Oyova

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the museum director of a nonprofit responsible for preserving and interpreting a local lighthouse.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Oyova?

We had an outdated, non-flexible website that was very difficult to maintain. We needed something that could be much more dynamic, easily maintained, modern-looking, and interactive with the public.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Oyova modified our content and changed some web pages according to what we wanted to do so that the website aligns more closely with our customer base.

They provided several features that we’d never had before, including calendaring and some members-only and volunteers-only webpages, where we can communicate directly with specific people.

What is the team composition?

We had one developer who did almost all of the work. He had a supervisor who helped the developer along where he needed it, answered questions, and served as our interface. There was also a project manager who moved things along.

How did you come to work with Oyova?

We did a search in the local area for website companies. We found one that looked like it might be okay. However, someone on our board of directors was in the middle of doing an update on his business’s website with Oyova, so he introduced us.

How much have you invested with them?

The organization spent $3,800.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project kickoff was April 2020, and the website went live on September 11, 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, the website has a great look and feel. The site has allowed us to be much more engaged with our members and volunteers. Everybody loves it; it’s been very well-received. The site has enabled public visitors to understand more about the lighthouse and to ultimately get them to come out and visit.

How did Oyova perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via email and phone calls. We did Zoom meetings periodically.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were all just really nice people, and they were very engaged. The project manager was a very good people-person and on top of things. The technical lead was very knowledgeable; he knew everything. The developer was a junior person who struggled from time to time, but we got through it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It was supposed to be a five-week project that ended up being five months. It wasn’t great from that perspective, but I was okay with it because they gave us extra features and didn’t charge additional fees. The tradeoff was good, especially as a nonprofit. They gave us a very good deal. They said that they would’ve normally charged $10,000 for the website, but they stuck to $3,800. I thought that was very good of them.

Any advice for potential customers?

Stay on top of their progress and make sure that they have everything they need from you. I think we did that, but they do a lot of different things simultaneously, so you just need to be proactive in making sure they’re making progress.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior manager of marketing. We’re an eyecare company that sells two products: a device that measures misalignment within eyes and a lens that corrects alignment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Oyova?

We needed to rebrand, rebuild, and simplify our current website. Our CRM also had to be integrated with our website to capture leads.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We spent about two months sizing the project and negotiating a proposal. Then, we moved into different phases including articulating the look and feel (based on our vision). They totally delivered on our design perspective thanks to the inspirational sites we shared with them. It didn’t work out, since our product isn’t as sexy as the examples we used but we returned to the drawing board to work on wireframes and design and UI.

This different path had us doing weekly calls with them to refine the UI. It also included meetings where they walked us through how to manage the site and the deliverables. They were open to making revisions as well.

In terms of platforms, they used WordPress, Hubspot, Google Analytics, and more. They also worked with various one-off plugins.

What is the team composition?

Beth (Account Manager) and Ryan (Senior Implementation Engineer) are great.

How did you come to work with Oyova?

We were connected with them through the marketing agency we work with, who works with them closely. Our CMO has worked with Oyova in the past as well at other companies.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $25,000-$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February until June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered on everything proposed, completely meeting our expectations. We’d love to work with them on other projects moving forward. They’re our go-to when it comes to anything web-based. Our last site was very clunky and since we migrated to Ovoya’s site we’ve received nothing but great feedback. People comment on the simple and intuitive navigations and user journey. On top of that, it’s much clearer to us how exactly we’re generating leads. We also went through a rebranding and everything fell into place with that as well.

How did Oyova perform from a project management standpoint?

Even post-project, everyone is on it. We’ve had them work on two smaller sites as well and they’re always responsive, replying immediately. In one-to-one meetings, they’re as honest as possible.

They always came to the table with their deliverables. Scope always changes no matter how much you had it in writing and Oyova was great at accommodating us. They handled expectations very well and were clear about moving in and out of the proposal’s scope.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re great, honest people. It’s probably the reason they’re so successful. I’m very confident in their work and ability to exceed expectations.

Their transparency and ability to react/respond immediately sets them apart. They’re also empathetic; you have to lead off with that, especially in this day and age. They were a good fit vision-wise, as well as experts in our HubSpot CRM. They didn’t have to bring in anyone outside.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everyone wants everything cheaper but I wouldn’t even change their price. I wouldn’t do anything better if I could revisit it either. Everything from their end was great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend them with flying colors! Outside of that, be clear about your expectations. That doesn’t fall on Oyova’s plate. Think about what you want really well before you put it on the table for them to execute. At some points, we leaned on their expertise and suggestions. They can guide you if you ask but know what you want initially. It’s the same for any project with any vendor.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the national sales manager for an Epson solutions provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Oyova?

