Icebreaker Agency

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Young Professionals Group & eAccounts

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We have two businesses: 

1. eAccounts, the UK's leading online accountancy firm. 
2. Young Professionals Group, a networking community for young professionals and business owners to meet likeminded people in different locations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Icebreaker.Agency to accomplish?

• Design 2 websites
• Build 2 website
• Help and support on both websites

SOLUTION

How did you find Icebreaker.Agency?

Online Search

Why did you select Icebreaker.Agency over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Icebreaker.Agency were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Key Deliverables: 

• Discovery and Planning: 
  • Comprehensive analysis of business requirements and target audience. 
  • Collaborative planning sessions to outline website structure and features. 
• Design Phase: 
  • Creation of visually appealing and brand-aligned website mockups for client approval. 
  • Iterative design revisions based on client feedback. 
• Development: 
  • Front-end development using Elementor for a dynamic and responsive user interface. 
  • Back-end development to integrate the unique accounting quoting system. 
• Testing: 
  • Rigorous testing of website functionality, ensuring seamless user experience. 
  • Thorough testing of the accounting quoting system to validate accuracy and efficiency. 
• Launch: 
  • Coordination of website deployment, ensuring a smooth transition from development to live environment. 
  • Implementation of necessary SEO practices for optimal online visibility.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Project Outcomes Highlights for Ice Breaker Agency: 

• Project 1: 
  • Website with Accounting Quoting System 30% faster page load time, enhancing user experience. 
  • 98% accuracy in the accounting quoting system, streamlining financial processes. 
  • 25% reduction in bounce rate, indicating improved user engagement. 
• Project 2: 
  • E-Commerce Store with Stripe Integration 99% transaction success rate, ensuring reliable online transactions. 
  • 35% increase in online sales within three months post-launch.
  • 20% revenue growth, surpassing projections.

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

• Timely Delivery: 
  • Meeting Milestones: 
    • Ice Breaker Agency consistently met project milestones and deadlines. 
    • The timely completion of key phases ensured a smooth progression of the projects. 
  • Adherence to Schedule: 
    • The team adhered to the agreed-upon project schedule, delivering each phase promptly. This reliability was crucial in achieving overall project success. 
• Responsiveness to Needs: 
  • Communication Channels: 
    • Ice Breaker Agency maintained open and effective communication channels. 
    • Regular updates, progress reports, and feedback sessions were integral to keeping the client informed. 
  • Swift Responses: 
    • The team exhibited swift responsiveness to client needs and queries. Whether addressing concerns, incorporating feedback, or resolving issues, their prompt responses contributed to a collaborative and efficient working relationship. 
  • Flexibility and Adaptability: 
    • Ice Breaker Agency displayed flexibility in adapting to project adjustments and evolving requirements. 
    • They were proactive in addressing unexpected challenges, ensuring a proactive approach to problem-solving. 
• Client-Centric Approach: 
  • Client Involvement: 
    • The agency actively involved the client in decision-making processes, ensuring that the final product aligned with the client's vision and goals. 
  • Client Training: 
    • Ice Breaker Agency provided comprehensive training sessions, empowering the client's team to manage and maintain the websites efficiently post-launch. 
  • Overall Collaboration: 
    • Transparent Processes: 
      • The project management approach included transparent processes, allowing the client to have clear insights into the development stages, timelines, and potential challenges. 
  • Post-Launch Support: 
    • Ice Breaker Agency continued to provide support post-launch, addressing any issues promptly and ensuring a seamless transition into the live environment.

What was your primary form of communication with Icebreaker.Agency?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What stood out most about Ice Breaker Agency was their exceptional responsiveness and ability to meet deadlines consistently. Their proactive problem-solving approach and commitment to client satisfaction set them apart, making the collaboration a smooth and successful experience.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Icebreaker.Agency could have done differently?

N/A - happy with everything

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of a gaming company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Icebreaker.Agency?

We needed professional, high-end website and UI design. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Icebreaker.Agency is my dedicated web team now. I’ve worked with them for two sites already in one and a half months. The sites showcase products, technology, and benefits to users. Icebreaker.Agency builds everything from scratch. We've come to them with preliminary ideas, and then worked together on them. Icebreaker.Agency has implemented our ideas and come up with recommendations as well. 

