The Shopify & WordPress Experts | London + NYC
We are a dedicated and multi-disciplinary team of digital specialists proud to deliver outstanding work for our amazing clients.
Our production team ensure our work is engaging, interactive and use the latest technologies to provide the best user experience.
We deliver on all areas of digital including:
- UX & Creative
- WordPress Development
- Shopify & Shopify Plus
- Email Marketing
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Search Engine Marketing
- Online Content
- Social Media Marketing
- Digital Marketing & Strategy
headquarters
other locations
Focus
Portfolio
Our portfolio includes Azzuri Restaurant Group, Young's Pubs, RXBar, Wahaca, Art Partner, Location Department, Alexi Lubomirski, Bugatchi, Davidor, The Royal Automobile Club, JW Lees, Hippo Inns, Quo Vadis, Barrafina and Withersworldwide.
Extending the embodiment of ultra-luxury to Freestream’s digital presence
With a legacy built on their knowledge of every touchpoint of the art of aircraft, Propeller designed a new website for Freestream Aircraft to extend their embodiment of ultra-luxury to their digital touch points with the launch of their new website. Working with Phidel Digital we undertook a full digital rebrand and launch on WordPress.
A beyond bespoke offering required a highly customised website design to showcase their world class inventory, with each aircraft requiring their own hero page, as well as its own charter brochure. Their legacy of innovation, incredible turnkey design services and commitment to sustainability was highlighted through beautifully crafted landing pages
As world leading brokers and charter suppliers of private aircraft they needed a partner who could craft something exquisite and highly bespoke.
Key site elements included:
- Style guide components which they carried through to social presence and branding elements.
- Advanced listing pages for each aircraft, jet and helicopter to be easily understood and compared.
This features:
- Aircraft detail pages with focused sections for various plane interior explorations and video content.
- Sectional storytelling pages allowing Freestream to showcase their sustainability commitments and design services in detail.
Sarah Vespelt, VP and head of design, said of their collaboration with Propeller ‘“To be honest, we hit the jackpot with them. We continue to work with them because their support is so great.”
Discover more at Freestream.com
Launching MWELL in partnership with Kellogg's
To launch MWELL‘s new Microbiome powder, a super simple, plant-powered blend to feed your gut, we worked with the team to produce a site that was both engaging and educational for consumers.
With a custom quiz and digital storytelling packed with scientific know how and amazing recipes, there’s no excuse not to meet your perfect match and do good for your gut, so check out mwell.com to order yours direct to your door.
As Shopify Plus and Typeform partners we were well placed to offer full design and development services to Kellogg’s for this new product launch.
Key deliverables from Propeller included:
- Full D2C store launch via a bespoke theme on Shopify Plus.
- Includes both one time purchase and subscription payment options.
- API integration between Shopify Plus and Typeform. This links a customer’s responses to a health and nutrition based quiz to product recommendations.
- Fully branded and custom sectional driven storytelling within the Shopify Plus ecosystem.
- Delivery of educational content and landing pages around the science and benefits of a prebiotic dietary supplement.
- Inclusion of key botanical and brand graphical elements to make an impact for the new brand launching online.
Amerifine: The definitive home of American made luxury
As Faye Mythen the founder described:
‘ We want our purchases to be supporting the economy and to be supporting America. We want to start doing something proactive, people want to do something even if that’s supporting American goods, American luxury creations that are made on American soil, it's something that is massive. We can put our dollars where our values are, and a lot of American shoppers are going to want to do the same. ‘
With everything your heart could desire from fine jewellery and beauty products to grand pianos and apparel, the brand landing pages are filled with an unsurpassed collection of beautiful products.
Visit amerifine.com today and sign up to the Morgan club membership scheme to access early exclusives and limited delights, available only to members.
Key deliverables from Propeller include:
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Continuation of design following initial creative work provided by Construct London.
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Development of bespoke multi brand eCommerce theme on Shopify Plus.
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Bespoke setup of loyalty and reward scheme on Loyalty Lion ‘The Morgan Club’ including custom tiering and educational page design.
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Klaviyo integration and logic construction for integrated intelligent email campaigns.
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Gorgias customer service integration with chat and form tracking.
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Sophisticated Product Pages featuring specific vendor / brand content to explain the luxurious benefits of each product.
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Pre ordering and exclusive product access for integrated postal campaign and Morgan Club members.
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Advanced brand led landing pages using custom content blocks.
Showcasing the Cubitt House collection online
As part of our ongoing strategic partnership with Cubitt House, and building on the successful launch of their individual pub venue websites last year, we are proud to have also recently launched their central brand website showcasing the collection online. Their unique collection of iconic public houses, with a boutique hotel offering, in Central London deserved a new website to illustrate their best in class portfolio.
Our shared aim of the partnership is to elevate the Cubitt House brand online, exciting customers and potential employees about what the group offers, conveying the brand philosophy and highlighting the premium collection of venues and their USPs. We designed a site that was an aesthetic extension of the venue websites, that delivered an integrated approach from central website to local websites and vice versa.
With a strong focus on SEO, campaigns and sharing each of the individual venues USPs, digital storytelling was a key feature of the site to reflect the full proposition. This was particularly important to showcase the focus of Cubitt House on sustainability, provenance and their relationships with their food suppliers as one of their key F&B USPs. This will be supported through the ongoing production of SEO focused content through the new blog functionality.
