Vardot Client Reviews

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Web Development

Sep 27, 2020

the project

Web Update & Maintenance for Education Management Firm

"Vardot impressively trained us in different areas in which their scope lies."

Web Development

$10,000 to $49,999

May 2020 - Ongoing

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

$10,000 to $49,999

May 2020 - Ongoing

Project summary:

Vardot handles the site's development, hosting, and maintenance. The team was hired because of their expertise in the Linux OS, Nginx, and Apache web servers. They also needed to be skilled in Drupal 8.

11-50 Employees

Jordan

Marketing & Comms Specialist, Queen Rania Foundation

Verified

the reviewer

Marketing & Comms Specialist, Queen Rania Foundation

Education Management

11-50 Employees

Jordan

Online Review

The client submitted this review online.

Verified

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

the review

"Vardot impressively trained us in different areas in which their scope lies."

Sep 27, 2020

Feedback summary:

Since the start of the engagement, Vardot fulfilled all the project's milestones. They crafted inventive and viable solutions to accomplish the client's visions. Above all, after the vendor finished one of the company's sections, they experienced a 10% raise on their site users.

The client submitted this review online.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work as a Marketing & Communications Specialist at the Queen Rania Foundation for Education and Development in Jordan. The Queen Rania Foundation was established by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah in 2013 with the aim of improving education outcomes in Jordan and the surrounding region.

Since then, we have endeavored to achieve this objective by focusing our efforts on a range of overlapping areas including Early Childhood Care and Development, innovation in learning, and teacher training. Today, the Queen Rania Foundation continues to carry out research, design innovative programs, and support policymakers as they develop education programs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Vardot is and were responsible for the below:

Developing, hosting, and maintaining QRF's 'Education Entrepreneurship Award' competition's website: https://www.educationentrepreneurs.org/
Hosting and maintaining QRF's website: qrf.org
Developing different sections in QRF's website

SOLUTION

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

We've approached over 3 companies and set up a procurement committee where all three companies were evaluated based on a scoring form. Vardot were chosen based on the below:

Quality
Cost
Experience in Drupal and our requirements
Flexibility when it comes to deadlines

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

Hosting & maintenance: Multi-environment setup (3 environments) Multi-layer caching SSL support on all environments Content Delivery Network Drupal 8 Amazon hosting: Linux operating system, Nginx and Apache web servers, PHP 7.1 25 GB disk space 50 GB data transfer per month 1 x 25 GB MySQL database Security updates to CMS core and plugins Website updates Checks to security, analytics, SEO, backups, recovery as well as general spot checks As for developing sections on the website:

Design and develop a new section for the Parental Engagement Guide to follow a combination of these pages in the design
Develop a new content type that allows for resources to be uploaded and categorized under Parental Engagement Guide
The section will also include Main Recommendations listed on the landing page along with the resources.
Resources should have the categories as such Presentations, Guides, Handouts, Case studies, etc
Resources should also be grouped and categorized by type on the landing page
The landing page for the Parental Guideline will include content about Why this Guide and How to Use this Guide.
Each resource will have a detailed page template with information about the resource and download information
Develop a new section for Recommendations to be viewed as a widget with a background video
Develop a new content type that allows for resources to be uploaded and categorized under Teaching Resources
Resources should have the categories: Worksheets, Exercises, Lesson Plans, Teaching strategies
Resources should also be grouped and categorized by skill
Users should be able to filter and search for resources by skill, keyword search, and type. The type of filter will be user-focused such as “I want to help my student in pronunciation”
Landing page for Teaching resources can and might include sections such as Why these Resources, Values, Benefits, etc
Each resource will have a detailed page template with information about the resource and download information
Design and develop a landing page to display all the EEF toolkits on the website with its detailed information.
Development of the landing pages for all resources and an individual page for each resource will be done

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

We typically one point of contact. And then we have various people 3-4 from account manager to developers and designers that work with us on the product

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All deliverables are being met within the specified deadlines.
A vendor comes with innovative and practical solutions to what we envision the website to be
We've witnessed a 10% increase of users on our website after launching one of the sections

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

We currently use the below:

Slack
Basecamp
Google docs and sheets to track progress
Meetings

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

The fact that they also train us on the different areas in which their scope lies.

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

Not in the time being

5.0

Overall Score

5.0 Scheduling

ON TIME / DEADLINES

5.0 Cost

Value / within estimates

5.0 Quality

Service & deliverables

5.0 NPS

Willing to refer

Web Development

Sep 22, 2020

the project

Website Dev for Nonprofit Establishment

"They are always approachable. They are an excellent firm."

