Chykalophia

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I'm an executive at Omnibike

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Lease-to-Own E-Bike Subscription

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Create website to reflect brand personality and establish credibility

SOLUTION

How did you find Chykalophia?

Networking

Why did you select Chykalophia over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Ari has credibility in Chicago community

How many teammates from Chykalophia were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Launch the website with tight timeline before holiday to establish brand credibility in order to secure a partnership. 
• Incorporate subscription payment to Shopify
• Optimize the site for mobile

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Responsive & Proactive: Contrast to the previous web developer that I worked with, Chykalophia is very responsive and professional. Instead of pushing them forward, they were pulling me forward. Really enjoyed working with them.
• On-time Launch with Tight Deadline: Even with really tight deadline, Chykalophia found a way to work things out. Deliver a high quality website on time.
• Secured Partnership: The biggest impact with the webite was we were able to secure a partnership due to the credibility came with the website.

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

• YES!!! Very on time.
• They are very responsive to my questions and asks. We problem solving together. They guide me through the best way to move forward.
• They also kept their words about continuing QA and making updates after the holiday to wrap up the project.

What was your primary form of communication with Chykalophia?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I was impressed by their work ethics and speed.

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

We ran out of time to QA the mobile site before the holiday. I think it would be great to make sure the site was optimized for mobile. But we were able to do that right after holidays. I'm happy.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the managing partner of the company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We design, develop and install digital ointeractive experiences to reinforce brand, tell a cultural story or simply enhance a space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• design direction per new brand including merch and other promotional materials
• new website design
• help us to define our brand as part of a 10 year refresh

SOLUTION

How did you find Chykalophia?

small business network

Why did you select Chykalophia over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Chykalophia were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Ari was excellent at guiding myself and business partner through several "discovery" sessions, helping us to arrive at our brand intention that had been evolving moreless organically over nearly a decade of existence. This process in itself was invaluable and something my partner and I hope to repeat periodically as way to better stay connected to our company during growth. 
Following this exercise, Ari's team took our existing brand elements (logo and colors, etc.) to expand, giving us a broader palette, additional elements and overall feel with which to work. Per what Ari heard in our sessions, the team provided concepts for promotional merch items, provided a solid jumping off point for new marketing postcards and moved us in the right direction for a refreshed website design (ultimately finalized and developed our internal design team). 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don't have measurable outcomes at the moment, but we hope for increased exposure and interest within our market.

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

Ari and the team was very responsive and shared regular weekly updates on the project's progress. We could also view progress online at any time. 

What was your primary form of communication with Chykalophia?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Ari clearly understands the unique challenges of owning and promoting a small business and was very intentional in our initial discovery sessions to understand the opinions and experiences of both owners. 

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

No improvements needed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Walsh Natural Health, a health food store and nutrition practice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chykalophia?

We had an existing website, but it was underperforming and some of its key features were not working correctly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially hired Chykalophia to handle our brand strategy development. This involved going through a very extensive list of our customers and figuring out who we were designing the website for and how to best do that.

After that project ended, we decided to hire them again to develop a website for us. Chykalophia designed and developed a BigCommerce website that we could manage more easily than our previous WooCommerce site. They also helped us port over some information about our products into the new website.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Peter (CTO) and Ari (CEO & Head of Strategy). We also worked with Danica (Project Manager), who was always on top of things and gave us an update of what had been accomplished every week, as well as two other tech people from Chykalophia.

How did you come to work with Chykalophia?

We found Chykalophia online, and they happened to be located near our area.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent somewhere around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2021–June 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website’s only been up for a month, but I’ve already seen an increase in our lead volume and the number of people inquiring about our services. Most importantly, we’ve seen an increase in sales — we’re getting twice as many orders as we got before.

How did Chykalophia perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was Chykalophia’s biggest strength. They were very clear communicators in terms of the status of the project, what was being done, and what issues were being worked on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Chykalophia was amazing at providing us with the information that they needed in order to do a good job for us. They were also extraordinarily helpful in making suggestions to help us figure out how to get something done.

Aside from that, their communication and listening skills were worlds better than what we had experienced before. They took what we wanted and translated it into something we were very happy with. 

They were also very solutions-oriented — whenever we wanted to add specific functionality to the site, such as a subscription function or password protection for certain products, they were always willing to look into things and come up with good solutions to make that happen.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The branding and marketing stage took a bit longer than we had hoped, but other than that, I have no complaints.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a boutique strategic insights agency. We work with Fortune 500 companies to help them align their strategy with customer needs

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chykalophia?

We only had a very rudimentary self-made website, which we had outgrown in size and scope. We hired Chykalophia to help us think through our image strategy and to create a design reflective of our positioning

SOLUTION

How did you select Chykalophia and what were the deciding factors?

