Gulo

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing at a retail analytics firm.

What challenge were you trying to address with Gulo?

We wanted to create a website that would generate more leads for our business as well as promote the value of our products and services.  We wanted a website that was polished from a lead generation perspective. We needed it to be well done in a way that people kept coming back to our site.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gulo helped us design and create a company website. The team helped us figure out the framework for the website, which was built on WordPress. Our team was responsible for the messaging.

The Gulo team created various landing pages and made sure our brand aesthetic was consistent and cohesive across the site. They also ensured we would be able to make edits on the backend.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, their founder, and a designer.

How did you come to work with Gulo?

We’re a Chicago-based company and wanted to work with a local partner. We searched on Google and looked on Clutch reviews. We got on the call with their salesperson and liked what we heard. We also were sold on their promise to get the site done quickly. Additionally, we liked their ability to adapt in terms of the scope.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000–$50,000.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2020, and we launched in October 2020.

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

Since our site launched, our traffic has increased significantly. Our organic search results have also improved. We’ve also gotten comments about how professional the site looks.

How did Gulo perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall, Gulo was pretty good. We were a bit rushed at the end, but Gulo was willing to stick to the deadline. They even made some finishing touches after we launched. We had weekly meetings and we spoke with the project manager a few times per week over email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team was responsive and quick to get back to us with any questions. Gulo was nimble and lean while still providing great results. They were always collaborative and receptive to our feedback.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes the scope about what we thought would be included in the project versus what was an add-on was a little blurry. In those instances, everything was cleared up pretty quickly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to communicate with your project manager. They’re open to feedback and incorporating that into the site. They also have the expertise to push back and offer suggestions in the interest of delivering the best result for your company.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The organization is PAC, or Publisher’s Alliance Corporation. PAC and Pangaea Creative House work hand in hand. I run Pangea and I am the marketing and creative director. We are the supplement to PAC Group, and we work underneath them.

We build high-level materials for the point of care space. That is anywhere in a pharmacy or in a physician’s office where you will see materials that are either educational or brand-sponsored by some pharmaceutical companies.

What challenge were you trying to address with Gulo?

The business challenge that we had was on multiple levels, and the first of those were metrics. We wanted to get something that was better, more efficient, and streamlined. The other thing that we wanted was a unique QR code.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We asked Gulo to build us a mobile experience once you scan a digital QR code. That is what they built for us and they are continuing to build and better the models that we had before. Not only do we provide a printed product to our clients, but through that QR code, we are now able to extend our digital capabilities and create a further reach.

In a particular project, with our educational guide, we develop something called condition guides. We build these guides as complimentary takeaways for anyone who is in a physician’s office or at their home in the cases where we deliver it direct to home. When we put a QR code onto the actual magazine, once a patient or someone who took the magazine scans that code, they will be taken to a particular landing page. Gulo not only built the landing page and all of the digital assets on that landing page, but also a digital version of the educational guide that the QR code takes you to.

We built in a doctor discussion guide so that people can take their ideas and thoughts to the doctor, based on some of the things that we were giving them like tips and disease awareness about their condition. For instance, if we were working on asthma, we know that in X city, there are X amount of asthma sufferers. We are able to target specific homes based on those particular individuals. We send out these free magazines so that every piece of digital information or printed information that they get is very relevant to them. Gulo not only made the user experience better, but they created a landing page for us.

They reconstructed everything on our backend digital side to make it more streamlined and to make it easier. This is one project, but it is going to become multiple projects. What we are building is the foundation of what we are going to use for many different clients. They will be working on multiple clients, but right now we are working on the foundation to set it up so that it works properly moving forward.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Zach (Partner). He is a delight, and he is very funny. He is very professional and gets right to the root of the problem and solves it. I also worked with Don (Director of Client Success), who doesn’t miss a beat. He is on it and he always gives us his notes after a follow-up call; he is very professional. I have worked with Fred (Partner & Director of User Experience) and Christian (Graphic Designer).

How did you come to work with Gulo?

I had been a member of the Chicago Chamber of Commerce. I had met Zach at one of the chamber events when I was shopping around for other people who could help us. We got into a conversation and I really liked what he had to say. We looked at their portfolio and I liked their work. 

How much have you invested in them?

I believe we have invested over $14,000 but I believe it will go up.

What is the status of this engagement?

It was January 2021, and the work is ongoing. Our hope is to keep it ongoing.

