Rave Digital

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of an industry analyst firm. Our team helps clients understand technology markets and make good technology puirchases.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rave Digital, and what were your goals?

Rave Digital created a customer WordPress website that allows us to post and promote our content, sell subscriptions, collect credit card payments, and even capture data from website visitors. For example, Rave created a custom module that allows our website visitors to vote on which audio and video clips they prefer.

Rave created another module that allows product vendors to enter data about their products into a database that we then make available to our paying subscribers. Our website also integrates with the Hubspot marketing automation tool.

SOLUTION

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

I was searching for web development partners and then met with the owner of Rave. They were very interested in working with our company, and they welcomed the challenge of creating custom modules and integrations.

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

The proejct started with a series of kickoff meetings to discuss the goals and requirements. The team then provided mock-ups of pages and workflows. We then started talking about the various modules and required integrations.

We started off by trying to use existing plug-ins, but those apps were far too limiting. We determined that having Rave create custom modules was the proper path. Our site uses WordPress as the core engine. Rave created our theme and our registration process. The site leverages a range of plug-ins, including

1. A custom company assignment module that assigns registered users to the proper companies based on email address domains.
2. A custom subscription module that allows us to sell subscriptions to companies - not individual users. This module allows us to offer specific content to specific companies.
3. A custom comparison module that lets us present audio and video files to website visitors and capture feedback, which we then use to rank the quality of those files.
4. A custom database engine that allows us to provide comparison information on competing products and services. Notably, the vendors themselves provide the actual data. Our system is friendly enough to allow third-parties to enter data.
5. A custom newsletter module that gathers recent content and sends a newsletter out to subscribers and registered users. All of this is built on a custom WordPress engine created and managed by Rave.

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

Over the years, we've worked with 9 or 10 people from Rave, including:

• The Owner
• The Senior Project Manager
• Several Graphic Designers
• Server Support Folks
• Roughly five development engineers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As I explained above, this is a complex site and project. But no matter what, the Rave team gave it their all. Sometimes things took longer than we'd hoped, but that was due to the complexity of the requirement. In the end, the Rave folks always made sure it worked properly. The team has worked weekends and nights to make sure things turned out well for us. Our website is our face to the world, and Rave made it happen!

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

The project management style depends on the requirement. For the "standard" parts of our site, the team offered tight and detailed project management. However, for the custom areas, the project management team included us in the process. We worked together to define the goals, define the testing requirements, and roll-out the new features.

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

Two words come to mind — flexibility and dedication. This team is flexible enough to accept almost any request. Sometimes the deadlines were very tight, but they still accepted the challenge. This team is willing to go above and beyond. This team is also dedicated to the success of their clients. Even today, we had a minor issue, and a senior developer we worked with two years ago quickly jumped in to assist. He was busy with other projects, but made himself available to help.

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

This team gives its all. However, one area of improvement would be in the area of feature testing. To be clear - this is also our issue. Sometimes we ask for new features or bug fixes urgently - meaning RIGHT NOW. As a result, the coders don't have the time needed to thoroughly test each new item or fix. It would be helpful to have a dedicated team of testers / QA folks on our account. However, our budget won't support the additional resources.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

America's Test Kitchen is a print and digital publishing company whose mission is to test recipes and equipment over and over again until we understand how and why they work. We make mistakes so the home cook does not have to. My position at ATK is as the Director of eCommerce and Affiliates.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rave Digital, and what were your goals?

We originally hired Rave to help us migrate from M1 to M2. We have continued to retain Rave as our go-to e-commerce development partner.

SOLUTION

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

We felt Rave was best situated to handle our unique business as they had previous experience working with our OMS partner.

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

For our migration, we had an initial meeting where we discussed our needs, the scope of the project, and our timeline. We then provided a list of requirements (new and existing) along with wireframes and design requirements. From that point on we measured the project through key steps and deliverables. We had some unique challenges related to custom product types, a custom payment capture tool, and unique connections to our marketing tools and databases. We were involved in project management and QA throughout the entirety of the process.

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

Unsure of the actual number of people from Rave that helped with our migration and what their titles were. Our two lead developers were and continue to be Shilpesh and Ajay.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Rave hit all of our deliverables and our new site launched on time and on budget. We have seen significant improvements in site speed averaging about 40% faster than when we were on M1 and we continue to add new and exciting features.

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

We use Teamworks for project management, Slack, and weekly status check-ins to make sure we're working on the right projects and sticking to our timelines.

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

The fact that we have a direct line of communication with Rave Digital 24/7 through Slack is invaluable. If it's Sunday night at 6 PM and we have an issue that needs attention, we never have issues getting someone from Rave to help.

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

We have a steady stream of communication on a daily basis but at times I still struggle with knowing exactly what information Rave needs in order to tackle some of our projects. Having a list of requirements needed for specific project types would be helpful and potentially cut down on some back and forth. We have also had some ongoing issues (mainly with our checkout flow) that have gone unresolved.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

COO of a digital agency offering a wide range of development services to clients from across the globe.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rave Digital, and what were your goals?

