A boutique digital strategy firm
Usman Group is a boutique digital strategy firm that helps organizations plan and execute successful design, communications and technology initiatives that are elegant, cost-effective and easy to implement.
- Analysis: We are research-driven, and dig deep to understand the needs and desires of your customers and how you want to better serve them.
- Strategy: We collaborate with your team on creative, proven, actionable approaches that will bring your organizational and business goals to fruition.
- Execution: We have an extensive, trusted network of experts whom we work closely with to ensure that your strategy has a practical way forward.
- Measurement: We help our clients articulate what success means to them, develop metrics to measure them and establish feedback loops for continuous improvement.

headquarters
other locations
Focus
Portfolio
National Safety Council, Priceline.com, Robert W. Baird & Company, Davita, Chicago Sun-Times, and the University of Chicago.

Internal Communications Development for Priceline.com
Priceline.com helps people get discounted rates for travel-related purchases such as airline tickets and hotel reservations. The challenge for Usman Group was to design a robust company intranet that was as engaging as its consumer-facing marketing and serve as the primary hub for all internal company communications. The team developed an attractive and easy-to-use internal communications portal that their global workforce could rally around and truly adopt.

Web Development for National Safety Council
The National Safety Council engaged the Usman Group to create a stand-alone branded website that would provide information about the latest automotive safety features and provide answers to drivers' questions. The challenge was that the site would have to appeal to drivers of all backgrounds and ages. The Usman Group decided to make the site direct, intuitive and highly skimmable to capture and keep attention. They used easy to recognize icons in lieu of text with quick, fun quizzes to help steer users to crucial car safety information. The NSC was so happy with the website, they promoted it through multiple traditional media channels and outlets, including outdoor, print, TV, radio, social, paid search and web banner ads.

Web Development and Marketing for Cressey & Company
Cressey & Company is one of the most experienced and successful healthcare-focused private equity firms in the country, but they were frustrated with their website. The main issue was their brand identity which was all over the place. Usman Group took on the content development, strategy, and web design. They developed a strategy to augment the content experience that would bring the pages to life. The end result was a site that worked flawlessly on a variety of systems.