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

The general feedback on Gulo’s work has been amazing. When we sat down with them to revamp what the mobile experience was going to look like, we developed prototypes to then show to our clients which we hadn’t done before. Those prototypes have been used multiple times and are helping our clients visualize what they can do with the technology. With that, we have been getting very good feedback from very excited clients. People are very excited to utilize the new services we have been able to provide to our clients, and that is because of what Gulo came up with.

How did Gulo perform from a project management standpoint?

The overall communication is good. We had established early on what the timelines were going to be. We will be meeting all of those timelines shortly because our first project goes live on April 30th. We are on schedule, and there are no problems there.

What did you find most impressive about them?

With the last company that we worked with, we had to go back inside Google Analytics and try to pull it out ourselves and decode things, and that is not our wheelhouse. In this case, Gulo has come in, taken what we have received from the old company, expanded upon it, and used it to be able to decipher how to display and explain the data that we have. They also set us up to display and talk about the data moving forward. That has been the most impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t really have helpful advice.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I know specifically for us, we looked to them to provide not only good user experience but also good strategic and sound strategic advice. If someone is looking for that, this is the company to go to. We were in a situation that was really bad, and they helped us come out of that place. I think if there are other companies struggling with their web developers or their digital companies or web companies, Gulo helped us, and they put us on a better path.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Digital Marketing Manager at a pet food manufacturer. Our company is a 4th generation, family-owned company that makes several different brands of high quality dog and cat food.

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

We came to Gulo wanting to redesign our most popular brand's website. It had been around 6-7 years since the website had a new look and it was in dire need of a design refresh along with better navigation and overall user experience.

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

My colleague actually did an initial search of new web agencies through Clutch and through a basic Google search. We requested quotes from 5 different agencies including Gulo.

We also decided to pay for a design comp from 3 of the agencies, which helped us make a decision. Gulo's price was competitive, we were impressed with the look of their design comp and they had ideas for the site like the addition of a consumer quiz. I also just really appreciated their forward thinking outlook on strategy and on the overall site.

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

• We had a kickoff call,
• we received a very detailed timeline of the project from our project manager,
• went through messaging (added cost, but it was interesting to get a fresh perspective on our messaging),
• audience analysis (they came up with survey questions that we then distributed to our consumers),
• content strategy,
• development strategy,
• content audit,
• site map (this took the most time as we were using an external content migration team as well),
• wire framing,
• homepage/landing page/product page designs,
• alpha and beta developments and then official launch.

We utilized Wordpress, WooCommerce, consumer quiz, Mailchimp plugin, Instagram Plugin, Blog, PriceSpider Where to Buy, Contact Form Integration, Coupon iFrames...etc.

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

We primarily worked with our project manager, Don! Throughout the process we had several conversations with the agencies owners, Zach & Fred. Zach was the main person we talked to with regards to development and Fred was the main person we talked to with regards to overall experience and design. We also had communications with Christian (designer) & Hannah (developer)! All very professional and talented.

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

Everyone loves the overall look and feel of the site!! We implemented a consumer quiz on our website and have already gathered more data and captured more emails than the site before.

Consumers can also filter different products based on their pets individual characteristics which offers a more personalized experience that they didn't have in the previous site. We are just now starting to amp up our advertising efforts so in the upcoming months we will have more conversion data and be able compare it with the performance of the previous site.

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

Don, the project manager, sent out a VERY detailed timeline! It's impressive! I think he did a great job keeping everything on time. There was a slight hiccup involved as we were using a third party agency to help with our content migration. I believe there was miscommunication somewhere around their involvement which caused the timeline to get off due to the third party adding additional review time.

That slight issue along with holidays in between caused a very slight delay in launch. With that being said, we still ended up launching only a little over a week after the original scheduled launch date! Both sides worked REALLY hard to make the launch happen!

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

They have VERY good teams established both on the development and the creative side. Sometimes I feel like agencies can be stronger in one area vs. another, but I thought that they were able to meld strategy, design and function together really well.

We received a beautiful site that runs smoothly with a good user experience. Plus our backend CMS is very organized which makes it easy to update and create new pages on our own!

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

There were a few additional costs that weren't in the initial quote like the quiz plugin cost and also our hosting package ended up costing more than what was originally quoted due to our site traffic.

All of these were valid costs, but it would have been something I would have liked to have known up front before the project started. My advice is just to confirm the costs/services included in the quoting process and ask for a range of costs for any additional plugins you might like to add.