We were interested in improving our brand awareness and position in the marketplace. We felt a couple of areas that were lacking were our website, SEO, email marketing efforts, and Google AdWords. We had a very fragmented approach that wasn’t generating positive results.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, they rebuilt our Magento website from scratch. Then, they made sure it was designed and optimized for SEO and Google Ads. Next, they updated our Sharpspring CRM tool. After, they set up Google Analytics we could go over together.

What is the team composition?

Initially, we started the relationship with Jon (President & Chief Revenue Officer, Oyova). Then we transitioned to working with Brandon (Senior Account Manager), and Angela (Director of Marketing Services). There are also 10-12 members of their team that we’ll engage with from time to time.

How did you come to work with Oyova?

We did a lot of research since we’ve been disappointed by vendors in the past. We had a 12-month, three-phase process, and we narrowed our pool down to 12 companies. We had phone interviews with all 12 and eliminated six. Then, we did sampling and web conference calls to really understand what they offer. From there, we narrowed it down to our top 3 picks, and Oyova was one of those. We drove down, demanded references, went and visited each one at their corporate facility, and wanted to meet their staff. Finally, we landed on Oyova.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $100,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2018, and our work is ongoing with continuing development on our marketing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website traffic has dramatically increased, and as a result, our conversion rates and gross revenue have increased, too. We’re actually up in sales during the pandemic, and we 100% believe Oyova is the reason we’re up in a really struggling economy. Everything gets consistently better with them, which we love. They truly deliver what they promise.

How did Oyova perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re incredible. I have a dashboard can see every communication between their employees, so I know everything they’re doing at all times. Most of the time, they’re waiting on us for the content they need to execute. It’s rare that we’ll be waiting on them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They deliver more than what they say. The team's process is highly sophisticated, which elevates our company. They’re not just giving us results; they’ve made us better as a company. The work is complicated but the delivery mechanism is always simple.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Maybe an annual or semi-annual call with all of their behind-the-scene personnel would be helpful. I’m constantly talking to Angela and Brandon, but it would strategize the team that we don’t normally speak with and strategize about how to sustain our success going forward.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You don’t know what you don’t know. I know that’s said a lot, but there’s so much that we didn’t know. Our focus is on the goods and services we provide to the customer. The tools that we use to carry that message change.

My advice is to be clear about what you want, but be open-minded to listen to what you need. That’s where Oyova helped us. I don’t know if our company would’ve survived in the state of 2020, had it not been for Oyova. The work that they did for us last year saved our company this year. If you don’t give a call to Oyova, you’re crazy. Let them help you win.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Travelive is a luxury travel agency, specializing in Mediterranean Destinations. I am in charge of Technology-related projects across the company. (systems, integrations, etc)

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Oyova?

We hired Oyova to design and develop an online portal integrated with our travel database software and online payment platform.

What were your goals for this project?

The end user (client-agents) had to be able to search and book services, make online payments, get necessary documents for their bookings and browse content.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended/introduced to us by another agency.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

design-development-testing-launch

What was the team composition?

3-4 people from Oyova, 3 people from Travelive. I was the point of contact for Travelive.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are still building our content and pricing policy for the portal so it has not been launched yet. It has been internally launched though to our Accounting dep and has significantly cut down time previously needed to data entry transactions in multiple systems.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Weekly group calls and much intermediate communication to align objectives and ensure timely delivery.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were impressed by their broad technical skills and short response times

Are there any areas for improvement?

none that i can think of

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a local landscaping business servicing Jacksonville, Florida and the surrounding area. My position with the business is coordinating all of the sales, projects, and services, as well as billing and payroll for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Oyova?

Our main goal with the project was to stand out from our competition. In Florida, there is a huge need for landscaping services in both residential and commercial, and we were looking for a partner that could help us design and develop a website that gave us a more professional face.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started out with a few meetings where we explained to them what we were looking for and they gathered some images and ideas and then pretty much took the reins from there. Their team put together the full design wireframes, offered great suggestions in terms of features we could include, and then built out the entire site from scratch.

What was the team composition?

All of our communication flowed through two people, including a project manager and frontend designer. Since we’re not a technical team, they communicated the requirements to the backend developers themselves from there.

How did you come to work with Oyova?