Poplar-Prairie Stone Crossing

Vantage Leadership Consulting

Strategic Mobility Group

Selective Search

ShopperTrak

Achieva Wealth Advisors

Michelle's Interiors

Lincoln Park Institute

University of Notre Dame

Lifeline Vascular Access

Specless

Gordon Salon

Chicago Sun-Times

Make Up First

Merel Family Law

Lambs Farm

North Shore Trust & Savings

Myefski Architects
Reviews
the project
Product Design & Development Services for Consulting Firm
“Usman Group, Inc. really embraced the vision for my concept and owned it as much as I 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 founder of a consulting agency. It’s a subsidiary of another company that I co-own with my husband. I deliver expertise and strategy, including a book that I recently published that’s available to the market.
What challenge were you trying to address with Usman Group, Inc.?
I engaged them for services dealing with intellectual property; that’s the basis of my book. We discussed the possibility of a digital tool to advance my intellectual property. Late last year, I realized it was a great time to bring digital innovation in the field of strategy to the market. I engaged with Usman Group, Inc. to help me think through how to bring digital transformation to my industry.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Usman Group, Inc. developed the original digital design concept for what I call Strategy Studio. It’s viewable on my website. They led the initial design of our Strategy Studio. Their team brought a design firm to assist me in thinking through high-level concepts and specific deliverables I could promise to my customers.
Usman Group, Inc. helped me think through what was possible with the tool as well as ideated a phased approach. This approach would allow me to manage my budget and make sure it was going to work. They did an initial product development scope of work. The deliverables included a prototype and digital wireframe.
What is the team composition?
I worked directly with Naveed (Principal & CEO).
How did you come to work with Usman Group, Inc.?
I’ve known Naveed since 2019. He was introduced to me by two different people. We really hit it off, and I was very impressed with his knowledge and expertise in the digital tool world. When this project came up, I immediately reached out to Naveed.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project was from December 2020–February 2021.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
I was satisfied with the quality of the work and it measured up to my expectations. We went live with our product and then there were small fixes that needed to be taken care of afterward. Usman Group, Inc. was very involved as we worked through the issues after we took our beta live.
How did Usman Group, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?
They utilized Basecamp for project management. The communication picked up later in the process as the deadlines were coming close. This worked out well. In some cases, toward the end, we were meeting 2–3 times a week. This worked out great because we were trying to get things turned around for our deadlines.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Naveed believes in my concept and believes in me. This is why I reached out to him in the first place. It’s important as an innovator and entrepreneur to have colleagues who believe in what I'm doing and would tell me if they didn’t think it had any promise. Usman Group, Inc. really embraced the vision for my concept and owned it as much as I do. They saw it as a signature for their portfolio too.
Are there any areas they could improve?
In hindsight, it would’ve been great to have more communication. Usman Group, Inc. was so busy and devoted to getting the project done that there were a couple of times when they had to update me on what was going on. However, whenever I reached out through text or on Basecamp, they’d get back to me right away.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Having clarity of your design and desired business objectives is really important so you can convey them to someone who isn’t as familiar with the concept and business opportunities you are. Additionally, realize that the project is going to cost you more and take longer than you think. Remember that you play an important leadership role in ensuring that what you want is delivered.
the project
Web Design, Development & Strategy for Nonprofit
“They were fantastic to work with and very professional.”
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 former founder and CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award USA.
What challenge were you trying to address with Usman Group, Inc.?
They were brought on to help us develop and launch our initial website for the national organization.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Usman Group walked us through the development of our website. They had a website project planner they developed and introduced to us. We worked through as a team, both on our own and with Usman Group. We talked about the fundamentals of the website itself. They took it a few steps further and had us talk about what success looks like for us — not just for the website but with the launch of the organization in general.
Usman Group dove into our audience and had us think about what’d appeal to them with the website design itself. We honed down on the interfaces we developed with them and how user-friendly they’d be for our particular audience. Our audience is typically 14–24-year-olds and a range of adults that’d be mentoring these 14–24-year-olds. Usman Group facilitated that process because we hadn’t thought about it from that perspective.
What is the team composition?
I worked with Naveed (Principal & CEO).
How did you come to work with Usman Group, Inc.?
A friend of mine recommended them to me. Usman Group ended up being relatively local to where I personally lived so I met with them a couple of times before deciding to move forward with their organization.
How much have you invested with them?