Web Development

$200,000 to $999,999

Jan. 2018 - Ongoing

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

$200,000 to $999,999

Jan. 2018 - Ongoing

Project summary:

Vardot leads the site development of a nonprofit. The vendor works on making the platform mobile-friendly, user-friendly, speedy, and rich in content. The team's progress is monitored via Basecamp.

11-50 Employees

Geneva, Switzerland

Eileen Palmer

Communications Officer, WSSCC

Verified

the reviewer

Communications Officer, WSSCC

Eileen Palmer

Nonprofit

11-50 Employees

Geneva, Switzerland

Online Review

The client submitted this review online.

Verified

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

the review

"They are always approachable. They are an excellent firm."

Sep 22, 2020

Feedback summary:

Stakeholders responded positively to the launched site. Vardot's output received increased traffic. The team also provided Drupal training, SEO, and Google Analytics training to the company's staff. Their willingness to provide excellent customer service was evident throughout the collaboration.

the review

Background
Challenge
Solution
Results
Ratings

The client submitted this review online.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Communications officer in charge of managing websites' developments

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our website was old, cumbersome to add content and difficult to navigate on a mobile. We desperately needed to move to a more agile and easy to navigate site.

SOLUTION

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

As part of the United Nations, all our procurement is through and open and transparent process. There were over 20 companies bidding. The procurement process involved 5 staff reviewing following a rigorous evaluation process set by the UN.

Vardot was selected as they offered the best price, the best services and put together a strong proposal. They also offered a good customer service policy once the website was to be launched.

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

We had initial virtual calls then Vardot's team came to our offices to meet with our Comms team. They led an all staff meeting to get our staffs' feedback into what the new site could/shouldn't be. They held departmental meetings with each Unit to get their feedback and to learn what content was needed for the new site.

They met with the Senior Leadership Team to learn what their needs and expectations were. They took all this information back and put together a detailed workplan with key deliverables. Using Basecamp progress was tracked. When we missed deadlines, Vardot was good at reminding us and shifting plans so that they could deliver on time. Vardot delivered on time and the site went live in July 2020.

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

To set up the contract and initial meetings, we worked with the CEO and project manager. Our day to day work was with the project manager, a coordinator and a site development team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Clients love the new site. Our board of directors is impressed with the way our impact is presented (spend rate, numbers achieved). Traffic continues to increase to our site. They provided 4hrs of virtual Drupal training.

They have provided additional training when we requested training on SEO and google analytics. The Project manager arranged for a person from their marketing team to give us the training. This was over and above our contract and their genuine interest in helping our organization succeed was appreciated.

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

They use Basecamp as a communications tool as well as google docs to share online tables and progress.

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

They provide excellent customer service. They are always approachable. They don't make you feel silly for not understanding web development or CMS.

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

They are an excellent firm.

5.0

Overall Score

5.0 Scheduling

ON TIME / DEADLINES

5.0 Cost

Value / within estimates

5.0 Quality

Service & deliverables

website is visually pleasing and easy to navigate

5.0 NPS

Willing to refer

Web Development

Sep 17, 2020

the project

Web Development for Medical Nonprofit

"They are knowledgeable about best practices across products and branding."

Web Development

$50,000 to $199,999

Mar. - Sept. 2020

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

$50,000 to $199,999

Mar. - Sept. 2020

Project summary:

A medical nonprofit association partnered with Vardot to develop the backend of a new and organized Drupal site to handle all the requirements of the program.

1-10 Employees

Clifton, New Jersey

Joy Curzio

President, Curzio Communications, LLC

Verified

the reviewer

President, Curzio Communications, LLC

Joy Curzio

Nonprofit

1-10 Employees

Clifton, New Jersey

Online Review

The client submitted this review online.

Verified

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

the review

"They are knowledgeable about best practices across products and branding."

Sep 17, 2020

Feedback summary:

Thanks to the efforts of the team, the new site launched less than six months. The company has been getting several pieces of positive feedback from end users for the project. The company appreciated how the team's project management documented everything making it all easier to organize.

the review

Background
Challenge
Solution
Results
Ratings

The client submitted this review online.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a content strategy and publishing consultant for the IASLC, which is a small medical nonprofit association with approximately 8,000 members around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

The IASLC had an incredibly complex DNN-based website that was super rigid and segmented. Being a small nonprofit in a larger space increases the importance of being able to be timely and relevant with digital content, across devices and geographic divides, for the society.

