Commerce Pundit

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Short Round Supply Co. We sell ammunition and firearm accessories.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Commerce Pundit?

I needed a Magento platform that could accommodate the complex restrictions on firearms sales for different product categories. From a supplier standpoint, we needed to comply with laws and regulations for each state and municipality.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Commerce Pundit built a Magento 2.2 platform. Each state has its own restrictions on what ammunition, accessories, and features can be sold. Consequently, the team made the site recognize distinctions between these product categories in multiple jurisdictions. For example, the site’s zip code checker, which appears before checkout, enables users to determine whether we could ship certain products to their address.

What is the team composition?

I worked with the project manager and the delivery manager, who served in the capacity of an account manager. The former focused on Magento development while the latter oversaw ongoing performance.

How did you come to work with Commerce Pundit?

I researched vendors through the Magento partner website. Next, I interviewed 3 – 4 firms and requested a scope from each one. Based on my previous Magento development experience in the industry, I knew Commerce Pundit understood our business challenges. Their executive leadership had the industry experience to lead a firearms-based project with complex product categories. Ultimately, I hired Commerce Pundit because they had the internal resources to execute the workflow.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent around $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2018 and Commerce Pundit launched the site five months later in July. They now provide maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site is fast, responsive, and easy to navigate. My colleagues enjoy its unique look.

How did Commerce Pundit perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed strongly, never dropping the ball with communication. Even with the time difference, the team went out of their way to respond quickly to a range of issues. We used Basecamp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Commerce Pundit has provided responsive tech support during the maintenance period. Recently, we’ve chased an issue with the checkout page. After a live customer experienced the problem, the team held an 11 p.m. GoToMeeting session with us to troubleshoot the issue with the end user. That level of customer service on a Friday night was awesome.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Set clear scope requirements before the project starts. A misunderstanding may arise due to language barriers. But if Commerce Pundit gets the requirements, they’ll complete the project well and quickly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the sales manager of Intro Light Ltd., an importer and distributor of lighting products and systems for hotels and homes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Commerce Pundit?

We requested a transfer from our Magento 1 platform to a Magento 2 Porto theme platform, which would consist of new features and extensions.

What were your goals for this project?

Our existing e-commerce website was quite dated, so we hoped to update it with new designs and functionalities. With the transfer to Magento 2, we expected to improve our customer experience and Google ranking.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We read reviews of several firms on a variety of websites, including Clutch. We negotiated with each option before ultimately selecting Commerce Pundit.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We relied on Commerce Pundit to design the Porto theme in accordance with the authorized scope of requirements and to transfer our database from our current website to a Magento 2 platform. The project was separated into four stages.

What was the team composition?

During this engagement, we communicated with a project manager and a developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What problems arose, and what did Commerce Pundit do to address them?

Although we were expected to pay for each installment on time, Commerce Pundit did not adhere to the project deadlines. There were periods—sometimes weeks—when we received no updates. This was a continuous problem. Our final payment has been made, but the project has not been finished, and the new functionalities have not been implemented.

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

We did not receive a functional e-commerce store, and we have lost money because of this venture. Our updated website is not complete, and our existing Magento 1 website has since lost its search ranking and has fallen out of favor with customers because it is out of date.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We received a number of empty promises. They convinced us they were capable of these tasks, but their actions proved otherwise. The project manager was detached from the project and sometimes blamed us for having extra requirements despite the fact that they took much longer than expected to complete our initial requirements.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They talk themselves up very well.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They must prioritize honesty and trustworthiness so that they can serve their clients better.

Company Responses

The vendor responded on January 16, 2019. The reply is written by Manmeet Singh (Business Development Manager, Commerce Pundit).

We are surprised by the feedback and feel it does not reflect with the work delivered. Our team did take longer to deliver the project, but the deliverables did meet the scope requirements. We received payment for the four milestones only after the client verified and approved our work.

The delay was not entirely Commerce Pundit’s fault. The client performed content delivery network (CDN) and Varnish cache on the server, but did not communicate our work had been lost. We had to redo tasks as a result, which affected the timeline. We closed the project with both sides agreeing that everything but a few issues was completed. The client accepted these terms after we had previously addressed user acceptance testing (UAT).