The project was about $50,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The engagement was from October 2016–March 2017.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The website looks great. From the beginning, we wanted it to be integrated with an app that was being developed by our international organization in London. It’d allow the youth to track their progress for their awards. Usman Group ended up successfully implementing that.
Additionally, what was unique about them was how strategic they were in helping us develop our website. They went beyond just the design piece and provided the technical aspects of that. Their team helped us take a step back and think about how it’d integrate into our overall strategy as an organization, which I found really helpful. I’m still in touch with Naveed and continue to rely on him as a resource.
How did Usman Group, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?
Project management was great and the website was launched on time. Usman Group communicated well. That’s one of Naveed’s strong points. Their team members had a great combination of skill sets. We worked a lot with the team focused on the technical aspects of the web development. They were fantastic to work with and very professional. They were great at communicating things in layman’s terms.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Naveed always approaches things from a holistic standpoint. If he doesn’t have the answer to it, he finds someone within his team or a contracted partner to find an answer. He’s great at networking and bringing people together to work on projects. I found that to be refreshing and unique.
Naveed recognizes where his expertise begins and ends. He’s willing to bring in people who are experts in areas that his clients may need. This approach helps us as clients to navigate through our needs. They’re very strategic and recognize there are a lot of pieces to the puzzle.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I was really pleased with the quality of their work and their approach to it.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be very open to exploring all that Usman Group is willing to provide or help find for the client. Personally, I was comfortable with Naveed pulling in experts from other areas. Some people may not be as comfortable with that. However, in the end, it delivers a more focused and quality product for you as a client. It’s worth it to be willing to go down that path.
the project
Mobile App Development for Disaster Restoration Company
“Usman Group definitely exceeded my expectations.”
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 sales and service of a disaster restoration company. We have 17 locations in the US. I work with our sales and operations teams to make sure we’re delivering the services we provide.
What challenge were you trying to address with Usman Group?
We were looking to develop an app that would provide value to our commercial customers across the US. We needed to communicate different messages to multiple clients.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Usman Group provided creative resources to build out the app’s wireframes and create artwork. Then, their developers built out the backend. They developed the app for iOS and Android.
Usman Group helped us create unique user experiences that depend on which company a user is with.
What is the team composition?
I worked with Naveed (Principal & CEO) directly, and he enlisted one designer and a team of developers.
How did you come to work with Usman Group?
We explained the project to a creative recruitment company, and they gave us a list of companies that they felt would be a good fit for what we were looking to accomplish. Naveed was a good fit — he was easy to work with and really responsive.
How much have you invested with them?
My company spent over $100,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We engaged them in early 2020, but we didn’t start the project until the end of August. The project launch date was mid-September, and we wrapped up the project in late December to meet our beginning-of-year deadlines.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We’re currently in the process of rolling the app out to customers, but early verbal feedback has been very positive. Everyone has been very engaged and responsive to getting signed up and enrolled in the new mobile app. However, we won’t have numbers on how many engaged users we have until the end of the first quarter.
How did Usman Group perform from a project management standpoint?
Everything ran smoothly. We had weekly meetings to communicate the process and touch base on updates, questions about upcoming items, or anything that I needed to deliver so that they could keep moving. They were over communicative, which was great.
Considering I was anticipating a long, drawn-out engagement, it was a very pleasant experience overall. We used Basecamp to manage the project and post any updates or requests.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I’ve worked with one other app developer, and Naveed was more collaborative. He wanted to figure out how we could accomplish what we were trying to do, whereas the other provider didn’t think outside of the box. Naveed was more open to ideas and problem-solving than what I’d previously experienced.
Are there any areas they could improve?
That’s a hard question for me to answer because they exceeded my expectations. From everything I’ve heard about the app development process, I was anticipating a lot of delays and uncertainty in the process. However, Usman Group definitely exceeded my expectations by delivering on both of those things: they hit deadlines and communicated with me the entire process. They let me know how close we were to hitting certain things, and we ultimately stayed on schedule. Their timeline was pretty close to on the nose.
Any advice for potential customers?
