HyQuality

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the eCommerce manager of 42nd Street Photography. We sell electronics and camera equipment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HyQuality?

We needed them to design and develop a new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided all of the services associated with the website’s development. They created the design elements and build the site on Magento. HyQuality customized its flow and user interface to best suit our company’s needs and follow our established style. The team added additional products and features at our request and programmed our application programming interface (API).

What is the team composition?

We work with one representative from HyQuality.

How did you come to work with HyQuality?

I am not completely sure, but it might have been a referral from a friend.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent about $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2018 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have not fully launched the site, but its current stage efficiently handles orders and supports our customers’ interactions. Internally, our team is very happy with the results.

How did HyQuality perform from a project management standpoint?

Their customer service is first-rate. We connect mainly via email and a Podio channel.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They complete tasks with speed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, every element exceeded my expectations.

Any advice for potential customers?

Companies considering HyQuality should hire them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We sell Mochi ice cream to restaurants among retail establishments and e-commerce. I’m the president.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HyQuality?

We were looking for someone to put together a comprehensive Magento website that we felt comfortable with, at the right price and the right direction.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The initial meeting was about the business and what we were looking for. We discussed our needs in relation to shipping to different zones and presenting the product in an enthusiastic and professional manner. We wanted to ensure that they could handle the backend programming that would assist in our goals, as well as the creative aspects we wanted to present to the user.

After reviewing and accepting the agreement, they presented us with a budget. We had an outline for what we wanted to accomplish, and discussed different websites similar to what we wanted. We talked about the content we would provide. They put together a mock website, and we continued to tweak it until we got it right. We put it through some testing, then it went live.

They developed everything from scratch. There were a few add-ons and integrations that helped us achieve our goal of allowing customers to buy desserts online.

What is the team dynamic?

I worked primarily with Hy [CEO and Creative Director, HyQuality], but there were other people he worked with to get the job done.

How did you come to work with HyQuality?

We met with a couple different companies, and HyQuality was the most amiable and we liked their work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2015, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because they weren't involved in SEO or SEM services, I can’t fully define any one area of metrics. The functionality and reliability were great. The user experience needs to be changed from time to time based on our customer patterns and landing pages. We've made modifications to address user experience issues.

How did HyQuality perform from a project management standpoint?

They met their goals and understood what we needed. They did work in a timely fashion and were communicative on a regular basis, mostly through email and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Hy is responsible, trustworthy, fair, diligent, and intelligent in website development trends. He took directives well and implemented them to our standards.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If they had a way to integrate services that would include reporting, SEO/SEM type of initiatives, and technology changes that needed to be made to a site over time, that would be good.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Website developers aren’t the end all, be all in terms of a magic bullet for a site. Working with a designer like Hy requires each party to work together. The client needs to provide content and give proper direction so Hy understands what they’re looking for. Use examples, directives, or outlines to achieve this.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My wife and I are co-owners of Brass & Burl, a luxury retailer. While our furnishings are for both residential and commercial use, we mostly sell décor and furniture for the home.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HyQuality?

We needed a website capable of uploading, hosting, and sorting thousands of product profiles, including detailed descriptions and pictures. Our e-commerce site required a capable online filter system and a user-friendly backend that we could control.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Using our internal product data from the propriety site, HyQuality built us a new website from scratch, hosted on Magento. As an open-source platform, developer forums offered an existing array of fully developed materials. He’s incorporated dozens of these plug-ins, which he checks for proper functionality and tweaks as needed. Additionally, he custom-built a number of previously unavailable features.

We usually request 10-20 of these small projects per month. Tasks vary in complexity, from moving a border to changing the interface for picture magnification. Our sheer number of offerings differentiated us from Hy’s other clients, who sell select products in multiple ways. Despite this learning curve, we never had persistent issues. With too many Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) to complete simultaneously, we added a plug-in to upload the entire database. This can entail an Excel spreadsheet or text file with up to a hundred SKUs, all linked to pictures.

