MeanPug Digital

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the department head for a small plaintiff’s side law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MeanPug Digital?

We hired them for web hosting, web design, ongoing paid ads efforts, SEO, and content creation. I was looking to replace my existing paid ads vendor.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MeanPug Digital has created an SEO strategy for our website, and with their keyword research, they adjust our content strategy. Initially, we had discovery calls. They've implemented a new schema markup tool and have done keyword research.

They handle our paid ads efforts and create long-form blog posts and articles. Lastly, they've done web design and development on two websites using WordPress; these sites were built by a different team, and MeanPug Digital has corrected bugs.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a team of eight people: a web developer, a paid ads lead, three content creators, a designer, and two SEO specialists.

How did you come to work with MeanPug Digital?

I'm a member of the Legal Marketing Association, and I saw other colleagues recommended MeanPug Digital on the group's message board. I reached out to them and had a presentation, and they submitted a formal proposal. Although we had other proposals from similar vendors, I chose MeanPug Digital because they had the most experience with plaintiff-side law firms.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested over $200,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

I first reached out to MeanPug Digital in November 2021, and we formally started working together in January 2022. Our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to MeanPug Digital's work, the number of leads we receive per month has almost tripled from what it was with our previous vendor. Our web traffic has increased 40% year-over-year (YoY), and our average cost per lead is about half what it used to be.

How did MeanPug Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a meeting once a month, and MeanPug Digital has implemented Asana because I asked for a project management tool to see the project status. We also communicate through Slack and Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm impressed with MenPug Digital's experience in the plaintiff's side space. They're all former employees of a big plaintiff's side law firm, so the experience they bring from that is invaluable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I've asked for a dashboard to see ongoing campaigns on different channels and spending in real time. I know they're already working on this.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend being upfront when there's a deadline on a project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO & Co-founder of Cherry Pick. Our company builds AI that helps enable beauty manufacturers optimize product development processes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire MeanPug Digital?

We hired Mean Pug to help build out reporting infrastructure that automates a large amount of the client reporting our company produces. Mean Pug additionally was involved in a large amount of system level development from improving our CI/CD, web scraping, and AWS infrastructure.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals for this project were to help automate a large number of time-intensive tasks involved in Cherry Pick's client reporting to free up more time for team.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found MeanPug on Linkedin based on their core competencies.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

AS mentioned above, Mean Pug was brought on to help optimize our client reporting processes. This project broke out into 3 major components: (a) optimize our database, (b) stabilize and improve our scraping infrastructure, (c) build out simple UI and data pipeline to enable members of our team request reports in a fully automated manner. In terms of optimizing the database, MeanPug help us evaluate both long and short term solutions, from migrating from Postgres to Redshift, and simpler solutions like adding more advance database indexing. We used query benchmarking to help us make the business decision between the two. In terms of part (b), Mean Pug helped stabilize our scraping system by improving Celery / RabbitMQ processes and automation. Additionally they helped solve key bugs and issues associated with the system. In terms of (c), Mean Pug built out a data pipeline with Airflow, that handled database queries, data processing and validation, and generates simple excel report output that used a slack integration to delivered completed report to team.

What was the team composition?

We only interacted with the core development lead from Mean Pug throughout the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

- simple reporting solution that enables non technical team member s to pull data saving large amounts of time (process went from 20 hrs to 2 hrs) - large reduction of common bugs in the system - improved CI/CD workflow

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Mean Pug is incredibly technically proficient, so project management was fairly light comparably. We built out a technical spec out the outset of the project, updated priorities as need be throughout the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have an incredibly deep technical sophistication. From best practices to available software solutions to solve problems - speed, very very fast building out fixes - helped us improve our own technical workflows - really understands the business context, and could help advise us on making better business decisions (even beyond the immediate technical difficulties)

Are there any areas for improvement?

There were a few cases where we under allocated time for tasks and had to push deadlines based on trying to pack too much into short timelines.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I started an ed-tech platform that provides online resources to CPA candidates. Professionals aiming to be accountants need to pass this exam to obtain their license. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MeanPug Digital?

Their team was responsible for the front- and backend development of the site along with its SEO after launch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed the platform from scratch, building on a pretty comprehensive course that we integrated into this new technology. We integrated our existing Python code with the Django, React, Redux, and Jekyll that he built. They constructed the source code from start to finish along with an e-commerce checkout function. That way, a student can buy the course from their phone or laptop. 