Just be available. I can see how delays could pile up; my company needed to provide a lot of deliverables to Naveed and his team in order for them to move on, whether that was verbiage or approval for designs. Make sure you’re available to review those things and provide those assets to keep the project moving smoothly.
the project
Digital Strategy & Web Dev for Marketing Firm
“Usman Group did a really good job for a reasonable price.”
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 was the founder and director of marketing of Townie Branding, a branding merchandising company that build merchandise lines for various industries.
What challenge were you trying to address with Usman Group?
We were trying to refresh our digital strategy to help us break into different industries and increase customer acquisition. We brought on Usman Group to help us with the website layout and design and development.
What was the scope of their involvement?
First, they helped us create our go-to-market strategies. We underwent a lengthy discovery process to identify our core business objectives. Together, we identified target markets and used that information to create marketing funnels and optimize our site design. Then they redesigned and developed our site to improve the landing pages and make it easy to edit. They ensured the site was SEO-friendly and we could easily track the bounce rate. Since then, they’ve hosted our site. After development was complete, we launched ads to attract leads.
What is the team composition?
We worked with Naveed (Founder) and he brought on a designer and developer.
How did you come to work with Usman Group?
A friend of mine worked with them on a marketing website for his company and had a really good experience. When I was looking for a development partner, he referred me to them.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent about $12,500.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project lasted from June–December 2019.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The new site has helped us earn more leads, which in turn will lead to more revenue. Usman Group did a really good job for a reasonable price.
How did Usman Group perform from a project management standpoint?
Naveed handled everything well. Even when we were working with other members of the team, he checked in to make sure everything was going well and meeting our expectations. They were extremely prompt and efficient.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They have a wide breadth of knowledge. Everyone on the team has either worked for a startup or founded a startup, so whether they’re a designer, developer, or business expert, they bring a lot of expertise to their role outside of their primary function. That was really helpful.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, they did a really good job.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Don’t just think of them as a digital service provider. They have a strong background in business development, so you can get a lot more out of your project if you work with them to align your business and digital marketing strategy.
the project
Web Design, SEO, & Branding for Medical Device Manufacturer
"Usman Group is helpful and explains processes, which is beneficial to our team."
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 an engineering program manager for a micro-manufacturer of medical devices.
What challenge were you trying to address with Usman Group?
Our website was outdated, to say the least. As a small company, the website was an easy way for us to promote ourselves. That was one reason why we wanted to update everything.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Usman Group started fresh and worked on our brand from start to finish. We sent our guidelines for the brand into a portal and then designers gave us multiple designs. We then selected our top designs and moved forward with the best one. After that, we secured our colors, logos, and fonts. Their team then moved on to a complete website redesign.
We’re now in phase two. They’re analyzing the website to understand how users engage with the it. Their team’s also trying to promote our name on search engines and creating content like FAQ sheets.
What is the team composition?
We worked with Naveed (Principal & CEO), Jeanie (Content Strategies Consultant), and one more person from their team.
How did you come to work with Usman Group?
Our management team found Naveed and looked into a couple of other options. Eventually, I acquired the project.
How much have you invested with them?
To update the website, we spent about $25,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in May 2020 and launched the website in July. We’re now in phase two of the project.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The website’s in its infancy because it only launched in July. However, we have gotten leads from the new platform.
I’m not a developer. As a small company, everyone on the team has a lot of different responsibilities. It was nice to have Usman Group hold our hands along the way. We didn’t know exactly what we needed, and their team was helpful throughout the whole process.
How did Usman Group perform from a project management standpoint?
Naveed has a great system for managing his projects. Their team sets clear goals and makes everyone’s tasks clear. Naveed also responds to my phone calls and emails. Anything I need, he provides it.
During the website project, we had weekly meetings when we reviewed action items. It was a streamlined process.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I don’t know much about how to build a website. Usman Group is helpful and explains processes, which is beneficial to our team.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I can’t think of anything off the top of my head.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Maintain open communication with their team.
the project
Website Build for Safety Advocate Nonprofit
“The project was delivered on time and on budget, and it’s an award-winning website.”
