Whale Agency

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the COO and co-founder of Textgain. We’re an AI company, and the main part of our work is the detection of discrimination, polarization, and hate speech online.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Whale Agency?

We needed a new website, so we hired Whale Agency for their web development services.

SOLUTION

What is the scope of their involvement?

Whale Agency helped us in the process of developing the website and our branding. They developed the website from scratch using WordPress and Adobe XD for the wireframing. We initially provided them with the brand guidelines and wireframes of the website. They did the designs of the website, which we approved.

The website contains information about our company, solutions that we sell, and services that we offer, as well as a link to resources where users can download data sets and publications.

What is the team composition?

We were in contact with three people from their team: a project manager, a developer, and a designer.

How did you come to work with Whale Agency?

It was through a recommendation by one of our partners. We chose to work with them because they were very honest and open. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent close to €20,000 (approximately $21,000 USD) on the project.

What is the status of the engagement?

We worked together with Whale Agency on this project from September 2021–March 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were happy with the website, which functioned exactly as we intended. As a result, we got positive feedback from our customers; they really liked our new website. Moreover, we noticed people could find us a little bit easier and better understand what we do. 

How did Whale Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They did very well from a project management perspective. They delivered the project within six months and were great with communication. They were also very responsive. For communication, we used Discord. For managing tasks, we used GitHub.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We liked their transparent approach and how they involved us throughout the process. They were also flexible, very open, and highly knowledgeable of different technologies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't have any complaints about Whale Agency.

Any advice for potential customers?

Have an open mind and define the scope and requirements of your project clearly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

DSG is a supplier to the construction industry. DSG includes several formulas, each with its own range, aimed at a specific segment in the construction industry. I work there as a labor market communication specialist. The aim is to create more visibility for DSG on the labor market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We enlisted Whale Agency for creating a job site for DSG. The goal was to create a website that fits the organization. And with which we have all vacancies within DSG in one place.

SOLUTION

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

A former colleague of mine recommended Whale Agency. We had an exploratory conversation and it went very well. Whale Agency thinks from the customer perspective. It feels very nice to work together. They have a lot of knowledge and are always there for you. The contact is quick and clear.

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

We started with writing user stories for the site. Includes stories for us as DSG but also for the applicant. Every month Whale presented what they have done. After that we started with scope 1. And now we finished scope 1 and we will start with scope 2 (to develop the site even more).

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

We work with three employees from Whale Agency.

• Carlos, he is the project leader
• Jurre, he is the UX designer
• Nikolay, he is the tech lead of this project

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are very, very content with the work Whale Agency have delivered. The Job Site fits our organization and it looks cool! The contact is good and direct all the time. We recommended Whale Agency for every company.

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

Their style is very pleasant. They communicate clearly and easily and know exactly what they are doing. The steps in the process are clear and they know exactly what they expect from the client.

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

That they have a really inclusive team.

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

No, not until now.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work in marketing and business development at Könighaus GmbH, a manufacturer of infrared heating panels.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Whale Agency?

We were pretty dependent on Amazon in the last couple of years. However, we wanted to build a webshop because we didn’t have our own.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we had a meeting with them along with my boss, myself, and another partner. They asked us about our goals and vision for the website. A week or two weeks later, we had another meeting where they introduced the first concept to us. They designed and developed our WordPress website. It’s a webshop but also contains a product customizer. Customers can buy a heater from us that comes from their own uploaded picture. He can see it online and buy it. Then we print it and send it to him.

They gave us some recommendations for articles to write and how to write them. They helped me set up some trial campaigns on Google Ads to generate leads. There were a couple of smaller projects as well.

We now have a new agreement to earn better rankings Google and to divert customers to our webshop instead of other marketplaces. We want to grow internationally because we’re mainly selling in Germany and Austria.

What is the team composition?

I was the main contact person between my boss and Whale Agency. I was mainly talking to Carlos (Founder, Whale Agency). With more technical questions, I spoke with Nikolay (Strategy & Tech Lead, Whale Agency).

How did you come to work with Whale Agency?

We did a Google search and my boss also got some recommendations. A couple of years ago, we got a website from an old-school German company, so we wanted something more modern. We talked to a few companies and Whale Agency made the best impression. Carlos is a really good person to talk to. If he doesn’t have an answer to your question, he looks it up and has it ready for you. He’s very knowledgeable and always up to date with the newest development.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000. The new project is going to be worth $4,500/month for one year. It’s supposed to start next week.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July until October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website launched in October 2018. We’re very happy with the site. It paid itself off super quickly. We made around $370,000 of revenue in the first year which was way more than we expected.

How did Whale Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was very good. If we had been more organized, it would have been better. In the beginning, we talked daily through chat or a call. When I needed something or had a question, I received a pretty quick response from Carlos. He was available and very helpful. We have no complaints. They kept to the timeframes that they set. We never had to wait long for an answer.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their knowledge is impressive. They were always able to provide an answer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Talk to them. They will talk you through the whole process and will help you with everything. They want to make it very easy for you to start a project with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Make every word count The Textmetrics solutions enable organizations to create target group-specific and corporate-wide consistent content by using augmented assisted writing based on scientifically proven algorithms. I am the CEO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Whale Agency?

Developing our website and continuoisly maintaining it

What were your goals for this project?

To make sure the website worked good and had the perfect branding

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have spoken to a lot of Website/creative organisations. We heard good news about Whale. In the conversations, they were very understanding of the goals we had and what we wanted to accomplish. They are good listeners and are able to create what they have heard.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They designed the Website and also delivered all the content and visuals

What was the team composition?

We only spoke to the 2 owners

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Website is working great and we have very good Google results and conversion results!

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They are very transparent when discussing costs and timelines. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

How friendly they are and how good they listen.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner of various production companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Whale Agency?

Creating websites and SEO for all our companies and separate projects.

What were your goals for this project?

Reach the maximum amount of traffic

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Quotation and meetings.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

From basic idea to the building of our website, to the set up AdWords and marketing campaigns.

What was the team composition?

My main contact was with 2 people. But there were more people involved on the background.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Whale we get a lot of sales leads through our website.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Very effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Ways of communication, expertise. They always make the client their first priority.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think off.