Inverse Paradox

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and managing partner of Greenlane. We are a digital marketing agency in the Philadelphia area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to build a site properly, with UX and SEO best practices.

SOLUTION

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

We had a meeting with them, heard their pitch and their amazing ideas, and it was an easy decision.

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

They developed an entirely new wireframe and front end. They also developed some custom tools that I requested. I asked that the site be 100% capable of editing by me, and Inverse Paradox delivered it perfectly.

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

3; Neil (the owner), a project manager (name forgotten), and at times a developer who did a few touch-ups.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was an instantly better experience for our prospects. It was also better for SEO. Business simply improved.

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

Very organized. Very easy to communicate with. They delivered everything on time. They provide an easy-to-follow plan, so you know what's being done and why.

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

I have worked in ecomm my whole life. I haven't met a dev company who gets ecomm as well as Inverse Paradox. Now, I didn't ask them to make me an ecomm site, but if I ever needed one, I would go to them. But while that's a huge deal and a gold star for them, I was impressed with their experience, skill, and talent. They just have their stuff together!

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

I have zero complaints. This has been the best experience getting a new website ever. And I've been through this several times before.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I manage the digital strategy for a home remodeling company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inverse Paradox?

We wanted to update our website properties, specifically the backend. We had worked with another vendor who wasn’t able to get the website to a point where it was easy for us to update or make changes because the coding was overly complicated.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team at Inverse Paradox recoded the backend of our site to make it easier to do smaller updates in the future. They also integrated our CRM platform and Google Tag Manager. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with three people at the company, but there’s probably more behind the scenes. My main point of contact is Neil (Owner, Inverse Paradox). I also worked with a project manager and on occasion, I’ve interfaced with the developers.

How did you come to work with Inverse Paradox?

I’m not sure how we found them originally, but I think it was through a referral from an Internet vendor. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $40,000-$75,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We first started working with Inverse Paradox around 2012 and we’re working on a project as we speak. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the biggest ways they’ve impacted our business is by saving us time and money. We’re able to manipulate the website in ways that we couldn’t before. Even when we want to make larger creative changes, it is far less complicated and expensive than it used to be. In terms of human cost and business capital, it’s been a big win. 

How did Inverse Paradox perform from a project management standpoint?

We typically communicate via email or phone calls. Occasionally, we’ll have in-person meetings at the beginning or end of a large project. They’re able to respond and provide assistance on short notice. They’ve been excellent to work with when navigating more difficult situations. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Not only has the work been great, but they've gone above and beyond to make us happy as a client.  They’re great communicators and always available in times of need. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes things can get lost in translation between the developer and project manager. It hasn’t been a problem, but sometimes we have to go back and forth to clarify things. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s beneficial to use them as a sounding board and potentially have them consult on solutions, rather than have them work as executors exclusively.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing at a project management company that specializes in commercial facility maintenance, remodeling, and construction projects. We work with the top third of the top 100 retailers in the country.  

For instance, when a company wants to change the color of their interior walls in brick and mortar locations, we execute that change across hundreds of locations in a few weeks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inverse Paradox?

We were acquired by another company in April 2019. They chose to move forward with our brand, but we needed to merge some of our new service offerings on our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I knew which services would have to be added to our site to communicate our new offerings properly. So, I was able to provide them with a rough plan on what changes needed to be made.

The bulk of the work involved merging and overhauling the site to reflect our new value add to customers. The site redesign went into effect in January 2020. The website is built in WordPress. That was important to us for SEO purposes, as we update the site often with new content.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a project manager. Our first contact left the role midway through the engagement, so we were reassigned to another project manager that I’d collaborated with on a previous project.

How did you come to work with Inverse Paradox?

Our company chose to work with them before I joined the team. When I came on board, I wanted to implement a formal SEO strategy. After working with them on that, I was happy with their responsiveness. So, we decided to continue our partnership with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a bit over $3,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from October 2019–January 2020. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched right before the holidays, leaving people on my team time to dig into the project. Even though they were supposed to be closed over the holidays, we were able to contact them to make changes to the site. We were happy that they were still committed to work with us despite the holiday break. They captured the company’s vision for the site while also providing us with great customer service. 

How did Inverse Paradox perform from a project management standpoint?