Key objectives included:
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Implementation of a clear booking strategy for table, hotel and events bookings.
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Ensuring the cross selling of pubs and spaces across the estate.
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Clearly conveying different types of events and packages available.
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Incorporation of their CRM and loyalty strategy through the migration of the existing database to Propeller’s proprietary CRM platform and the development of preference centre and competition functionality to drive growth and engagement.
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Particular focus was to be made on expanding the visibility of the weddings, meetings and corporate packages that were available and communicating these offerings to the relevant target audiences.
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The site was also built to enable the digital activation of subsidiary parts of the business, including the gifting proposition and built with scalability and flexibility in mind to be able to incorporate future planned operational extensions.
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Operationally, it was also a key objective to promote recruitment, the employer brand and driving applications across the business which was supported with the ATS integration with Harri.
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SEO focused landing pages were developed utilising many of the digital storytelling elements to support in the promotion of key services, including weddings, meetings and parties, as well as seasonal campaign landing pages and new openings.
Check it out here at https://www.cubitthouse.co.uk/
Re-imagining artisan pizza delivery in London with Gallio Pizza
If ever there has been a time to be launching a delivery focused pizza concept, arguably 2020 has been prime time. With lockdown in full swing, we partnered with Gallio to launch their feel good pizza concept from their new Mediterranean dark kitchen concept.
Gallio initially focused on a delivery only concept to bring their innovative take on pizza to Londoners in lockdown however the site had to be built with the scalability and flexibility to be able to transition with the brands plans to add additional delivery locations, as well as plans to eventually open physical venues in addition to the delivery offering.
Given the timing of the launch of the new concept, it was imperative that the opening strategy was broken down into key areas to support the launch and build brand awareness, including a database growth strategy to facilitate ongoing communication with the growing community.
The site includes:
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Dual partnership for deliveries, directly through Gallio with Slerp and also with Deliveroo,
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Carefully planned UX and design / UI to ensure a clear user experience.
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Optimisation around showcasing the offering and guiding users through key areas of the site.
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WordPress CMS enabling the in-house team to have control over all areas of the site and the ability to amend all content and images on demand.
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Digital storytelling elements of the site for inspiration and ethos firmly rooted in the Mediterranean, where sharing fresh, healthy, vibrant and natural food is celebrated.
Check out their website https://www.galliopizza.com/ for a slice of the Mediterranean delivered to your door!
Launching Alessandra Rich’s global flagship store
Propeller partnered with Alessandra Rich to launch a beautiful global flagship store built on Shopify Plus, that balances content with commerce. The site showcases their ready to wear collection and offers an immersive digital experience.
It is a unique destination for the Alessandra Rich customer looking for apparel, jewellery & accessories direct from the brand. This has been carefully balanced with a premium brand experience – one that is ready to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Alessandra Rich.
Being well versed in delivering sites aimed at discerning and well intended consumers, as an agency we appreciate the importance of making sure the thread, ethos and key brand message is not lost through the user journey.
A number of key functionality elements were incorporated into the site including
- Wishlists and premium size guides
- Pre-ordering to allow customers to register for upcoming seasons and place deposits on products.
- A product information management integration with Zedonk
- Connection with Shopify’s POS system to sync inventory, sales, orders and customers between the showroom and the Shopify website.
Propeller delivered a conversion driven, seamless customer experience and a focus on digital storytelling. Have a browse of the latest collection at alessandrarich.com.
Making plant-based eating easy with Fullgreen’s D2C proposition
Never has it been more pressing for leading food brands to be selling online direct to consumers. With the significant shift in how brands customers engage with and purchase their products, particularly in the last six months, we have been bringing two decades of invaluable experience with hospitality and ecommerce to many of our clients in the food and beverage segment as they expand their D2C strategy.
Here’s some details about Fullgreen – it’s fair to say we’re big fans! :
- unique market position of being the only shelf-stable cauliflower rice product available globally,
- an expanding product range that now encompasses other long life riced veggies and breakfast items,
- The time was ripe for Fullgreen to take the next step with their digital proposition.
Propeller completed:
- a detailed Shopify theme customisation for Fullgreen
- This enables their brand to come alive online and to accurately reflect their identity in a way that would resonate with their core demographic.
- Utilising strong brand assets and translating these in a way that reflected their aesthetic online was equally important for their positioning for future B2B and wholesale partnerships as part of their wider strategy.
- Reflection of their retail distribution strategy through the implementation of the store locator to help customers find the product from Walmart to Waitrose.
- A recipe and blog sections of the site informs about the shelf-stable product range.
- The content sections of the site also convey how they are making plant-based eating easy with extensive blog and recipe content to enhance brand awareness and engagement.
In addition – Propeller’s Email work with Klaviyo:
- We delivered customised email flows from welcome series and order confirmations through to abandoned cart and post purchase flows,
- These include trigger and non-opener variants based on custom logic.
Check out fullgreen.co.uk to get your daily dose of nutrients to nourish the body & mind.
Multi territory digital evolution with Tivoli Audio
We launched the timeless, at home stereo designers on an experiential driven, multilingual and multi currency store for the USA, Australia, Great Britain, Italy and Nordics as part of the brands digital evolution on Shopify Plus.
