Efir Media

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a software development firm based in Switzerland. We work with clients in the aviation field.

For what projects/services did your company hire Efir Media?

We needed a new website that is appealing and flows easily for our client visitation. The challenge was we had a funding application for our startup due in 3 weeks, so we wanted to have our brand identity and website delivered within this short time frame. We hired Efir Media because we knew they had the professionalism and expertise to provide precisely our needs and onetime based on their portfolio. We were hoping to secure additional funding from our investors & new clients by doing this.

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

We looked for web designers using Behance. After reviewing several proposals, we chose this vendor because of their design language & excellent consistency.

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

After a series of discovery meetings to discuss our goals, we received three initial logo designs that hit the mark. After deciding, we gathered inspiration, analyzed the website, and began the development. It was easy working with the team; communications were seamless.

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

In total, we worked with 4 people, including the project manager, two designers, and the business.

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

The site traffic has increased significantly, we receive compliments on our brand identity & we are happy with the outcome.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Easy communications. Frequent updates. On-time deliverables.

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

What was impressive is we barely had any revisions. Everything they touched exceeded our expectations.

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

Honestly no.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and chief creative officer at Silva Brand, a brand and marketing agency in Chicago.

What challenge were you trying to address with Efir Media?

We needed help building a new website for a big construction client.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Efir Media started by mapping and wireframing the site using Figma. They based their designs on the significant amount of discovery work we did with the client. Their team used our inputs on the client’s strategy, service lines, skills, and in-house capabilities. 

Efir Media then built the site’s architecture around those aspects of the end client’s business. The end client has 15 service lines, and they cater to various types of international clients. In addition, they’ve got 40 years of experience and have a lot of history to represent at the site.

After finishing site mapping and wireframing, they worked with us to organize the site’s content, consisting of 45,000 words of copy. From there, Efir Media has developed the site using WordPress and AWS. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with a project manager, a designer, a creative director, a programmer, and their owner. 

How did you come to work with Efir Media?

We did an online search, and Clutch was one of the places we used. We went through various firms worldwide, but Efir Media stood out because they offered so much value relative to what they charged. Additionally, they could do anything from the most basic landing pages to the most complex multimedia websites. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2019, and our partnership is ongoing. 

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

The site has just launched, so we don’t have any metrics. Nonetheless, I know that the end client is ecstatic about the quality of the website — it has been a substantial improvement compared to what they’ve previously had. 

Efir Media has been great at organizing content such that the site remains approachable and easy to digest. Their creativity has allowed them to pull apart all of the text we’ve provided and arrange it in a way that makes sense. The site looks easy in the eyes and simple to access. 

How did Efir Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Efir Media’s project management has been excellent. They’ve been responsive, and they’ve always honored their promises. If I ever have a problem, they will call me within an hour. They’re really easy to work with, and they’re constantly doing their best to ensure that we’re happy. 

We’ve used Asana, Trello, and Dropbox Paper to collaborate, and we’ve communicated through Zoom, email, and Slack. They’re organized and communicate well. I’ve been pleased with our partnership.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Efir Media has very intelligent designs. Other web companies take content without understanding its purpose, whereas Efir Media actually reads the content and understands its meaning and goals. 

Their work has been very thoughtful — they layout content so people can skim but still understand what’s going on. Efir Media has got tremendous creativity and a great team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They can be clearer about timelines and ensure the schedule provided accounts for all the necessary steps in delivering a site. That said, I don’t think there’s been any instance where they’ve dragged their feet. They’re very responsive, and when they make a promise, they always make sure that it comes through.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them the freedom to do the full extent of their creative work. They pride themselves in going above and beyond to deliver cool, parallax effects, CSS elements, and transitions between screens. 

They’re very excited about showing what they can do to make your site unique. As such, you should be open to new ways of communicating. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a software development agency.

For what projects/services did your company hire Efir Media?

We hired Efir to help us design a new corporate website and provide creative direction.

How did you select this vendor?

We were introduced to them by a colleague who used to work with them and also based on their design skills, case studies and proposal they created specifically for our business. Our design team was busy on client work and wasn't going to free up for another few months and we needed design help more urgently. They filled this need nicely.

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

They were very professional with their approach to the project. They interfaced with myself and our lead marketing specialist to gather requirements. This led to creating some concepts and wireframes that we approved and then they went to work designing the actual pages and responsive designs for most of the screens and then our internal designers did a few of the mobile screens. They also provide videos for how the user experience should go and work side by side our development team to make sure it was implemented correctly. They also created a nice showreel for us that highlighted a number of our projects. They went above and beyond to make things right even when it increased the budget and timing a bit which was understandable since it was so important to us.

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

I wasn't always entirely sure how many were working on it but communication and feedback was never an issue. I am assuming a PM and a designer.

