Staylime

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Operations Manager at Zorg Totaal Winkel B.V.. We sell several aids and mobility products, mainly to the private market. My responsibility is the growth of our (online) presence & revenue and optimization of processes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Staylime?

Our new Magento 2 website had the basic functionality we required it to have, but we needed/wanted some UX improvements to make the content more clear for our (mostly older) end users. Our main goal here was to set us apart from the competition and show our expertise through our online channel (website).

SOLUTION

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

First of all, we looked for several solutions that include custom options for Magento 2, but none of these fit our exact requirements. Staylime provided the right solution because of their customization, personal approach and quick response time.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We created a design and wrote some basic code to give a clear idea of what we wanted. We provided images and descriptions of what functionality we were looking for. Based on this we got an estimation. After our approval and payment, the development started right away and was carried out within the agreed timeframe. Some small issues that appeared were dealt with correctly afterwards.

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

In total, we worked with 2 people: the Sales Representative and the Project Manager. The development etc. was carried out swiftly without our involvement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

After the successful delivery of the end result, we have a better user experience when using our website. Also, we see an improved lead quality for visits to our store after checking the website. People are better informed because they understand the options and possibilities that we offer.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our communication with the Sales Representative at the start of the project was great. After that, it was carried over to the Project Manager and he kept us in the loop considering the progress. We communicated mostly by email and sometimes a quick phone call for status updates.

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

Prices were quite acceptable and the customization was done within a rather short timeframe. We will not hesitate to recommend this company or ask them for any similar customization in the future.

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

This is probably because we are very strict when it comes to the details, but QA could be slightly improved to make sure everything is 100% according to what's discussed before delivering the end result.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of Mageworx, a renowned ecommerce service provider and one of the leading Magento extension and Shopify app vendors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We approached Staylime to develop a brand-new Mageworx website that would reflect the company’s new business vision and positioning following our strategic objectives. Started as a Magento extension vendor, our company has quickly evolved and extended our services to offer Shopify app development as well. Therefore, we decided to take on a huge redevelopment project, aiming to revamp our website.

SOLUTION

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

Staylime has been our trusted partner for several years. Therefore, when the question of a vendor arose, we turned to them without hesitation to bring the new website to life.

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

The project started with the development of a new visual and brand identity for Mageworx. Staylime created a new minimalistic logo and a corporate style that clearly translate the company’s expertise. Next, they moved to UI/UX design and managed to develop a clean and modern look with custom 3D visualizations and animations. They also built an eye-catching Product page and reworked the catalog structure to introduce a boutique-like experience to our customers.

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

We worked directly with their project manager. The team comprised a solution architect, a frontend developer, a backend developer, an art director, a designer, and 2D/3D illustrators.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re entirely satisfied with the result. Staylime went beyond common industry standards and ordinary approaches to create a website perfectly reflecting our vision of what an experienced Magento and Shopify solution provider’s website should look like. Moreover, they acted as ecommerce business consultants and helped us reshape the way we market our products and services. The newly launched website turned out to be exactly what we expected: modern, fresh, easy to navigate, and more user-friendly than the previous one.

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

Staylime’s team was always open to discussing all project details, including deadlines, requirements, progress, and whatnot. There were no communication problems: they provided us with frequent updates via email and regular status meetings.

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

Their commitment to work. They had taken all tasks from research to development seriously and with great passion. I was also impressed by their team’s design skills and outside-the-box thinking.

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

There aren’t any. From start to finish, everything was perfect.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the managing director for Empire Digital Group. Based in the UK, we have various different e-commerce platforms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Staylime?

We were looking for someone to create our new Magento e-commerce website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Staylime built our website for us. After our initial call, they asked me questions about how we would like the website to be designed, what we had in mind, and when we wanted to be able to use the website. They wanted to know if there were platforms that we liked so they could look at that design and come up with something unique for us. 

After that, they sent us an email with all of the information and pricing, and how the whole structure would work. Their team started with the initial frontend design and after the design element was completed, they went into the development stage. Any additional work that needed to be done would be factored in later on in the project.

The website was created from scratch and everything was done based on our specifications. They did a pretty good job and did what we wanted. We wanted some additional features that were not available as a purchase, so they had to create that from scratch as well. There was quite a bit of customization on the website.

What is the team composition?

Initially, we worked with two members of the Staylime team. I was in touch with the business manager and then once all the information was provided to him, he assigned the project manager who would keep me updated if there were any changes or updates. If there were things we wanted to improve or if there was new content that we wanted to be created, I would get in touch with him, and he would then speak to his frontend designers and developers.

How did you come to work with Staylime?

We had worked with another company when it came to buying extensions for our previous platform. Staylime was recommended on their website as their preferred partner for creating frontend designs and e-commerce platforms. We looked around and had quite other companies that we contacted as well. We decided to go with Staylime and had them develop the website.

