Cidersoft - Web Design & Staff Augmentation

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of 6 Pack Fitness, a consumer goods company specializing in meal management cooler bags that come in different styles, from backpacks and totes to duffels and shoulder bags. Each bag has specific compartments for organizing meal containers, utensils, gel packs, and anything else someone would need when traveling with meals. We primarily focus on the fitness industry, since diet accounts for a good part of athletic performance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cider?

We had moved to a Magento platform from a basic website that had been built in 2012. Since Shopify and the other platforms weren’t what they are now, it was the only option at the time. We considered five or six vendors before settling on Cider.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cider has provided backend implementations on our website, including a migration from Magento 1 to Magento 2. They work based on our copy and inputs.

Cider has also made some implementations on the site based on our SEO specialist’s direction. We handle marketing and content creation internally.

What is the team composition?

I have interfaced with the engineers and one of their principals. On their side, we have a dedicated engineer who delegates our tasks to the team.

How did you come to work with Cider?

I knew their founder from previous engagements. He reached out to me with a quote, but I didn’t start a collaboration immediately. Since websites always break, I wanted to make sure that they would provide the right levels of knowledge and support. After becoming tired of the astronomical bills from our current provider, so I decided to give Cider a chance. I believe that we were one of their first accounts. We’ve been working together ever since.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost of their work has been $100,000-$150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Cider at the beginning of 2016, and have an ongoing engagement. About 98% of the website is where we want it to be.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From the start, one of the things I hoped to achieve was website optimization. We went from C to A on Google’s mobile speed score. Their Magento migration rebuilt the site from the ground up, and the page is much faster.

None of Cider’s work has had an adverse effect on our conversions. They test any new implementations on the development server, which I appreciate. This has minimized potential downtime from bigger changes.

How did Cider perform from a project management standpoint?

We have two weekly calls. The first is focused on general business and upcoming initiatives, and Cider’s designers are present for the second. We use Trello to prioritize tasks and allocate hours for each one.

One of my concerns with an outsourcing engagement was task delegation. Their constant follow-ups and use of Trello have prevented any issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

When working with smaller, growing developers, I’ve experienced a lot of overpromising followed by under-delivery, excuses, and more promises. I’ve also worked with a larger company that had much more knowledge and available resources, but I didn’t feel that they cared about having us as a client. I know that Cider is focusing on attracting new business, but I haven’t felt neglected.

Their principal researched how we could list our products effectively on eBay and Amazon while keeping our prices high. That wasn’t within their scope of work. It showed me that they cared, which is Cider’s biggest differentiator.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They have a great team, but I always wonder whether they’re implementing cutting-edge web development approaches. There is a lot of change going on, so they should constantly find creative ways of approaching e-commerce.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

We mapped our short-term and long-term projects on Trello from the start. It was a good learning process, and it kept everyone on the same page.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a gaming company that creates casino games.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cider?

A game we created required an electronic scoreboard. We had a simplistic solution, but wanted something flashier, with more bells and whistles.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used Unity as their graphics platform. I’m not very tech savvy, so depended on their suggestions. We worked in real time via Trello. I made comments and enjoyed being involved in the process. I helped them go in the direction we wanted and we saved a lot of time.

What is the team composition?

Vadim (Business Development Manager, Cider) was our project manager and Ilya (Co-Founder & CEO, Cider) was in charge. I think they had a couple other developers. There were about four people on the team.

How did you come to work with Cider?

We found them via Yelp or another review site. We contacted four different companies and decided to work with Cider. They were quick to respond and set up an in-person meeting. They gave us a quote within our price range and asked specific questions about the scope of the work.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between January and April 2017. There were a few small follow-up items that were completed by June.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their graphics caught on pretty quickly. Player feedback has been almost entirely positive. The main casino we work with expanded their use and added another game. The new graphics also gave me the opportunity to introduce the game in Las Vegas. We ultimately lost that bid, but the graphics allowed us to be considered.