They needed a site that made more of their products and resources visible and that drew some direct correlations between the good work of their committees to the impact on daily clinical care for patients with lung cancer. They also needed a site that was easy to maintain.

In addition, although the website is a tool in the overall content and marketing strategy for the association, the backend of Drupal is organized and efficient, thereby driving some process creation and improvement for the society.

Being able to store and search media seems like a very small thing, but it has broken down some silos and driven process efficiency.

SOLUTION

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

Vardot's presentation and RFP was very impressive. The level of technical understanding and achievements were obvious. The main factor that impressed everyone, however, was their customization of the presentation to the society's needs and goals.

Other organizations gave their typical sales pitch, with specifics peppered throughout. Vardot took the time to make customized mock ups, lists of specific improvements they would implement to meet goals, and suggestions for future growth.

If they put that much work into an RFP, how much energy would they put into creating the website and managing the account? They were the clear choice.

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

This is definitely too long to detail here, but IASLC wanted a company that could: create a beautiful functional website that was intuitive for users and admins, use SEO, offer flexibility, and not break the bank.

Vardot used a discovery process, which I assisted, weekly meetings, wireframes, and dev site review to ensure that client satisfaction was achieved.

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

I worked mainly with Israa Ahmad, although other staff rotated in and out as necessary. I cannot say enough good things about Israa as a project manager.

She was continuously available, took the time to truly understand content and goals, was extremely organized, had meticulous attention to detail, worked within the confines of budget and an extremely tight timeline, and served as a knowledge expert for staff working on other key technology projects that would eventually integrate with the website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site was delivered in 5.5 months and was a dramatic improvement over the pre-existing site. After the unveiling to specific committees, an outpouring of positive feedback was received.

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

Israa was amazing as a project manager. She was meticulous, professional, knowledgeable, and always available. She used email, Zoom, and Basecamp to document EVERYTHING, including items for future phases as they were discussed. Timelines were outlined in the RFP proposal and presentation.

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

I love that Vardot offers a wide array of technology services. They are knowledgeable about best practices across products and branding. Israa herself was impressive in terms of the detailed organization and constant communication.

And honestly, their pricing and sincerity sets them apart from competitors in terms of actually delivering on every promise within budget.

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

I honestly cannot think of one.

5.0

Overall Score A completely enjoyable experience despite being a really difficult project on a super tight timeline.

5.0 Scheduling

ON TIME / DEADLINES

Despite being an ocean away, they were very flexible with meeting times, staying up late and getting up early.

5.0 Cost

Value / within estimates

They were hundreds of thousands less than the current DNN developer and delivered a far superior product.

5.0 Quality

Service & deliverables

The quality speaks for itself.

5.0 NPS

Willing to refer

I will happily refer them to all of my clients and professional network for decades to come.

Web Development

Web design

Jul 21, 2020

the project

Web Design & Devs for Private School

"Their reliability’s the reason that we signed on with them again."

Web Development

Web design

$10,000 to $49,999

June 2015 - Ongoing

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

$10,000 to $49,999

June 2015 - Ongoing

Project summary:

Vardot redeveloped a website on Drupal 7 to improve usability and support marketing campaigns for a school. They implemented portals and produced a 3D video tour. They now work to upgrade the site to Drupal 9.

201-500 Employees

Amman, Jordan

Maher Zamel

Principal, Modern American School

Verified

the reviewer

Principal, Modern American School

Maher Zamel

Education Management

201-500 Employees

Amman, Jordan

Phone Interview

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone.

Verified

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

the review

"Their reliability’s the reason that we signed on with them again."

Jul 21, 2020

Feedback summary:

Vardot delivered a superior website that generated significant engagement, consistently secured top rankings in search results, and received positive feedback from users. The team’s responsiveness supports seamless collaboration. Their consistency and flexibility ensure a lasting partnership.

the review

Background
Challenge
Solution
Results
Ratings

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal of the Modern American School in Jordan.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vardot?

We wanted to redesign our website. We needed a platform that was functional for students and effective for marketing the school. We also wanted the website to be easy to navigate on smartphones, tablets, and computers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vardot redesigned our website on Drupal 7. They created various functionalities including a store and an application portal for interested students. Their team also built a portal into the website where people could submit applications for employment. They also created a 3D virtual tour of the school.

They make regular updates as well as host and maintain the platform. Their team will start another redesign of our website on Drupal 9.

What is the team composition?

I've communicated with two people from Vardot.

How did you come to work with Vardot?