Also, if you are using a third party to help with content migration or anything else make sure the project manager is aware of this before the timeline is built to allow for extra review time in the different stages.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a financial services trade association in Washington, DC. I’m the director of marketing and communications.

What challenge were you trying to address with Gulo?

We were looking to update our website, which was several years old. It needed to be redesigned and brought up to more current standards and trends. Functionality needed to be improved and load speed increased. We were looking for a fresh look and feel.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gulo helped update our WordPress platform. They did a redesign and brought it up to current standards and trends. The team also improved the overall functionality. They integrated the site with our database and enabled SSO for member login. They handled both design and development.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 5–6 people. Don (Director of Client Success) was our project manager, and we also worked with Zach (Partner) quite a bit. 

How did you come to work with Gulo?

We were looking at companies for this project, and Gulo was referred to us from within the industry. They listened to our needs and understood the budget we were dealing with. They were very willing to work with us, address our concerns, and solve our problem while staying within our budget.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $32,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project kickoff was in April 2020. While the website launched at the end of June 2020, they’re also providing support and hosting services, so it’s an ongoing relationship.

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

We’ve seen increased traffic on our website, which is likely due to the fact that it is functioning and looks much better. We’re always looking at ways to drive more members to our website. The website they delivered is a huge improvement over what it was before. Everyone seems very satisfied with it.

How did Gulo perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a great job on that. They were very cognizant of the timeline and timeframe, and they were always working to keep the project on track but also within budget and scope.

We mostly communicated via email, but they did have a form for submitting feedback and comments on the beta site and any issues we ran into while testing it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very knowledgeable on all of the current website trends. Since I don’t have any experience in this area myself, it was great having them on board. We utilized their knowledge to help us achieve our goal. I value their expertise.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not that I can think of.

Any advice for potential customers?

Utilize their knowledge and expertise. Allow for some of their guidance, input, and feedback into what is best. Also, they provided some training and best practices for us, so that as we make updates to our website, we feel empowered to do so, and we can keep it functional and consistent. Get their feedback and ask questions; they’re very willing to help.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of nativeMsg. We’re a conversational commerce and media company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Gulo?

As an early-stage company, we engaged a few freelancers for various branding and design services. We were growing and needed a more professional firm to help us with our branding and messaging.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gulo's team came together to produce a brand strategy for us. We had high-level ideas for our brand based on customer feedback and the market’s direction. However, it was a collaborative process. Their team presented surveys, marrying what we told them with their experience to create a brand and marketing strategy.

They helped us to figure out the next generation of our company, determining our identity and voice. Their team helped us to identify how that voice needed to resonate in the market.

They developed a new site, which was guided by an SEO perspective. Their team designed the UX/UI to help us gather qualified leads and ensure that users found the right information.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was a dedicated project manager who directed the process for us. A number of people plugged in throughout the project including strategists, designers, and copywriters.

How did you come to work with Gulo?

As an early-stage company, we didn’t go through a formal RFP process. We tried to find a local vendor but that wasn’t our primary requirement. We reached out to our network for recommendations and searched online. We narrowed our choices to 5–6 companies and had conversations with all of them. Other companies wanted $100,000 to get in the door. Gulo was willing to meet us where we were, which was great. We also had a hard deadline for a trade show where we wanted to launch a product and their team was up to the challenge.

How much have you invested with them?

Overall, we’ve spent between $25,000–$30,000, which fit within our budget well.

What is the status of this engagement?

We kicked off the project in December 2019 and our initial deadline was in February. Then, we set monthly targets for the remainder of our engagement to work with our budget and their schedule. Our engagement’s ongoing.

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

Their team refined our messaging, which we use throughout all of our marketing materials — whether that’s on social platforms or in new business presentations. They took the complex problem that we try to solve and simplified it into a format that customers understand. We’ve definitely seen an impact from that perspective.

They’ve also done a great job with their SEO efforts. We’re getting much more inbound traffic. Also, the whole brand is cleaner. It looks more professional and organized.

How did Gulo perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team provided documents with project tasks and timelines, which they met. If they needed another day, there was plenty of communication. We always knew what to expect and when to expect it. Their team let us know when they needed information from us. We have a lot of great communication.