We rely on him to diagnose minor setbacks, which can be difficult to locate. The often seems to function well ostensibly, and it can take days or weeks to discover a problem on a different page. We're constantly incorporating add-ons to make the site better and faster. He’s completed our initial requirements, and we send biweekly lists of requested work.

What is the team dynamic?

Although Hy is my sole contact, I know he works with other developers and subcontracts with domestic and international teams. We put him in communication with another developer we’ve contracted. They work together occasionally, and have slightly different skill sets.

How did you come to work with HyQuality?

The proprietary custom system a prior developer had built was not the best fit for our company’s needs. After researching options including Shopify, the easily-customizable Magento platform seemed best. We narrowed our search according, and chose HyQuality from five proficient developers.

His proximate New York location enabled us to easily meet in person. We appreciated his straightforward and transparent answers. He detailed his specific capabilities, and was realistic about timelines (rather than claiming he’d finish in a week). We were impressed by sites he’d designed for previous clients, particularly an Argentinian bicycle manufacturer. They looked modern and fresh, and lacked problems like bugs.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $35,000 to launch the site and for ongoing work. While we’ll eventually keep on a more formal monthly retainer, he currently charges us per specific job.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working two years ago in November 2015, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As the backend developer, his work on the site’s appearance has generated most compliments our business receives. Customers have said it’s clean, pretty, elegant, and easy to use. While there’s no specific metric to show his impact, we couldn't be where we are without him.

As a brand-new company, every sales increase looks fantastic, which might skew my perception. We hired an SEO team for marketing, including Google shopping and paid ads. When I’ve requested supplemental support, like relocating meta tags, he immediately follows through. I don't hold Hy responsible for these outcomes, because that’s not his job.

How did HyQuality perform from a project management standpoint?

Hy manages this project with his team internally, and doesn't involve us in the daily minutiae of his work with other developers. He tends to simply show us deliverables. He was fairly efficient, although I'm sure there are faster developers.

Updates are usually limited to when he’s diagnosing a problem that has caused delays. Whenever I experience difficulties, Hy identifies the issue and researches solutions crafted by other developers. He’s very responsive in his timing, and I only call him if necessary. We primarily communicate via e-mail, which he checks often.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Hy is very honest, and the value of his work is absolutely worth the price. He’s helped mitigate the growing pains we’ve experienced. Whenever he found problems, he worked until they were fixed. He showed us that there's always a solution somewhere.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clearly articulate your needs, and provide examples of comparable work for reference. Providing a visual representation of your request is easier than attempting to explain abstract concepts. Sending links to websites with specific functions allows Hy to develop a strategic methodology, using his own logic.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of a startup beauty and wellness brand, which was launched in April 2017.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HyQuality?

We needed to create a website using Shopify, which would happen in parallel with growing the business. This was a unique scenario because we didn't have product data to populate the site itself. Everything was supposed to be built together (e.g., content, brand positioning and messaging, etc.). 

Offering separate products include specialized health coachign services, which also had to be communicated effectively to end-users. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed the website's content and structure over a 10-month period. The work was divided into separate projects and completed in staggered phases. This involved develooping a whole ecoystem. Application plug-ins compatible with Spotify and a MailChimp integration (email marketing) were major focuses. Backend maintenace and ongoing content uploads are now the priority. 

What is the team dynamic?

We worked directly with the founder, who served as the liaison behind the scenes. As a full-stack developer, he was highly involved with project management. 

How did you come to work with HyQuality?

Identifying the right e-commerce platform was the first step. After selecting Shopify, we interviewed five companies based on consultations with their experts. Each company was evaluated based on support, professionalism, and supplied references. They were chosen based on the quality of their prior work. 

How much have you invested with them?

$20,000 - $30,000 [To be Kept Confidential]

What is the status of this engagement?

They started working with us in July 2016 and remains ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Press and client reactions have been amazing. We received rave reviews for our website's frontend experience - its functionality and visual appeal. The major KPIs [Key Performance Indicators] are very positive. Google Analytics and SightSpeed data indicate decreasing bounce rates. 

How did HyQuality perform from a project management standpoint?

