ColorWhistle

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I started Hinch Digital in June 2021 after leaving another agency. I offer digital marketing services like SEO, PPC advertising on Google and Bing, and web design and development. Additionally, I offer other secondary services such as conversion optimization when required.

What challenge were you trying to address with ColorWhistle?

I’m in charge of the SEO and PPC services for my clients, but I’m not a web designer or developer. Still, some of my clients require web design, development, and maintenance services, so I outsource those projects to ColorWhistle.

What was the scope of their involvement?

ColorWhistle helps me with my client's WordPress website development projects, which include changing the design of certain pages, designing and developing brand new websites from scratch, and website maintenance and security support. In the last 2–3 weeks, they’ve completed 3–4 website projects from start to finish.

On one of those projects, ColorWhistle designed and developed an e-commerce website for a company selling beauty hair extensions UK-wide, and they redid my client’s branding. Another project was for a local gardening machinery company. For it, they rebuilt their WordPress site and modernized its design. Additionally, they’ve recently finished building a WordPress website for me that serves as a fitness directory for the UK.

As I mentioned, ColorWhistle also helps me with smaller projects. These projects might include adding a certain section to their sites’ home pages, implementing a reviewing functionality to their e-commerce sites, changing their blog pages’ design, adding a banner, and more.

What is the team composition?

I work mainly with Sankarnarayan (Founder & Owner) and Rajeev (Senior WordPress Developer). Rajeev has other developers working on his team, but I don’t talk directly with them. Additionally, I’ve worked with Anusha (Design Lead) twice, and Sanjay (Business Growth Specialist) has occasionally helped me track the metrics of a certain website.

How did you come to work with ColorWhistle?

I’m based in the UK, and web development services here are very costly. I had worked with companies in India in the past, and I found out that their skill set was the same, but their cost was lower. Thus I wanted to find a company on that side of the world.

I researched web development companies in India. ColorWhistle was in the top three, and I saw that they had great reviews, possibly on Clutch. I then reached out to a few companies, including them, and they were the first ones to come back to me.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent over £10,000 (approximately $12,500 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2021, and our engagement is ongoing. I plan to keep working with them because I really like them.

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

I measure the success of our projects based on how the websites are built. So far, ColorWhistle’s work has been fantastic. They build sites exactly how I want them. They use advanced custom fields to build them, making them load very quickly as if they were hardcoded. Furthermore, whenever I send them a design, they replicate that exact design on the website.

Since working with ColorWhistle, I stopped looking for other options. I’ve assigned hundreds and hundreds of tasks to them, and I haven’t had a single issue so far.

How did ColorWhistle perform from a project management standpoint?

I would rate ColorWhistle’s project management 10/10. Our communication via Skype and Slack has been amazing; when I message them, I get a response within a few minutes. This has been the main reason why I keep working with them. Other companies might offer similar services, but communication is key.

Regarding time management, ColorWhistle always provides me with an estimated timeline for each project because they vary. Some projects take 3–4 working hours, and they’re ready the same day. However, other projects might take 4–6 weeks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

ColorWhistle’s communication skills and level of understanding are their most important assets. They’re always available to jump on a call, and they’re very capable of replicating a project exactly as I explain it to them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep communicating with them as much as possible. Whenever you need to go through a project, be as detailed as possible and try to explain everything over a video call instead of just providing them with a generic brief.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an entrepreneur; I have a couple of websites servicing Canada.

What challenge were you trying to address with ColorWhistle?

I wanted to develop a website that offered a review functionality for real state businesses in Toronto. I didn’t want a simple, static website with information and pictures; it needed to be a functionality-oriented website. I was looking for someone I could work with dynamically and talk to daily to review my designs and propose changes from a development perspective.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, I had a rough draft of how I wanted the website to look and what functionalities I’d need. The first step was to get in touch with ColorWhistle. The project manager put me in touch with the development team, and I had some walk-throughs with them. They proposed some changes and took their time to understand what I was trying to do. Then, we worked together to build a scope of work.