We surveyed the market for website developers in Jordan. We wanted a local vendor that understood the market and could visit the school. We looked at a bunch of companies, but Vardot was by far the best.

How much have you invested with them?

The website redesign cost between $20,000–$25,000. We pay them about $3,000 a year for updates and hosting.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project around August 2015 and launched the website in December 2015. We just signed with them last week to redo the website again.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We receive between 8,000–10,000 hits to the website per month, which is a lot in Jordan. The platform also always ranks on the first page of Google search results. The website effectively directs traffic to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts too. All of the parents who register at our school tell us that the website was helpful and made them choose us. It's amazing.

How did Vardot perform from a project management standpoint?

We initially communicated via email but a couple of years ago, they switched to a ticket system. Their team usually gets back to us within 24 hours. They’re a great team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their reliability’s the reason that we signed on with them again. After launching the website, they worked with us to tweak the website. We’re a school, so we constantly change. Their team supports us in those changes. They’re extremely helpful when we want to add certain pages, remove certain content, and change pages' layouts.

Are there any areas they could improve?

To be honest, I can’t think of any improvements. They’re slightly more expensive than their competition, but it’s worth it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a small company with a lot of heart. There are huge firms where you don’t know who’s running what. I meet with Vardot’s CEO all the time. Over the last five years, I’ve worked with the same team, which has been really nice.

5.0

Overall Score

5.0 Scheduling

ON TIME / DEADLINES

5.0 Cost

Value / within estimates

5.0 Quality

Service & deliverables

5.0 NPS

Willing to refer

I recommended them to the University of Pennsylvania where I completed my PhD.

Development

Jul 01, 2020

the project

Platform Dev for Online News Company Relaunch

"I liked the combination of global awareness and best-practice in digital publishing."

Development

$10,000 to $49,999

Mar. 2017 - Feb. 2020

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

4.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

$10,000 to $49,999

Mar. 2017 - Feb. 2020

Project summary:

Vardot developed a platform for an online news company. They advised on wireframing and made suggestions based on requirements.

11-50 Employees

Jordan

Executive Publisher, Online News Company

Verified

the reviewer

Executive Publisher, Online News Company

Online Media

11-50 Employees

Jordan

Online Review

The client submitted this review online.

Verified

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

4.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

the review

"I liked the combination of global awareness and best-practice in digital publishing."

Jul 01, 2020

Feedback summary:

Vardot's work helped the client's reputation improve and has contributed to an increase in writing requests all resulting in positive praise for the platform. The team was excellent to work with and was able to work across languages. They were well-placed to understand challenges.

the review

Background
Challenge
Solution
Results
Ratings

The client submitted this review online.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Executive publisher responsible for wireframing and planning the relaunch of an online news company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Vardot?

Vardot have key experience in creating publishing platforms in the region, and they also speak and can read Arabic. The ability to follow best-practice globally as well as customizing for the region was key.

What were your goals for this project?

A more human interface, connected into a syndication cms. Mobile ready, with a modular assembly meaning elements can be switched around depending on editorial workflow.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Based on their work with Al Jazeera website.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Vardot were important for discussing the website from a digital publishing perspective; this was their core competency. They advised on wireframing and also were able to make suggestions to the editorial and development teams, based on our requirements.

What was the team composition?

Project lead from myself, with an Amman development team taking over once development began. As such Vardot worked with editorial and dev on the specification.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our reputation has certainly improved. I have noticed that the number of requests to write for the platform, and receive a portfolio page, has probably increased by 50%. Equally, our long-reads or "Insights" section has received a significant amount of praise from writers and academics. Because the website looks more serious, we are better able to source expert commentary.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Vardot were a good team to work with, because they could process detailed development requests from the Arabic and English editorial teams, working across languages and requirements. Ultimately they would often have to harmonize these requirements culturally - Arabic appears from right to left, but also has visual and style aspects that can be different to an English platform. Vardot were well placed to understand these challenges.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I liked the combination of global awareness and best-practice in digital publishing specifically, alongside an ability to work with a local team in Amman, in Arabic.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Initial timescales were not realistic, but I understand that sometimes this is part of the vendor process in the Middle East. Vardot also expanded development capacity on this project when deadlines were running tight, which we appreciated.

5.0

Overall Score

4.0 Scheduling

ON TIME / DEADLINES

5.0 Cost

Value / within estimates

5.0 Quality

Service & deliverables

5.0 NPS

Willing to refer

Web Development

Jun 10, 2020

the project

Drupal Web Devs for Nonprofit International School

"Vardot’s project management was a cut above the competition."