The founder is a one-of-a-kind gem in this type of industry and partnership. He was very flexible, responsive and understanding when it comes to workflow and timelines. Unexpected incidents were always addressed professionally and in a timely manner. 

We communicated primarily by email, but sometimes relied on the phone for more immediate things. There were also periodic calls reviewing recent email correspondence. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They did a great job leveraging brand-specific customization with Shopify. It's unusual to have a foudn work directly with you on design and backend development. Input based on past experience and best practices helped build the brand. The new site accurately showcased the brand's complexity while also being mobile-friendly, which was an impressive feat. 

Advice for potential customers?

Due diligence is vital and time-consuming. It's important to understand the nuances before interpreting a vendor's ability to deliver what's needed. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Entertainment media company Senior Project Manager

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire HyQuality?

Wordpress Web Development.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed custom components for our marketing team

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Hy created the components we needed and provided the hosting and support for the microsite.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Created wordpress instance Built custom components Integration with Salesforce and mailchimp Hosted the site Support services for the year

What was the team composition?

There are 4 people working on this project, with 2 people being the main point of contact for Hy

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our marketing will now be able to make updates with needing engineering help.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We primarily used Airtable to communicate between our team and Hy

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were very diligent and kept us moving forward. Hy created the components based on our design

Are there any areas for improvement?

No. Hy was great!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

High end retail fashion company. I play many roles but recently took one developing our e-commerce business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire HyQuality?

• remodeled and build our website, and link our e-commerce
• Build our SEO
• teach employees how to use the software

What were your goals for this project?

grow our website and generate sales

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

handful of companies were recommended and we got good feedback and had a good meeting with Hyquality

Describe the project in detail.

Using Shopify we built our specific theme and added our content and all products we planned on adding to the site as well as other videos and images. To see more go check out ( dennisbasso.com )

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with Hy from Hyquality in giving direction to what we wanted our site to look like and the content and products we were adding to the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

sale of product

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

good response time, mainly contact through email and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Being able to talk to HyQuality directly about all concerns was great.

Are there any areas for improvement?

in the early stage we could of had more in person meetings for our team to better explain their vision to save more time in the process

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

LA's BEST is an afterschool enrichment program located in Los Angeles, serving 25,000 students from neighborhoods with the highest needs yet fewest resources.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire HyQuality?

We hired HyQuality to help us design and implement our digital annual reports for 3 years.

What were your goals for this project?

To have a good looking, informative digital annual report.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

HyQuality was recommended by a colleague.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

HyQuality developed our annual reports.

What was the team composition?

Our team was 2 people and we only worked directly with Hy which was really helpful. He could translate from developer language to our naive understanding on website development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The annual reports help highlight our impact.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was very effective and efficient. We kept on track with our schedule and deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The patience and help understanding ROI on the interactive website impressed us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is little to improve - nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

JXT Group is a successful digital advertising agency with a decade of experience in developing high-impact marketing strategies for online retailers and lead-generation clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire HyQuality?

We hired them for website and branding services.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to showcase our capabilities with a new, more modern website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

HyQuality came highly referred.

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

They designed a new brand identity and logo, created a new website, and developed business cards.

What was the team composition?

The CEO & creative director served as our project manager and primary point of contact.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are very happy with the results of this strategic partnership.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project was managed via email and meetings, through which they responded immediately to all comments and suggestions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They worked and communicated very quickly.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

None at all.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m one of the partners of a firm that provides training and consulting services for clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire HyQuality?

I’ve worked with HyQuality for many years. Our most recent project was a complete redesign of our website and assistance with SEO.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a fresh and new look for the website with exceptional customer service.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed six web design firms before choosing HyQuality. It’s the best decision we’ve made.

Describe the project in detail.

They revamped our website and handled mobile optimization. They also provided consulting on SEO.

What was the team composition?

Their CEO and his team were exceptional.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They exceeded our expectations. All deliverables were met on time and with tremendous attention to detail.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They worked around my schedule and shared best practices with us.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their attention to detail and responsiveness were outstanding.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No improvements were necessary for our work. They did a great job.