For the next two months, the technical lead worked with me to build it out stage by stage. I wanted an admin panel to manage the backend, a login functionality, and the ability to submit reviews, upload photos, and so on. They designed everything from scratch. 

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact was the development manager.

How did you come to work with ColorWhistle?

I worked with them on another project a year back, using their design services.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent $2,000 CAD (approximately $2,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–March 2022.

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

It’s a new website, so I’m still gaining an audience. The website loads fast, and it’s mobile and user-friendly. People can log in, place a comment, and navigate the website.

How did ColorWhistle perform from a project management standpoint?

We used design and development tools to see the versions of the website and how we were building it. In general, we had a good working relationship. I had a single point of contact to manage everything, and we had close-knit chemistry. We communicated via Skype and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They took their time to understand what I was trying to do. If they had questions, we took the time to discuss them. We had a good working relationship, and they had a great emphasis on putting their feet in our shoes. Also, they proposed alternatives when applicable and had a good planning and design approach. Overall, that’s why we come back to their services.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I was happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Instead of forcing them to implement something, have an open conversation and welcome their feedback. Help them understand what you’re trying to achieve; they’ll reach your goal and add value to the outcome from a budget perspective.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a cardiologist in a clinic and hospital setting

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

To design and build a patient oriented website for our clinic

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

Initially found them on Google but felt reassured after speaking with Siva Prakash.

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

We wanted a website that was user-friendly with an ease of navigation. The user should be able to book an appointment online, directed to accessing telehealth, read educational content, print the fillable PDF forms, print procedure instructions, and be able to access a fund of resources.

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

Of an approximate 30 + member team, I worked with:

• Siva Prakash - public relations & business growth consultant
• Anusha - UI/UX and graphic design Rajeev - web developer
• Ranjeeth - Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Sankarnarayana - founder & CEO

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

We received great feedback from colleagues on how easy and presentable it was to the user with a lot of educational content. Many patients mentioned it was very convenient to print forms and instructions ahead of time and also to read about their specific condition with simple explanations.

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

They were very professional to work with and accommodated our customizations and requirements every step of the way. When something is not clear over an email, we connected over Skype to make we were all on the same.

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

We had a clear vision on how we wanted the website to be structured and designed and the ColorWhistle team delivered it! Also, upon request, they were able to give brief tutorial videos on how to make future updates for our custom WordPress.

Individually: Siva Prakash represented the face of the company. He was the first person we spoke to that answered all our questions. He is very professional, upfront, patient, and friendly to work with. In case you don't understand something, he goes the extra mile to educate you so that you can make an informed decision.

Because he reassured us of the capabilities of the team, we decided to select ColorWhistle.

Anusha - was very cooperative with the CST & IST time differences. I was very impressed with how she balanced her profession and home life during this challenging pandemic. She designed all the visual graphics, customizations, PDF fillable forms, custom icons, and picture customizations for the content.

She also designed the letterheads, envelopes, and business cards. Anusha is hardworking, passionate, and very patient with all that we required. She is easy to talk to and great to work with.

Rajeev - had occasional interactions throughout the length of the project. He was easy to work with and did a great job with the site development.

Ranjeeth - had a brief encounter via Skype and was friendly to work with.

Sankarnarayana - oversaw many communications and efforts. We had an official encounter at the completion of our website. Great team manger!

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

Nothing in particular

Please describe your company and your position there.

A design & Marketing Studio, we specialize in developing marketing strategies & designs for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Established in 2003, the company envisions to help businesses accomplish their targets through ingenious solutions. I was the Owner / President

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

Our company partnered with ColorWhistle and their owner Sankar from the very beginning when they were now starting out. We started handing off all our development work for clients to Colorwhistle in order to broker more cost-effective pricing strategies for our clients. With the company being off-shore, our partnership was a huge success and both companies were able to prosper long term. We eventually started to work even closer in other digital marketing channels and design work.

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

Choosing was easy for our company. When I first met Sankar, he worked at another company where I had already built a relationship with him as a project manager. When he transitioned to his own company...I did not want to lose this contact, so when I started to take on bigger projects from my client base - I reached out to Sankar again when he was getting ColorWhistle up and running - told him I wanted to work with him and his company moving forward. Up until I sold my agency, we had a strong partnership that brokered many deals.

