Realm

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Good Earth

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We manufacture handmade soap and body care products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Realm to accomplish?

Design a new Shopify website

SOLUTION

How did you find Realm?

Online Search

Why did you select Realm over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

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

Realm created and designed a new Shopify website for our company. They developed a cohesive marketing plan and implemented the marketing plan for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Weekly updates, zoom meetings, along with input from myself on the design and layout of the site.

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

Realm was extremely timely in responding to emails and questions. The site was actually delivered sooner than I anticipated. The launch was timed around our schedule, so there was very minimal worry and stress on our end as new users of Shopify.

What was your primary form of communication with Realm?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

How responsive and professional Realm was to our needs. This is by far the best website we have had as a company. I am so proud of what Realm created for us. They took my vision and improved it tremendously. It turned out way better than what I had envisioned.

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

I have zero suggestions, and I am a fairly critical person with an eye for detail. My expectations rarely are ever met, and Realm exceeded them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager of a manufacturer and importer of luxury gifts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Realm?

Realm created separate wholesale and retail websites from our existing site. They worked with us to provide an updated re-design specific to both channels. The data migration was seamless, and the launch timely resulting in an immediate increase in sales volume.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Realm built two websites for us using Shopify’s Online Store 2.0 with some customizations. They had built one website for us years ago that they were able to use as a foundation. They advised us on the best ways to split the site in two based on what would be important for the retail site and the wholesale site. They built all the pages, managed the UX/UI, and selected and embedded apps that met our business needs on the site. 

Realm provided business insight in addition to software expertise; they considered how the website could make it easier for customers to make purchases. They even pointed out how we could create additional revenue channels or reach out to customers throughout the customer journey. Realm also improved customer communication. They implemented abandoned cart follow-up messages, email signups, and other email marketing tools.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with one developer at Realm, and I know there was also an assistant on the team. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from May–September 2022. 

How did you come to work with Realm?

I wasn’t with the company when they first hired Realm to develop the original site 3–4 years ago. However, I know they were very happy with their work then; we reached back out to them when we wanted to build two separate sites. They already had experience working with companies with marketing issues similar to ours.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site was ready around July, but we weren’t ready to launch it until September. We wanted to wait until after we had implemented a new ERP system.

After launching the new, separate sites, we experienced at least a 20% increase in revenue. The websites enabled customers to comfortably and safely make purchases. It was amazing.

How did the company perform from a project management standpoint?

Realm outlined the project very clearly for us, and it went very smoothly. They were completely on task and extremely organized. The timing was exactly as they said; nothing ever ran over. 

We primarily communicated via email, and they always responded right away. Realm had the technical expertise and business knowledge to communicate with our team effectively; it was easy to explain what we wanted. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Knowledge, responsiveness, exceeded expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Would recommend without hesitation and in fact I already have!!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager at Sunrise Flour Mill. We produce heritage organic flour in small batches, and we sell through our website and wholesale.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Realm?

We decided to move our website from WordPress to Shopify, but we needed to migrate a lot of customer reviews, gift cards, and other information we already had in place on our WordPress site. Thus, we hired Realm to help us with the migration process.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Realm has helped us redesign our website in Shopify and migrate our former website’s data. Additionally, they’ve integrated a subscription program and a loyalty and rewards program, which we didn’t have previously. Since completing the development project, Realm has offered ongoing e-commerce consulting services and maintenance.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Jay (Realm).

How did you come to work with Realm?

I found them online. We were very impressed with the conversations we had with Jay; he was very knowledgeable, personable, and responsive to all of our questions. Moreover, he shared his knowledge really freely with us, so we felt that we could work very well with them. We also liked that we weren’t dealing with a big agency with a lot of bureaucracy because we could talk directly with the owner.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2022, and the site was launched in September 2022, but our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to the subscription program implemented by Realm, we’ve seen new revenue coming in, and our conversion rate has increased. Moreover, we’ve received a lot of positive comments about our new website.

How did Realm perform from a project management standpoint?

Realm is very responsive to all of our questions and concerns, and they’ve collaborated with us to troubleshoot issues. We communicate via email and Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Realm’s responsiveness and troubleshooting skills are their biggest strengths. Moreover, the fact that we can communicate directly with Jay is excellent. He has been able to find solutions for all of our ideas and goals.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking to improve your e-commerce site, I can highly recommend working with Realm. Just ask them for what you want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Shoppe Six, an e-commerce homeware store.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Realm?

