Foster Commerce

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive of Shade Love

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Sell custom window treatments.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Foster Commerce to accomplish?

• Build a user-friendly product configurator for 5 different types of window treatments with hundreds of material options.
• Develop website pages according to design by designer.
• Complete website within a tight timeframe and budget.

SOLUTION

How did you find Foster Commerce?

Referral

Why did you select Foster Commerce over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Provided Fast and Best Solutuions

How many teammates from Foster Commerce were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The project was to build a stunning, user friendly e-commerce website to sell custom window treatments.  We had initially engaged a designer and a single developer to build our website on Craft.  By the time we identified Foster, our project was already 1.5 month over schedule and no possibility of going live without a major change. 

Essentially, Foster built our entire site (www.shade-love.com). The main challenge was to build a product configurator that could show the product based on the selctions made by the customer. Our prior developer spent three months thinking about it, but was not able to do it.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Besides their exceptional coding skills, the Foster Team was great at project management, collaborating with other contractors, and communicating progress. Foster delivered the finished website (www.shade-love.com) as promised by the deadline within the agreed budget. What they accomplished in less than four months is really amazing!

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

By the time we identified Foster, our project was already 2 months late with no finish line in sight. Foster brought in new energy and momentum to the project. Foster took over the project management, and quickly identified what was needed from our designer and content creators.  Foster met with us weekly to go over progress, next steps and deliverables.  Overall, their project management was excellent!

What was your primary form of communication with Foster Commerce?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Foster stood out from the other firms that I interviewed for the project because of their remarkable  responsiveness to the problems and requirements I identified. Right from the first call, the Foster team was already brainstorming solutions for our product configurator. Others emphasized the difficulties while Foster immediately focused on solutions.

Foster impressed me even more in execution. They planned, explained, executed and clearly communicated progress. The speed at which they figured out how to develop our product configurator was impressive, and the attention to detail that Foster demonstrated throughout the process was remarkable, ensuring that all the features of our product configurator works smoothly. 

They turned our vision into a real, e-commerce site. Everyone on the team was excellent and so nice to work with! 

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

No, there really was nothing that Foster could have done better or differently. Their project execution was flawless!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Sr. Digital Project Manager of Interrupt

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Full service branding and marketing agency

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Foster Commerce to accomplish?

• Work with us to create a new website for Interrupt
• Ongoing maintenance and support of the website post-launch

SOLUTION

How did you find Foster Commerce?

Online Search

Why did you select Foster Commerce over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Foster Commerce were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

FosterCommerce worked with our internal creative team to handle the following for our website:

• Review and advise our creative team on design
• All development for the site
• Quality Assurance and Testing
• Launch
• Basic SEO optimization
• Ongoing site maintenance, Craft updates and site enhancements as our site has evolved

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We wanted a website that showcased our culture, our work and drove high quality leads not only in terms of possible new clients, but also in the case of recruiting top notch talent.  We have met or exceeded our goals in obtaining and converting high quality leads.

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

FosterCommerce delivered our work on-time in all cases.  The team was responsive and flexible as the project progressed.  When confronted with a delay, in most cases, the team was able to find an alternate path to allow time to deal with the delay in one area, while proceeding in another to still achieve overall timing.  

What was your primary form of communication with Foster Commerce?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

This company is a true partner.  They feel like an extension of our team. When working together, not only do they respond to what we ask, but suggestions and recommendations to further improve our website and achieve our business goals.  Interrupt is known for being fearless and stretching our clients to be their best, disrupting the market.  FosterCommerce fits right in to our culture and helps us to stretch our web presence to be the best.

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

At the time began working with FosterCommerce, they were smaller than today and lacked a project manager to help manage the work.  However, as they have grown, that void has been filled with very capable project managers who have brought great value, good communication and fast response times to all our work with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CMO of Maxon

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Businesss administration and marketing

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Foster Commerce to accomplish?

• New multi-language, self-managed, headless, modern website

SOLUTION

How did you find Foster Commerce?

Online Search

Why did you select Foster Commerce over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Foster Commerce were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We asked Foster Commerce to take our global websites to the next level and provide a cutting-edge authoring workflow for our marketing content team. Foster innovated new time-saving “dream tools” that allows content authors on the marketing team to make updates to the website as neeeded without developer intervention and launch content for new monthly product releases easily and seamlessly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Delivery of a self-managed, highly dynamic and muti-language website.

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

When it comes to project management, working with Foster Commerce was a delight. They exhibited a remarkable level of organization and efficiency throughout the entire process. From the initial brainstorming sessions to the final implementation, Foster demonstrated a keen eye for detail and a thorough understanding of our requirements. 

Foster ensured that our project progressed smoothly and according to schedule, alleviating any unnecessary stress or delays. They truly excelled in their responsiveness to our needs. Communication was prompt, clear, and always solution-oriented. They were readily available to address any concerns or queries we had, offering valuable insights and guidance every step of the way. 

Their proactive approach to client communication fostered a sense of trust and collaboration. Foster not only delivered exceptional results but also demonstrated exemplary project management skills and responsiveness. Their commitment to excellence and client satisfaction is truly commendable, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone seeking a reliable and proficient website developer.

What was your primary form of communication with Foster Commerce?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their innovative thinking. When presented with ideas from our side, they always took those ideas, refined them, expanded on them and provided unique and out-of-the-box solutions.

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

While there were occasional instances where deadlines were not strictly met, it's important to note that these deviations were largely attributable to the dynamic nature of the project scope. Foster Commerce consistently demonstrated a commitment to delivering comprehensive solutions, often going above and beyond the initially agreed-upon requirements. 