Our team was always prompt and responsive. From our perspective, the client’s emails were not professional; the nature of their communication only strained the relationship.

We could not have affected organic results because we have not touched the website. Commerce Pundit has successfully delivered more than 550 e-commerce projects. Our reviews and client success stories speak to the quality of our work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Tiger Promo, a promotional company. We send products to different corporate branches and customize them for marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Commerce Pundit?

We developed a website in 2014 so it was very outdated. I needed it redeveloped and redesigned. I discussed with them what I needed, then they came up with an idea for the price metrics and price structuring. It’s very complex, especially with a customized product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They redeveloped and redesigned our website from scratch using Magento 2.2. Now it’s very easy for me to use the site’s metrics. That is the best part of what they developed, and I find it very useful.

We now work together on the marketing as the site launched two months ago.

What is the team composition?

They assigned me one account manager and a project manager, who were my points of contact. There are three to four developers and two designers.

How did you come to work with Commerce Pundit?

I did some online research and read reviews. I contacted two to three companies and I found Commerce Pundit to be the most suitable for me.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2018 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched the site two months ago and it’s already receiving good levels of visitors and traffic. It’s much better than the old site. I’m still working with them on marketing and the initial impact is going well.

How did Commerce Pundit perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management is good—I get daily updates and they achieved the deadline for the launch. We used Basecamp and Google Hangouts, and have weekly meetings on RingCentral Meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their e-commerce understanding is the most impressive thing. They shared ideas that helped me tremendously in the business. When it comes to the implementation, they are certified developers who did a good job.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m working with another agency for social media marketing, but it would be nice if Commerce Pundit could provide this service. I’d be happy to assign it to them if they did.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’ve had a good experience with them in terms of development, design, and management. I’m happy and so if anyone wants to work with them, they should.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of an online garden center called Pixies Garden. We ship home and garden products as well as live plants all over the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Commerce Pundit?

We approached Commerce Pundit for full-service e-commerce work, including site management, product listing, and digital marketing efforts.

What were your goals for this project?

Our main goal was to double our SKUs and generate 3–5 times the ROI from Google Ads.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A colleague referred us to Commerce Pundit for their aggressive approach and comprehensive e-commerce services. They’re a one-stop shop for everything we need to run my online company.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

They’ve provided a range of e-commerce and digital marketing offerings, including Google Ads campaigns, site management, product listing, and support on Yelp and Facebook. They’ve also helped us list products on Amazon, handling all the related services to run both our Amazon account and website.

What was the team composition?

They’ve assigned a project manager who oversaw all project details. We also have access to top management for strategy sessions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since starting our online operations in 2015, we’ve doubled our revenue every year with Commerce Pundit’s support.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We have weekly meetings and can also reach the project manager as needed for emergency services.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re a one-stop solution for all of our e-commerce needs. They have a professional approach, excellent strategic input, and convenient emergency support.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

No, nothing comes to mind. They’re able to set up two-page websites for small business owners and social functions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the e-commerce director of a high-end home furnishings company. We’re in the top three in our niche and sell primarily online nationwide through our four retail websites. I’m in charge of all our initiatives regarding web design, development, and marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Commerce Pundit?

My company has had a hard time finding an ideal third-party agency to offload our development and marketing work to. We wanted someone that can not only do what is needed today but forecast and respond to upcoming technologies. We struggled to find a vendor that could do everything from A to Z as well as have the capacity to scale upward for urgent tasks.

What were your goals for this project?

The initial goal was simply to optimize our primary retail site’s server capabilities (add a CDN, caching, backups, etc.) and fix many mistakes that our previous agency had created. I knew that our project would be a big challenge since our site is on a heavily modified version of Magento 1.x. Additionally, we needed a team to perform maintenance on our site and make enhancements on an as-needed basis.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A personality and company culture fit was critical in my decision process, as some companies could do the work but were difficult to communicate with.