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

I am highly satisfied and would recommend them again and to our clients. The project hasn't launched yet but their Phase 1 work has ended.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. At times I wished they asked more upfront questions or provided more guidance around a storyboard for our showreel so we didn't waste either teams time on revisions but they are responsive, go the extra mile and take pride in their work.

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

Creative design skills. They pay attention to small details that others may overlook in designs. They have good ideas and examples to share which show how a design may come to life.

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

If i had to not pick i would just suggest gathering business requirements better upfront ie. getting more info at the start about goals, strategy and messaging and what the big message was that we wanted to convey with our case studies or specific areas of our website.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Co-Founder of Glassbox media, a venture-backed podcast platform that is fueling the growth of the audio creator economy. We leverage technology and our universe of relationships to help podcast creators of all sizes with everything from production & editing, show financing, brand partnerships, audience growth, and adaptation opportunities (converting hit podcasts into TV shows with studio partners and streaming apps).

For what projects/services did your company hire Efir Media?

Our original website was extremely outdated, so we hired Efir Media to completely redesign our site and give it a fresh and bold new look!

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

After reviewing many options on Dribbble, we LOVED Efir's incredible portfolio and ability to move quickly to turn around a fantastic product at a fair price.

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

After an initial kick-off meeting where we shared some design inspirations, Efir worked incredibly hard to put together an awesome "mood" board with additional inspiration that we loved. Efir than quickly began designing multiple mockups for us to review and share feedback on. Once we felt we had a winning mockup, Efir continued to work quickly to build out the remainder of the site insuring attention to detail around every aspect. They continued to refine and improve until we had an amazing finished product that we loved!

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

We worked closely with Eugene, our project manager, who handled everything we needed and was fantastic and easy to work with.

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

Every step of the process was great and the current site is exactly what we were hoping for!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Eugene, our project manager, was always on top of everything, pricing great communication, and made sure the project was moving forward as planned and delivered on time.

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

We were amazed by their high attention to detail and the care they put into making our site special. The designs they put forth were top-notch and their team offered us stellar communication and project management - taking care of our every need.

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

They are genuinely great at what they do and I only have positive things to say about them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Co-Founder/COO at myBalbo. myBalbo is a free political/social app for the next generation of voters that fosters community engagement, encourages empowering discussions, and provides real-time political accountability for elected officials. Our motto is “Your Vote, Your Voice, Your Village”

For what projects/services did your company hire Efir Media?

In preparation for our launch in Spring 2022, it was important that our website mirrored our targeted audience (Gen-Zs). Even though the previous site was cool, we needed a facelift that provided an inclusive and high energy experience.

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

After research across Behance (and other freelance marketplace platforms), Efir Media stood out from the rest. The reviews were stellar, their portfolio was diverse, and they were affordable for a tech startup.

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

We held an initial meeting with the Efir team and myBalbo team to discuss our vision and our project schedule. Thereafter, we used Figma (a collaborative creative tool) to create wireframes and to communicate. After a few reworks, edits and meetings, we ended up with an amazing new site within a month after our initial meeting.

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

We worked with Eugene (PM) and Mila (Designer).They both were great to work with as they were responsive, professional and had amazing energy during each call.

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

We haven’t officially gone public yet (i.e., announced the changes), so we will still be assessing traffic, however the feedback has been great for those we have alerted about the update. We even held a focus group across the market and the excitement around the new site was motivating.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was great between the team and having meetings as needed was made with ease.

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

The support was seamless, and they worked hard to understand our vision, even using our requested platforms (i.e. Wix) to execute our website.

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

None to think of at this time, as the team was responsive and delivered on time. We would circle back to Efir Media for future website redesigns.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Brand Manager for an e-commerce company.

For what projects/services did your company hire Efir Media?

Efir was tasked to help us reimagine our old and boring website to be more engaging.

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

We sifted through dozens and dozens of freelance designers and design agencies in Behance, Upwork, and 99Designs. Efir Media's hands-on approach during the ask-for-quotation phase was what really made us choose them.

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

Details are covered in an NDA, but to sum it up, they redesigned our homepage, category page, and product pages.

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

Three in total. Hannah, our main designer, and Eugene and Oleg for account managers.

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

I am a designer myself, but the way Efir Media handled the process from Research to Wireframing, to Designs, to Hand-off is what really sets them apart from the rest. It is very easy to get lost with the process especially if we, ourselves, aren't really sure what we'd like to see in our website. They bridged that gap by doing competitor research. Also, they know the best practices in this industry, which is exactly why we wanted to hire an agency with such expertise.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was such a breeze working with them. I micromanaged some elements and layouts to 101% tailor-fit their design and I was pleasantly surprised how open-minded they are in adapting these changes.

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

Streamlined processes which made it very easy for us. Their patience as well and sticking with deadlines.