Their team was not only willing to work with our deadline but also met it easily. They were flexible and the quality of their work didn’t suffer under those timeframes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their biggest strength is their expertise. Gulo has experienced professionals who dig deep into your business. Their price point, experience, and attentiveness separate them from competitors.

When we got onto a call, they had done their homework and had an opinion on the best way to tackle a challenge. They didn’t just check off boxes. Their team put thought into their strategies. When we wanted to address a project a certain way that didn't make sense, their team told us why it didn’t make sense.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re happy with everything that their team did for us. We wanted more for our deadline in February, but it wasn’t physically possible to do more.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do your homework upfront and have a direction for your business. If you know where you want to go, Gulo will take you further with their level of experience.

Maximize their resources to your benefit. If you can do some of the leg work, they’re going to be able to run with the project. You’ll then receive exponentially higher-quality work because they don’t have to do the simple tasks.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was on the board of AMA Chicago as President-elect.

For what projects/services did your company hire Gulo?

We were in dire need of a new website. Our current site was at least 7 years old and was not kept current with technology requirements.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to clean up the information architecture and update the visual design to be brand compliant. We also needed to add a new Membership Directory.

How did you select this vendor?

There were a few ways we could approach this. Naturally budget was a concern, but because we are all volunteer board members, project and time management was also a determining factor.

We selected Gulo because they were a one-stop shop. We knew we could get solid visual design with the technical knowledge necessary to pull this off within a short timeframe.

Describe the project in detail.

We made sure the project team was small on AMA's end so we could get consensus quickly. Our team did some plug-in research to help the process along before Gulo's involvement. We also designed wireframes but did not have the time to complete them.

Gulo picked up the ball and ran with it. They started with a revised IA informed by site traffic, then went into visual design and did as many refinements as required to reflect the brand identity. They started with the marketing part of the site, and once that was completed, they tackled the new Directory area of the site.

There was a lot of back and forth to get it right, but the site launched successfully.

What was the team composition?

Client side core team: President-Elect, Web Administrator, Executive Director Gulo: CEO, UX designer, Visual designer, Software Developer

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

The site is up and running successfully and looks great. Feedback on the marketing pages is very positive. It is performing exactly as expected. Analytics are positive. I believe it is too soon for qualitative metrics on the Directory part of the site.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was fluid and often. No complaints.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They did exactly what they said they were going to do in the time frame we agreed on. Any delays came from the client side.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of The Side-Out Foundation. We raise funds for breast cancer research through volleyball events.

What challenge were you trying to address with Gulo?

We engaged Gulo to redesign our website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gulo first did a small project so we could evaluate their work. They built an NCAA bracketing system that we used as a marketing tool on our previous site. Users could access the information quickly, learn when matches are happening, and check the scores.

We were impressed enough with Gulo's work that we contracted them to develop our site. They built it on WordPress. I considered a different framework to meet our particular needs, but they recommended WordPress due to its widespread use and high usability.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager who also develops code; a graphic designer; and two UI people.

How did you come to work with Gulo?

I sent a general inquiry out to an online platform asking about web developers. Gulo saw my post and reached out to me. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2017, and the partnership is ongoing.

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

Gulo delivered a high-quality website that met all of our needs. They continue to work on smaller projects and help us with larger projects as needed. We have a transparent and productive partnership, and it’s translated into clean end products that meet success.

How did Gulo perform from a project management standpoint?

The team excels at planning projects, but they often fall behind my standards of speed when they execute those projects. When Gulo assesses that a project will take four months, I push them to do two months. We’re still working on finding a balance between my deadlines and their processes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Gulo regularly saves me money by advising against processes and projects that won’t improve our results. The team works with my technical knowledge and treats me as an equal in our partnership. They don’t charge us for their mistakes, and they accommodate our budget needs when our resources waver.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their delivery could be faster. I’d also appreciate a more consistent quote mechanism. Gulo seems to lack a systematic approach to how they charge their time and effort, which causes some challenges and ambiguities.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be specific about what you want out of your engagement with Gulo.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

At the time of the project, I was the founder and CEO of an online crowdfunding platform.

What challenge were you trying to address with Gulo?

We were transitioning our company from a cash gift registry service to a crowdfunding platform, so we needed to find talented UX/UI designers to redesign our e-commerce website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Assuming the role of our development team, Gulo expanded on our specifications and transformed our vision into a functional website. Their UX/UI designers crafted the frontend for optimal user engagement and integrated a robust e-commerce plugin. A bulk of their work involved PHP coding to preserve our extensive database during the transition. After revamping the site, their team provided ongoing support and maintenance for the platform.