While this occasionally impacted the strict adherence to timelines, their dedication to delivering a superior product never wavered. Their flexibility and willingness to accommodate evolving project needs ultimately resulted in a final deliverable that exceeded our expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the IT and Business Strategy Specialist of Facade Tectonics Institute

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Facade Tectonics is a non-profit member organization intent on moving buildings and urban habitat toward resilience and sustainability goals by leveraging the pervasive influence of the building skin.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Foster Commerce to accomplish?

• Design and develop website
• Develop and manage ecommerce system
• Setting up 3rd party services such as email marketing and others

SOLUTION

How did you find Foster Commerce?

Referral

Why did you select Foster Commerce over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Foster Commerce were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Website design and development, IT Strategy consulting and email marketing consulting and implementation. API connection between website and invoicing services. API connection for Klaviyo platform. Setting up Google services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website is much better and more capable than our previous version, helping us manage content for our members and offer said members a hub to access the educational content, events and news from of our organization. We're able to conduct sales with the implementation of ecommerce, and conduct analysis of data of user behavior to understand our members needs and wants better. We're also able to communicate with them efficiently thanks to the implementation of email marketing tools.

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

They delivered on time and were always prompt, kind and efficient to communicate with us. Their project managers have helped us understand the details of the development project and help us understand how we should conduct content management, which in our line of work is an essential aspect of our business.

What was your primary form of communication with Foster Commerce?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their multifaceted team helped us not only set up our technological infrastructure, but also understand how these capacities affect our business practices, and helped us design better systems and processes to manage key events such as membership subscriptions, renewals, paper creation and management, evaluating authors, sharing feedback, and setting up events. They act not only as an IT partner, but also as a thinking and strategy partner which helps us shape a better organization though better practices.

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

One area where there is room for improvement is in the timeliness and accuracy of estimations. While overall estimation was good, there were instances where clearer and more frequent updates would have been beneficial for setting up expectations with stakeholders.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the COO of Measure Meant

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Measure Meant partners with organizations to develop comprehensive climate action plans and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by identifying needed changes to business policy and practice, and support them in pursuit of B Corp certification.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Foster Commerce to accomplish?

• Reduce the need for external developers when making updates
• Increase the functionality to allow us to make more creative web pages.

SOLUTION

How did you find Foster Commerce?

Referral

Why did you select Foster Commerce over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Foster Commerce were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Aspects of our website were hard coded, which required engaging a developer any time we wanted to do something other than basic updates. We wanted the ability to add new page designs that included columns, video, and other elements with minimal effort on our own. Foster Commerce expanded the website's functionality and gave control of the site back to Measure Meant. Foster Commerce developers made it so authors and admins could easily add or update various kinds of content and pages on the website without the need for more code. 
Foster Commerce developers also included the ability for authors and admins to determine their own page hierarchy and URLs, which freed up Measure Meant to have more control over their digital narrative. With a website set up for a better authoring experience, Measure Meant has newfound creativity. From optimizing for SEO to refining branding elements, Mark and the rest of the Measure Meant team are now able to align the organization’s digital strategy with its larger overarching strategic growth and goals.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We used the following outcomes to demonstrate progress and success: 

1. New pages can be created without needing a developer 
2. Designing new pages is faster, more efficient, and much more effective 2. Page structure and hierarchy has been redesigned in a more logical order 
3. Videos and other design can be added to pages where that capability didn't previously exist

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

Foster Commerce had an unwavering dedication and commitment to excellence from the beginning. Their responsiveness, willingness to go above and beyond, and knack for creative problem-solving were instrumental in guiding Measure Meant through every stage of the process. From the start of the project through to the end, Stephen recorded personalized video tutorials and offered ongoing support. 
Stephen's approach epitomized a true partnership built on trust and collaboration, and we felt like a major client even though our work was minor in comparison to their other projects. All work was delivered on time, we had visibility into the development process, and were consulted through the entire project. We were given the opportunity to review every aspect of what was being developed and while that seems like a baseline expectation, it was far and away a different experience than other developers we've worked with.

What was your primary form of communication with Foster Commerce?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Foster Commerce treated us like we were their most important client. Our budget was tiny compared to their other clients, but they treated us as though we were their top priority. Stephen was our lead contact, which demonstrated their commitment. It isn't often that the CEO of a company is intimately involved in every aspect of a project with a company with a small budget.

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

Foster Commerce did everything for us and I wouldn't change anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I was the Marketing Coordinator of SFS Architecture

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Architecture, interior design and planning.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Foster Commerce to accomplish?

• Design and build new company website.
• Identify industry trends and best practices.
• Improve market perception of firm's services and capabilities.

SOLUTION

How did you find Foster Commerce?

Referral

Why did you select Foster Commerce over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Foster Commerce were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Redesign and rebuild of a decade old company website. Our task was to identify industry standards and best practices to improve the public's perception of our firm's services and capabilities.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a service provider, our interest wasn't in increasing web traffic, but making sure we put our best foot forward for when potential clients visited our website. We did so with a show-don't-tell approach to project case studies using compelling imagery and narrative showing our process.

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

Our PM made sure deadlines were communicated early and achieved on time. We had a lot of fun along the way, too.

What was your primary form of communication with Foster Commerce?

Virtual Meeting

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

Foster Commerce brought a wealth of experience (trends, best practices, UI/UX, etc.) to our web project, made design contributions in coordination with our in-house design team, imported large amounts of data from third party software for us, and built the site to be inuitive on the backend and user friendly on the front in.

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

Planning: we lost a few agreed upon features due to time and budget constraints.