We hired Rave Digital to create our online store in Magento. Our goal is to give our customers a user friendly interface with a unique shopping experience.

SOLUTION

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

After thorough discussions with a lot of eCommerce agencies, we hired Rave Digital as they had a huge team of certified Magento developers and they are more reasonable to us.

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

We need our store website with very precise analytics and reporting systems like sales reports, low stock reports etc. We want catalog management to be flawless and payment and shipping to be smooth and secure. The store should be SEO and Mobile friendly.

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

We had a chance to work with the project manager and a team of certified Magento developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The store performs very well all round. It is fast, efficient, and secure. The store can process up to 10,000 orders per day — which is more than enough for us. What’s more, it is responsive and user-friendly and delivers a consistent UX.

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

The project was handled through JIRA and Slack. We had weekly meetings over Zoom to discuss the project. They were very particular about deadlines and delivered things on time.

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

We enjoyed working with them. More than anything else, their commitment and dedication towards the project impressed us. They are responsive, and helped us understand technicalities that we had no idea about. They proactively looked for solutions that can make the UX better.

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

Rave Digital team is efficient, reliable, and competent.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Operations Manager at a publishing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rave Digital, and what were your goals?

We hired Rave Digital to build a storefront for our book store. The primary objective is to ensure it’s safe, secure, and reliable. We need the store to be SEO friendly and has the potential to drive in customers from several search engines.

SOLUTION

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

We found them via Google. After reviewing their portfolio, previous work, client experiences, we scheduled a call with their team. Over the call, we found them professional and friendly so we have decided to work with them.

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

They first created the storefront on Magento2 with many custom extensions following the standard architecture of Magento2 extension. For Frontend they have used HTML5, CSS, jQuery and JavaScript and PHP, MySQL and XML are used for backend. REST APIs are used for setting the connection between PoS and e-commerce. We have many features implemented. A few of them I remember are multi currency, gift registry, subscription, bundle, related products integrations.

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

We worked with a Solution Consultant initially. A team of a tech lead and 2 Magento developers and a UI/UX designer is assigned to us who are still our point of contact for any query.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The store is yet to be deployed, so as such we don’t have any numbers yet.. But overall, if we talk about its user experience and design, they have done a wonderful job.We are still very excited to see the final outcome of the project.

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

The project was managed via JIRA and mostly used email for any updates. . Our weekly meetings happened via Zoom.

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

They are a tight-knit team of certified Magento professionals. Their professionalism is unmatched.. They considered our feedback, and their willingness to adapt was impressive. At this stage we couldn’t ask for more. stage. couldn’t ask for more.

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

NA

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner of a fast food restaurant chain having over 40+ outlets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rave Digital, and what were your goals?

We wanted to create a store for selling our ready to eat food packets and thus were looking for a reliable technology partner who can develop it for us.That store had to be secure, easy to use, and visually engaging.

SOLUTION

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

Rave was referred to us by an acquaintance who happened to work with them on a project few years back.

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

Their team helped us develop our website from the ground up. They not only identified the best platform for our marketplace but also handled the entire project. In the discovery phase, they helped us brainstorm features of the website and created scope of work.

They then designed user experience and wireframes of our site. Post that, they kicked off development of the store. They also created custom modules for our website. Once the site was ready, it went through robust QA and testing. Finally, when everything was up to the mark, they deployed it.

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

We worked with a team of eCommerce developers and a technical architect.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The store can process up to 1000 orders at a time. It’s efficient, fast, and easy to use. We recently conducted a user experience survey and it showed 90% of our users are happy with the experience.

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

We communicated through emails and had weekly calls to keep tracks on the progress of the project and tasks. They adhered to the set timelines and were proactive at communication. Their team sent us reports on a daily/weekly basis and responded to our emails almost immediately.

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

They are competent and technically sound. Unlike other agencies, they delivered what they promised. Working with them was a great experience. We would certainly work with them again whenever required.

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

They have been a great technology partner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I head the technical department of an influencer and a public figure. We also offer training and coaching services to individuals seeking to make their career in public speaking.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rave Digital, and what were your goals?

We were seeking to develop an eCommerce store for selling our merchandise and other products. As for the technology, we wanted to use Magento. The store must be secure, and easy to use. We also needed their help in promoting the store and its products once it was live.

SOLUTION

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

We were in touch with many agencies for this project. Rave stood out as they had an impressive portfolio and clientele. Plus, we saw they had worked with many similar projects like ours. We felt confident about their capabilities and thus hired them.

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

As we wanted to develop the store from scratch, their team had to start from the very beginning. They took care of everything from creating the UI/UX designs to developing the store and integrating payment gateway to it.