Following a tech stack discovery, we delivered a highly bespoke theme customisation that included collection landing pages that detail their epic design quality and other key digital storytelling features including Spotify playlists. The store allows buyers to experience the products through both traditional technical detail presentation areas and experiential lifestyle content.
From the tech side, this evolution sees them migrate from a custom ecommerce platform to the enterprise leaders, Shopify Plus. Tivoli Audio had previously been using the custom solution for a less unified branded experience across their territories in EMEA and North America.
From the design and experience side, the brief hinged on delivering a site build that allowed them to tell their multimedia story to their millennial audience of discerning design junkies and fitness conscious music lovers!
In terms of our journey we undertook:
- Discovery phase to identify good substitute third party options where required.
- Full site design
- Development of a new library for storytelling and a separate ‘learn’ based product route.
- A theme delivered across their expansion stores.
- Content migration and internationalisation support.
- Testing and deployment.
Head of eCommerce Emmanuel Onuoha said of the project “They delivered the website in two months. It made my team look good. They’re a really understanding vendor that’s personal but professional. They pay attention to detail.”
Check out tivoliaudio.com for everything from the classics to the latest collaborations then sit back relax and turn up the music.
Accelerated digital transformation for LEON restaurant group
The Feed Britain store was launched by the LEON restaurant group to sell fresh produce, shelf goods and other food items in London during the pandemic. The site also incorporated a social impact element through the collection of donations for NHS workers at checkout.
There was a fulfilment restriction as deliveries were limited to specific London postcodes, which required the implementations of Shopify scripts to enable this and validate orders by postcode. We also partnered with Shopify partners Yotpo and Klaviyo to gather reviews and for flow driven, automated email campaigns.
The launch of the store was in response to the immediate and significant change in consumer needs with social distancing and lockdown measures being brought in across the UK. Fast decisions were made by the LEON restaurants team to evolve the brand and the offering to continue to deliver healthy and convenient food options through this new channel.
COVID-19 has created the need to pivot for a huge number of restaurant, food and beverage brands which has led to a significant acceleration of digital adoption in the delivery and direct to consumer segment. Consumer search trends and purchase behaviours changed virtually overnight but these behaviour changes have been gradually infiltrating the market over recent years as consumers interests and expectations have begun to shift in recent years with the growth of D2C and delivery platforms across a number of market segments.
Not only did the development of Feed Britain focus on the core values of the LEON restaurants brand but responded to communities needs in real time in terms of both consumer demand and support for the NHS through the donation capability of the site. The team took the opportunity to think big and transform their operation to match customer expectations in a new digital infrastructure.
A Wordpress digital relaunch with flavour
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We worked with Wahaca to create a fresh new website using their recently updated branding. With a focus on developing the content for each of their locations and making the site easily navigable, we launched the new Wahaca website earlier this year.
Nothing lost in translationNothing is more important for the Wahaca team than opening up the UK to the colours and flavours of Mexico. One of the primary aims of the project was the make the food as accessible as possible to their audience. Based on the popularity of their Instagram account we create a picture menu so users can really get a sense of each of Wahaca’s delicious dishes. Just a quick click through takes you to the full menu listing, complete with dietary filters and easy to navigate sub menus.
Driving conversions on mobileWith over 65% of traffic hitting the site being mobile we priorised the design of regions that would scale down beautifully, without losing the impact of the graphic and bold design. With locations throughout the UK, we know Wahaca’s users are on the go and looking for their nearest restaurant.
Bringing RX BAR to the UK with Shopify Plus
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Bars for B2B & B2CBuilt on Shopify Plus, we utilised Shopify’s custom checkout, Shopify Flows and Script Editor to give RXBAR wholesale functionality without cutting back on the look and feel of the website. With our Shopify expertise we enabled RXBAR to create custom B2B user groups with different pricing tiers, meaning they could get both the B2B and B2C side of their business up and running quickly.
Flexibility & ControlWe worked with RXBAR to build a website that was both intuitive from a UX perspective and usable from a management perspective. With an array of regions, page templates and brand-focussed colour palette RXBAR can build out the pages they need, when they need them.
7 years of web development and booking optimisation for Zizzi
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We developed a unique piece of tech to take the hassle out of booking a big table. Zizzi customers can invite guests, manage RSVPs, pre-book food and even make sure there’s a bottle of vino waiting on the table.
“Propeller are an outstanding agency with an incredibly talented and passionate team behind them. They continue to drive our business forward.”Bebe Oladipo, Azzurri
Tempting promotions:We make it easy for the team at Zizzi to tempt more customers through their doors with vouchers, offers and promotions. Not only are they quick and painless to implement, they’re also more effective thanks to the data we use from past promotions.
Fine-tuned booking systems:We sifted through 5 years of site data to custom-build a unique Bookatable system.
This industry-first customisation makes a big impact on bookings. We’re hitting conversion rates well above industry standards.
Multi booking platforms and digital relaunch of The Royal Automobile Club
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Members firstThe Royal Automobile Club is a prestigious private members club based in the heart of London which offers the highest level of service to its members. We worked hard to emulate this online by creating a digital hub for everything their members need from bookings and notifications to a click and collect shop and classified ads.