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 currently the founder of a startup transportation safety consultancy. I worked with Usman Group primarily when I was the senior director of digital content and strategy at a safety nonprofit. My job was to communicate safety messaging to the public in a variety of topic areas to influence people’s behavior and keep them safe. COVID took a heavy financial toll on the non-profit, and a number of people were laid off, myself included.
What challenge were you trying to address with Usman Group?
I hired them to help my creative team and me with a web project related to new safety technology in cars. It was a very large project, a national public education campaign, that was financed through grants.
Their team of programmers and artists helped my team of producers, writers, content generators, and artists come up with a unified theme, presentation style, and all manner of things, including the actual website!
What was the scope of their involvement?
Usman Group was primarily involved in the creation of a website. It was a totally customized WordPress-based effort. Its pages had a variety of content, showcasing everything from videos that my team put together to graphics, either motion or still, blogs, editorial, latest news, games, etc.
This was a national project, and we employed a variety of media to engage and educate the public as well as attract potential funders. We worked with a variety of stakeholders to ensure that new technologies were properly represented, and safety perspectives were highlighted.
What is the team composition?
I typically had meetings with the project manager from Usman, one of their principal graphic artists, and a programmer.
How did you come to work with Usman Group?
I had a coffee with Naveed (CEO), and we had a long talk about what his company could offer and what I wanted to achieve. I also met some of his employees, but it was mostly Naveed’s enthusiasm that won me over, as well as his ideas and creativity.
I knew that Naveed and his team were competent, but lots of people are, and I wanted more than that. When it comes to creative endeavors, many people will just outsource the whole thing. I’ve always been a digital content developer, but I also get my best work accomplished collaborating with other people.
How much have you invested with them?
The total project budget was more than 9 million dollars. Usman Group was a significant part of it, but we worked with other consultants on media buys, digital advertising, VR games, and other tactics. I’d estimate that Usman’s part was $150,000–$250,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project started in May or June 2015 and took about four years to wrap up. The website is still up and operating. They were a great resource, and I remain friendly with Naveed to this day. I just wish I had reason to put him back to work with and for me.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The website we made has been used and cited by the federal government and a significant number of nonprofits and for-profits, including state motor vehicle departments. This campaign was the first and largest educational program of its kind.
When someone buys a car, there are more and more new technologies built in, such as blind-spot monitoring and automatic emergency braking. Unfortunately, drivers generally aren’t educated on how to use those. We created a place that taught drivers about the safe operation of these safety systems. We built out a kind of Wikipedia of active safety systems. Like any technology, it has to be constantly updated, but it’s still the largest and most comprehensive site of its kind. We did a variety of consumer tests on its design and usability, and the site was continuously improved upon.
How did Usman Group perform from a project management standpoint?
My background is in TV news, and I’ve worked in some of the most competitive markets in America, so I have no tolerance for missing deadlines. I’m a good judge of the need to get work done on time and on budget, and that’s what we did. I held Usman Group’s heels to the fire, but I didn’t need to. They did what they had to do. The project was delivered on time and on budget, and it’s an award-winning website.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I haven’t hired many outside providers in website design and IT, and the few projects I’ve done were in the $3,000–$5,000 range. I don’t have much experience outsourcing national projects like this one, but I can say that Usman Group did well. I’m sure they’d do well with a $3,000–$4,000 project, too.
Naveed has a tremendous amount of energy and great ideas, he’s a positive thinker, and he sees a lot of opportunities. He’s a good partner.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Not really. I worked closely with Naveed’s team. I knew I could always bring him in if I had to, but there was never a need. I have no complaints. The educational campaign is still in use today, and it’s one of the projects I’ve done in my life that I’m proud of.
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?
Anyone hiring an external provider needs to decide how they want the project to go and build requirements around their vision. If the client doesn’t know those, they shouldn’t pretend they do. We can outsource an entire website project to Usman Group and tell them everything it needs to do, or we can be participants in the process, talk to the team, and build out requirements in a way that satisfies our purpose.
the project
Digital Marketing & Web Dev for Medical Device Company
“I’ve worked with other SEO companies, and I think Usman Group does the best work.”
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 co-founder and CMO of a medical device company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Usman Group?
I’ve worked with them at several different companies in various positions.
What was the scope of their involvement?
I initially hired them for SEO, but over the years, I’ve worked with them on a host of different projects, including building websites, SEO, and Google Ads. They’ve done both organic search and paid ads.