They were able to keep things moving while keeping me well informed about their progress. Of course, the challenge was in the turnover of project managers. They couldn’t have planned for that, but a few elements of the project did get lost in that shuffle. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their responsiveness impressed me the most. It’s clear that they value our time, always getting back to me in a timely manner. That shows a lot of respect on their part.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The handoff between project managers could’ve been a bit smoother through note-taking. We had a lot of email communication that involved reiterating requests, and they probably could’ve done a bit of digging into what I requested previously.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure connecting with and have a good rapport with your project manager. Additionally, it’s a good idea to get conversations in writing, so you don’t get misunderstood in translation.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of marketing for a large contract food service company that provides on-site preparation or delivery to facilities like schools, healthcare providers, and residential communities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inverse Paradox?

We saw an opportunity to add an additional business model to our existing contract food service. Our company goes back to nearly the 1800s, and we have a lot of institutional knowledge about the specific dietary preferences and requirements of a variety of communities, so we decided to create a meal programming platform for group home settings.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Inverse Paradox built a custom WordPress website for us to interact with our customers around their specific food service needs. We had a lot of information on our previous website — including recipes, portion sizes, and modifications — but we really didn’t like the way the output was structured. Their team provided end-to-end development work to help present that information to our clients in a personalized and modifiable way.

Our platform provides a set of cycling seasonal menus for residential staff who are not necessarily familiar with professional food service technology. It allows them to understand the ingredients they are using, change the recipe size for their number of residents, and access nutritional analysis for individuals with specific dietary restrictions.

After that, Inverse Paradox built a section that provides more of a resource with helpful tips and menus on-demand for our customers — whether that’s for themed meals or holidays — that includes shopping recommendations and dietary modifications for people with specific needs.

What is the team composition?

All of our work with them flowed through their project manager, but there were maybe 1–2 other members of their team working on our site overall.

How did you come to work with Inverse Paradox?

We spoke to three different web developers at the beginning of the project, and we all felt very strongly that Inverse Paradox understood exactly what we were trying to accomplish. They gave us the initial confidence to move forward with them based on their ability to complete our requirements.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent somewhere between $10,000–$50,000 on the project in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked for about 10 months, from December 2018–September 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As far as metrics, we didn’t have anything set up ahead of time, but we were highly satisfied with the quality of their work throughout the project. Working with them was extremely effective and efficient, and we ended up with exactly the website that we were looking for.

How did Inverse Paradox perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project manager was consistently available whenever I needed to talk about a situation or issue that I didn’t thoroughly understand. I have had much worse experiences with project managers in the past, and the ability to access their expertise and insight whenever we needed guidance on where to go was a huge benefit to the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

A lot of people have the knowledge and expertise necessary to complete a strict scope of work, but their communication skills make the process of working with them much easier than a lot of other companies. There was no struggle between us throughout the course of the entire engagement.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We were extremely happy with the end solution so I don’t think there’s anything that I could say they need to improve upon.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend that anyone looking to complete a project like this work with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was previously a senior graphic designer at High Point Solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inverse Paradox?

We were going through a structural rebrand, so we hired them to redesign our website. Since we were working with several vendors, it made the project difficult. Our national campaign had a very tight timeline. The campaign was going to be part of our new brand, so we wanted to include a few pages of a newly renovated website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Inverse Paradox worked with one of our other vendors on the site. Our old site had over 270 pages and they were able to get it down to around 30. We had to migrate from HubSpot to Oracle Eloqua. They also incorporated several new animations to the website. Since our site was launched, they have continued to provide maintenance. 

What is the team composition?

Our project manager was Clare (Former Digital Project Manager, Inverse Paradox), but we worked with Neil (Founder & CEO, Inverse Paradox) and Katie (Director of Development, Inverse Paradox) as well.

How did you come to work with Inverse Paradox?

My marketing manager at the time was looking for someone local and Inverse Paradox wasn't too far from us. We narrowed it down to two companies and after meeting with Neil, our executive was very impressed with his level of expertise so it was a no-brainer for us to go with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them in 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our internal team was really happy with the site and its functionality is so much better. The site is much easier to navigate and very professional.

How did Inverse Paradox perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great to communicate with; Clare set up weekly calls and sometimes we looped in our brand agency. There were always people attending the meeting to make sure everyone was one the same page. We were constantly updating project calendars to make sure we were meeting those milestones. They were very responsive and fixed things instantly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really knew their stuff. We had an issue migrating from HubSpot to Oracle Eloqua and were running into many issues; our internal team was supposed to be handling it and they were telling us there was no solution. I called Inverse Paradox and they took care of it right away.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind. Everyone has been really happy with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about what you want upfront and they will get it for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the co-founder of Healthy Innovative Products, LLC. The website was for our new brand Lova Naturals®.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inverse Paradox?

