Scommerce Mage Ltd.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of Octbox Ltd. We design, patent, and manufacture high-end fishing tackle that we then sell through our website octbox.co.uk.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Scommerce Mage Ltd.?

Our site was on Magento 1, which was no longer supported by Adobe, so we had to upgrade to Magento 2. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an easy upgrade, and it was a difficult decision to make. It required transferring our whole database from the old platform to the new one while still maintaining the old platform to keep operating and then phasing into the new server.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To get started, we gave Scommerce Mage access to our Magento 1 server so that they could study our site and give us a quote. We wanted to have a site along the same lines, but the problem was that our current site was losing functionality every month, and it would eventually stop working. Thus, we also were on a tight time frame.

After the initial assessment, Scommerce Mage built a new server for Magento 2 to host our site, and they designed all of the new graphics for the site as well. We use a lot of apps, including one to manage our barcode packaging labels and another called Xero for our accountants, so they had to load all of them onto the new platform.

Scommerce Mage was also in charge of the configuration necessary so that all of the interfaces could interact seamlessly. We have shopping carts in different languages for different currencies and taxation systems that also support different payment methods, and they configured all of that, too.

The development was achieved after two and a half months. After they finished, we closed down on Magento 1. Two hours later, we were up and running on Magento 2, with all of our apps working well and enjoying the new functionalities that Magento 2 had.

Currently, Scommerce Mage manages our server, and we pay them a monthly fee for their maintenance services.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with three people from Scommerce Mage. Shivani (Head of E-Commerce) is our main point of contact, and we communicate on a monthly basis if we need anything to be added to our site.

How did you come to work with Scommerce Mage Ltd.?

We had been searching for around six months for people who could manage a transfer from Magento 1 to Magento 2. As we got deeper into it, we realized that transferring the data would be very complicated.

Because the project was complicated, it was also expensive. Some people quoted us up to £35,000 (approximately $48,000 USD), which was a completely different ballgame for a small company like ours. We tried to use WooCommerce instead, and we spent money with a software company to do this change, but we got to a dead end. We realized that we wouldn’t be able to do a lot of things, so we had to bite the bullet and go with Magento 2.

At that point, we had to extend our research. Every sales representative that we spoke to couldn’t understand our needs. However, Scommerce Mage immediately knew what we were talking about, giving us greater confidence in their capabilities.

Within two hours of talking to them, we got a structured quote without loopholes. We could see the work structure needed to complete the project, and it all made sense, which was the main difference between them and other providers.

How much have you invested with them?

The transfer cost around £20,000 (approximately $27,500 USD), and we now spend £720 (approximately $990 USD) per month for the hosting services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around March 2021, and our site went live around June 2021, but our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Scommerce Mage was able to transfer our data and configure everything just by working remotely and talking over the phone, which showed the level of expertise they had.

How did Scommerce Mage Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

Scommerce Mage performs very well, and their project management is well structured. During the process, we had video calls to show them what we were trying to achieve, and as we talked, they showed us options and discussed the outcomes. Instead of talking to someone and waiting days for changes, their response time was within hours, and they fixed issues or made changes immediately.

They have a ticketing system, so we can submit a ticket at any point. We have the confidence that they know what they’re doing, and every problem is solved quickly. We communicate via email, Zoom calls, and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

As Scommerce Mage is not a big company, we get a very personalized relationship with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would have been great if the project had been more economical. However, software services are that costly, and they were still the most affordable company. Other than that, I don’t think that anything could have gone any smoother.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have a current system set up, your engagement will be easier because Scommerce Mage can study your needs, but you need to give them access to the backend. On the other hand, if you need a project done from scratch, listen to their advice and provide them with examples of what you’re trying to achieve.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an online retail and manufacturing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Scommerce Mage Ltd.?

We’ve been using Scommerce’s services for over 10 years now, and our most recent project involved migrating our website from Magento 1 to Magento 2.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Scommerce helped us every step of the way, from the initial brief down to the whole migration process. They moved our database, servers, and third-party plug-ins to an updated version of Magento. It was a huge project that also entailed changing all of our payment providers and dealing with integration issues. 

What is the team composition?

There have been about 7–8 people working on the site. The team consists of an account manager, development leads, database managers, and various other specialists. 

How did you come to work with Scommerce Mage Ltd.?

We found them online. At the time, they were just a small company and so were we. When we talked to them, they seemed knowledgeable and capable of solving the problem that we had, specifically with Magento. We also saw that they received decent feedback from their other clients, so we decided to hire them. They’ve since proved that they’re quite skilled and we’ve grown together through the years. 

How much have you invested with them?

The Magento migration cost us about $150,000, but over the last 10 years, we’ve spent $300,000–$400,000 for Scommerce’s services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in January 2011.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s only been three weeks since we launched our site on the Magento 2 platform, but we’ve seen some improvements brought about by the migration. Our site speed, for one, has definitely increased by about 20%. Our conversion rate has also grown by 20% across the many markets we cater to, and this, in turn, has led to an increase in our sales.

How did Scommerce Mage Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

Scommerce is really good on this front. We’ve been with them for a long time so we’ve come to know their capabilities well. We have no doubts or concerns about them when it comes to account management. 

We often use Jira, Skype, Google Hangouts, and various other tools to communicate. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Scommerce has an extremely high level of development tenacity. They can address any problem we have and can be straightforward with me in terms of the costs and timelines. I've worked with a lot of frustrating development companies over the years, but I’ve never had an issue with Scommerce. They’re very proficient. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing major stands out. Generally, everything has gone smoothly. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Our relationship with Scommerce has been easy since we have a level of technical knowledge in our company. Others who don’t have this capacity, however, may struggle, so they need to set their expectations right from the start about what they need Scommerce to do for them and what the agency can handle, which is mostly e-commerce development.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm an e-commerce manager for a retailer that sells healthcare supplies all across the U.K.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Scommerce Mage Ltd.?

Scommerce Mage Ltd. are Magento 1 and 2 specialists. 

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to apply the latest security patches and make additional enhancements to our online store. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them through word of mouth. 

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

After delivering a brief and quote, they began the project. They successfully upgraded our Magento 1 platform, including security patches and additional custom builds. They handled invoicing, development, and testing. 

What was the team composition?

We had one project manager and one developer. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered a Magento 1 upgrade according to best practices, which will make it easier to switch to Magento 2. It's now easier to implement product data in bulk. We now operate the store much more quickly. 

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was straightforward. We had half a dozen Skype sessions to set everything up

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I appreciated their expertise and level of detail and attention.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We might have appreciated a better mobile phone signal.