We needed help updating our Shopify e-commerce site. I had been researching how to optimize our store, and I found many changes needed on our products and collections to optimize them. However, I needed someone to make those changes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Realm helped me update my e-commerce store to optimize it. Initially, they made suggestions on how to optimize the site, and one of the best ways to do so was to install an add-on. Thus, they helped me install what was needed, along with other plug-ins they added to our store.

One of the add-ons that Realm helped us install was Omnisend. Once installed, they set up all of the automated processes for sign-ups, discounts, and marketing emails. Additionally, they integrated, set up, and automated Stamped for product reviews, as well as another tool for rewards.

In addition to the add-ons, Realm helped us update our site’s design, especially for our collections and products. They also redesigned the home page, footer, and header.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Jay (Owner & Designer).

How did you come to work with Realm?

At the time, I was living in Minneapolis, and I wanted to work with someone local. I found Realm on Google and discovered that they were a Shopify expert, so I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $4,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–July 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Realm helped us improve the look and functionality of our site, and their work met our expectations. We’ve received a lot of positive feedback.

How did Realm perform from a project management standpoint?

Realm met our deadlines and stayed on budget. This was a collaborative effort. To diminish the costs, I helped Jay with smaller and simpler tasks, such as updating images and editing part of the content. He constantly gave me instructions on what to do.

Most of the time, I communicated with Realm via email. I usually sent them access to various things, and they sent me videos and instructions on what I needed to do. For other updates, they provided me with a platform to book appointments with them for a video call.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Realm was very kind, helpful, and honest.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they could have done better. I was very happy with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Lay out your concerns and schedule an initial meeting with Realm to discuss your budget and see what they can get done within that budget.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm an executive for a SaaS solution and we needed an updated website to represent our company's move into the Defense/Government market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

MailRoute needed to communicate clearly that our solutions benefit a range of customers, of differing sizes and industries. We rebuilt the website to reflect our move toward more service plans, and one of those plans are highly specialized for Defense contractors. We didn't want this plan to confuse or scare off customers from other industries. 

SOLUTION

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

We chose Realm because they came highly recommended as an agency that can solve problems creatively, can organize information in interesting ways, and can keep visitors on the site.

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

We engaged Realm for a complete overhaul of our website, including our trial request forms that needed to be different by service plan.

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

I worked primarily with the owner of the company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our new customers have told us that the website explains everything clearly and answered all of their pre-sales questions.

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

Highly responsive, quick turnaround and easy scheduling for ongoing meetings.

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

What's impressive is the creative problem-solving that Realm brought to the challenges.

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

I'm very happy and will continue to use Realm for our website, SEO and other projects.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Plush Pumpkin, Inc. We design handmade home decorative items made out of velvet, like pumpkins, hearts, acorns, and more.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Realm?

I wanted to update and upgrade the theme of my Shopify website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Realm helped me update my Shopify theme. Initially, I sent them an email describing what I wanted, and they got back at me immediately, asking a couple of questions for more detail. We also set a price and signed the service agreement. After that, they executed the assignment very promptly.

What is the team composition?

I only worked with Jay (Owner & Designer).

How did you come to work with Realm?

I found Realm through Google research when looking for a local Shopify expert. Jay was very quick at getting back to me, and I decided to work with him after asking him if he would be the one working directly with me. I really liked that I was already communicating with the person who would be in charge of the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–May 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, my website is much better than it used to be. Given that we’re a seasonal business, we won’t see the real impact on our sales until September or October. Still, based on the website's upgrades, I would be surprised if our sales were not much higher than last year.

How did Realm perform from a project management standpoint?

Realm’s project management was excellent. Everything was task-oriented and goal-oriented, and they did everything on time; I was very happy with their performance. We communicated via email and Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

When I worked with other companies, they usually passed the project along to other team members after we signed the contract. However, that was not the case with Realm. From the first moment I talked with them, I was already talking with my go-to person, which was very important to me. Moving forward, I now have a great Shopify expert I can reach out to if I need future assistance with my site.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I can’t think of anything I wasn’t happy with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go in knowing exactly what you want to accomplish. If you have a Shopify website, Realm is an expert you can reach out to answer any questions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Freewaters, a casual footwear company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Realm?

We needed to update our website. We wanted a fresher look and improved functionalities for conversion. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Realm redid our Shopify website from scratch, working on our platform from conceptualization to launch. 