For one project, another company had launched a website, and there was an error that caused us to lose all of our built-up SEO. Naveed (Principal & CEO) helped rebuild the SEO from scratch. That was a tedious and difficult process, but they were able to get it back to where it was and even exceed that. It took a couple of years, but it was a big project.
Right now, Usman Group is helping us support some of our clients on their digital needs. That includes website rebuilds and SEO.
What is the team composition?
It’s hard to say because it’s changed over the years. Naveed merged with another company. I’ve worked with a lot of the team, but I’ve mostly worked with Naveed. He’s a key player in all of the projects.
How did you come to work with Usman Group?
Naveed was working with a company when I came in to work for that company.
How much have you invested with them?
I’m not sure how much we’ve spent over the years. It varies; a website project costs a lot more than monthly SEO.
What is the status of this engagement?
Our work together began in 2013, and it’s ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The organic traffic growth we saw on the project I mentioned was big. We’ve also seen order conversion through paid ads. I’m very metrics-based, so that’s a big thing for me.
How did Usman Group perform from a project management standpoint?
They do a really nice job. Naveed has definitely strengthened his team’s project management capabilities over the years. They use Basecamp for project management.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I’ve worked with other SEO companies, and I think Usman Group does the best work. They know their stuff and get results, and that’s what I’m interested in.
Their digital expertise is why we keep coming back to them. They stay up to date on trends and what’s changing. They also have a network so that they can pull in the right people to get the project done.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I think they do a nice job.
Any advice for potential customers?
Like any project, you need to know the outcome you want. For instance, if you’re looking for SEO growth, you need to keep a pulse on that and make adjustments or shifts throughout the project.
the project
SEO Consulting for Food Manufacturer
"Usman Group’s extremely fast, so we’ve made significant progress in only a couple of months."
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 marketing communications manager for a food manufacturer.
What challenge were you trying to address with Usman Group?
We wanted to increase our overall search engine statistics whether that be through the use of keywords or other forms of media.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Usman Group provides on-site SEO services, focusing on our food website. They analyzed the platform and then provided us with their professional opinions for improvements. Their team advises us on organic initiatives. They use professional services to track keywords such as Google Analytics.
What is the team composition?
I directly communicate with Naveed (Principal and CEO) He also has a team who assists with elements on the website project.
How did you come to work with Usman Group?
My predecessor wanted to engage Usman Group a couple of years ago. They discussed plans to work together but the project fell through. Our sister group within the organization used their services to help with their website. When I started this position, I caught Naveed’s name and contacted him. After analyzing our site, he came up with a proposal. We decided it would be a great partnership.
How much have you invested with them?
We spend about $3,000 a month on their services.
What is the status of this engagement?
Our contract started in June 2020, and we’ll work together until the end of the year.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Since working with Usman Group, our presence in specific keyword searches improved. We’ve seen gradual progress with our positions in search engines, especially Google. They made fantastic observations about our site and came up with a plan to mitigate problems, which was extremely helpful.
How did Usman Group perform from a project management standpoint?
Prior to signing the contract, Naveed came up with a formal timeline with milestones. It created a clear picture of the project and made it easy for me to pitch the partnership to my management.
We track all of our tasks in Basecamp. They provide regular updates on tasks. Naveed sends to-dos, and I meet with him every week. He responds to emails if I need something in the interim. Naveed’s accessible, so I never have trouble getting in touch with him.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Usman Group’s extremely fast, so we’ve made significant progress in only a couple of months. It’s also easy to work with them. I enjoy meeting with Naveed. It doesn’t feel like a struggle to partner with him. Usman Group has made this fun by coaching me through the project, which is a really unique quality.
Are there any areas they could improve?
This may be just the dynamic of working in a home office, however, it can be difficult to have phone conversations. There can be delays on the calls.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
It’s important to be candid about what you know, don’t know, and expect from them. That’s how you’ll see the best results.
the project
WordPress Web Redesign for Food Marketing Company
"Usman Group’s client-oriented and understands a lot about different businesses."
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 president and founder of a food marketing company. We finance and market crops.
What challenge were you trying to address with Usman Group?