How much have you invested in them?

We have invested $80,000 for this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2020 and we are still working with them.

We wanted some improvements on the website and some additional features, and we are looking to give them the next project as well as we have another website to develop.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website, egaming.com is live so anyone can see it. It is a brand-new platform. We only launched last weekend and we are still working with other agencies to get things rolling. 

The quality of the work has been great. They have delivered the project as expected and they have definitely met our expectations. The website is smooth and works well.

How did Staylime perform from a project management standpoint?

They managed to deliver what they said they would. There was a bit of a delay that we initially expected, but I could understand that things weren’t going to be the same due to COVID-19.

Staylime is great about checking the quality of the work. They check everything properly before showing me the end result. It isn’t like they share the results and then I have to find all the problems and get back to them about it. 

Initially, we communicated via email, but then we quickly moved to Slack. I just send the project manager a message and he available six days a week. He gets back to me very quickly if there is an issue.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their work and the price point stand out. Staylime is quite reasonable in comparison to other providers. We had some quotes from other companies, and they were charging at least 40% more per hour. They are quite responsive, and I am happy about that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The timeline could be faster, but I can’t quite blame them entirely because of the COVID-19 situation. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think you should definitely shortlist them. We have also recently started a maintenance package with them as well. If you are looking for someone that can also maintain the website for you in the long run, that is a great option.

Staylime is quite reasonable, and the quality of work is great. We would definitely consider them again and recommend them to others as well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

SLON Media is a full-service digital marketing agency. I'm the founder and CEO. We always seek opportunities to help our long-term clients to grow.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

One of our clients, a large tech retail company, was looking for a reliable E-commerce developer to upgrade their Magento website. It was a part of the branding and digital marketing strategy we were developing for them. We needed a partner who will work hand in hand both with our clients and us during the whole project.

SOLUTION

How did you select Staylime and what were the deciding factors?

They have certified Magento developers on board. The client was fond of their website and extensions portfolio. We also found some very impressive reviews about their work.

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

First, we discussed all the advantages and disadvantages of the past website with the client's and Staylime's teams. We found lots of areas of improvement from the point of usability, functionality, and branding.

Then, step by step, they were working on fixing bugs, a complete redesign, and adding new features. Practically they developed a new E-commerce website almost from scratch.

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

We worked with the Project Manager, Client Manager, and a team of six developers and designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're going to launch a new version of the website soon. It looks great and gives some new opportunities for our client's digital strategy improvement.

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

From my point of view, the most challenging part of the project was to maintain communication both with us and our client. But the Staylime team coped with it delivering everything in time, and was always attentive to comments.

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

It was one of our most satisfying cooperations so far. The whole workflow and communication were terrific, as well as the general result.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not at all. I believe Staylime is a reliable company for a long-term partnership.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a web and graphic design agency, working with subcontractors to fulfill my clients' work. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Staylime?

Although I can build and maintain websites myself, I outsource about half of my development work to subcontractors, including all of my Magento work. Staylime is one of my Magento development partners.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Staylime handled a Magento 1 to a Magento 2 migration for my client, which involved creating an entirely new site and bringing over the legacy data. Not only did their team do the design and development, but they also created a custom theme. They then installed and configured it. 

What is the team composition? 

I worked directly with their technical lead and project manager who oversaw their team of designers and developers.

How did you come to work with Staylime?

I had used Magento extensions released by their parent company for over a decade and was always impressed with the quality of the extensions. When I inquired about their custom development services I learned that Staylime was their custom development agency.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent between $50,000–$200,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project lasted between May 2019–May 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Though the client experienced a management shift in the middle of the project and became increasingly concerned with the budget, I was very happy with Staylime's quality of work, and, in the end, the client was quite pleased with the website’s design and functionality.

How did Staylime perform from a project management standpoint?

I provided the project management, passing off my client’s requirements to their team and then delivering the end products.

Overall, they were professional and generally good at communicating the scope of work. Sometimes I’d like a little more communication and transparency on things, but I guess that’s to be expected when outsourcing work instead of having internal employees. 

There were also cases where I got frustrated with the timeline being extended longer than what it should’ve been. However, that was in part due to delays on our side when getting feedback to them. Otherwise, they delivered within reasonable timelines and expectations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their work was excellent. I’ve been doing this for 22 years and have an incredible eye for detail. It was important to me that Staylime could produce high-quality design and development work for my clients, and they came through.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As I’ve mentioned, I would have liked more transparency, but, when outsourcing work, communication can be hard. They provided reasonable explanations for changes to timeline and cost, so there’s only so much that I can ask of them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have a big project, I’d recommend doing a proper scoping phase in the beginning so that you can get a more accurate idea of the final costs rather than just getting a rough estimate.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of LaVerino GmbH, a mail-order company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Staylime?