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

There was always a kick-off meeting to discuss the goals of the project both from client notes and also what our company had envisioned for our client. All goals and objectives were laid out. This took a couple discovery calls depending on the project. From there, the team delivered either a proof of concept with wireframes, flowchart etc if they were designing for us. In some cases, they provided the initial prototype of the website they were developing for us that we can review.

Usually, after a couple iterations, their team either designed or developed both static and ecommerce driven websites for our clients. Development was done in WordPress primarily, with a few drop-ins of Shopify and Magento. By the time the project was complete which was pretty quick...9 times out of 10...they were flawless. Their ability to understand and adopt their client goals and objectives and then translate that into a fully functioning project is unbeatable in the industry.

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

In our case, our primary point of contact was the owner himself who is an unmatched project manager. We would also have meetings or calls with his primary developer or marketing expert at times. For us, it did not matter who we communicated with as everyone on their team are professionals and the conversations are spot on.

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

After launching websites, company branding and other deliverables from ColorWhistle to our clients. The client saw a measureable increase of over 65% in revenue if an existing retail website or they received compliments on their new branding which yielded in excellent ROI for the companies. Marketing campaigns they have run for us has had phenomenal results and ROI such as a SEO campaign they ran increased our clients traffic by over 70% and the client had over 66x ROI for the business at a really low marketing cost of just 4%.

Overall, this is a great team. They are unmatched anywhere and trust me, we have worked with other companies both big and small and none have come close to ColorWhistle. Do yourself and your business a favor and reach out to this guys for any project you may have.

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

We had bi-weekly calls to ensure everything was running on time and on budget with the owner and/or developer directly. If delays were to happen, they communicated that way ahead of time. But this rarely happened. When it occured, it primarily came down to the client changing their mind on a feature or adding something in after scope. Ever heard of scope creep. Some clients tried that. We used primarily email and skype in those days, but today I know the team are using Jira, Slack, Github and other tools.

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

Can I say everything. They're professional, easy to work with...they leave ego at the door and they always took the time to educate where it was needed. Many talk about doing this...but most rarely actually do. This team is our A-Team and will always be.

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

Everyone can improve on something. Why I say everyone and the company...primarily because a company is just a building whereas the people inside is what makes up the whole. So everyone can improve on something. When it comes to their service level. I can't think of one thing that they fail on. For us, and we worked with them for years up until we sold our agency--they never failed us.

Even today, personally - I plan to using them for future projects that I am planning on building for myself and my family. They have already designed a couple logos for me and their value is second to none. I'm a designer and developer myself...but sometimes you just need to focus on the bigger picture and allow a solid team to help you along the way. I will never use any other company.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Project Manager at a company providing B2B IT Services.

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

We hired ColorWhistle to develop our cryptocurrency oriented site. This project required the aggregation of a vast amount of content from a variety of sources in a fully interactive and professionally presented site.

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

We searched for web development companies and made a shortlist. ColorWhistle's prompt response to my enquiry, professional approach and level of thought put into the potential execution of our brief made them stand out in our search and as such we opted to work with them.

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

I received a phone call very shortly after submitting my enquiry, in which we discussed the scope of the project. We provided some wireframes outlining the premise of the project and the functionality that we were looking to achieve.

We then had a meeting with the team who would be undertaking the project and designs were provided and approved. The development phase included the aggregation of content on our WordPress site from a variety of sources - news outlets, YouTube, Twitter, financial data providers and more. As such, it was a complex project with many moving parts and considerations.

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

We mainly worked directly with a Designer and Web Developer, but also had regular contact with management.

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

It is still early days but the site has achieved our initial goals that we set out for the project upon launching and ColorWhistle were able to successfully implement all of the key elements of our project.

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

We had communications channels with the team via Skype and Asana. It was useful to have the team available on Skype as we were able to communicate frequently thoughout the week without regular meetings. The team were timely, clear and concise in their communications. ColorWhistle provided a clear outline for all of the project deliverables prior to commencing the project and they were accurate in their estimations.