I wanted to leverage my company’s reputation and financial strength on its website to refresh the business’s presence online. I needed to refine the website that I previously set up with them.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Usman Group built our initial website, which involved building modules on top of a WordPress template. During this project, their team concentrated on the website’s flow. They used a template and transferred information from our previous website, so we didn’t create the platform from scratch. However, we did update images and text.
What is the team composition?
I worked with Naveed (Principal and CEO) who has a wealth of subcontractors. Only one other individual helped with this project.
How did you come to work with Usman Group?
I first discovered Naveed through a Google search for local companies that build websites. Naveed was in his previous company, which I hired to build my first website. I enjoyed working with them and had confidence in their knowledge of development. I couldn’t think of any agency that I would hire other than Usman Group.
How much have you invested with them?
The project cost about $6,5000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started this project in August and finished it in September 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
I’m definitely satisfied with the work that Usman Group delivered. Naveed thinks strategically about marketing. He pushes his clients to open their minds to different ideas and think outside of the box.
How did Usman Group perform from a project management standpoint?
We used Basecamp to track the project, and they met every deadline. Their team made sure that I knew that I had obligations. That contributed to the project’s smoothness. We met just about all of our projections.
After running a larger company, Naveed distilled his subcontractor base to people he has complete trust in. I have a lot of confidence in Usman Group.
What did you find most impressive about them?
If you look at their website, it’s almost self-explanatory. They have a talent for putting together different elements into a creative website.
Usman Group’s client-oriented and understands a lot about different businesses. They have a rich background of experiences with different companies and organizations. That’s unique. It also gives them an edge in knowing what their client wants and how to achieve it. Experience pays off. Naveed’s able to put together teams to build sites that people want to click.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I can’t think of anything for them to improve.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Ensure there’s clarity between your expectations and Usman Group’s expectations. It’s important for everyone to be on the same page. Be clear about who’s responsible for which aspects of the website such as content and images.
the project
Site Revamp & Maintenance & SEO for Workforce Solutions Co
"Usman makes recommendations based on our unique 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 marketing manager at LAUNCH Technical Workforce Solutions.
What challenge were you trying to address with Usman Group?
Originally, our company engaged them to refresh our website.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Usman Group collaborated with one of our partners — a design agency — and refreshed our website. When we had to move to a different hosting company, their team found us a good option. As well, Usman Group recommended that we use Hootsuite to inexpensively manage all of our social media. They also recommended that we use Crazy Egg to track how people use our website.
In addition, we had a couple of projects that were outside of basic maintenance. Our website lists a huge number of jobs and contains a search function. Their team helped to change the search function's code. They also made a smaller change to the code.
Their team provides us with a certain number of hours for maintenance each month. Also, they help us with our SEO efforts.
What is the team composition?
My direct contact’s Naveed (Principal and CEO) who works with outside developers. There are two people on that team.
How did you come to work with Usman Group?
I wasn’t with the company when we initially engaged Usman Group. However, I believe that the company found them through our partner design agency.
How much have you invested with them?
Originally, we set up a service agreement for $1,500 a month. In light of COVID and changes to our business needs, we reduced that service agreement to $750 a month. One project cost about $5,000 and the smaller change to the code cost $625.
What is the status of this engagement?
I started with the company in January 2020, so that’s when I started working with Usman Group. We have an ongoing relationship with the service agreement.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Usman helped us to gain more traffic to our website. Through the tools that their team recommended, they made our website more user friendly. Their team also helped us to optimize our site for the user, which in turn, increased traffic and conversions.
How did Usman Group perform from a project management standpoint?
Their team uses Basecamp to help everyone stay aligned on every piece of the project. Their project management’s very effective. They quickly turnaround results. Their team’s responsive and meets deadlines.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Usman makes recommendations based on our unique needs. They pushed us out of our comfort zone and recommended tools that work with our budget. Hootsuite and Crazy Egg are manageable resources that I wouldn’t have found without Usman.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, not at this moment.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Ask a lot of questions and maximize them as a resource. Allow them to offer different avenues and resources. They’re experts that can bring unique ideas to the table.
The partner was satisfied with the quality of work, and the deliverables met their expectations. Usman Group, Inc. was involved and invested in the success of the project and overall product. Their team believed in the partner's concept and vision. Responsiveness is a hallmark of their work.