Icebreaker.Agency has designed the UI and developed our WordPress site. They’ve provided project management services, handled all IT updates, set up servers and domains, and arranged all the normal web IT systems. 

What is the team composition? 

I work with Dmitry (Owner), and he has a large team. He also doubles as a project manager for us.

How did you come to work with Icebreaker.Agency?

We found them on an online marketplace for designers. They had great ratings and lots of portfolio work to showcase. When I met with the founder, he answered questions very well, made great suggestions, and instilled a level of trust in me that he would not only deliver great work but he’d also be easy to work with.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $3,000–$4,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2023, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Icebreaker.Agency is awesome; they’re a phenomenal team. Their design is clear and professional. They’re forthcoming to make sure work is delivered fully and professionally. They work well with us and go out of their way to do extra work. I love the founder’s attention to detail. Delivering quality work is more important than trying to extract as many fees from their client as possible. 

How did Icebreaker.Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great. We communicate via email, messaging apps, and Zoom video calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Icebreaker.Agency is reliable and easy to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no complaints at all.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Provide detailed, organized instructions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of GetWham Consulting

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Strategic consulting for enterprise email marketers

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Icebreaker.Agency to accomplish?

• Develop website
• Develop logo and identity package

SOLUTION

How did you find Icebreaker.Agency?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Icebreaker.Agency over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing first our budget
• Good value for cost

What was the size of Icebreaker.Agency’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

I hired Icebreaker to develop a new logo, identity package, and website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Completion and publishing of deliverables

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

I worked exclusively with the agency's founder, Dmitry. Work was done in Figma and I would be notified when a new proof was ready by email. Periodically we would schedule a conference call Which was remarkably seamless given that Dmitry was 10 hours away (did the man ever sleep??!)

Through the course of the project all work was delivered on time and to expectations. They also did a good job of pushing back on some of my initial direction and got me to modify the project in ways that improved the final deliverables. I am particularly complimentary of this aspect of the working relationship.

What was your primary form of communication with Icebreaker.Agency?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Several aspects of our work were noteworthy:

1. There was not a single request that I made that was turned down. And some of my requests were borderline unreasonable! Everything I asked for was done and always with a cheerful response.
2. We struggled with logo design midway through the project and Dmitry offered to cancel that portion of the project with no charge for work already done. While I did not accept this gracious offer (and we worked through our issues successfully) the face that he would do this should great character and honorable business practices.
3. All signs indicated that Icebreaker was interested in doing things right. And in the end they succeeded: everything was right.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Icebreaker.Agency could have done differently?

Changes were communicated via email and a better change management tool would have been appropriate. Logo development took a long time and overall I thought their website development was stronger than their graphic design. That said, by the time the project was completed I was quite happy with both logo and website.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive producer of The Oz Effect, a company in the intersection between media and storytelling. We develop documentaries and TV series and help people with immersive storytelling for national campaigns.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Icebreaker.Agency?

We needed someone to provide us with web development and design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first project was to create a messaging and website for a national campaign in the US to end solitary confinement.

As a web developer, I’ve done some of the work, but I decided to employ the services of Icebreaker.Agency for their expertise in design and development. They specifically used Elementor as their main development platform.

For the media aspect of the project, they’re helping us acquire better design and development resources for other development projects, particularly in the social impact space.

We’re currently in the process of launching a theater tour, and they’re helping us develop the media campaign.

What is the team composition?

I generally work with Dmitry (Owner) and Sofiia (UI/UX Designer).

How did you come to work with Icebreaker.Agency?

I believe I found them through a private Facebook group or they responded to one of my posts in an Elementor subreddit.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested around $7,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Icebreaker.Agency provided us with the best practices for web design and changed the structure of my business.

Their involvement allows us to continue to offer the development service that I don’t have time for anymore, and enable us to stay creative.