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

Everything worked well

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our AutoTech startup streamlines billions of data points into personalized, actionable insights, empowering professionals in the automotive world to make better business decisions for their vehicles. Using leading AI and ML technology, we predict vehicle failures before they happen in order to create a more efficient, safer, and cleaner future.

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

We were looking for a brand refresh as well as a fully redesigned website with SEO strategy. We have three core audiences; fleets, enterprises, and investors. The reason we needed to redesign the website was that it was only speaking to one of our audiences vs. all three. Our main goals for working with Efir Media, were to tighten up the company's story to really focus on the future/where we are going. We also needed to create compelling content that capture our customers and audience in lead generation forms. We also had to have this completed by end of August before pitching season came around so it was a tight deadline.

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

I started our search online for top web developers and brand agencies in Canada first  but upon realizing our challenge required some story telling experience, I expanded the search to include US agencies where I interviewed around 6 or 7 different agencies in total. Efir Media came up in a search for experience with a client in the automotive industry. In these calls, I went over the main pain points and our goals (as well as our desired timeline).

Deciding factors included cost of course, but also trustworthiness and previous portfolio examples (did the get what we wanted or had past experience with difficult stories). I wasn't looking for a simple web design, I wanted to see ones that stood out. The agency also had to be comfortable/confident with the very important deadline. I brought in the CEO and VP to meet with the top three picks but I knew that Efir Media was my top choice based on gut feeling that I could trust these guys with this high-impact project.

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

1. Kick-off discovery week (getting to know us and our product/goals)
2. Brand development - this took a bit longer than expected as we had to be a bit more clearer on what we wanted but what came out was a subtle change that really matured us into a powerful AutoTech startup
3. Website wireframe/site mapping (both 2 & 3 were all done in Figma - which allowed for easy back and forth commenting and quick visualization)
4. Content - We used Google Docs to go over all the content and storyline for our site. It was a little confusing as Figma would sometimes contain the old content but this part, Efir Media really nailed (dove in deep on the research and understanding of our space)
5. Website development and launch - Wordpress, Slack (as it required much more communication than previous stages), Hubspot for Lead Generation Forms
6. Collateral - We used Google Drive to share documents/pictures/etc. and it's where the rest of the images and assets are stored now

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

Don't quote me because they could've had more working in the backend but this is who we interacted with more regularly: We had two project managers (really one at any given time but unfortunately our original PM got sick), I believe two art developers, a copy editor (also handling our SEO) and two developers.

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

We aren't sure yet as it just launched last week - but the feedback and responses on our social have been very positive for our new look.

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

Communication tools: email, occasional video calls, slack and Figma (for comments) I really only interacted directly with their copy editor and project manager so it kept communication tight. Although this did mean that there were some confusing times where one party was saying a certain deadline over another party (broken telephone). However, it was usually resolved within 24 hours after our PM gathered all the information.

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

Their ability to dive in and completely own their client's brand like their own. We were impressed with the quality of their art and design work, as well as their fast responses, no matter the hour.

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

Improvement on the technical side is very needed but I believe they are already in the process of advancing this area. Once they do so, they will be the powerhouse agency that takes the web by storm :)

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am co-founder of oNEONe neon workshop. Our company has 10 employees and creates neon signs and installations for interior, businesses, events, etc.

For what projects/services did your company hire Efir Media?

We are newcomers to the market. So we needed badly to stand out among competitors and make ourselves known. That is why we decided to hire Efir Media to create our brand identity.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a brand image, develop the strategy of brand management. We needed a unique, appealing style, and the Efir Media team fulfilled the task really great.

How did you select Efir Media?

I came across Efir Media on Behance. I was really impressed by their works and reviews on them. So it was not hard to choose them.

Describe the project in detail.

The team of Efir Media analyzed the market situation and target audience, formulated the essence of the brand, developed the brand management strategy, created visual and verbal identification means and a set of brand documents. They also carried out brand promotion, monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of their actions.

What was the team composition?

The team we worked with consisted of a project manager, marketing analyst and graphic designer.

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

Now, when we have our brand image, people recognize us. Our company has it's own beautiful face now, beautiful like the products we provide to our customers. And one more thing of great importance that took place is that the number of clients get bigger every week.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Efir Media is one of the most responsive teams I've ever dealed with. We were in touch 24/7. Really, very nice, professional and understanding people.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Most of all we were impressed how painstakingly Efir Media had studied the market and the history of our brand, the essence of what we do before getting down to work. Second of all, was the outcome itself. Our brand got it individuality, it is amazing!

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don't think so. We are really satisfied with the results and the process of cooperation.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CEO and founder of Belazor Technologies, Inc. Our company has 40 employees and provides wireless equipment installation and maintenance.

For what projects/services did your company hire Efir Media?

