to ensure you can have what you want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager at a fintech consultancy. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blue Flamingo?

Blue Flamingo developed five websites for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

During our most recent website development project, they migrated a website from Squarespace to WordPress — they rebuilt it from scratch. The team was in charge of everything from design to development. 

Currently, when we have a project, I usually meet with one of Blue Flamingo’s founders and explain what I want to achieve. We provide them with logos, color palettes, and everything else necessary for the project. Then, the team comes back to me with a proposal and agreement. From there, they start developing the website. Aside from that, they provide hosting and maintenance. 

What is the team composition?

We work with around 3–4 developers and a project manager. Their founder is also involved in the engagement. 

How did you come to work with Blue Flamingo?

I worked with Blue Flamingo at a previous company, and it was easy working with them. As a result, I knew they could deliver. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around £11,000 (approximately $14,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our most recent project lasted from February–April 2022. Meanwhile, our overall engagement started around December 2021, and they continue to provide us with hosting and maintenance services. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since launching the migrated website, we’ve appeared in Google search results 50 times more frequently than before. We’ve encountered some bugs, but we’ve brought them to Blue Flamingo’s attention. They’ve been truly responsive, so we can solve issues within a week. 

How did Blue Flamingo perform from a project management standpoint?

Blue Flamingo delivered on time and within budget. They keep us informed every step of the way, and whenever we ask them for changes, the team comes back to us quickly. To communicate, we use Zoom and email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provide great value for money and are truly responsive. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m satisfied with their work, although we’d have liked to meet them in person earlier. We’d done almost everything remotely and only met them personally later on in the project. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Get in touch with Blue Flamingo. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a quilting business. I publish quilting downloads that are used by quilters all over the world, and I have a patent on a method of printing on fabric that makes my products unique. Since quilters use my books to print on fabric, they have to be digital, allowing me to do business in over 65 countries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blue Flamingo Solutions?

I worked with a website developer from 2008–2019, when she retired. She had built a custom PHP site for me that handled unusual requirements because my downloads have copy protection on them, every customer has to have an account, and I must be able to track how many times they’ve opened things. When my developer retired, I was at a loss; I tried to find someone, and she helped me out in the interim. Then, I hired Blue Flamingo Solutions to take over.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Blue Flamingo Solutions provides us with web development. They’ve migrated my website from one server to another and are upgrading it. Since the PHP code is complex, it wasn’t realistic to transfer the entire website to another format. Together, we’ve found a solution: they’re leaving what they can in PHP and moving the rest into a more secure, updated WordPress format with WooCommerce. 

I’ve always provided all the content, and I have tens of thousands of photos to use, so I do my own web design. Meanwhile, Blue Flamingo Solutions does all the maintenance and sends me a monthly report when they run scans. The site has 300 different downloadable products and tens of thousands of customers. Once Blue Flamingo Solutions finishes the upgrades to my website, I want them to help me with marketing and SEO. 

What is the team composition?

Tim (Co-Founder) is my only point of contact, and he deals with other teammates from Blue Flamingo Solutions who do background work. 

How did you come to work with Blue Flamingo Solutions?

I interviewed 3–4 other providers; a couple said they couldn’t handle the complexity of the site, and I wasn’t impressed with the others. Finally, someone recommended Blue Flamingo Solutions, and I contacted Tim (Co-Founder) in March 2021. He was fabulous, and I was impressed by the first call. After being so skeptical that anybody could take over my website, Tim understood my dilemma and was willing to take on the challenge. He had the right resources in his team and told me I’d be dealing with him directly, so I wouldn’t have to repeatedly re-explain all of the subtle differences from other websites. 

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent about $35,000 CAD (approximately $26,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can't stress enough how impressed I am with Blue Flamingo Solutions. They've been brilliant in helping me find a solution to the PHP issue, which has taken a lot of extra thought. While their approach is still expensive for me, it's not back-breaking. Moreover, the team has allowed me to make the changes I can handle to keep costs down while they do the heavy lifting. We weren't even sure we could get this far when we first started. I want to work with them forever. 

How did Blue Flamingo Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They've been extremely responsive, always overdeliver on their promises, and have never had delays. Communication with them is fantastic; we meet over video calls monthly and use email. They use Trello, and although they introduced me to it, it didn't take. The team has been flexible and open to me using email instead.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm impressed with Blue Flamingo Solutions' flexibility and communication. I've never been surprised by an extra cost or a limitation because of how well they communicate. 

My site presented challenges because it had been built from scratch and managed by only one person for 10 years. I appreciate that Blue Flamingo Solutions has been willing to take on this unusual job. I had been so happy with my previous developer that I didn't think anybody else could live up to that standard, and Blue Flamingo Solutions has. I'm happy with their skill set and love that I only deal with one person. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't have any suggestions for improvement; they couldn't be better. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to be open and expect good communication and honest answers. I would recommend Blue Flamingo Solutions' flexibility and communication. I've already recommended them to another small business I work with; they were even more cautious than I was, but they were impressed when they met Tim.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an acupuncture clinic I am the owner

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Blue Flamingo Solutions, and what were your goals?

Our website was getting old and outdated we contact Blue Flamingo and other companies and decided to go with them They have designed and built the website. They also take care of our SEo and advertising

SOLUTION

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

We searched online for web developers in our area and shortlisted 4 After interviewing them, we chose this vendor based on their past projects, design skill, and cost estimate

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a kick-off meeting to discuss our goals and objectives. From there, the team delivered mock-ups and wireframes for our site. After a few iteration, their team designed and developed an informational services and created a landing page with contact form

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

One of the owner was our main point of contact throughout the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

After launching our site, we saw a 75% increase traffic, and our incoming leads doubled month over months thanks to the landing page. Clients love the updated design, and they now have a better understanding of our services.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We had daily stand-ups with the owner, who communicated with the rest of the team. If there were any delays, they let us know ahead of time so that we could prepare.

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

They gave us a professional site that looked amazing. They took the time to developed a great website Very professional series

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

Overall it is has been a great experience and its difficult to find any area for improvement. I hope while growing their business they will keep the same quality service