I used a few outsourcing sites to find companies with good reviews, and then took my search to Google for further due diligence. After speaking with several of Commerce Pundit's reps through a video call, I decided that this was the company I wanted to work with.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

We offloaded all web-based technical tasks and projects to Commerce Pundit. This includes the enhancement, optimization, and maintenance of all our sites, server hardware optimization, design and deployment of new sites, product data entry, marketing services, and more. The list will most likely grow since their capabilities seem to have no limit.

What was the team composition?

Our core team includes a senior project manager, an account manager, a technical lead, two developers, and a designer. We’re in the process of adding new team members as our business needs have grown substantially since starting our collaboration with Commerce Pundit.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our online conversion rate has definitely gone up since they deployed many of their fixes. Our site used took a long time to load, especially the Magento-based dynamic pages. Now, our site loads as quickly as any other robustly-built site. Additionally, the designs that Commerce Pundit helped us with on have worked very well. Our users now enjoy a much more friendly experience on our sites.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Commerce Pundit has this aspect completely figured out. The process was seamless as soon as I explained our needs. An account manager and project manager were immediately assigned along with their technical team, and everything has been done without any required collaboration on my part. They've truly made this one of the most fulfilling and easy projects for me in my 20-plus years of experience in e-commerce.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Commerce Pundit's team is highly scalable and their ability to work with one another and with the client is second to none. They’re responsive to requests and have the client in mind at all times, offering ideas, insight, and feedback.

Our Magento platform is rather complex, but they are Magento certified, which means that they know the strengths and limitations of this platform and will work accordingly to ensure that they don’t build us into a corner. On a personal level, they're all great people and working with is a total breeze.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

We like them exactly the way they are. After all my years in e-commerce and collaborating with literally hundreds of people on behalf of my companies, I can say with 100% certainty that you will not regret reaching out to them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the sales manager and operations director for a company called Colman’s Military Surplus LLC, a primarily e-commerce buyer and seller of new and used military surplus equipment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Commerce Pundit?

We outgrew our current e-commerce platform on WordPress that had a commerce extension. This platform has limitations and we wanted a website that could handle multi-channel marketing that includes AdWords and direct marketing. In general, we decided that we wanted to upgrade our website to an enterprise-class e-commerce platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The main thing their team did was integrate the new website with our accounting software, which will limit mistakes on our end of the website and streamline our e-commerce operations. In terms of features, we wanted to be able to view several items on a single page and integrate our website with MailChimp, Amazon, and eBay. So far, about 75% of the project is complete.

What is the team composition?

The team consists of an overall project manager, a senior project manager and a marketing team with a marketing lead. An employee we previously worked with, Amanda, also checks in with the project to make sure it runs smoothly.

How did you come to work with Commerce Pundit?

We previously worked with one of their employees, Amanda, when she was with another company. She highly recommended Commerce Pundit, which was a major factor in our decision-making process. We decided that they would be the best fit for us after we priced out the competition.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $10,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started work on the project in January 2018 and we are about 75% of the way completed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website looks great so far, our whole team loves it. We have nothing but positive feedback on the design and the functionality upgrades. We just need to work on a couple of elements before we launch the website. The true test will be where we stand from an SEO standpoint after the website launches.

How did Commerce Pundit perform from a project management standpoint?

We primarily communicate through Skype and phone calls, which are scheduled weekly. We also started communicating through Basecamp to set our goals and track their progress. Recently, one of the project managers came to our office for a week and worked with us one-on-one. It was nice of him to fly in from India and learn about our company operation, project, and process. Our business is less organized than Commerce Pundit, and it is nice to have their strong structure complement ours and keep us on track.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They complete any task you ask of them right away. If you ask for something to be added to the project, they will complete it that day and not push it off until tomorrow. This was important to us because that is why we fired the previous company we worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It is hard to say because the project is not complete yet. But I don't have any issues so far.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Make sure you have a webcam set up because face-to-face communication is much better than just over the phone. I think that is important for a great outcome to any project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of a B2C portal that sells gifts to Indian customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Commerce Pundit?

We hired Commerce Pundit to migrate our existing needs and processes to the Magento framework.

What were your goals for this project?