Efir Media proved to be high quality "turn-key" branding & web site agency. They have created an amazing brand for our company our whole team is extremely proud of. Wireless construction companies like ours never looked so good. We constantly get compliments about it both from clients and potential employees

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to create a company style that would help us stand out among other companies on the market, to attract young professionals. Efir Media exceeded our expectations 5 fold! They were not afraid to go "too far" and had built company style we will be able to enjoy for years.

How did you select this vendor?

We found them on Behance. Checked their reviews and considering their pretty low prices* took the deal. *Low price to quality ratio.

Describe the project in detail.

Efir Media developed for us : 1) Logo 2) Fonts 3) Colors 4) Message and marketing strategy 5) Printing materials 6) Brand book 7) Email template 8) Portraits of our employees 9) Website 10) Back end for the website And some other minor deliverables

What was the team composition?

We were assigned Oleg as a project manager. He was communicating with us most of the time. Amazing professional, knowledgable, and details oriented. He was communicating our message to their team - designer, coder, and art director. It couldn't be any easier. In case Oleg wasn't available, Darren was always there to help. In general, we didn't have to deal with 5 different people which was very convenient.

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

We measure success by the number of new employment requests we started to get after publishing our website. We don't run statistics on it but our hr mentioned that our company is getting higher number of requests every month.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We didn't experience many complications while working on our project. They always have someone ready to answer our questions at any time because they have 3 offices in different parts of the world, which comes very handy. They also have project managers that speak different languages.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

It was really easy to communicate with them. They make you feel like you are working with a good friend, but at the same time, they keep it very professional. If you have seen their portfolio their designs are mindblowing. This was the main reason why we decided to contact them in the first place. Also, they can communicate in Spanish, English and, I believe, Russian languages.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No adjustments needed as of right now

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an executive/leadership coach. My coaching practice was launched to help people engage with their stories. To have a better understanding of who they are, and how they respond to life and explore where they have been, where they are, and where they want to go.

For what projects/services did your company hire Efir Media?

I was launching a new website. I was starting from scratch.

What were your goals for this project?

To have a string website that engaged others and motivated them to explore growth.

How did you select this vendor?

I found an award they won on another website for their website.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They built my website from the ground up.

What was the team composition?

I wish I knew. I started with a project manager in October, who copied two others on all emails. That project manager was laid off one week before my website was supposed to be launched.

The new PM never explained that they did not know where the project left off. Instead, they attempted to throw some stuff together. It was terrible. It was actually offensive. They had gone to a personal blog and pulled information that had nothing to do with what I hired them for.

When they realized the 2nd PM had made some pretty significant errors, instead of apologizing, they said "As we mentioned, we are not able to finish your project." They then offered my 1/3 of my $2500 back, which means I lost $1700 because of their errors.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The website has yet to launch. I am approaching month five on what was supposed to be a two month process. The communication is highly unprofessional. With each email you begin to believe you have not communicated clearly, as the delays and work pace are significantly off track.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

This was the worst part of the process. I am on project manager #3. I have figured out that within their culture, they will do whatever it takes to hide/shift blame. They have a very difficult time actually finalizing projects and finishing. My website is so incredibly simple, and we are on week 22.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their company website. That is it.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Yes. Communicate honestly. Instead of putting together a wasted beta website, just say to your client "I am really sorry, but we do not have any of your old work and we have to start over." Instead of saying "If we get this done this fast, it will be incredible" when it is already 5 weeks overdue and has nothing to do with the client.

This review was updated by the client on July 15, 2020. The original star ratings were: Overall - 0.5, Quality - 0.5, Schedule - 1, Cost - 1, NPS - 1. New content is below:

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.  

I am an executive life coach. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Efir Media? 

A new website with video implemented. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

They were very involved. We had hiccups in the project being turned over to different project managers, but the end result was great. 

What is the team dynamic? 

I worked directly with Yury whose communication skills were top notch. I felt he was very honest and helpful. 

How did you come to work with Efir Media? 

I found their business website online through a blog that was sharing award winning designs for 2019. They were at the top of that list. 

How much have you invested with them? 

Five months. $6k

What is the status of this engagement? 

My project is complete and the end result was what I had hoped for.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with the vendor evolve?  

When you are working on a project that represents your business, you have to have open lines of communication and approach the building process as a partnership rather than a vendor. I felt Efir got that and delivered their vision on my brand.

How did Efir Media address the challenges that arose?

Honestly and effectively. My project manager heard and saw the details and came up with solutions and realistic timelines. 

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business. 

I have received a lot of positive feedback on the website, and it leads a lot of people to inquire about our work. 

How was project management handled? 

Once it was turned over to my final PM, it was stellar. Great communication, awareness of deadlines, etc. 

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength? 

The actual design of their work is outstanding. 

In what specific areas can they improve? 

I think it is best for each client to understand that some of the work is being done in Europe, so you may have a time lapse in communication, but my PM was located in the US. 

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours? 

Trust Efir to deliver in the end.