How did Cider perform from a project management standpoint?

I met with Ilya and Vadim at the beginning to discuss the project and again as we approached our rollout. They never went ahead without our approval and let us check their work at every stage. They kept in touch and we had weekly or twice-weekly meetings throughout the process. I could always talk to somebody.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication was great. They kept me involved and gave me what I wanted. They’re open to frequent feedback, which is important to me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They quoted us a price at the beginning that seemed to go up as we went along. There may have been some miscommunication at the beginning of the process, but we feel like we did a good job explaining everything we needed. We ended up compromising on the price, but it was substantially more than the original quote.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give a clear sense of what your project entails in the initial meeting. Make sure all the details are outlined and included in the quote.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of Quantum-Touch

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Quantum-Touch is an energy healing company that teaches people how to use life force energy to facilitate healing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Cidersoft - Web Design & Development to accomplish?

• Create a Brand Book

SOLUTION

How did you find Cidersoft - Web Design & Development?

Online Search

Why did you select Cidersoft - Web Design & Development over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Cidersoft - Web Design & Development were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We hired Cidersoft to create a Brand book for our company. We hired them to modify the Brand Book with our new logo.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Completed Brand Book

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Cidesoft was very responsive and made multiple revisions as requested. They delivered on time and I was very impressed with the final product.

What was your primary form of communication with Cidersoft - Web Design & Development?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They were very responsive and did a great job. Very good at graphic design and putting together our Brand Book.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Cidersoft - Web Design & Development could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder of a supply chain consulting agency

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cidersoft - Web Design & Development, and what were your goals?

I reached out to Cidersoft, along with many other developers, with my business idea for a B2B marketplace. Unclear on the process or how best to approach the first steps, Cidersoft CEO, Ilya, took the time to truly listen to my concept and situation.

SOLUTION

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

Unlike the others that offered cookie cutter approaches resulting in high upfront costs, Ilya very clearly explained multiple options including his recommended approach.

He took the time to educate me and ensure I was making an informed decision. I ultimately engaged with Ilya and his team to build out a functioning, clickable wireframe of the site to be used to support the next phase in the launch.

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

I ultimately engaged with Ilya and his team to build out a functioning, clickable wireframe of the site to be used to support the next phase in the launch. Performed deep discovery sessions followed by multiple iterations of the workflow and then wireframe build-out and complete clickable prototype.

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

Three people - CEO, PM, and Developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They truly invested in understanding my concept at the deepest level and had very strong technical capabilities to delivered a great product as a result. I look forward to continuing to work with the Cidersoft team as my project progresses.

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

The experience with everyone I worked with, led by Daria as the PM, was excellent.

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

I look forward to continuing to work with the Cidersoft team as my project progresses.

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

No, excellent overall approach

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Niche dating website

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cider?

Website development

What were your goals for this project?

To create a user friendly dating website

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After meeting in person I quickly knew Ilya was well suited for the project. And hired him on the spot

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Website design and development

What was the team composition?

Yes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Consistent communication was key in getting what I needed to be accomplished and Cider meets my expectations.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was arranged by ilya

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The communication and one on one attention I received were beyond my expectations. Highly recommended!!

Are there any areas for improvement?

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Sport League

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cider?

web-design

What were your goals for this project?

My hockey team had a need for a site to connect all the players and families together via standard information and access to a central calendar.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After a pretty extensive search, I came across Cider through a recommendation.

Describe the project in detail.

We went through a pretty thorough Discovery phase where they identified all of my requirements and even came up with some designs for us to choose from. I must say, not having any background in web development, they made it super easy by taking me through the process and even setting up a tool where I can track the progress during development. I highly recommend Cider for their professionalism, quality, and cost.

What was the team composition?

Very professional.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As promised, within a few months, everything was completed as expected.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was very effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The rapid pace of development.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The team came in under budget, where the original estimate included a fairly large buffer. This caused me to over budget the project at the beginning.