Web Development

$10,000 to $49,999

May 2019 - June 2020

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

$10,000 to $49,999

May 2019 - June 2020

Project summary:

Vardot developed internal and external websites using Drupal to modernize systems for a nonprofit international school. They created designs iteratively and implemented single sign-on into the internal site.

201-500 Employees

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Ariel Janzen

Marketing & Comm Specialist, American School of Dubai

Verified

the reviewer

Marketing & Comm Specialist, American School of Dubai

Ariel Janzen

Primary/Secondary Education

201-500 Employees

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Phone Interview

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone.

Verified

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

the review

"Vardot’s project management was a cut above the competition."

Jun 10, 2020

Feedback summary:

Vardot delivered intuitive and streamlined websites that received positive feedback from administrators and external users alike. The team’s adaptable and collaborative approach to the design phase ensured successful final products. They worked diligently to ensure the project remained on schedule.

the review

Background
Challenge
Solution
Results
Ratings

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing and communications specialist for the American School of Dubai. We’re a pre-K to twelfth-grade nonprofit international school.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vardot?

We needed a new website. We wanted an open source product to align with our new enterprise system. We were on a proprietary school-specific website but wanted to move away from the cookie-cutter model. We wanted a product with more flexibility.

We not only needed an external website but also an internal website. We had all of our users on an internal, private, and secure intranet. After 10 years in use, we had a messy system. The internal site was also on the old version of Google Sites, which were to be retired.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vardot provided the sites' architectures. Their team directed all of the design phases and worked with our marketing and communications team. Then, they went through the programming. Their team offered training to the people who would use the system. They followed these processes for both the external and the internal websites.

They built both the sites on Drupal. For the internal website, they worked on a single sign-on through Google for all of our faculty, staff, employees, and students.

What is the team composition?

We had a main point of contact for project management and another point of contact who led the development. For the design phases, we worked with both of those people. There was certainly a team of 4–5 people working with us, but there could’ve been more.

How did you come to work with Vardot?

We put an RFP together and researched universities’ and international schools’ websites. We looked at who built those websites and found Vardot. We directly spoke to five different companies after the RFP process. Vardot won the bid in the end.

How much have you invested with them?

The total billing was about $30,000. There’s a maintenance contract on top of that. Their price was reasonable.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began the work in May 2019, and their team completed the first website in January 2020. They’re currently finalizing the second website

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The engagement was a resounding success based on the reactions from our community and other schools. Comparted to two years ago, it’s easier for us to new upload content. The content on our old external website was about four years old because it was difficult to edit and upload. The new website is much more flexible, so we’re able to add pages on the fly and add content daily.

How did Vardot perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team managed the project through Basecamp, which allowed us to refer back to all of the project plans. We communicated through Google Sheets, Google Docs, and Zoom. Their communication was efficient and effective. Vardot also had a good ticket system to address issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication was clear and simple. Vardot’s project management was a cut above the competition. They kept us up to date and stuck to the timeline. We held up the project on our end, but their recovered that time by working overtime. That was excellent.

During the design phase, they gave us multiple options. Vardot was patient and worked with our own designers to come up with a good product. Their team was flexible with our design changes too.

They also just did an excellent job. The final product was slick and matched the design, which is unusual. The website didn’t need much debugging because it was so well executed.

Their team also had excellent training documentation. We were able to look at the documents to solve challenges on our own.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, not really. When we went through the RFP process, we thought that they weren’t as strong in the design field. In the end, they exceeded our expectations with their designs.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommended them to many people already.

5.0

Overall Score

5.0 Scheduling

ON TIME / DEADLINES

5.0 Cost

Value / within estimates

5.0 Quality

Service & deliverables

5.0 NPS

Willing to refer

Web Development

Apr 28, 2020

the project

Web Development for Health & Fitness Company

"They were flexible within reason and provided great support."

Web Development

$50,000 to $199,999

June 2019 - June 2020

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

$50,000 to $199,999

June 2019 - June 2020

Project summary:

Vardot developed a website for a health and fitness company. The team built the platform, created UI/UX designs, and provided testing and QA services.

1,001-5,000 Employees

Dubai, UAE

Hana Feidi

Digital Marketing Manager, Fitness First Middle East

Verified

the reviewer

Digital Marketing Manager, Fitness First Middle East

Hana Feidi

Health, Wellness & Fitness

1,001-5,000 Employees

Dubai, UAE

Online Review

The client submitted this review online.