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

They had a very professional approach across the board which included: Clear, concise and timely communications. Punctuality on deliverables A good level of strategic thought put in prior to commencing the project

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

We had some minor bugs prior to launching, but this is anticipated during the initial phase of developing a complex website.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEOP and Founder of my Spencer Realty, LLC.

For what projects/services did your company hire ColorWhistle?

I hired ColorWhistle to design an extremely customized and functional website which highlighted the strategic way in which my company assists sellers and buyers.

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

I looked for designers in my area who would allow for the level of customization I required, but who would also stay competitive with industry rates. It was difficult finding a vendor, so I took to the internet and found ColorWhistle. I LOVED the energy, look and feel of their sample products and decided to request a consultation.

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

After several development and mapping meetings we settled on the architecture of the site and the team began to create the site based upon feedback and functionality. During the development stage, the team met frequently to request my feedback on progress, discuss roadblocks dealing with design and function as well as alternatives and solutions to these roadblocks. Needless to say, I was kept fully informed and consulted with every step of the way.

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

The team consisted of five people total. A few project developers, a project manager and a consultant.

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

The communication with ColorWhistle allowed for quick and seamless implementation throughout the project. Often times, they would perform tasks so quickly that they had to wait on responses from me to move to the next phase. I have had countless individuals remark on my website and my site traffic has increased exponentially.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team was easy to communicate with, quick to make adjustments, and promptly responded to any questions or concerns.

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

I was blown away by their willingness to increase their knowledge in areas that were specific to my business in order to deliver a project that I was proud of.

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

Of course, things could have always gone faster, but then I would have sacrificed the quality of the project and the opportunity to work with a fantastic team!

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an entrepreneur running online content publishing websites

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

I hired ColorWhistle to completely rebrand my website by redesigning and making extensive development changes, including a directory of outdoor parks and a review functionality

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

I searched online for a good web development company that offered personal touch in customer service. Color whistle's professional approach and 'client first' attitude made my choice easier

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

We kicked off the project by having couple of brainstorming session with both designer and developer. I liked how Colorwhistle patiently sat down with me couple of times over Skype to understand my needs and wants before jumping to solution. Then we worked with designed in getting couple of versions of the new design for my site. Once the design is confirmed, development team worked directly with me in taking my inputs and developing and implementing the website.

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

three people - one project manager, one designer and one development team lead

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

I have been seeing a healthy increase in user engagement and seo results since the implementation of the new website design

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

A very hands on approach I would say. Once the team got comfortable, I was able to get in touch directly with the development team answering their questions and providing required inputs quickly and directly. This definitely helped in both quality of the output as well as the efficiency of the project delivery

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

They have a professional approach with a "client first" mentality.

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

Nope, I am quite happy with this engagement

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a freelance Visual Designer and Creative Director that needed an online portfolio website.

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

Website Development with CMS

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

It was a trusted referral. Really great to work with.

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

Develop a responsive website given design, assets and direction.

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

Developer and related team

Project manager

Founder

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

Launched this last month. Great feedback from design community. Extremely happy with the work performed.

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

Transparent & collaborative and very responsive.

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

"Their performance, service, and professionalism were outstanding throughout.

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

I cannot think of one.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Digital content manager for a celebrity chef

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

To redesign and makeover chef's website and assist with basic SEO

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

While I discovered them via Google search, chef's and my decision to go ahead with them was based on their professional approach and passion to take on this project and do it well.

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

Requirement was to completely overhaul the website, make the design cleaner, more dynamic, responsive and contemporary. The first step was to get the design right, Color Whistle patiently incorporated all the feedback till chef was happy with the final look and feel of the wire frame. Second step was the actual coding and finally content migration.

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

1. Rajeev - Senior Software Developer
2. Ranjeeth - Digital Marketing Consultant
3. Siva - Business Growth Consultant
4. Anusha - Design Lead - UI/UX

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

Found them to be very communicative, dedicated, conscientious. Pleasure to work with.

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

Thanks to the digital media, we had a group chat set up and all communication could happen almost instantly for requirements from either side.

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

Professionalism and passion for work

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

No