We had no experience with web development or marketing and needed someone to develop our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Inverse Paradox developed our website with WooCommerce. Our site was intended to enable individuals to purchase products on the site. We also wanted to create an affiliate influencer program. In doing so, we needed to have a coupon code that our influencers could have and we’d be able to track the usage of this coupon code.

We put together the content for our website prior to hiring Inverse Paradox. Since we had no experience, they made us aware of the things we were missing. They introduced us to individuals to help us put together logos for our company as well as photography and images for our site. 

What is the team composition?

We started off with their sales rep. There were around six people, but I’m not sure how many were working in the background. Neil (Founder & CEO, Inverse Paradox) was hands-on as well. When I had to directly ask him questions, he answered quickly.

How did you come to work with Inverse Paradox?

We drove by their building every time we went to church. We were searching for web developers and they were there. We did a process of due diligence and looked at a number of different companies. There were at least 3–4 other companies being considered. We felt Inverse Paradox was the best.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June 2018 until March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website went live in March 2019. Prior to that, we never had a brand on the marketplace. Everyone who has seen the site said they were impressed with it.

How did Inverse Paradox perform from a project management standpoint?

Inverse Paradox held our hand through the whole process. We had weekly meetings, and even after the project was complete, they were very responsive in everything. They made us feel like we were the only customer.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were willing to answer any questions I had. Neil was patient about my ignorance of the whole topic of websites and anything associated with it. For example, he guided us through setting up PayPal and ensuring we met the sales tax guidelines for every state. It was all new to me, and they helped me. They also introduced us to many companies to get the projects done. Inverse Paradox went above and beyond.

While they were working on our project, they were in the process of moving their headquarters. We also were working through major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. There were no hiccups during that time; it all went very smoothly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re on a tight timeline and ensure that you hit every milestone, be prepared. Create all your content and images in advance. Additionally, people overlook the fine print at the bottom of your website that defines terms of shipping and policies for your website that you think nobody reads. However, you need that too.

If you don’t have that content ready upfront, they will help you and give you guidance. However, if you want things to run smoothly and be completed on a timely manner, you need to prepare all those things.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a member of a consulting firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inverse Paradox?

We needed to create a website that would establish credibility with our clients by showcasing our achievements and capabilities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Inverse Paradox was involved in each phase of the project. They began by consulting with us on our goals and objectives, as well as our design preferences. Then, they put together a static draft that we were able to review and discuss.

The team built the website on WordPress and collaborated with us on ideas for the initial rollout of the site once it was completed. 

They also provided some SEO and PPC work, though that wasn’t our main concern as we weren’t looking to procure new customers so much as provide reassurance to leads and clients we already had.

What is the team composition?

Sarah (Creative Director, Inverse Paradox) was our primary contact, though she had a team who supported her. 

How did you come to work with Inverse Paradox?

When we identified our need for a new website, we had about two or three different agencies we were considering. 

One of my partners was recommended Inverse Paradox by a marketing contact, and after meeting with them and reviewing their proposals, we ultimately decided the team would be a good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $4,500 on the website development.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from February-April 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After the launch, Inverse Paradox guided us through the process of managing and curating the content on the site on our own. Since we weren’t interested in generating new clients from the website, it’s difficult to measure how impactful the website has been. 

However, as a team, we assume that anyone who does decide to partner with us has had the belief that we’re a capable firm reinforced by the credibility the website provides.

How did Inverse Paradox perform from a project management standpoint?

Sarah always made herself available to any questions or concerns we had and was more than happy to take care of any adjustments we requested. 

While we weren’t in constant contact while the team was working on various tasks, we would communicate at each milestone in the process. 

They were diligent with respect to the timeline we’d decided on, and if there was any deviation, Sarah let us know in advance so we were never blindsided.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Inverse Paradox’s communication was excellent, which I believe is crucial to the success of any project. We were never concerned that the team wouldn’t be responsive to our needs throughout the project.

Also, Sarah always provided honest feedback whenever she thought our suggestions wouldn’t be advantageous or impactful to what we were trying to achieve. We really appreciated that quality, as not everyone will tell you what you don’t want to hear.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing particular comes to mind. We were happy with their services and performance.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Located in northeast Pennsylvania, we’re the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau. I’m the executive director of the bureau.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inverse Paradox?

We needed to completely redo our website for many different reasons. It needed to be optimized for the web and reformatted, but it was getting too costly for us to upkeep on our own.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we examined and restructured the general look and feel of the site. Then, they came up with an outline of the changes and adjustments that we would make. It detailed exactly what steps they would take to improve the site. Additionally, they pointed out our bright spots, like which pages had the most hits on the site currently. 