Since our legacy e-commerce platform was unable to keep pace with our business needs, we needed a state-of-the-art, responsive site. We wanted to reproduce most of the functionality built on our previous CMS and add a few new functions. One critical goal was to transfer all of our customer information to a new Magento platform, including passwords and login information. However, we didn’t want to make any changes to our URLs or critical data.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We analyzed the portfolios of major Magento companies in our area and conducted face-to-face interviews with a few of them. We decided to go with Commerce Pundit because we were impressed with their depth of expertise and company history.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Initially, they helped us frame a scope document and held a kickoff meeting to clarify all of the details. They helped us in all aspects of the migration, including heavy theme customization, extension development and integration, payment gateway integration, login migration, and extensive testing. They transferred all of our existing products and categories to the Magento framework.

What was the team composition?

We worked with an account manager, a project manager, frontend and backend developers, the sales team, and the testing team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our new site is both responsive and full HTTPS. Commerce Pundit did fabulous work, which is reflected in our metrics. The number of pages viewed per session increased by 20%, the conversion rate increased by 30%, and the bounce rate decreased by 15%. They helped reduce the average order time by 20%, which has improved customer satisfaction. We felt extremely confident of our vendor selection due to the depth of expertise they displayed throughout the project.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Commerce Pundit was extremely structured while being mindful of our business needs. The team used agile methodologies, with multiple points of contact and a structured escalation matrix. We had a dedicated account created in Basecamp that allowed us to closely track progress, while their COO also regularly sent us updates. We communicated via emails, phone calls, chats, and in-person meetings. They were all highly responsive and dealt efficiently with all change requests.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Commerce Pundit has a customer-first attitude, from the top management down to the frontline staff. They are genuinely focused on their client’s business success and delivering high-quality results. Magento is a complex framework, but they were able to surpass our expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of a company that sells Indian garments and accessories. We sell branded clothing by different designers all over India. Our services are available throughout the United States and Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Commerce Pundit?

I originally owned a large brick-and-mortar retail store. To supplement this business, I needed a developer to create a Magento e-commerce platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team captured all the details within the broad scope of our project. They understood each and every requirement. In particular, I wanted the website to convey accurate sizing for the clothing we sell. Commerce Pundit built a sophisticated feature that users can easily operate. A mannequin graphic in the center guides clients on how to take their own measurements. This was one of the one of the best features I could offer my clients. It saves them the trouble of visiting a tailor prior to placing an order.

The scheduling function they built also worked very nicely for us. Our clients can schedule appointments through our online booking system. This is much more convenient than having a five-minute phone call with me about a bridal fitting. Customers can immediately add products to the shopping cart. When users put in bulk orders, an algorithm calculates the estimated shipping cost. Commerce Pundit is currently focused on helping me get more clients. We’re working on a keyword strategy to improve the site’s ranking.

What is the team composition?

I worked with two resources from Commerce Pundit including one primary point of contact.

How did you come to work with Commerce Pundit?

I limited my online search to development company based in India whose prices fit within our budget. After finding Commerce Pundit on Google, I read reviews of their work and they seemed like the best fit. One of my friends also provided a reference. Their prior experience creating platforms to sell clothing gave me confidence they could complete my project.

How much have you invested with them?

The website cost roughly $11,000-$13,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working on this website last June. Our website launched about two month later. I think it took almost two months to finish up the whole project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My clients really like the website’s user-friendly design. Several customers have said it's very easy to navigate the site and clearly examine our product offerings. We quickly sold out after the site launched. Customers keep purchasing new Saris, which must mean that we offer good customer service. Immediately after the site went live, I had some setbacks related to my family for 3-4 months. We just started working again and I’ll have clearer SEO results a few months from now.

How did Commerce Pundit perform from a project management standpoint?

Commerce Pundit’s team was perfect. They knew exactly what they were doing. The team delivered within deadlines and followed all my guidelines. Our primary contact was very supportive and cooperative, and understood everything I needed. Even though we had to go back and forth with several changes, she got all the details right and executed every requirement correctly.