Verified

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

the review

"They were flexible within reason and provided great support."

Apr 28, 2020

Feedback summary:

The new website had a large impact on the business, providing users with new content and a user-friendly platform. Vardot crafts quality results in a timely manner that meets the specific needs of the client. The team is organized, professional, and easy to work with.

the review

Background
Challenge
Solution
Results
Ratings

The client submitted this review online.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Fitness First Middle East is one of the world’s leading health and fitness companies owned and operated by Landmark Group, a leading retail organization in the Middle East and India. We have over 70,000 members in 66 clubs in 50 locations across the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait. We offer world class facilities including; best in class equipment, an array of innovative programs, cardio, strength and freestyle areas, internationally accredited fitness professionals, free group exercise classes and multiple membership privileges. My position: Digital Marketing Manager and Project Manager for this project on behalf of Fitness First Middle East.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Vardot?

We hired Vardot to work on the development of our new website. Scope of requirements: Website development for the 6 countries in 2 languages (English/Arabic) for UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, KSA website (Male/Female sections).

What were your goals for this project?

This website is to replace our current Fitness First Middle East website with improvements, new functionalities, new design, enhanced speed and resolve long standing issues with the main objective of enhancing the member experience and supporting business growth.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We sent our website requirements to more than one vendor to come back with a proposal on how they will develop our requirements. Vardot was one of these companies and in comparison to all, their approach and proposed solution plus the cost was the most suitable and met all our requirements.

Selection of the vendor was not based on the location of the vendor but purely on vendor overall solution approach, technical knowledge and skills, ability to understand and meet our requirements and response to our questions during the requirements capture and analysis RFP stage.

Vardot submitted a CMS solution had is no limit on the website templates. A large website can include up to 20 to 25 very unique content templates. The proposed CMS gives you the flexibility to combine as many as you want producing endless variations. The development is in house was one of our key requirements.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Project: Development of the Fitness First Middle East websites for its 6 countries, bilingual (English and Arabic). Each Fitness First site has a significant amount of static content with forms and many key components that require functional development. Project included functional and non functional requirements with key integrations to our Members Management system, our App pulling data bout personal trainers and the timetable into the website with bookings. Integration to our MYZONE system to display data on the website per club. Join Online redesign and development with key enhancements plus and e-store. All this using thir customized CMS based on Drupal 8 and Varbase.

Services provided:

Audit plus research and discovery phase
Creative Design
Requirements Analysis and project documentation
Development
Project Management using Basecamp
Testing and Quality Assurance
Content migration from the old website and content upload
Support and continuous follow up

What was the team composition?

Vardot Team size: 35 in house development

Account Manager
Accounts Director
Project manager
Development Manager
Developers
Designers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website launch had a huge impact on our business with revamped design, user friendly navigation, more content, and information layout is easier and sections are easy to find with quick links. The website is faster has enhanced functionalities with the integration of key data with our membership management system with Join online easy 3 step process for quicker and easier conversions, our member App and MYZONE bringing all this data into the website.

Also making it easier for us to manage the timetable on the app being synched to the website plus our instructors now have a presence on the website for more exposure. Ability to create landing pages for lead generation and conversions plus easier maintenance and reporting,

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project management was very well done using Basecamp with all information and communication documented and uploaded on to Basecamp. The project manager was very well organized and provided timely updates and feedback. This contributed heavily to the success of the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their organizational and project management were great plus response time was fast and ability to manage change requests and our feedback. They were flexible within reason and provided great support. Timely meetings and being proactive and documenting everything. Strong development team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Design skills as we contributed with our teams design skills to work on the final design and direction.

5.0

Overall Score

5.0 Scheduling

ON TIME / DEADLINES

5.0 Cost

Value / within estimates

5.0 Quality

Service & deliverables

5.0 NPS

Willing to refer

IT Consulting & SI

Mar 30, 2020

the project

IT Consulting for Medical Nonprofit

"The team is very responsive and supportive."

IT Consulting & SI

Confidential

June 2019 - Ongoing

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

Confidential

June 2019 - Ongoing

Project summary:

Vardot provides technical support and management for a website. This involves updating the site's server and security functions. They also update content and provide SEO.

10,000+ Employees

UAE

Rasha M. Ahmed

Communications Manager, Doctors Without Borders

Verified

the reviewer

Communications Manager, Doctors Without Borders

Rasha M. Ahmed

Nonprofit

10,000+ Employees

UAE

Online Review

The client submitted this review online.

Verified

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

the review

"The team is very responsive and supportive."