"The brief was a challenging one and Propeller approached the project with a high level of customer service backed up by strong project delivery."Sarah Farrar, The Royal Automobile Club
Anything but traditional integrationsWe used some clever tech to build a sophisticated members portal with supplier integrations, including Oracle, Concept & Intelligentgolf. It means members have full control to book Squash, Golf, Rooms, Events and make restaurant reservations through the site.
Designing a world of stories for Alexi Lubomirski
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Content is kingAlexi’s old site was the tip of an iceberg; the team had a big story to tell but a site that could only tell a small part. We built an online destination that acts as a platform to tell Alexi’s story and make the most of all their content, including the back catalogue.
“The only downside of the whole experience was when it launched and I realized that there was nothing else to create together… !"Alexi Lubomirski
New York artistryThis was a personal project – Alexi Lubomirski is a brand and a person. So our New York team worked closely with Alexi to get it right.
We made the most of working in the same city. There were lots of visits to their studio, where we learnt from the team and got a feel for how they worked, which illuminated how they wanted their site to feel and function.
Design that worksThis site is anything but just a portfolio – the site tells Alexi’s story. We worked closely with Alexi and his team to create a solid UX journey that gave it justice.
The site captures the many sides of Alexi: a curator, a philanthropist, a writer and a creator, and of course, a photographer. We crosslinked every page to guide visitors, allowing them to experience Alexi’s content in its full-screen glory.
A digital pilgrimage with London's pizza kings
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A pilgrimage projectThe boys at Pizza Pilgrims started their business with a huge journey across Italy to source the best ingredients. We helped them share the journey with an interactive map tracking all the stops and the amazing ingredients the brothers found along the way.
“Propeller are great, we loved working with them all. They delivered a glossy, user friendly website which stayed true to the quirkiness of our brand.”Rebecca Serra, Pizza Pilgrims
All fun and codeThe boys at Pizza Pilgrims love their 80s video games, so we snuck a few (nice) surprises into their site. Type in certain well-known gaming keyboard sequences and you might see what we’re talking about.
Flavourable artistsPizza Pilgrims launched ‘#pizzaboxart’, a social campaign with a simple concept – grab a pizza box, create a masterpiece and show it off. We made an interactive gallery of over 2,000 entries that can be liked, and ranked in favourites. Budding artists can even take a pic and submit their own artwork on the site.
A custom WordPress solution for Cadogan Estates
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Cadogan is a dynamic property manager, protecting and enhancing one of London’s finest neighbourhoods, Chelsea and Knightsbridge.
They required a fully flexible website to manage properties of all calibre including retail, office and residential.
The design was inspired by the 300-year history of the Cadogan estate and this was seen throughout by use of imagery, video and an interactive historical timeline.
Interactive MapExplore the Area Interactive Map with key locations plotted and a live weather feed.
This allows users to see local amenities like restaurants, museums and shops, as well as transport links from the area to all major stations and airports
Heritage TimelineCadogan have a rich 300-year history that they wanted to display on the site in a modern and engaging manner.
We developed an interactive timeline that dates back from 1603 right through to modern day Chelsea where we can see the historical events that have shaped the neighbourhood as we know it today.
A luxe jewellery Shopify Plus launch for Gemma by WP Diamonds
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The Destination for the Luxe Jewellery ShopperUsing Shopify Plus we built a luxe store for the leading NYC diamond brand selling high-quality pre-owned designer jewellery from brands including Rolex, Tiffany & Co, Chanel and Cartier.
Ultimate ShoppabilityOur eCommerce team delivered full UX, site design, build and Shopify Plus consultancy.
Promotes and sells their thousands of one-off jewellery products to a discerning price led consumer.
Highly customised designMultiple homepage regions
Seven layered multi-faceted filter
A Luxe One Stop ShopWith thousands of SKUs and a dozen unique collections pages, the site showcases their wide range of designer and diamond jewellery.
Integrations include Affirm for payment later and Signifyd for fraud protection.
Transforming online success for Location Department
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Searching high and lowLocation Department have a dizzying amount of properties in their portfolio…thousands in fact. So we’ve made it easy to find the right one. We built a really clever search engine right into the heart of the site. It serves up the perfect ecosystem for finding exactly what you’re looking for, but also the opportunity to be inspired
"An amazing team! They have gone above and beyond our expectations, not only delivering a fantastic service but holding our hand through the entire process making this a wonderful experience." - Kate Collings-Post, Location Department
Through the keyholeLocation Department have a story to tell about every property in their portfolio – the challenge is finding a way to tell all the stories without cluttering up the site.
We introduced the team to the WordPress platform and enhanced it with bespoke editing features to streamline location information and imagery. Now the team can tell the unique stories for each location in a way that makes an impact.
Interactive design & development for Coco di Mama's online launch
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No templates hereChoosing your lunch at Coco Di Mama is an interactive event: you pick your pasta, your toppings and make it your own. We set out to make the site feel like a visit to one of their locations.
With a combination of modern design and interactive tech, we did just that. Now you can design your lunch before you even step through their door. From meatballs to mushrooms and penne to serpentini – it’s all there (our favourite is rigatone).
Things changeCoco Di Mama like to mix things up. Their menu changes, so their site needs to as well.