What is the team composition?

Jay (Owner) was our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Realm?

They were referred by a vendor we worked with. I interviewed six companies, and I found Realm to be the best fit for our needs.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–July 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website converted better compared to our old platform. We received exactly what we needed in terms of functionality. 

How did Realm perform from a project management standpoint?

Realm was good at project management — they provided excellent service and were very responsive. We were happy with the outcome of the website. Overall, we were satisfied with our partnership. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Realm fitted our company really well. Since they were a small company like us, they didn’t have the project management complexity of bigger companies. We were able to establish direct communication with their team and manage the project efficiently. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend working with Realm. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a hair products company for women with kinky or curly hair.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Realm Web Design?

We needed help building a professional, cohesive website. We also wanted a quiz to ask questions and guide our customers through the buying process. Finally, we wanted filters to make products easy to find.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, they helped us with our logo. Then, they worked on our Shopify design. They mocked everything up for us and we went back and forth on the colors. Next, the team helped us figure out which types of pages we’d need. Afterward, they trained us on how to put products on the site. They also prepared some recordings, which we could reference. Most recently, they set up our SEO.

What is the team composition?

We work with Jay (Owner & Designer).

How did you come to work with Realm Web Design?

I spoke with 10–15 web designers online. Throughout that process, I learned Shopify would be the best platform for us. Then, I started researching who would be the best Shopify designers to work with. I was able to narrow it down to Realm Web Design and another partner.

Even before we hired Jay, he gave us feedback on our logo. I really liked that he was more of a partner and gave feedback based on other companies he’s worked with. Their pricing was also more competitive than the other option.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $15,000–$20,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2020, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t launched yet, but we’re very happy with the work so far. Jay’s very proactive. It feels like he’s our partner.

How did Realm Web Design perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a lot of emails back and forth and we also have a couple of calls. At the beginning of the week, they let us know what they’re working on and what they need from us.

We correspond throughout the week as those things get done. Jay’s very responsive and on top of everything that needs to get done. They always follow-up whenever they don’t hear from us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Jay has a genuine interest in understanding our business.  A lot of the other providers seemed more robotic. Jay, on the other hand, offers a personal touch. He’s great about pointing us in the direction of other resources to help us along the way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no complaints at all.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to know what you’re looking for and what your business strategy and brand are going to be.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Bille Leather. It’s a leather product business, and we started about a year ago. We have a range of leather products including handbags, coats, travel bags, wallets, backpacks, and so on and so forth.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Realm Web Design?

Like any new business, we went through a lot of startup challenges but we’ve overcome them. We just launched our online business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Realm created our website on Shopify. I had some ideas but wasn’t exactly sure what the best choice would be from my standpoint. I talked to Realm and it turned out that the Shopify site was the best choice.

What is the team composition?

I communicate with Jay (Owner & Co-Founder). I’m sure he has a team working with him, but he’s my main contact.

How did you come to work with Realm Web Design?

I did my own research, like any research you do on the internet. I tried different Shopify website builders and finally landed on Clutch which is where I found out about Realm. They sounded exactly like a company I wanted to work with. I contacted Jay and it has worked out perfectly for me.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2020, and the website went live in December 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When I was looking for a website developer, there were certain metrics I was looking for. I wanted to work with a good listener who was professional. I wanted someone who’s able to understand my vision and is passionate about what they do. I needed a partner that’d work around challenges that we might face when working on the project.

Realm checked all of those boxes for me. I was extremely pleased with what Jay did for us. We’ve gotten really good comments from people that have seen the website so far. Everyone has loved it. The Shopify site is even better than we thought it would be, and we love it.

How did Realm Web Design perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s amazing, and I’d give them 10 out of 10. They’re very organized and on time. Realm is responsive to our questions and concerns; they’re very detailed. Most of the time, we emailed each other which worked perfectly for us. Communication was very clear, and we were able to work in that way. We had appointments as well as discussed things on the phone and Zoom meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

To be honest, I contacted four or five different companies before I started working with Realm, but it was all disappointing. With Realm, the communication was perfect, the work was perfect, and we had no complaints. It was amazing and compared to the others, they’re not comparable from my personal experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything I was disappointed with whether it was communication skills or listening to me, giving me ideas, the passion for the work, working around things, or coming up with a better solution; everything worked for me.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend Realm to anyone without any reservations. Call Jay and talk to him and you will be good to go.