Mar 30, 2020

Feedback summary:

The team's reliable services continue to effectively support the site's functionality. The platform is exceptionally secure and it loads quickly. In addition, Vardot efficiently develops new pages for the site.

the review

Background
Challenge
Solution
Results
Ratings

The client submitted this review online.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Médecins Sans Frontières, sometimes rendered in English as Doctors Without Borders, is an international humanitarian medical non-governmental organisation of French origin best known for its projects in conflict zones and in countries affected by endemic diseases

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Vardot?

Technical support and management of MSF Middle East website and its related projects.

What were your goals for this project?

Maintaining and enhancing the website's functions including the server, security, content updates of related special coverage pages, and SEOs updates.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Through an audit process, Vardot stands as the most accurate services to MSF's needs.

Describe the project in detail.

Maintaining and enhancing the website's functions including the server, security, content updates of related special coverage pages, and SEOs updates.

What was the team composition?

A core of 5 members with a focal point as a reference for the Middle East website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

High security of the website and the high maintenance provided to the server, speed time and efficient workflow of reflecting major changes of taxonomy and new pages online.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Despite providing the services remotely, they communicator channel is very efficient. The team is very responsive and supportive.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their fast response and commitment

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not at this stage of our contract.

5.0

Overall Score

5.0 Scheduling

ON TIME / DEADLINES

5.0 Cost

Value / within estimates

5.0 Quality

Service & deliverables

5.0 NPS

Willing to refer

Web Development

Feb 21, 2020

the project

Web Redesign & Dev for Political Agency

"They focused on providing results and value, instead of wanting money for themselves!"

Web Development

$10,000 to $49,999

Aug. 2019 - Feb. 2020

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

$10,000 to $49,999

Aug. 2019 - Feb. 2020

Project summary:

Vardot ventured to redesign the website of a political organization committed to democratic elections. The website would include functionalities like an electoral mapping system and a research database.

201-500 Employees

Amman, Jordan

Digital Marketing Consultant at USAID/IEC Partnership Program

Verified

the reviewer

Digital Marketing Consultant at USAID/IEC Partnership Program

Government

201-500 Employees

Amman, Jordan

Online Review

The client submitted this review online.

Verified

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

the review

"They focused on providing results and value, instead of wanting money for themselves!"

Feb 21, 2020

Feedback summary:

Vardot delivered a dynamic website with an electoral mapping system that's the first of its kind in Jordan. Despite facing many technical challenges—due to the internal team's difficulty in acquiring materials—the Vardot team over-delivered. They're an extremely dedicated and results-driven team.

the review

Background
Challenge
Solution
Results
Ratings

The client submitted this review online.

BACKGROUND

I worked as a Digital Marketing Consultant at the IEC (I worked by a USAID contract as a skilled worker within a support programs)

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) is the independent Jordanian organization that conducts the democratic elections of Jordan at all levels of government. The IEC was imagined, birthed and developed in a record amount of time.

Created in May 2012 as part of the comprehensive political reforms that His Majesty King Abdullah II Bin Al-Hussein initiated, the IEC administered its first election in early 2013 for the 17th Jordanian Council of Representatives. The IEC aims to maintain the highest levels of transparency, integrity and impartiality in the management of various electoral processes, thus ensuring the confidence of Jordanians and the international community at large.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Vardot?

Website re-design and develpment for the IEC.

What were your goals for this project?

To have a moder website, search based with a comprehensive electoral mapping system for the users and researchers to get the info they need with the least number of clicks.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Best value for money.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Solar search system.

Mapping system.

Full website, with a modern design and dynamic functionalities.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We now have the first electoral mapping system (online) in the history of Jordan. First search based website in the history of the Jordanian state institute's websites.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Vardot were very flexible, they've over delivered, although they have faced many challenges when the technical team at IEC suffered in providing the agreed geojason files for Vardot.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They focused on providing results and value, instead of wanting money for themselves! I've never worked with a dedicated team like that.

Are there any areas for improvement?

5.0

Overall Score

5.0 Scheduling

ON TIME / DEADLINES

5.0 Cost

Value / within estimates

5.0 Quality

Service & deliverables

5.0 NPS

Willing to refer

Web Development

Feb 19, 2020

the project

Web Dev & Design for Refugee Assistance Agency

“It felt like they were always presenting realistic timelines rather than just promising things they might not deliver.”

Web Development

$50,000 to $199,999

Jan. 2018 - Feb. 2020

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

$50,000 to $199,999

Jan. 2018 - Feb. 2020

Project summary:

Vardot provided website development and user-flow redesign services to a UN partner agency, working closely with other vendors to integrate payment options for their donation-collection platform.