What is the team composition?

Gulo’s two founders were our main points of contact, but we also worked with two of their developers. 

How did you come to work with Gulo?   

We discovered them through a mutual connection.

What is the status of this engagement?

They served as our primary web design vendor from 2013 - 2016.

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

Users have responded positively to the simple design and straightforward functionalities.

How did Gulo perform from a project management standpoint?

They always provided accurate timelines and shared their progress via Basecamp, phone, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We valued our partnership with them because they made our success their top priority. It’s rare to find an honest or reliable partner, but Gulo fully embodied both characteristics. When we experienced a massive technical issue, they worked overtime until the problem was resolved. Their design talent is phenomenal, but their dedication is what sets them apart from their competitors. 

Are there any areas they could improve?   

While I prefer frequent communication, their other clients may appreciate low volume correspondence. Learning how to adapt to different work environments will benefit Gulo in the long run.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior manager of digital marketing and strategy for the American Society for Nutrition. We are a small, scientific nonprofit membership organization.

What challenge were you trying to address with Gulo?

We were looking for help with our digital strategy.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gulo worked on several of our digital properties that serve our members and the public. They built our original website and integrated several different digital properties with other vendors. Currently, they do a lot of strategy work with us to further develop our website and to meet different goals.

I usually give them our overarching goal and they evaluate what we are doing well and what we should improve, coming back with implementable suggestions. If something is out of their scope or we are going over budget, they communicate that to us. Gulo is really good at evaluating and knowing what we need and what we don’t need.

What is the team composition?

Their CTO is our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Gulo?

We have worked with Gulo for several years. They were already on board when I joined the organization, and there’s a long history with them. I believe we ended up working with them because they had experience with several other nonprofit and membership organizations. In the nonprofit world, people change organizations a lot, so someone who had worked with them before within our organization recommended them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The relationship began in 2008, and the work is still ongoing.

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

We’ve had an increase in web traffic and engagement on the website. Furthermore, the integrations with other digital properties have been seamless, which makes our platform more user-friendly for members and non-members, thus increasing engagement.

How did Gulo perform from a project management standpoint?

They communicate well and are organized, breaking up projects into different steps and giving us options for different timelines and budgets. They have an online project management system which is easy to use. It keeps us all on task and allows us to see everything. Gulo also doesn’t mind scheduling phone calls with us, which is something I really appreciate. It’s just easier to talk things through for a lot of the project we work on. We also email back and forth and meet in person from time to time.

Gulo is flexible in how they work, and it feels like they’re part of our organization rather than a vendor.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing about them is how in tune they are with our goals. If I go to them with an idea, they’ll ask for our objectives first, which is something I really like because maybe what I’m proposing isn’t the best way to reach that goal. They are so easy to work with, and they aren’t just web developers; they provide a whole lot more value to our association than that.

Moreover, Gulo is considerate and guides us on the best way to achieve our goals while staying within our budget. They are very patient and will walk through the process with us, making sure we understand what is going on.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I don’t have anything bad to say about them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have an open conversation with them about the project’s immediate and long-term goals, and use their expertise for guidance. Also, be open to their ideas. They have a lot of experience to offer for guiding their customers, and we’ve benefitted greatly from that.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a manager for a nonprofit organization in the manufacturing sector.

For what projects/services did your company hire Gulo?

In 2005, Gulo designed and developed our standard balloting system. The system enabled committee members to submit votes and process the results. We re-engaged them in 2015 to make improvements and update the server and software.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to automate ballot voting, results sorting, and communication with committee members.

How did you select this vendor?

We received a recommendation.

Describe the project in detail.

We communicated the concept to Gulo and they executed the software-based deliverables. The team created four new functionalities. First, they enabled us to send formatted emails via the website to the main committee or subcommittee members; we could also archive those messages. The two main automation functionalities gave us the ability to post ballots, submit votes, and provide the results’ breakdown to members. Finally, Gulo created features to submit comments and post meeting reports or miscellaneous materials.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with Zach (Principal and Founder, Gulo).

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

The team accomplished all of our goals. They were responsive whenever our website or program updates experienced glitches. Gulo charged us for those fixes, but we were happy to pay for their timely service.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The partnership worked well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were friendly, understood our requirements, and provided the appropriate solutions.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything.