Series Eight

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief commercial officer at Carv, a startup company that offers a wearable digital ski coach. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Series Eight?

Because we are selling our product online only, it is absolutely vital that we have a high-quality website that’s informative and drives sales. We wanted Series Eight to update and optimize our current site, improving its conversion rate.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had a very clear idea of what I wanted the new website to include, so I sent them a rough template to give them an idea of my expectations. From there, they worked around my template and created a great design for the site that would optimize our users’ experience and increase conversion. 

They were given a very tight deadline to complete the first version of the website because we needed it to be up-and-running by what we anticipated would be our biggest sale day to date. They delivered a high-quality first version on deadline, and we’re currently working with them on a second version.

What is the team dynamic? 

Our main contact is Mario Vassiliades [Founder and Designer, Series Eight]. We also worked closely with Francesca Yacoumis [Designer, Series Eight]. But we were introduced to the entire Series Eight team — they had access to us and we had access to them.

How did you come to work with Series Eight?

I interviewed over 10 website developers before reaching out to the CEO of company whose website we admired. He was kind enough to direct us to Series Eight, who handled their website’s development. After chatting with Mario, I decided to move forward with Series Eight because they operate at a very high caliber and really grasp our complex product and its brand identity. 

How much have you invested with them?

They have an ongoing contract with us, so we don’t have the final amount, but so far, we’ve invested a little over $13,400.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered with them in early October. The first version of our website was finished on October 29th, and we’re in the process of building the second.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our site’s conversion rate has increased 10x since launching the first version.

How did Series Eight perform from a project management standpoint?

They have been absolutely excellent. Despite both our team and their team being remote, we’ve managed to maintain outstanding communication. We are kept apprised of how the project is going primarily through Skype, though I can get ahold of Mario at anytime — he’s always available for us whenever we need. We also use Trello to give and get project updates in real time. They’re very disciplined and diligent, and they’re often quicker than us in moving the project along. But they remain patient with our team, recognizing that we’re a startup that’s learning as we go.

What did you find most impressive about them?
 
We’re sympathetic to not having the answer to everything, given we’re a startup, but we really appreciate Mario going the extra mile to find me an answer when he doesn't have one for a question I ask. That’s the kind of attitude we need — you don’t need to have all the answers, but having the impetus to go and find them is very valued.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ll often take my ideas and run with it, even when my ideas are not always the best for optimization. It’s really great that they’re responsive to my thoughts, but it would be better if we reviewed how my ideas actually translate to the website — then we can decide whether it’s a good fit or if there’s a more optimal solution.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Cardconnect is a payment technology and processing company. We help businesses secure and accept payments, whether on their stores, websites or applications. We use large ERP [enterprise resource planning] systems such as Oracle SAP, securing full payments architectures, optimizing them in order to make sure that customers get the best transaction rates. We have around 65,000 clients, ranging from small and mid-sized businesses to large, blue chip, Fortune 500 companies.

What is your position?

I am the director of marketing for the company. Along with my team, I am responsible for all communication, including our website, online corporate presence, advertising, public relations, customer communications, sales and marketing material, and so on. We educate customers on the payment industry and how they can work with Cardconnect in order to help their own customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Series Eight?

We wanted to display promotions for our new technologies to visitors on the site, so we engaged Series Eight to revamp our page.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

We started our collaboration with Series Eight through a relatively small project focused on our website's home page. We liked how it went. Series Eight matched our particular aesthetic preferences well, achieving the vibe and style we were looking for in terms of our website, marketing, and messaging. At that time, we were going through some more extensive changes, growing the architecture of our product, expanding it to individual products that worked as full payment platforms. As such, we wanted to rework how the website was laid out. Our previous website had been iterative, with constant one-off changes. We wanted to have a more holistic experience, simplify everything and focus on what we did. We decided to work with Series Eight on a full website redesign from scratch.

We moved from WordPress to a different CMS [content management system] called Statamic. Series Eight worked with us in putting the project in motion.

During the course of a project with Series Eight, we maintain one main point of contact, and communicated with one to two other people. Some of our projects have been unique. For example, Series Eight has been interacting with a video producer with which we have a separate engagement, as well as with an SEO [search engine optimization] person we brought on. In total, Series Eight assigned three or four resources for each of our projects.