WordPress was the perfect match for the team at Coco Di Mama. It’s easy to use, flexible and gives them the room to grow. Plus, we know more than most about WordPress – so we knew how to mould it into the perfect online destination for the team.
A UX overhaul for Art Partner
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An extensive portfolioFounded in 1992, Art Partner now works on over 1500 projects per year across the luxury, fashion, and beauty industries with clients including Vogue, Gucci, Burberry, Versace, Dior, Chanel, Bulgari and Givenchy, among others.
Striking design, seamless journeyWe were tasked to bring the website up to date to reflect the way that people interact with online content today.
Propeller delivered a full UX design and consultancy as part of their digital rebrand. With improved journeys across multiple devices, we created seamless routes to individual artists’ content and secondary pages. The site’s customizable template allows great flexibility to organize media and promote agency-specific content.
Some of the site’s key features include:- Drag and drop CMS capabilities
- Third-party video hosting optimized for speed
- Page by page SEO with auto-SEO improvements
- High res and quality media – including MP4 Video thumbnails on autoplay
Delivering ROI for the Hall and Woodhouse pub collection
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Putting Family Values FirstHall and Woodhouse is a family run business – it’s currently in its 7th generation, so it’s no surprise that values are a pretty big deal. It’s the same for us here at Propeller. After understanding the “Ways of Woodhouse,” we built a site that can be customised to demonstrate each pub’s unique features and true character, while also capturing the ethos of Hall & Woodhouse.
A Team EffortWe think it’s important to put Pub Managers in the driving seat – after all, who knows the pubs better than them? So we worked with Hall & Woodhouse to put together a training workshop around CRM and CMS to make sure their managers had the tools to connect with their customers and spread the Hall & Woodhouse way.
Reviews
the project
Web Dev & Rebrand for Aircraft Designer & Broker
“To be honest, we hit the jackpot with them. We continue to work with them because their support is so great.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the VP of Design for Freestream Aircraft, an aircraft design, engineering, and brokerage company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Propeller?
They developed a brand-new website and helped us rebrand.
What was the scope of their involvement?
In addition to developing our website, they did graphic design and rebranded the documents we use for advertisements and client outreach.
What is the team composition?
I worked with five people on their team.
How did you come to work with Propeller?
A client of ours gave provided a reference for us.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent between $50,000–$100,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We’ve been working with them since February 2020 and they continue to maintain our site.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The quality of their work is amazing. It’s very cutting-edge, but the design is timeless. It was important to us that we were innovative, but could still reach our existing client base. They handled that very well and proposed designs that we really liked. The content they create is fantastic.
When we launched the platform, I went through the site and had minimal change requests. When I did ask them to change something, they were fast and responsive. To be honest, we hit the jackpot with them. We continue to work with them because their support is so great.
How did Propeller perform from a project management standpoint?
Propeller was great to work with. They were available whenever we needed them, whether we were reaching out from our UK or US offices. They were flexible with our schedule. No matter what we needed, they were able to help us, even if it was at the last minute.
Duncan is a great team leader and project manager. Everything was on schedule. If we brought new tasks to the table or asked for new things to be incorporated, they put together a plan that included a timeline, the steps they would go through, who would be working on the project, and who we could reach out to with questions.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I was impressed by their knowledge and design experience. They brought a lot more to the table than just development. They asked a lot of questions about the aesthetics we were looking to incorporate in our brand.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I can’t think of anything they need to improve. In fact, we extended our contract because they were doing well.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
New clients should tell Propeller’s team everything they want to accomplish because they have been a fantastic resource. They’ve started helping us with things outside the scope of our work, and when they can’t help, they get us in touch with people who can.
the project
Web Design, Web Dev & Branding for Capital Advisory
"The team really listened to the way we described our business and used that in their creative process."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am one of the founders and the managing partner of MDW Capital Partners. We provide capital advice services to companies and their shareholders, helping them to raise the right sort of capital to support their growth and investment aspirations.
What challenge were you trying to address with Propeller?
We were a startup and had a website that communicated who we were and had some photographs, as well as some words on there that were carefully thought through. However, there was some branding and presentation templating that was not particularly differentiated.
In fact, it looked as if it had been developed by a middle-aged person who was setting up a business which is exactly what it was. Our clients are multinational, multi-billion dollar funds and companies, and we needed to present ourselves as a professional, highly experienced organization they could trust.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Propeller built a brand narrative for our business, helping us to develop our own brand identity and messaging. They brought that to life in the form of a website, the templates that we use for the documents we produce, and the presentations we provide.
They also helped us to think through and clarify our thinking in all of that, differentiating us from a lot of generic offerings. For example, previously I had picked up photos from Shutterstock to use for our website, and even some of the world’s largest businesses use exactly the same pictures.
Just the presentation of all of that, let alone broad imagery and feel for the business, was similar to other businesses. So, the team helped us brainstorm and develop some key themes, and then came up with logo proposals, fonts, presentation templates, website design, and layouts.
What is the team composition?
We worked directly with Richard (Director) and Megan (Head of Client Services).
How did you come to work with Propeller?
I have known Richard for quite a long time. We talked about other business prospects and about his business in the past. When we decided that we were at the stage of our evolution and that we needed to professionalize our presentation to the outside world, we called him.