How did Icebreaker.Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great from a project management standpoint, and their flexibility makes it easier for me to have a flat rate with my clients. We typically use Figma to manage the project, and Zoom and email to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re very impressed with their flexibility and professional attitude. They’re always willing to stay up in ridiculous hours of the night despite the time zone differences, just to make sure our clients are comfortable with the product they delivered.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything as they’ve been wonderful throughout the partnership.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

In order to get the most out of your engagement with any development partner, make sure you have a clear idea and understanding of what you want and think about what’s most important to you.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own a group practice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DmitryTech?

We hired him to redesign our website.

SOLUTION

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

We interviewed several web designers through upwork. Dmitrii was able to thoroughly answer our questions, he was responsive, and understood what we were looking for and how best to achieve the goal.

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

We met with Dmitrii via a video call to discuss the specifics of the project, we had several emails sending him examples of what we were potentially looking for aesthetically, the content we desired, and our goals surround SEO, etc. Once we had agreed on the scope of work and cost, we signed a contract that had specified deadlines. Dmitrii was always early on the deadlines that were set.

He also was quick to respond to any edits we wanted throughout the process. Once everything was finalized, he walked us through the website and turned everything over to us.

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

We worked directly with Dmitrii

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have had positive feedback about the website and it serves our purposes.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Easy to communicate with, quick turn around on questions and edits, always met or exceeded both expectations and deadlines.

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

They had a deep knowledge of this space and were able to answer all of my questions as a non-tech person. Also, my husband who is a software developer and had more indepth technical questions.

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

No, I would hire Dmitrii again and recommend him for others.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of an interior design company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DmitryTech?

We were looking for a website developer.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DmitryTech designed our whole new WordPress website and implemented the backend. They helped with email, servers, and hosting and worked with Google, GoDaddy, and Cloudways for implementation.

On functionality, they did the payment feature with WooCommerce and implemented two videos on the site. They also implemented the contact form and sorted out some WordPress and Photoshop to bring the website design to life. Everything was customized from the beginning.

What is the team composition?

Dmitry (CEO & Web Developer) was our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with DmitryTech?

I did a job posting on Upwork and started scrolling through different people who met the qualifications for the project. I saw Dmitry’s portfolio and sent him an invite for the job. He responded, and I made an offer.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $4,000–$5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2021. The first phase was completed in November 2021, and we’ll work more with them in the future. It’s a work in progress, and we’re diving into phase two.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work can be seen on our website.

How did DmitryTech perform from a project management standpoint?

We were primarily working with Dmitry, so we didn’t have many extra people, which made it easier in a way. We gave him a deadline, and he initially gave us a rundown of how things would go down.

We primarily used Upwork to manage most of our messages.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Communication was the best part. Dmitry was pretty good at getting back to me, and they went about their business. We didn’t have to waver much; if they said they’d do something, they did it. Also, if something wasn’t like we wanted it, it was easy to modify. They’d go back and make sure it was correct.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really; we didn’t have complaints. They were pretty solid.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Talk to them and be clear on your vision. If you can give them some examples, they should be a great help.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

FastClose are a small ISV. I am a founder of the business reponsible for Customer Services and interaction.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed to port our existing website from Joomla to Wordpress. This involved delivering an entirely new look and feel for the site to take it from pretty darn ugly to visually gorgeous whilst still communicating the same information. A more beautiful website should hopefully lead to better client engagement and more drive-by business.

SOLUTION

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

We searched online for Web Developers who looked like they could deliver what we were looking for. We shortlisted and interviewed 5 of them - but when we came to Dmitrii it was immediately obvious that they were the people for job. They just inspire confidence.

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

We had a kick off meeting to discuss goals and objectives. From there wireframes and mockups were delivered in Figma and interatively discussed and tweaked before then moving to implementation in Wordpress. Finally we went through the go-live process together moving the site from it's development host to our live host, configuring SEO, Analytics and anti-Malware along the way.

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

Our single point of contact was Dmitrii which worked well for us but he does have a team of engineers supporting him.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's too soon to give measurable feedback metrics but the site is visually far superior to our previous incarnation

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

We had screenshare and zoom meetings a regularly as required. The team turned round changes very rapidly and always within the agreed timeframes.

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

They gave us a professional Wordpress site that is pretty easy for us to maintain going forward. Their graphic design skill is really good.