My former developer left and deactivated my plug-ins, so I couldn’t sell anything on the website. I needed help with developing a new one.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Using an extension in BASIC, Staylime programmed some modifications that allowed for advanced product options. It does calculations according to price metrics. 

What is the team composition?

I interacted with Jan (Chief Business Development Officer) for administration purposes, and Andrey (Project Manager) was the main point of contact for development.

How did you come to work with Staylime?

They were one of 2–3 companies offering advanced options.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent $4,800.

What is the status of this engagement?

Initial contact took place in September 2019. However, the project took place in April 2020, and it lasted two weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My former IT developer took nearly 6 months to get my website running. Staylime completed the entire project in two weeks, and they did it absolutely right. I never thought it would get going on the first run, but it did. I was really astonished. 

How did Staylime perform from a project management standpoint?

They were responsive, fixing any issues within a day.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team worked quickly and cleanly, and they were very knowledgeable. Staylime was better than the other vendors I’ve worked with. It was amazing, really.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t want them to change in any way.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You don’t have to be totally clear in your description. Talk with them and they’ll make suggestions, advising you on how to make the best product in the end. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of an adult online retailer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Staylime?

We decided that we needed to upgrade from our very first e-commerce product, which was built on WooCommerce because we had outgrown it. WooCommerce is a great platform for smaller businesses, but we were getting almost 200,000 site visits per month, making over $1 million in sales, and our catalog was very big. 

The database was no longer functioning because we didn’t have enough buffer. Because we’re an adult brand, we have a lot of concerns with privacy in general. So, the plug-in structures that were available didn’t take into consideration the level of anonymity and privacy we wanted.

We decided that Magento was the best platform to move to because of its encryption, security, and expansiveness. You can build anything you want on it. Our goal was to expand our store and make it big enough to accommodate $20 million–$100 million dollars in sales.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We came to them with very high-resolution wireframes and specs. And then we began the process. They upgraded our e-commerce platform on Magento. Additionally, Staylime custom built two extensions for us.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people at a time. About halfway through the process, our first rep left the company, and we began working with another rep. 

How did you come to work with Staylime?

We found them on Clutch after looking for Magento developers. Throughout my research, I kept in mind that our brand is very visual. I went through a lot of different development companies that I thought had created products that were visually-appealing, classy, and smooth.

We isolated around 10 companies on Clutch, but only three of them were interested in working with us because of our sector. We got pitches from those three different companies that had varied costs and locations. 

Staylime made the best pitch and had the best price. They were already my first choice because of their previous work anyway. Their previous work wasn’t exactly what we were looking for, but it showed attention to detail in the transitions and animations in the UI, which was appealing to me.

How much have you invested with them?

The original bid was for around $35,000, but we spent closer to $75,000 because I added a lot of features. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Staylime in October 2019. We launched the website in April 2020, but we’re still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our sales went up by almost 20% due to the new design of the website. Staylime does a great job and we’re going to continue working with them. I don’t imagine replacing them. I’ve worked with a couple of different offshore companies and some of them give you exactly what you ask for.

For example, if you ask for a door and a wall, those companies will give you a door and a wall. But if you ask Staylime for a door and a wall, they will give you a wall with a door in it, which is really what you wanted. 

They’re self-managing, they understand the goals that you want to achieve, and they will give you really good recommendations about the best way to achieve that result rather than allowing you to make mistakes in your own design.

How did Staylime perform from a project management standpoint?

We handed Staylime the wireframes and didn’t talk for 60 days afterward. They built the entire site on their own and then they brought me in. The team worked well and the first draft they gave us was really good. They come very close to meeting all deadlines, which is something you don't see often in this industry. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They truly understand visual design, which is rare. Other companies will just build something that works, but Staylime knew that, for us, the visual aesthetic was equally as important as the functionality. They rarely delivered something that didn’t look nice. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes our communication was challenging. Getting answers to questions wasn’t always easy. I like to be made aware of what is going wrong, unlike other customers, and Staylime didn’t necessarily do that. 

They would just tell me that they were working on the problem. I wanted to know why something was going wrong because I like to be involved in the problem-solving process. They always solved the problem, so in the end, everything was fine. 

Additionally, since they’re in Belarus, they work according to different business hours, which is hard. This means that we’re always a day behind. I asked them if they’d be willing to stay up until 2pm instead, which would provide a lot more overlapping development time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Think big because Staylime can probably build what you want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of digital marketing for a development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Staylime?

I needed help with branding.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created the brand book and redesigned our website. They also coded the website and integrated it with the HubSpot tools that we’re currently using for our marketing needs. We’re planning on using them for another project this year.

What is the team composition?