We spoke to a couple of other similar contacts who we had met along the way and asked them to pitch and make a proposal to us to develop our business. We felt that Propeller was really engaged in our business. We were something a bit different for them and they really engaged in the project.
Our success was extremely important to them and that shone through. For a creative project like this, you want to have people who are going to be invested in the outcome as opposed to just producing something that is pretty standard and that they have done before.
How much have you invested in them?
We invested just over £30,000 (approximately $40,000 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
We kicked off formally in December 2019, and the project was completed in April 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The initial threshold of course was our satisfaction with what we had as the end product, both in terms of the website and in terms of output for the templates for PowerPoint, Word, Excel. We are quite demanding in terms of attention to detail, accuracy, general feel, and understanding of who our target audience is.
Our target audience is professional investors and management teams of companies. For us, it is not really so much about website traffic, because it will always be a relatively low traffic business.
We don’t generate new business per se through our website; it’s a marketing tool that we use to present to prospective clients and remind existing ones that we are fantastically experienced, superbly professional, and care only about the success of their own business above all else. Those are pretty high bars to hit and we felt that Propeller did do that.
The response we have had from prospective clients, existing clients, and other people we know whether they are competitors or just other people in our broader private equity community has been good.
People are blown away by the quality of our website. We are a small organization of fewer than five people, and the job was to present it as a large boutique. The response we are getting from people is exceptional in that regard.
How did Propeller perform from a project management standpoint?
Communication was good, and their overall ability to meet deadlines was good as well. However, they could’ve managed their clients a bit more proactively. We tried to give them as much remit as possible, and I would say they perhaps could’ve been a bit more demanding of us.
We tried to give them permission and that is a very nuanced situation to be in and I think they were doing their best to make sure that we felt supported and engaged when things weren’t too much of a priority in comparison to our income-earning activities.
It’s a very fine line, but that was the only issue. They came up with the design and implemented it quickly. The challenge we faced was getting our written collateral ready for them in time.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The team really listened to the way we described our business and used that in their creative process. Propeller is a consumer brand-focused business, and we were a diversification for them.
We are very different from their normal clients, but they really listened to how we represented our business and the market in which we operate. They took that away and came back, and used that to inform their creative process.
They could’ve just tried to knock out a quasi consumer-type website, but they did not do that once at all. Their skill of listening to the client and what the client is seeking to achieve was very impressive. That showed low ego and real collaboration, and they were the sort of partner that we wanted to have working with us.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Post-completion and post-launch of the website, there could be a bit more communication from them. They maintain our site for us, and I wonder if they might upsell a bit more to us. They could be a bit more proactive in helping us think about content and whether there are tricks and things that we can do.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Give them the creative freedom and trust them to listen to what your objectives are and then come back with a range of options that you can then address.
the project
Web Redesign & Redev for Architectural Practice
"They successfully completed what we asked them to do."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the director of ADE Architecture, an architectural practice.
What challenge were you trying to address with Propeller?
We needed to increase our profile and improve our target market. We felt that our previous website didn’t appeal to our target market.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Propeller created wireframes and redesigned and redeveloped our website completely. The team also assisted us with our SEO and content strategy and made some suggestions on the logo design.
What is the team composition?
We primarily worked with a project manager.
How did you come to work with Propeller?
I saw a website that they had done for someone else and liked the interactive nature of it. I then called them.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent £30,000 (approximately $40,000 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked with them from November 2018–April 2020, but they’re still maintaining our website.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They successfully completed what we asked them to do. A lot of the commissions and projects we’ve had have come through the website. It’s proved to be a very worthwhile investment for us, and we were very happy with the project. We haven’t had any issues with the website. The feedback from our team and clients has been very good.
How did Propeller perform from a project management standpoint?
We would go to their offices once a week during the duration of the build and they would run through where they were in terms of the progress. The team was very responsive and hit all the deadlines.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Propeller listened well. They were very receptive to some of our own ideas and helped us to improve on them. They also had a good understanding of architecture and the work that we do.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, nothing comes to mind. They were polished and organized. We’re pleased with what they did.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Give them a very clear understanding of your project brief and outline exactly what you’re looking to achieve. Propeller was very receptive to our ideas, so if you see a website that you like, send it to them.
the project
Web Dev for Wine Importer & Wholesaler
“We had a call every week or two and sent emails in between.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the managing director for a wine importer and wholesaler.
What challenge were you trying to address with Propeller?
We wanted to provide more information about our products to customers and wanted to tell our suppliers more about our customers. We hired Propeller to create a website that would help us do that.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We had 2–3 planning meetings to help us determine what we wanted from a website. We wanted to look different from our competitors, so we needed their expertise to help us stand out.
What is the team composition?
We worked with three different people including the director and two account managers. There were also developers that I didn’t work with directly.
How did you come to work with Propeller?
We heard about them through word of mouth. We chose them because they work with a lot of restaurants, a key market for us.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent about £50,000 (approximately $40,000 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in November 2019 and we launched the site in February 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Customers, suppliers, and employees have all commented on how we present ourselves online. They really like it.
How did Propeller perform from a project management standpoint?