We had had some prior engagements with Ari and her team and have always found them to be brilliant, engaging, fast and collaborative, so the decision to work with them was obvious.

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

The project started with a discovery phase consisting of a series of consultations to understand every aspect of our business and our ambition. The Chykalophia team then translated this into several design and copy proposals which were seamlessly corrected at very high speed with any feedback we had.

During the finalization phase the team were extremely flexible and worked with us to deliver a perfect website that greatly impacted how the company is perceived. Upon final delivery we had several run-throughs and extensive assistance in making the website ours along with full documentation.

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

In total we worked with 4 people: CEOon the design side, CTO on the technical side, as well as a lead designer and copywriter.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new website has resulted in a great shift in perception for the company and has enabled a total change in our visual identity. This in turn has greatly boosted our marketing campaign, giving us the confidence to drive traffic and to present a bold, premium identity for the business.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was well organized, clear, and seamless. We hit our targets on time and with predictable results. Communication was always open and feedback was taken in immediately.

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

I was very impressed with the sheer quality of the design approach, and with how it was implemented on a technical level. Our ambition was understood clearly and quickly and carried through every minute detail.

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

Can't think of any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation’s mission is to raise funds for research and education to prevent breast cancer and improve outcomes for individuals with breast cancer. Investments are directed locally within the Chicago area, but drive impact globally.

I was the interim COO tasked with merging two heritage brands focused on the same cause to clarify the messaging, brand positioning and establishing foundational practices to set the organization on its path forward as one.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chykalophia?

Creating one unified look, feel, messaging and brand cohesion across two organizations that while operating for the same cause achieved fundraising goals through a variety of different campaigns and varying strategies in the research phase.

SOLUTION

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

Fortunately Chykalophia was the website developer on record for one of the heritage organizations and the site was already well trafficked, developed and established. Chykalophia was a natural choice given how well they knew the space and their proven track record in storytelling.

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

The project was multi-phased including navigation, consistent design elements, campaign mergers, revamping the brand story, merging elements from the other heritage organization all while staying clear on mission and vision.

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

I worked with four team members from Chykalophia; Head Designer, Head Developer, Project Manager and Developer. They were each more incredible than the next. I felt invested in, valued and like I was working with friends who wanted to help ensure the best and brightest elements of the organization were shining for all to see and find easily through excellent design and functionality.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We now have one brand, one website, one narrative and one resource for all donors to go that reflects the essence of the brand.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was fast, thoughtful and accurate. Chykalophia ensures a true partnership with the team.

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

How adaptive and responsive they were to remote work and finding partners globally who have the same work ethic, expertise and desire to do right by the client.

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

Nothing springs to mind. I was constantly amazed with how quickly they responded and helped me solve challenges together.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of a company that provides media training, presentation skills and on-camera coaching for executives. We also specialize in crisis comms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chykalophia, and what were your goals?

Our website needed a refresh. It was several years old, and I wanted to create a WP sites so it would be easier to update.

SOLUTION

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

I asked around, and in several networking groups, Chykalophia kept coming up as great Wp designers.

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

We had a kick-off meeting. We collaborated on theme, color and design elements. I provided written content, videos and most of the pics since we wanted to show ourselves working with clients. At each stage-- design and then back-end execution, we reviewed all of the work and made tweaks along the way.

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

A handful-- project management, design and then a few more to executive the back-end.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We immediately received very positive feedback from clients and potential clients. Our site received many compliments from connections on LinkedIn. Because Ari and her team encouraged us to add a ton of videos, people commented that they really felt like they knew exactly who we were and knew what working with us would be like.

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

They let us know when something was ready for comment. Made it easy for us to navigate through their work. They replied to comments in a timely manner. And scheduled online meetings or calls-- as needed-- throughout the process.

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

They truly understood our vision. They took our minor notes and ran with them. They anticipated what changes we would want as the process went along, based on the feedback that we had already given. It was a very collaborative approach and process.

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

There was a minor issue with not all of the archived blogs being loaded when we first launched. I let them know and they immediately took care of it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm Director of Bennett Labs, the learning innovation and development division of Bennett Day School, in West Town Chicago, a Pre-K-12 independent school.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chykalophia?

Our teachers are always writing children's books and we've been looking for a partner to helps us develop, illustrate and work as our design partner.

What were your goals for this project?

Take 7 books from draft through to digital publishing on Kindle for sharing with families, in 3-months.

SOLUTION

How did you select Chykalophia?

I've worked with Chykalophia before, launching an initiative Grateful4Her as well as a mentor of their Creative Women's Co. network.

Describe the project in detail.