They are local to Jacksonville, and people we know have used and recommended their services so it was a pretty easy decision for us to make.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was probably in the $1,000–$3,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

The whole project was turned around incredibly quickly, lasting probably for the month of June 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The biggest way that the project helped us was by eliminating existing costs that we had as a company. Prior to building the site, we had to rely on a paid leads service that could help carry us through particularly colder months and things like that.

Once we had the website put together, the majority of people who were contacting us were actually just finding us online and going through our contact form, so we were able to stop paying for incoming leads. That saves us time and it makes the entire process easier for our customers, so it’s really a win-win.

How did Oyova perform from a project management standpoint?

The whole process was incredibly easy for us to manage over email with them. The person who took the lead on it made sure that we had all of our questions and requests taken care of and that we were able to review their work easily without having an extensive back and forth about any changes we wanted to make. They were really helpful throughout the process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What I really liked is that we didn’t have to give them all the answers or show them exactly what we wanted the final site to look like from the beginning. They gave us the confidence to trust that they were going to build out a site that made us look good, was user friendly, and performed well for us, even without us putting a lot of effort into figuring out the technical side of things.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing in particular that stands out as something they could have done better in my opinion.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

No matter how big or small your project is, use the tools that they have available. It’s going to make everyone’s job a lot easier, communication will stay open, and you won’t run into any problems that you can’t solve together.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a florist who designs daily signature arrangements, as well as special event and wedding florals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Oyova?

We were tracking our orders manually and then would have to cut off sales for a certain date after we reached our capacity. This meant monitoring our emails 24/7 and then going into the backend of the website to turn off the ordering capability by hand. We also had to manually change the day of the week on the website home page daily.

What were your goals for this project?

We hired Oyova to develop an e-commerce site with an ordering and inventory system. We also needed them to create a dynamic home page so that the day of the week updated automatically and an overall updated look to our website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Oyova was recommended to us from a friend and we were familiar with some of their work. We knew they had the expertise to analyse our needs and ultimately come up with a solution that worked for our business.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They designed, developed and executed a backend business ordering and inventory system. They used our current order form as a template to create a custom ordering system that allowed us to manage available dates, number of arrangements for sale each day, the price per item and delivery charges.

The system tracks our inventory automatically, closes out the day when there is no more inventory available and notifies the purchaser how much inventory is left in stock when they were placing an order. They also integrated our website with Instagram and updated the overall look.

What was the team composition?

We had a project lead, two primary developers and a project manager that we worked with directly. The project manager communicated with us regarding open tasks, provided updates and followed up when items were completed.

Our project lead was available to answer questions, offer solutions and walk us through how to mange the backend system. The two other developers worked on the specific tasks and communicated as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a florist, a fresh modern website that integrates with our social media has had a huge impact. Its the first impression someone has of our business and our style. Our new ordering system has had a tremendous impact on business efficiency.

We no longer have the stress of checking emails constantly which has given us more time throughout the day to focus on our business and ultimately allow us to open up more sales.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project management was exceptional. They hit every deadline, completed the project ahead of their timeline and delivered above expectations. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What we found most impressive was their ability to identify our business needs and create a custom solution that addressed those needs and simplified our business processes. Also, being able to communicate with the project manager and directly with the developer was an added value. This allowed us to streamline the process and ultimately save time. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were very satisfied with our experience and the end result.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Privately owned website providing information and promoting Vermont businesses and events.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Oyova?

Our site is Cold Fusion and we were having problems finding programmers to address issues. We hired them to fix some problems we couldn't handle in house and to help us out with some problems. Unfortunately we ran into some serious issues with health problems with our own staff and family members last year. OYOVA did a quick pivot and ended up handling some of our weekly updates while we spent about 2 months dealing with hospitals and funerals.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to have some old code updates and to develop a relationship with a company that did CF programming for us.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They came highly recommended by a company that we worked with about 10 years ago who no longer did CF programming. The company we worked with prior to Oyova also changed their business model and no longer offered CF programming.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project changed. At first it was a few quick fixes. We started to work with them on a longer term project to update the site to make it more mobile friendly and do some SEO work. Health problems with our core staff members kind of hurt the process. No fault of theirs. They have been very receptive to problems that arise and if we haven't needed anything done, thy proactively touch base.

What was the team composition?

Beth Rener is our go to person at Oyova. We email or call her and she checks in with her team to determine who needs to do a particular job.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had to stop the long term problems on our end. We are a small business and staff health problems lead to us having to stop almost every project. Unfortunately COVID will most likely delay any future large projects for at least 6 months to a year.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They were good. Weer were bad. We had a lot of projects and the person on our team in charge had a hard time prioritizing and focusing. I'm sure it must t have been frustrating for them.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Very professional and responsive to our calls/emails. Even if they could not immediately work on something, they responded to let us know they got our requests and when they would be able to follow up.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not on their part.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of a retail gun shop in Jacksonville, Florida.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Oyova?