They’re very responsive, organized, and efficient. We had a call every week or two and sent emails in between.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They took a lot of time to understand our business and what makes it different from others in the market. They’re able to draw on that information and present it in the website.
Are there any areas they could improve?
There’s not much they could improve.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
The more communicative and transparent you are with them, the better the output will be. I would tell new clients to provide their team with as much information and insight into their business and they can.
the project
Ecommerce Dev for Luxury Speaker Brand
"They took the time to understand our needs."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the director of e-commerce at Tivoli Audio, a luxury speaker and radio manufacturer. We design and manufacture our own speakers and radios.
What challenge were you trying to address with Propeller?
We needed a partner we could trust to help us develop and design our theme and help us with the process of building a Shopify site.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They developed our Shopify e-commerce site. They continue to provide us with ongoing support.
What is the team composition?
On the development side, there were three people. From a project management/relation side, I talked directly to three people.
How did you come to work with Propeller?
We reached out to Shopify for a reference of someone they trusted. They recommended Propeller.
How much have you invested with them?
We invested between $20,000–$40,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in April 2020, and the work is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They delivered the website in two months. It made my team look good. They’re a really understanding vendor that’s personal but professional. They pay attention to detail.
How did Propeller perform from a project management standpoint?
They’re very responsive. They took the time to understand our needs. They’d try to understand even the most minute thing to get us the answers we need. They delivered on what we wanted. I wasn’t under any stress. They paid attention to detail and made us feel comfortable. I knew they had our interest at heart.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re very experienced, personable, and reliable.
Are there any areas they could improve?
There’s nothing I’d have them improve.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be open. Have full disclosure about any issues you’re facing. Don’t leave anything unchecked with them. Be fully detailed because that helps their work.
the project
Web and Shopify Development for a Restaurant Supply Company
“The site is high-quality, and it conveys a feel of the company ethos very well.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
We supply high-end specialty woods and charcoals to the restaurant industry and other clients who work with live fire elements. We also supply wood for home use.
What challenge were you trying to address with Propeller?
We needed a website, which we'd never had before. We also wanted to communicate the feel of our company through our new online presence.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They designed a specific template for us in WordPress. Prior to meeting with them, I didn't know anything about web design, but I was aware of WordPress. We had several consultation meetings, and we were very involved in the design process. They also provided us with a Shopify retail element for the site, and they incorporated a newsletter feature.
What is the team composition?
We interacted with an account manager and another team member who works with her. There were several developers in the background that we didn't meet.
How did you come to work with Propeller?
We knew that they were a hospitality-focused company. A colleague's husband used them to build the website for a popular London bar, and the client-facing elements and account management after the build was very good. We were looking for that kind of continued support, so we decided to hire Propeller.
How much have you invested with them?
I've worked out the exchange rate, and we've spent about $28,000 so far.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in early April 2018. We pay them a monthly retainer to manage the website, and I'm about to meet with them to add a new consultancy page.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The site is high-quality, and it conveys a feel of the company ethos very well. Several similar organizations copy the typography and layout of our site, so we know that Propeller did a good job.
How did Propeller perform from a project management standpoint?
Our account manager is very personable and a good communicator. She manages expectations very well and is very easy to reach. I think very highly of her.
What did you find most impressive about them?
We're a small company, and their approach never felt corporate. They are always professional, but never cold, and we like our relationship with them.
Are there any areas they could improve?
We're still working out a few bumps, and we would like to increase our page loading speeds. Shopify support is also somewhat weak. It's the right thing for us, but we face some challenges on our own. We thought we'd have more support from them on it, but we haven't. That may not be what they're supposed to do, so we're working out navigation as well as we can.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
They make it easy to have a good working relationship with them, so be honest. They don't mind if you need to make changes or adjust your goals.
the project
Web Design for Photography Studio
"Their team offers amazing technical ability without sacrificing creativity."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m a celebrity fashion photographer. I’ve created content for different publishers such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, plus a lot of advertising clients.
What challenge were you trying to address with Propeller?
Our website was a glorified archive; we wanted the site to have a much deeper and more engaging experience. We needed a partner to develop a new platform with more levels and layers, which would create a more textured picture of my work.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Using WordPress, Propeller developed my new website from scratch. They proposed and implemented the UX design, which allowed us to manage all of our content including stories, new exhibitions, and causes that I’m involved in. Their team created features that allow us to visually demonstrate the different creative outputs we work with. We’re speaking about creating videos as well as high-resolution imagery for our YouTube channel.
What is the team composition?
My primary point of contact was Duncan (VP & Director, Propeller).
How did you come to work with Propeller?
Propeller approached us, offering their services to improve our site. We met with Duncan who understood websites weren’t our language. He was really amazing because he’d expand on our ideas with five or six suggestions, which we didn’t find with other firms.
How much have you invested with them?
The total cost for the website was $45,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began collaborating in January 2017, and it’s ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Since launching the new website, mobile usage has quadrupled, and site sessions have increased over 292%. We’re now on page one of Google for one of our primary search terms: “fashion celebrity photographer.”
How did Propeller perform from a project management standpoint?