We had 7-children's books in a draft form that we wanted to be illustrated and formatted for digital publishing. We worked on the first book, which set the template, tone, and design work needed for the entire series.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted on our side of the book creator, and the director of development. Chykalophia then added a design team to work directly with us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In 3-months we collaborated and published 7-children's books, and released them on Amazon Kindle for families to enjoy everywhere. The project was on-time, on-budget, and top-quality in both professional experiences with the Chykalophia and the final deliverable.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent. Chykalophia worked on-time and on-budget, were in communication with us regularly about the timeline and work being completed. We LOVE working with them and they are now our go-to design team for new projects.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their professionalism and friendly, caring nature. It is not often you find a design team who loves and cares about the work as much as you do.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were incredibly satisfied with every thing the team at Chykalophia did with us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of Powerful Partners, an ecosystem of female entrepreneurs (and their allies) who collectively raise the bar for one another.  Together we create more possibilities for womxn by increasing the number of million dollar businesses that are womxn-owned.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chykalophia?

I was completely rebranding - new logo, colors, fonts and new business cards.

What were your goals for this project?

I hired them to create a new logo, new brand colors and fonts, and new business cards. I gave Ari the task of coming up with a logo that represented my brand and would also be something that a woman would proudly wear as a charm on a necklace. I couldn't be more happy with the outcome! She created an infinity symbol using two letter "P's" that ties right into my tag line "Connections for a Lifetime". I love showing off my new business cards now and have had amazing feedback.

SOLUTION

How did you select Chykalophia?

When I made the decision to re-brand Powerful Partners Inc. I looked through my network of women and found that I had over 13 connections who provide branding. After digging deeper and researching websites, social media, and client work I hired Chykalophia. I was really impressed with their client case studies and all of the branding work they have done for people I know.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

I contacted them about my branding needs by emailing Ari directly as I'd met her previously. We had a virtual consultation where she asked a lot of detailed questions, and then an in-person consultation where Ari presented the mood board and some options she and her team had pulled together for the branding. I provided my feedback and she delegated the logo design and business card design to her team. I was updated by her teams progress through their client management tool. Once all projects were completed and approved by me, they created a Dropbox file with all the images and documents and shared with me. It included instructions for my business card printing.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with Ari and she connected me to her team of one or two through their client management software so that I was updated as they completed the work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was completed in 4 to 6 weeks (I don't remember exactly). I was extremely pleased with the work and have had great response on my business card design.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Ari was fantastic to work with... always responding within 24 hours. I really aligned with her vision for my brand and the "why" behind her ideas.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their team's creativity and specialty for UX design were impressive. Loved their client case studies on their website.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

OnShore Technology Group is a global independent validation and verification (IV&V) firm that develops products and services for the life sciences industry. ValidationMaster, OnShore's Enterprise Validation Management and Quality system is used by companies across the globe to accelerate the validation process and deliver greater efficiencies and compliance. Valarie King-Bailey is the CEO and Founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chykalophia, and what were your goals?

We hired Chykalophia for the development of both our corporate and product website. At the time we engages Chykalophia, we were at a critical point in our corporate history. Our product was gaining traction with the market along with our professional services but our website did not reflect the brand very well.

We needed a brand update/refresh and a website that better reflected our brand, products and services. We also were looking for search engine optimization and to improve the "stickiness" of the site.

SOLUTION

How did you select Chykalophia and what were the deciding factors?

Chykalophia's work speaks for itself. I was browsing a website designed by Chykalophia and was stunned by its beauty, ease of navigation and overall design. When I looked at the footer of the website to determine the designer, it was Chykalophia. I called them immediately.

One of the key deciding factors in our selection was the advanced knowledge of the team. They understood my challenges and immediately proposed changes to our website that have produced results.

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to work with them. THEY LISTEN! I did not feel rushed into a decision and almost from the very beginning, I knew I was dealing with Pros! The price quote was totally fair and they explained everything each step of the way. Most unique, they have systems in place to keep the project on track at each step. They defined milestones so we could clearly keep the project on time and within budget.

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

The objective of this project was to design our corporate and product website. They primarily used WordPress and other technologies to facilitate this. A good portion of the work involved branding and updates to the GUI. They did a FANTASTIC JOB!

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

We had (3) team members from Chykalophia that worked with us. They were primarily web developers, designers, and the CEO of the company. Each person was very qualified and excellent to work with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results were FANTASTIC. First, they delivered the project on-time and within budget. We started immediately receiving a lot of leads and job candidates through the new website. They clearly applied SEO to the website to help more prospects find our website. There has been a substantial increase in our website traffic and this is ultimately reflected in our bottom line.

Chykalophia was very easy to work with and they get the job done! We were EXTREMELY happy with their performance on this project and have retained them for monthly maintenance. I have worked with a lot of web developers over the past 17 years and Chykalophia stands out as THE VERY BEST OF THEM ALL!

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

One of the biggest benefits of working with Chykalophia as a company executive is that they will not waste your time. Meetings were very productive and we did not have to keep repeating ourselves. They understood our objectives and they provided us at each step of the way with options to help meet our objectives.