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

They just need to continue doing what they do - they are very good and a joy to work with. Very collaborative.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a company that provides government and corporate clients with digital consulting and data analytics services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were in need of a beautiful design and modern website for our company. The website had to be functional, fully responsive on mobile devices and support 2 languages (English and Arabic). Turned out exactly what we were looking for.

SOLUTION

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

I came across DmitryTech on Upwork. When reading other Upwork reviews before reaching out to Dmitrii, one of his customers wrote this, “Don't negotiate with him, don't try to bargain him down, just pay whatever he wants. I GUARANTEE you will be ECSTATIC with the results.” I decided to follow that advice and am indeed thrilled with the results.

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

DmitryTech team has a professional design and development step by step process. At first we had an informative meeting where I described all my design preferences and expectations on this collaboration. About a week later the first design drafts followed which weren’t exactly what I was looking for.

Based on my feedback the designers did another version which was much closer to what I expected. After some more revisions I approved all the changes the development part started. I can assure you that DmitryTech’s designers cranks out the most beautiful websites and are meticulous about making them perfect!

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

I was communicating with Dmitrii but I know that there were 2 designers involved in the design process and 1 developer. So 4 people in total worked on the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

DmitryTech team diligently worked on this project and promptly understood what I am looking for. Dmitrii also helped me to handle the hosting transition and did a post-launch Quality Assurance together with my assistant, to ensure that everything runs smoothly. I’m happy with the communication and the website I got.

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

Dmitrii has an amazing work ethic, customer service, and design ability. I will definitely be working with him again in the very near future. He is easy to work with and very responsive. He works really hard to understand your needs to execute your project as desired.

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

After working with multiple freelancers on trying to bring my vision to life - Dmitrii and his team was the missing piece I needed. They did an absolutely amazing job on this project, better than I could have anticipated. Anyone needs help with web design I recommend you work with Dmitrii. Will definitely be my go-to contact from now on. Thanks again for all your great work.

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

Nothing that I could recall. I am fully satisfied with my company's new website.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a digital marketing agency based in Southern California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DmitryTech?

I was in need of a freelancer/team which was hyper-capable of web design and development with a strong leader who could take guidance and turn it into beautiful projects.

SOLUTION

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

I found Dmitry and team via Upwork and since then both he and I have been able to grow our businesses by working together. Dmitry took a project and delivered beyond expectations and since then has been delivering for the past several years.

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

Dmitry and his team work as a white label agency for my agency. Through him and his team I have been able to land more projects, secure more jobs, and exceed the expectations of my clients. Projects go through several stages from design on Figma to development on WordPress and then QA with the client and his team.

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

I have worked with more than 8 different people on Dmitry's team and they have all been exceptional. I interface with him and his team by using Trello boards and Slack Channels for all of our projects ongoing needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since working with Dmitry I have been able to grow my agency to a very manageable size. We have both been able to grow together and I'm excited to continue to grow over the next several continued years.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have found a very easy way to manage projects by using Slack and Trello for all of the management. We have meetings every couple of weeks for large projects. Overall, DmitryTech's can-do attitude has paired with our laid-back style has worked tremendously well.

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

Dmitry has the ability to grow and continue to grow. I started off exclusively working with him, but he's been able to build a team that is successful on multiple fronts and I enjoy working with not only him but his team members too.

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

I think if we could find more work and find more skilled team members we could continue to grow together. I don't have any complaints at all though. I would just loved to continue to see more growth.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a video production company based in Amsterdam.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were in need of a new website as our current website was outdated with regards to design and business model.

SOLUTION

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

We searched on Upwork and selected 5 web developers. We had a call with each one of them and Dmitrii gave us the best impression. We was the best in communication, flexibility and creativity.

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

We had a kick-off meeting to go over all of the requirements and wishes for the new website. After that, designs for each webpage were created. Once approved by us, the website was set up. In a final step we were able to make any adjustments that we saw were needed.

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

1 developer from the vendor's team and 3 people from my team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the first month after launching the new website, we converted 2 times more leads than we did with the old website. We are now also attracting larger clients (some of the largest companies in the Netherlands)

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

Very clear communication, very flexible and patient.

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

Design skills and overall soft skills. Their soft skills were especially impressive as this is not always the case with developers.

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

Not really, we are really happy with the new website