Once they built the website, we spent about a month reviewing, providing feedback, and making changes to the product before going live. They gave us training on how to use the backend to make updates and change information on our site. That was exactly what we needed. 

Once we went live, they were diligent about fixing problems as they came up and being responsive to our questions. We recently signed another contract with them that will involve more training and general maintenance. 

What is the team composition?

During the process, we mainly worked with Alicia (Project Manager, Inverse Paradox) and Katie (Director of Development, Inverse Paradox). Now, we’re working with their support team, which is composed of two different people who follow up on questions that we have. 

How did you come to work with Inverse Paradox?

We were looking at a number of different website companies.  The lowest-priced company was so far off the other bids we didn't even consider it.  Inverse Paradox had the next best pricing and when looking at their reviews we decided to choose them.

How much have you invested with them?

Our initial investment was $18,000. Now, we pay them an hourly rate for any issues that pop up.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–August 2019. Our team is engaging with them, though.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen increases across metrics on Google Analytics. At this point, we’ve also worked out many of the kinks within the site. Starting in January 2020, we plan on advertising the site more, which will boost the numbers even further. We’ve already seen an increase over last year’s numbers, for sure.   

How did Inverse Paradox perform from a project management standpoint?

We stayed on track throughout the entire process. Through our weekly meetings, we constantly stayed in touch on the project. That really worked well. Our communications fluctuate now. Sometimes, our communication is weekly, and other times we can go a few weeks without being in contact. 

As we approach new projects and plan on adapting our site more in the future, we’re expecting to be more engaged with them. The communication was definitely great during that process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their professionalism stood out in their responsiveness. They found creative ways to solve problems and communicate effectively. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything because they were great to work with. They continue to impress. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing coordinator for an exhibit and tradeshow design company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inverse Paradox?

We hired them to design and develop a website using our layout.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an initial meeting to go over our goals for the site. From there, we provided them with our layouts and explained what we were looking for content-wise. Using these materials, their team built our site page by page. We had a bit of back and forth to tweak their designs before they finalized the site. They also handled getting the platform live, too. 

What is the team composition?

There were three people working with us. Most of my contact was through Katie (Director of Development, Inverse Paradox) and Neil (Founder & CEO, Inverse Paradox) was our initial contact who got everything rolling. 

How did you come to work with Inverse Paradox?

We followed a referral from our technology director who had worked with them in the past. 

How much have you invested with them?

Our project cost under $10,000.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May–September 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve gotten great feedback on the site’s layout and visuals. Everything is easy to find and functions well. Since we’re a visual company, it’s important that they presented something that matches us. The movement and look of the site are very friendly for our end users. 

How did Inverse Paradox perform from a project management standpoint?

During the process, we communicated every 2–3 days about changes or feedback on their work. The back and forth was handled quickly, with every question being answered immediately. Everything was timed well, so there was never much waiting on our end. Their team was very responsive to all of our needs. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to grasp our vision for the website and deliver exactly what we’re looking for was impressive. We’ve worked with other companies in the past that didn’t get our goals, but Inverse Paradox understood from the get-go.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for them to improve; we got everything we asked for. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As long as you’re clear about your goals, they’ll make it a reality. Keep your concepts clear and have an open mind to their ideas. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an answering service. I'm the owner/manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inverse Paradox?

We needed help creating a new WordPress website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with an exploratory phase. We determined what the process would look like, and we set our expectations. From there, we started a design phase. I created the content for the site, with their guidance. After the initial process, we went through some redesign phases. They were very thorough, and they delivered a nice website.

What is the team composition?

There was one primary point of contact on their side.

How did you come to work with Inverse Paradox?

We worked with them in the past, and we knew what to expect with them. We didn't consider any other alternatives; we knew we wanted to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $4,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

They started working with us in December 2018, and they completed the site in January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a very short window to complete the site, and they bent over backward to get the project done quickly. I receive compliments from prospective customers, and the site looks great. We've seen a slight uptick, but we're in a tough market. We haven't taken advantage of serious SEO campaigns, which might boost our numbers more.

How did Inverse Paradox perform from a project management standpoint?

They provide great support, and I wouldn't consider using anyone else for our web work. We communicated either daily or several times a week during the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their turnaround times are remarkable, and their commitment to our vision came through in the look and feel of the site they built for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only shortcoming with their process was the length of the learning period for some functionality in the site. That had more to do with my time restrictions than with any limitations in their learning process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what you want, and do your due diligence from a design and a content standpoint. That will help set the correct expectations at the start and allow for an easier progression and completion process. They will compensate for any deficiencies on your side, and they'll help keep things on track.