We communicated by phone and email. Propeller is malleable; they not only rolled with all of our ideas but were also always coming up with new ones, such as another link or layer. It was a very collaborative effort. What we ended up with was nothing like what we’d originally planned, which is for the better.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their team offers amazing technical ability without sacrificing creativity. They have a healthy amount of actual taste, sensitivity, and sensibility, which is so important when you’re trying to put out a creative website. Propeller created a platform that represents me, my taste and artistic level.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, not really.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Just hire them. Tell them the vision but also listen to their suggestions because it’ll improve the final product.
the project
eCommerce Dev for Fine Jewelry Business
“The biggest difference with Propeller is that they feel like an internal team, even though they’re an agency.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder and CEO of a fine jewelry brand. We’re a U.S. company and a French company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Propeller?
We hired them to build an e-commerce solution for us with Shopify.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Propeller created a new e-commerce platform for our company. I wanted a quick solution, so choosing Shopify made the most sense. They took all of my requests and either found them in Shopify or custom built them. One of the biggest challenges they overcame was providing multi-currency pricing so that the platform could reflect accurate pricing for each country we sell to. They did a complete overhaul, which included creative work and development for our WordPress platform to create a mobile experience. They currently perform maintenance and updates.
What is the team composition?
I work with Sophia (Digital Project Manager, Propeller) and Duncan (VP & Director, Propeller).
How did you come to work with Propeller?
I initially learned about their UK office through another client of theirs.
How much have you invested with them?
I’ve invested at least $40,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working together in June 2017, and our engagement is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They’ve provided a very solid platform where, when we do have business, it’s seamless and we see growth; we’re not a volume business, though. Our average price point is about $10,000, so we’re not a fair judgement of their work.
How did Propeller perform from a project management standpoint?
They performed excellently in terms of project management. We’ve had a few technical issues that happened in crucial moments, such as leading into holidays, and they worked around-the-clock to resolve them. Their main priority was to ensure that the business would not be affected.
What did you find most impressive about them?
In the past, we’ve done creative and digital work, and have always felt disappointed. The biggest difference with Propeller is that they feel like an internal team, even though they’re an agency. They take the approach that they can only succeed if we succeed. They’re very supportive and team-oriented in a way I’m not used to working with agencies. I’ve recommended them multiple times, just because I thought they were really excellent.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t know if I use 100 percent of everything they have to offer, so I don’t see room for improvement.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I advise potential customers to allow the team to guide them in what they should be doing.
the project
UX & Web Dev for Women's Retail Firm
“They were pleasant, polite, and took my project seriously, even though I wasn’t a big account.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm the founder of Matriark, a platform that sells fashion, design, and home items all made by women-owned companies.
What challenge were you trying to address with Propeller?
We needed a partner to develop the website for our company.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We wanted Propeller to develop a dropship model e-commerce platform that sells high-end luxury goods. Together, we went through a discovery phase to plan out the online store and outline what we wanted and needed. Once those requirements were determined, we decided to build the site on Shopify Plus. Propeller also did the UX/UI and entire website design, helping with digital branding. They created the design to maximize the conversion of traffic to customers, keeping SEO in mind as well. The site is finished but hasn’t launched yet.
What is the team composition?
We mainly worked with two people.
How did you come to work with Propeller?
A friend recommended them.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent between $25,000–$50,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The partnership lasted from September 2018–March 2019.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
I had to contact the various brands we wanted to sell, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that if I didn’t have a website to show them. Because I had a final product that they could see, I’ve been able to secure over 100 luxury brands for the platform, which is beautiful and functional.
How did Propeller perform from a project management standpoint?
They had excellent project management skills. They were communicative and responsible, following up on all of their work. We mainly spoke via video calls.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The website is beautiful and technically flawless. Beyond their skills, the team is friendly and has great customer service. They were pleasant, polite, and took my project seriously, even though I wasn’t a big account.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t have any suggestions for improvement. I didn’t have a single negative experience with them.
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?
Maintain clear communication and ask questions if you aren’t sure about something. They’re eager to please and will find answers.
the project
Web Design and Dev for Independent Writer/Director
"Their tech knowledge is as good as their aesthetic taste."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am a director of films and tech startups, a writer, a producer, and a speaker.
For what projects/services did your company hire Propeller?
I employed them to build me a website from scratch for my own brand, Kinvara Balfour.
What were your goals for this project?
I wanted to build an engaging, compelling, contemporary, cool website that linked to lots of different work.
How did you select this vendor?
Their examples of previous work were the best I had seen of any company I asked for a pitch from.
Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.
Propeller built my website from scratch, including content and links. They continue to update it and add new visuals and links as I complete more projects.
What was the team composition?
I dealt with Duncan (VP & Director, Propeller) and his team.
Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?
I have been asked by over 30 friends and brands who built my website. It was comprehensive, impressive, clear, and cool. Propeller updates my site efficiently and in a timely manner.
How was project management arranged and how effective was it?
The project was arranged with ease, with care, and with patience. The team did exactly what they promised to do from the outset. They are not patronizing nor dismissive about things I do not know.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
They are cool and contemporary, with true class, and their tech knowledge is as good as their aesthetic taste.
Are there any areas for improvement?
No, I can’t think of anything.
Propeller delivered a cutting-edge and timeless design that appeals to the client’s customers. They were available whenever the client needed them despite working across multiple time zones. On top of that, they were flexible and accommodated changes to ensure the client’s satisfaction.