How did you come to work with Series Eight?

We found Series Eight through a website called crew.co, which selects development companies for users based on projects they post. We liked Series Eight's portfolio and knew that they had a good skill set. Things change quickly in the development and design world. Series Eight was on the forefront in terms of coding and tools used.

What is the status of this engagement?

Since our initial redesign, we've continually engaged Series Eight for enhancements. We want to keep things fresh, so we have an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Series Eight usually puts together initial designs after our first discussions. Once approved by us, they go into full development. Series Eight structures projects and has a very efficient use of resources. With design, it's easy to go in the wrong direction, but we haven't wasted time with work that wouldn't suit us.

How did Series Eight perform from a project management standpoint?

I like the process used by Series Eight. We were familiar with the tools they use, but Series Eight showcased them and they've been well received. Each project is started through a phone call, after which it will go into regular communication through Slack. We also use Trello for tracking individual tasks for projects. Specific designs and mockups are shared through InVision. We have a good view of what is being worked on at each point. With other design and marketing firms I've worked with, I never had full visibility on the work being done. Series Eight has stayed on top of timelines, and they clearly communicate the work being done. We've seen things progress nicely.

What distinguishes Series Eight from other providers?

Series Eight has done a good job in making us enjoy working with them. They function as another member of our team and fit in seamlessly. We have similar mindsets and can easily make Series Eight understand what we're asking for.

Is there anything Series Eight could have improved or done differently?

I can't think of anything. I've been very satisfied with Series Eight. We're putting a bigger focal point on Series Eight's involvement, integrating them more into our marketing efforts. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Manager of The Wood Veneer Hub. We are a market leader in the Wall Panelling industry. We sell B2C and B2B globally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Parallel 9, and what were your goals?

We hired P9 to transform our Social Media and CRM strategy. Their brief was to help us scale quickly within the US and help us maintain our position in the UK. We were looking for an agency which could help us with strategy, design, paid media & CRM.

SOLUTION

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

We selected P9 as we had already been recommended them by another agency and they understood our challenges quickly.

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

The scope was to completely rework or launch on the following platforms:

• Facebook (meta)
• Tiktok
• CRM
• Onsite

We wanted assistance from strategy to delivery.

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

We have account managers for each platform and daily access to over 10 team members.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have seen MoM growth on all platforms since P9 have joined the team. Their design work, content creation & emails are of a particularly high standard which our competitors are struggling to match.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective

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

We appreciate their willingness to offer advice and support on all aspects of the business. We have now started working together on various other projects and platforms.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We produce fine chocolate from an ancient heirloom variety of cacao in Ecuador. We manage the entire supply chain, from harvest through to production, packaging and fulfilment. We sell direct to the consumer via our website as well as via speciality retail and department stores. My role is CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Series Eight?

We hired Series Eight to update our entire website structure and move from Wordpress to Shopify.

What were your goals for this project?

We were looking for a beautifully designed and intuitive e-commerce experience that was in fitting with our luxury brand attributes.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We shortlisted vendors that had been awarded for their previous work and among those the ones that we felt had the design and technical criteria to deliver the level of solution we were seeking. We then requested a proposal from several firms based on our requirements.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Series Eight handled the project management, user experience, build and quality assurance.

What was the team composition?

To'ak led the design concepts with input from Series Eight. From there the team at Series Eight transformed our designs into templates and the ultimate website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new website had a noticeable positive impact on our business. We increased our conversion rate, improved security and improved our ability to quickly add/update content and products.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was primarily remote using tools such as Trello. It worked well, the only challenge with the remote approach can be the loss of nuanced conversation via phone. We worked around this and held calls when we were unable to address something via remote tools.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Series Eight matched our motivation and desire for a pixel perfect website. This was very important for us as earlier attempts with another provider had left us very concerned about the final result. The team at Series Eight are very responsive, professional, technically astute and they care deeply about delivering an exceptional result for their partners.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only area I would have liked to see more of is semi-regular phone communication to check in on project progress and address issues.