We primarily used basecamp to organize the project. It worked very well for us. The oversight on developers’ individual tasks helped me keep track of deadlines. I could easily add comments or new requirements. Using the chat system, I could communicate with the whole team or any individual resource.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m very grateful they were able to create the measurement and scheduling functions. These were difficult features to build, and they did an excellent job.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When the site went live, we had minor issues with the pictures loading and checkout lines. They could definitely work on fixing those glitches. I had to wait another week before clients could access my website, which lost me customers.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you pin down the exact scope from the beginning, it will preempt little mistakes down the line. I wasn’t clear about what exactly I wanted at first. I suggest narrowing down your requirements and giving them clear instructions. Moving forward, you can always expand if your business does well. Clear requirements will also provide a better cost estimate based on required hours of work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO [chief operating officer] of CBStation. We’re a wholesale B2B company, providing designer-type canvas bags to small businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Commerce?

We worked with another company on our promotional website but we needed someone to build our e-commerce website. We wanted a website on which customers can customize their purchases with monogramming, logos, and screen printing. We also wanted a drop ship solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked together 4–5 years ago when they built our first site on the Magento 1 platform. It worked perfectly. They recently upgraded us into a new Magento 2.0 platform and built the website from scratch.

Our new website can take orders for monogramming and customize each and every product we have. We now offer a drop ship solution, where a customer can place an order and we process the orders based on their customers. We ship directly to our customers’ customers. That way our customers don’t have to get involved.

Now, they support us anytime we need them. We have a monthly deal with them.

What is the team composition?

We have a team manager who we assign all the major tasks with. There’s a group of 20–25 people who work on our project. We’re very comfortable working with them.

How did you come to work with Commerce?

We were referred by other people who had worked with them.

How much have you invested with them?

$40,000–$50,000 to upgrade from the old platform to the new platform.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2017 until January 2018 when the website launched. Our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still young. We see a lot of the new things are helping our business. It’s still too early to give a more accurate answer about what is benefiting us.

We’ve gotten a lot of compliments from our customers about our switch to a new platform. The speed greatly improved.

How did Commerce perform from a project management standpoint?

They did very well. Out of 10, I’d rate them a 9. We used ActiveCollab. We assign all tasks into the software as a way of communicating with each other.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Anytime we have an urgent situation, they have somebody at the office 24/7. I can trust them. They’re always there to make sure it’s done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could provide content writing. We do all the content writing, but if they had good content writers, I’d love to pass all our content writing work to them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I know my product the best. I give to them as much detail as possible about my product and my need to make them understand, then things go very nicely and smoothly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a home décor outdoor website. We have around 50,000 products. We also have a warehouse. The majority of the products are drop shipped. Our website it on Magento.

What is your position?

I'm the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Commerce Pundit?

We need a nice and flowing e-commerce website. We need to offer a nice, clean display that allows users to check out with the least number of clicks possible. We want a very clean display and a very clean interface. 

We had given Commerce Pundit a couple of references of websites we were looking at and tried to get the best from some other sites and incorporate everything to one.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They gave us some examples of sites they had done. We saw that and then they told us best practices that they follow. We told them the number of products that we have and the number that will be added every month. They were aware of the volume that we're looking at. They appointed a project manager for us. I guess then it was a technical process, and they worked through it. They launched the site and then resolved all the issues that popped up.

How did you come to work with Commerce Pundit?

We went with them because they worked with Magento.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was from $10,000 to $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The site is functional and, if we get any errors, we get their help. Issues are resolved extremely fast. There are also modifications if there is something we want to incorporate in the site. They gave us a timeline and they take it into process and get it done. It was launched in 2007. We have completely modified it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We are very satisfied. It's a very nice site. There are not down times. We have not faced any issues like that.

How did Commerce Pundit perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed well and were successful in the end.

What distinguishes Commerce Pundit from other providers?

Commerce Pundit is very cost effective and decent people to work with. 

What advice would you give to a future client of theirs?

They're a very good company to work with. They are very technically sound. Start small, and you will see the results.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

We want everything very fast, but there are technical aspects that take time. These technical projects always require some time to get right.