We were blown away with some of their options provided. THEY WERE SO GOOD! It was hard to choose :) They have an automated system that let's us know when milestones have been reached and when they need something from us. It was OnShore that was sometimes late - Chykalophia WAS NEVER LATE with their deliverables! :) Their project management style is very flexible and suitable for either small, medium, or large enterprises.

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

I was VERY IMPRESSED with their team and how easy they are to work with. Every single person I encountered at Chykalophia was at the top of their game, very friendly and easy to work with and FOCUSED. I was also impressed with their design experience and how they captured our brand. They really know what they are doing and they work hard to please. They are EXCELLENT at what they do.

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

Chykalophia flawlessly executed our project. I cannot think of anything they could have done better. This is a result of them being good listeners. I did not have to repeat myself and I did not have to tell them where to go. They took the time to understand the brand and ensure that they understood what we needed. They performed FLAWLESSLY! I would use them again and again!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and educational director of The Love and Light School of Crystal Therapy, an online course organization that provides energy healing classes to people around the world. I’m also the owner of Mimosa Books and Gifts, a bricks-and-mortar and online book and gift shop.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chykalophia?

I'd been with a few different website developers in the past. As my company grew, I had a hard time finding a website developer and designer that could keep up with the latest advances in the technologies that we were using to run my company. 

Technology was constantly updating, so finding a website developer and implementing best practices became difficult. I found myself spending a lot of time troubleshooting things and asking my web developer to look into those instead of having someone that offered solutions right off the bat. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Chykalophia was primarily involved in development tasks. In terms of designing smaller things for us, such as pop-ups on the website, we had a separate brand designer that we've been working with for several years. That being said, if I hadn't already had a brand designer, I probably would have outsourced that to Chykalophia as well. 

We have multiple domains under one company, and we use them for different things. On our main website, we host our blog and podcast. A lot of our marketing materials are there, so it's primarily the home of all of our content. Chykalophia has rebuilt that website and redesigned it slightly using Elementor, which we didn’t use in the past. It was user-friendly on our end; we could make slight changes while allowing for more custom development and coding. 

Chykalophia also worked on our entire course website, where all courses for our customers were hosted. From the ground up, their team helped with the reorganization and structuring of everything. They’ve also implemented some great features to help our students and clients. 

What is the team composition?

Our main contacts are Peter (Co-Founder & CEO) and Danica (Project Manager). From time to time, we also work one-on-one with some of their individual developers for smaller projects. We have a project management system that Chykalophia set up specifically for my business. We can communicate there, add notes, and get updates.  

How did you come to work with Chykalophia?

We did a lot of extensive research. We had narrowed down our options to a pool of about six developers that we were interested in working with. However, after viewing Chykalophia’s website, we saw their clients’ testimonials and portfolio. The broad range of services they offered gave us a lot of flexibility. Knowing that they offered design and marketing services in-house was also helpful. 

We reached out to Chykalophia through a website contact form, and they responded promptly. They set up a quick phone call to understand our needs and the scope of the upcoming project. They asked us what we were looking for in the short and long term. They then came back to us with a proposal for an initial project outlined in PDF format. They gave us a welcome package and client onboarding information that made it easy for us to know who was in charge and who to contact. 

More importantly, Chykalophia was very gracious in understanding our hesitation in working with a new developer. We started with a small side project before tackling anything too big. That small project went really smoothly. They offered to do this because of our reluctance to deal with someone new. After seeing how that project rolled out, how good the communication was, and how they met our needs, we decided to move forward with a larger project. 

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested over $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2019, and we’re on a monthly retainer basis now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Peter brings new innovative solutions. We come to him with the problem we’re facing, and he does a lot of research to figure out how he can best fix it. Then, he tries to see ahead into the future to anticipate our needs as we continue to grow. It’s nice to have that constant flow of communication to keep things moving.

How did Chykalophia perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re using Elementor in conjunction with WordPress, LearnDash, WooCommerce, and ActiveCampaign to meet all of our needs. Chykalophia has been able to implement those seamlessly. They’ve provided us some alternatives; we were previously using WPBakery, and we even discussed moving off of WordPress and going to other platforms like Shopify, Squarespace, and others. 

Overall, they give us options, explain the pros and cons of each, and give us suggestions and recommendations. Ultimately, the decision is ours. From there, they build what we need on the platform that we choose. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

What stands out to us is their experience in membership sites and online courses. That’s my primary business, so it’s nice to know that they understand what my business is and how it operates. 

Moreover, they’re active in cutting-edge training in their industry. They also have a prominent social media presence. Following them on Instagram has also been truly helpful for us to see what kind of people they are. Working with good people is really important to us. On top of that, knowing that the brand is women-led is also important.