The solution also includes video lectures, multiple-choice questions, progress reports, and test-based simulation. For people who don’t understand the exam, there’s also an advanced search feature, drop-down sorting options, and those of case studies that allow users to absorb the information they need.

On the marketing side, they’ve been helping formulate strategies for both on- and off-site SEO. That includes outreach to outside websites and optimizing our site’s pages for SEO. They’ve also been focusing on Google Ads, Facebook marketing, and other paid search ads. That’s helped us understand our target audience better, so we can adjust our strategy to fit their needs. The audience information has been invaluable to us.   

How did you come to work with MeanPug Digital?

 I’ve worked with many companies in the past and found that I needed someone that could do more than basic WordPress developments for me. We needed something more innovative, which would require a more experienced team.

I reached out to them to see if they would be up for the job, and they showed transparency while developing a strong relationship with us. That got us more and more comfortable with their team. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $150,000 on the site build. The marketing spend is changing as we grow our relationship with them further. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2018, and our teams are still working together. With anything tech-related, they’re now my go-to guys. This specific project is ongoing, but they’re growing into other projects as well. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our lead generation and sales numbers are ten times better than they were before. In terms of revenue, we’ve also exploded a bit in recent periods of time. Because we’ve climbed to the first page for various keywords on Google, our search traffic has also greatly increased. 

How did MeanPug Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

We opened a Slack channel so that all communication is streamlined. It was super helpful to have all then available to me at all hours of the day. I always know where to go with questions because they’re transparent with me, responding in an appropriate timeframe.

My biggest praise for them is about their project management—it’s exceptional. We didn’t have much experience with the technologies they were working with, but they made us feel comfortable by taking the time to map out the project step-by-step. From that point on, they never missed deadlines and always made sure to communicate clearly, using layman’s terms so we understood. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their niche is more specific than just building basic websites. While they can build something more general, they’re capable of so much more than that. They’re not cheap, but their expertise is worth it. They educated us on the process, so we could do a lot on our own by the end of it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. We’re still working closely together because of the positive experience we’ve has together overall.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the managing partner of a law firm which specializes in injury law.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired MeanPug to create a new brand and develop a website and marketing strategy to generate traffic and leads.

SOLUTION

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

The team had a track record which was important. They immediately understood our need and offered creative solutions.

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

We had a kick off meeting and bi weekly check in's throughout the process. The Meanpug team delivered everything promised on a consistent timeline. The quality of the overall product thus far has been excellent.

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

I worked with three of the partners and three or four other team members.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Quality of website is excellent. On time and on budget. We are in process of starting the marketing aspect.

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

Team was always reachable via Slack or e-mail. We had standing check in meetings for which they were always prepared and had progress to report. They did not require any oversight.

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

Lots of web development and marketing firms do not deliver on promises. Meanpug does.

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

Not really.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an attorney and partner at a boutique law firm that represents crime victims in civil lawsuits.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Create website, add new content including blog, create and implement digital marketing plan.

SOLUTION

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

Recommended by other trusted colleagues.

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

Organizational meeting followed by monthly team meetings.

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

Team of 6 or more people.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our MeanPug team created and maintain a great website for our law firm. Their team of professionals deliver remarkable content, effective execution of our marketing plan and provide clear monthly reporting.

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

Effective and clear monthly reporting.

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

Professional. Helped us to develop compelling content that fit our brand well.

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

I expect that MeanPug will continue to be an effective and trusted service provider for our law firm.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Partner for a small Plaintiff's firm

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I was a partner in a small law firm. We hired Meanpug to redesign our outdated website. During the redesign that firm folded and I opened a new firm. Meanpug rolled with the punches and open the site for my new firm in no time.

SOLUTION

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

Word of mouth - they came highly recommended from a friend of mine at a larger firm.

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

The designed the site based off of work we had done with another ad compnay. That company had designed video advertising for us and Meanpug took those themes and incorporated them into a new well-designed site.

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

They had 5 or 6 individuals who all had specialized rolls.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site was timely delivered as expected without delay.

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

Weekly meetings as needed were the norm.

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

The results were great.

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

No.