We had an outdated site and needed help starting fresh with a new platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created our new site from scratch. We wanted a site that we could customize ourselves, so we wouldn’t need a developer if we wanted to make small changes. We gave them some content, and they focused on the site’s design and development.

What is the team composition?

We had one project manager who was our main point of contact. A few times we had a conference call with the designers and developers on the call.

How did you come to work with Oyova?

Initially, I just did a web search for web developers in our city and started calling the ones that had the best Google ratings.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2019 and went live in June 2020. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our old site would give us 1–2 email requests per day. As soon as the new site was published, we started to get 30 emails per day, so people are definitely finding the site much easier now.

How did Oyova perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very good at project management. Usually, our project manager responds within 5–10 minutes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their responsiveness was helpful, especially for someone like me that doesn’t know much about web development.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything they could’ve done better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have any questions throughout the process, ask them and they’ll definitely answer them. You don’t have to sit there and be anxious about how things will turn out, they’re very open.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of digital at a medical-grade skincare company.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Oyova?

We were looking for a multi-site platform where we could change multiple sites at once. We also wanted to have customers select a staff member or a different location, so that the dermatologist and physician’s offices could reward their staff members as an incentive. Finally, we needed a site optimized for easy navigation throughout the shopping experience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We did a pilot testing study last year. We worked with Oyova to test out what the website templates would be for this program. With each account, they’d customize the build-out for the site. The team uses WordPress and WooCommerce to build out the sites. They did mostly development but also had a hand in designing it.

What is the team composition?

We have one main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Oyova?

They came on before my time.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $100,000–$150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2019, and our work is still ongoing as we continue to onboard new accounts.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve sales for our accounts and they’ve been able to honor customer sales through the accounts that we launched. We’ve also had positive feedback from our accounts regarding the websites.

How did Oyova perform from a project management standpoint?

We have one status meeting per week and we’re also connected via Slack.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re super responsive and eager to problem solve and troubleshoot with us. The team helps us think outside the box and have been flexible in terms of working with us. We really appreciate that in general in our partnership.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We need to find a way to manage costs better with them. Like any agency, they have billable hours; we’re trying to create new sites without additional customization, which can add time and cost.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing specialist for a nationwide roofing company. I handle anything and everything digital that goes out.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Oyova?

We do all door-to-door sales, with four subsidiary brands that we act under. We were working with a team for our web development needs, but they weren’t meeting what we needed. We were growing pretty quick and needed someone to help us quickly and efficiently improve our website so it was top quality.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We recently updated a series of landing pages for everything on our site with them. Since COVID-19, we couldn’t go knocking on doors anymore, so we had to figure out a better way to attract homeowners to our business. This led to their team helping us develop a referral program. We designed it on our end and then their team developed it. 

They supported all of our brands by creating several landing pages. They’ve also helped us translate everything on one of our websites to Spanish, since we work with a lot of Spanish-speaking subcontractors. 

What is the team composition?

Beth is my point of contact for anything I need help with, and she disperses it to her team. I’ve spoken to about 3–4 people from their team, but I’m sure there’s more.

How did you come to work with Oyova?

Our director of marketing knows the owner of the company. When we were done with the previous relationship, it was an easy no-brainer to go with them since we knew they do quality work. 

How much have you invested with them?

We probably spend around $1,500 per month with them. We’ve spent in the range of $10,000–$15,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since November 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve helped us prosper during COVID-19; without their work, we wouldn’t be able to flourish like we are. Without the new landing page for the referral program, we likely would have lost some jobs and not be doing as well as we currently are. Within a day, the page was up and running efficiently. 

They’ve really helped us reach other cultures than the ones we normally target. Being able to switch the site over to Spanish has really helped us build relationships with subcontractors quickly. They’ve helped us attract higher-quality candidates because of the detailed pages they’ve put together. 

How did Oyova perform from a project management standpoint?

They are extremely efficient. We mostly email back and forth very efficiently. They’ve been very thorough. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everything seems personal when we’re working together. Even our emails touch on how we’re doing and our families, so it’s never 100% business and that’s really important for our family-oriented culture. To have that same culture with them has been fantastic. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Off the top of my head, I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go in with a bunch of projects and set expectations that they will be met exactly as you need. Expect everything to be up and running in the fastest time possible.