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

We worked with a team of Magento developers, a tech lead, a project manager, UI/UX experts, and QA engineers. A project manager was also assigned to our project who ensured things were executed on time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The store is very well designed. It delivers a consistent user experience all round. Their team managed to integrate all the required features and payment gateways. We’re happy all the important boxes have been checked out: speed, performance, and usability.

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

Emails were our primary form of communication. Apart from that, we used Zoom for conference calls and scheduling meetings. Their team sent us updates almost everyday. They also adhered to timelines and ensured the project wasn’t delayed.

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

People from Rave have been very supportive throughout the journey. They guided us in the right direction, even when it meant less business for them. The ideas they brought to the table added significant value to the project. We’re very happy with our collaboration with Rave.

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

Umm, nothing in particular.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CTO of a digital agency. We help our clients thrive on the digital forefront with our products and services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rave Digital, and what were your goals?

We were working with a client who wanted to migrate their Magento store from version 1 to 2. Because we didn’t have enough bandwidth for the project, we collaborated with the Rave Digital team for the project.

SOLUTION

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

They were recommended to us by a business associate. We looked over their portfolio, and experience with Magento - they had been working with the platform for years now and have a sound team of Magento certified developers. Thus, we decided to hand over the project to them.

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

They first took a backup of all the data that was on the older version, then they developed custom modules that were compatible with the latest version of Magento 2. And finally, once the new features and modules were ready, they successfully migrated the entire e-commerce store to Magento 2. Whole migration process was swift and conducted error-free.

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

We worked with a team of certified Magento developers, a tech lead, and a project manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They managed to migrate the entire store in less than a month - which was very impressive, considering our giant product catalog and other add-ons. The new store is 40% faster, and delivers a great user experience all round.

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

We used JIRA for project management and mostly communicated via emails. They were very proactive at communication and always there whenever we needed help.

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

Working with them was a great experience. They were like our partners, and they handled the migration process very meticulously. Not all agencies are equally good at handling intricate migrations.

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

Nothing in particular.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

VP of a popular salon chain having over 600+ outlets across the nation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rave Digital, and what were your goals?

We were looking to develop a storefront based on Magento with high-quality hair and beauty products and supplies. We wanted to design the website to provide hassle-free friendly customer service on time.

SOLUTION

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

Rave Digital is recommended by our technical lead. He met with them in an Magento conference and was very impressed by their portfolio.

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

We wanted to create a storefront based on Magento which boosts sales and reflects our brands. There are many features like Megamenu, Store Locator, One Step Checkout, Customer Loyalty management, Advanced Reports, Daily Deals, Ajax Cart, Mailchimp Integration etc. to make our store functional, professional, and friendly with an excellent shopping experience for your customers.

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

The team consists of one Solution Consultant, 2 Developers and a Designer. Later we have also involved their Digital Marketing team for SEO.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The outcome is a beautifully responsive beauty supply store with an increase of 32% in conversions and 31% increase in transactions. The revenue has increased by 22%.

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

The project was managed via JIRA. We communicated once every week via Zoom. Their team of project managers was proactive and good at communication. They also respected timelines and informed us well in advance in case of any delays.

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

We’re impressed with their expertise and overall Magento experience. They have certified Magento developers who know the platform in and out. We are happy with what they have created in the limited time.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Co-founder of a global public speaking forum providing a platform to ordinary people who’ve accomplished extraordinary feats.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rave Digital, and what were your goals?

We were seeking to develop a Shopify website for our public speaking platform. We wanted to sell our merchandise through the website (things like caps, t-shirts, keychains, and various other goodies).

SOLUTION

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

We came to know about Rave Digital after discussing several options with our technical consultant. After conducting extensive research about their firm and their past projects, we were interested in contacting them. After an initial call, we had a basic discussion about our requirements and their team seemed like the right fit for the job because they had experience in working with similar projects in the past years. Their portfolio was very interesting and we were convinced that they could handle our project.

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

During the early stages of the project, we had handed the vendor team a list of our requirements and they provided us with an estimated completion time for the same. Their team conceptualized the website’s look and feel such that it resonated with our target audience. They uploaded all our products, integrated payment gateways, 2FA, and several other important features we needed on the site for better usability and ease of use.

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

Our project was assigned with a project manager who helped our team in supervision and in providing support wherever we needed assistance. There was a team of developers and a team who worked on the UI/UX aspect of the website because we wanted to ensure the web store looked aesthetically pleasing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While the website is in its final stage to go live - so it's too early to talk about the numbers - but we’re happy with how the project turned out. Their team’s involvement in the project was exceptional. They handheld us at every step and made sure everything fell in the right place.

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

The project was professionally managed, as the project manager was providing our team with updated information via Teamwork and acted as the point of communication for both of our teams. A general update about the progress of the assignment is provided to our team on a weekly basis and this communication is shared mostly over a Zoom Call.

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

We were highly impressed by the fact that their team was always ensuring to meet every expectation that we held in terms of the project becoming a success and they were constantly checking with us if we were content with the way work was moving along and did everything to accommodate our requests.

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

No