10,000+ Employees

Amman, Jordan

Deputy Director, Refugee Assistance Agency

Verified

the reviewer

Deputy Director, Refugee Assistance Agency

Non-profit Organization Management

10,000+ Employees

Amman, Jordan

Phone Interview

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone.

Verified

5.0

Quality:

5.0

Schedule:

5.0

Cost:

5.0

Willing to refer:

5.0

the review

“It felt like they were always presenting realistic timelines rather than just promising things they might not deliver.”

Feb 19, 2020

Feedback summary:

The improved system and new card purchasing site have already delivered a greater ROI than the original amount spent in development, pleasing all project stakeholders and completely satisfying project requirements. The Vardot team is highly organized, professional, and proactive with communication.

the review

Background
Challenge
Solution
Results
Ratings

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a deputy director of strategic partnerships at a UN agency focused on services to refugees in the eastern Mediterranean region.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vardot?

We wanted to improve our donation website in 2018, and we did that by expanding services that were already in place by Vardot at the time so that we could modernize and streamline our donation platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team started by analyzing and improving the donor journey itself. We felt that there wasn’t a lot of emphasis on individual donations, so they helped us to redesign the flow in a way that would be more user-friendly, informational, and directive of supporters to the right path for them. Verdot is not a payment platform, so they worked closely with another vendor to help integrate the website with Salesforce.

Another main feature that they helped us with was our expanded payment modalities, allowing our team to incorporate PayPal as a payment method. On top of that, they built an entirely new system using Drupal that functions as an online boutique that allows first-time supporters of the agency to purchase electronic cards for their friends and family members that would be sent out through us for any major holiday and also support our cause.

What is the team composition?

I had one main point of contact with them who had the know-how to answer all of our questions and prioritize workloads for her colleagues, but I’m not sure how many people were on their team in total.

How did you come to work with Vardot?

I had received very positive feedback from my colleagues who had worked with them in the past. They were selected on a waiver several years ago because they were local, but the relationship has been very successful over the years so it was an easy decision to continue working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost from January 2018 was approximately $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them on the project from January 2018–February 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The gift for refugees program was designed very quickly under a great deal of pressure to finish before the holidays, but we’ve already had a full return on the investment we made in the very short period since that program has been live. I think that really speaks to the quality of their work because it’s clear that there are no hiccups in the process at all.

They do a great job of balancing the technology of the product so that it’s easy to use with the creative ideas and designs from our team in order to make our services a little more unique and customized than you might expect from something built this quickly.

How did Vardot perform from a project management standpoint?

One of their strengths is their ability to be totally honest about timelines, even when we are applying pressure to get things done as quickly as possible. They demonstrated the integrity to tell me exactly what they could deliver and when, and it felt like they were always presenting realistic timelines rather than just promising things they might not deliver. For the most part, our communication took place via phone, email, or face-to-face meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We occasionally had problems with our other two vendors in terms of integrating the various payment services that we needed, and Vardot was always on top of communication and collaboration with the other teams, even when they were not. Our project manager, in particular, was always proactive, and that helped us to stay on track which in turn helped save our agency money, and that is always a big deal for a charity organization like ours.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It seemed to me that they were somewhat limited by their exclusive use of Drupal for the new website, but the product that they delivered was very high quality in the end so that was not a big problem for us.

5.0

Overall Score

5.0 Scheduling

ON TIME / DEADLINES

5.0 Cost

Value / within estimates

5.0 Quality

Service & deliverables

5.0 NPS

Vardot

Contact

Enterprise Drupal Solutions

headquarters

other locations

Focus

Portfolio

IASLC (Non-Profit)

Fitness First Multisite Digital Experience

ICARDA - International R&D Organization

Al Bawaba Media Network

Amman Stock Exchange (ASE)

Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC)

American School of Dubai

Independent Election Commission

ProEquest

Tkiyet Um Ali - Jordan's Largest Nonprofit Organization

ForUs - Career Development Platform

Drupal 8 Revamp of Questscope.org

Publicplan.de - eGov Specialists

Darraq

Reviews

Reviews

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the review

Sep 27, 2020

the review

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Sep 22, 2020

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the review

Sep 17, 2020

the review

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Jul 21, 2020

the review

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Jul 01, 2020

the review

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the reviewer

the review

Jun 10, 2020

the review

ON TIME / DEADLINES

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the reviewer

the review