Depending on the stage of the project, the number of team members varied. Eugene (Chief Product Officer, Staylime) worked on the brand identity and brand book. For the website design and templates, there were about three designers. For web development, there were two people coding in the backend and one QA specialist who checked and validated all the work.

How did you come to work with Staylime?

I worked with them at a previous company where they did some design work for us. So, I knew their team and knew that they were quite professional.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May of 2019 until December of 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen a positive influence on our website ranking since we’ve fixed a lot of technical website issues. The Staylime team managed to successfully move our website to a HubSpot CMS. 

Also, the conversion rate of our ads has improved because our website is new and shiny. The architecture, the text, and the layout design of the pages were built from the ground up. In addition, we tried to make the site user-friendly, which has had a positive influence on the website bounce rate and the number of pages users visit pers session.

How did Staylime perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a great job. The whole project was planned quite thoroughly, and everything was performed on time. They used an agile approach and adjusted things along the way. They never failed us or missed any deadlines.

They provided valuable feedback. When we went to implement some ideas that didn’t fit into the visual identity, they tried to guide us in terms of the UX/UI design. The provided valuable input along the way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m 100% satisfied with their work. They’re very detail-oriented, and they pay a lot of attention to everything.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The coordination among the teams could be improved. Once the brand book was ready, we needed some time to explain everything to the web design team. It took us a couple of weeks for them to get all the things right. I would recommend that they improve the mechanisms of interactions between teams. This didn’t have any negative influence on the whole project though. It’s just a friendly recommendation for them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you want a really trendy and modern web design, they’re definitely the right people to go to. They focus mainly on making custom themes and designs with Magento. They can really create a distinctive visual digital identity for your business. 

In terms of combining design, visual identity, and coding, they’re the best team to go to because they have deep and wide expertise in all three domains. They can successfully combine them together and help your e-commerce business skyrocket.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a PR partner at Bulba Ventures, a startup investment company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Staylime?

We needed help building our corporate website. We were one of the first venture companies launching in Belarus. We needed our website to stand out, speak boldly about what we do, and translate our mission.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were responsible for developing the design concept for the website and then developed the actual website. They did everything from scratch. They provided wireframes and sketches. We’re constantly having them do minor edits to the website and adding new features. The team has been very helpful to continue to help us design and build those features.

What is the team composition?

I communicated with the manager on their side. There were 4-5 people working on the project.

How did you come to work with Staylime?

They were recommended to us by one of our partners from the business network. They had worked on a website for them. We liked it and we felt that it would be a good fit for us well.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent over $50,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2018, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work was really thorough, delivered on time, and everything we needed was delivered. Since the website went live, it's attracted a lot of traffic. We’ve received a lot of great feedback between the design community in Belarus. We have more than 1,500 unique visitors to our website for a month, which is a very good number for us.

How did Staylime perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is great. Their communication is really structured and on point. Whenever we needed something or had any questions, they were always very helpful in delivering the right answers and providing us with the information we needed. I like to keep it simple. We communicate mostly via email. I was given access to Figma to see any sketches I needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very flexible when it comes to the speed of the process. We needed the project to be delivered really fast. The team was really on point in taking into account everything we wanted to have on the website. They were really open to take our vision and build a great product that works super well for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The process was really smooth, so there’s nothing I would change. All our team is very happy about it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I suggest going for it. They are a very creative and collaborative team. They’re young and very talented professionals. We’re a happy customer.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Paralect, a digital product engineering company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Staylime?

We needed someone to design and develop our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Coding in HTML, their team designed our website as well as other marketing materials. They established an effective aesthetic for our website, which is adaptable to all screen sizes. It adheres to our branding guidelines. It’s functional and feels very fresh.

Their key deliverable was a product that we could utilize in our marketing campaigns, and they produced it from scratch. We’ve kept them on board for content creation as we continue to expand our operations.

What is the team composition?

We work with a team of at least 6 people. Their team is comprised of developers, designers, and illustrators. We also worked with their director.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They professionally executed our website. The team delivered a complete solution: designs, animations, and transitions, all of which culminate in something that feels like a truly complete product. They did an excellent job, and we’re still using the design for our newer pages.

The key metrics for us are the number of closed leads, and conversions have doubled or tripled for us. I also think that we receive more requests for design services. While it’s a completely different area for us, the website has helped us explore the idea of offering design services, as well.

How did Staylime perform from a project management standpoint?

They were exceedingly professional. They ensured that we were consistently updated on project progress. We knew the status of each task. They also offered suggestions and solutions that were outside of our direct ask, which we appreciated. They were very proactive in that way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

While we’ve worked with several other companies, Staylime stands out due to the quality of their work. They deliver top-notch results.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them enough freedom so that they can come up with ideas that are the best for you. They operate optimally when they have a bit of a free rein, and you can trust their decisions.