Surfcode.io

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a digital marketing specialist for Bigelow Tea, a manufacturer of specialty tea. My main duty is to manage Bigelow Tea’s website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Surfcode.io?

We refreshed our website in 2014 with a company that also implemented our CMS Kentico system. They didn’t do a good job, and because of their work, we had sloppy code that created problems on our backend. So, in 2017, our IT Director decided our website and CMS needed an overhaul.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Surfcode.io provided us with IT support and helped us clean up all the bad code on our site. After auditing the whole site, they found the code that was giving us errors and got rid of it.

When we found out they were a Kentico Gold Partner, they began helping us with CMS work. They also helped us implement a new shopping cart platform, and they’ll be refreshing our site again this year.

How did you come to work with Surfcode.io?

Our IT Director was searching for Kentico Gold Partners, and then he found good reviews of Surfcode.io.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started work with them in December 2017, and the work is ongoing. We’re not going to let them go; they’ve helped us a great deal. They’re going to continue being our support as long as they’re willing to work with us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve increased our internet sales by 10% yearly since they’ve begun working with us. They’ve earned our business, and we’re about to refresh our website again with them.

They also made our website ADA-compliant to make it accessible for any users with disabilities. We didn’t even realize we needed to update to be in compliance, but they pointed it out to us and worked to improve all users' experience with our site.

How did Surfcode.io perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very organized. We had monthly status meetings with weekly reports. They always keep us informed, and they’re great at project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re always looking ahead and anticipating problems. They catch things before you even realize it could become a problem.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re so much better than our previous provider. It’s all roses working with Surfcode.io.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

At Jazzercise, we offer dance-based group fitness classes and also offer our own private label brand of workout apparel. I’m the Digital Manager overseeing most of the digital assets, consumer-facing websites, and the mobile app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 4Hilton Inc.?

We needed help with a complete revamp and rebuild of our main corporate website. We were in the process of rebranding and wanted a more modern-looking website that supported our growing mobile user base.   

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We did the initial design work on our side but 4Hilton did the majority of the coding, customizations, and implementation of the site.  Because of their expertise, we chose to have them build the new site in the .NET environment on the Kentico CMS platform. 

One of the key requirements was we needed our site to support multiple languages and display different content under different scenarios for our international audience.  4Hilton helped customize the functionality to suit our needs so we now have a seamless experience for our international visitors.  

We also have a unique site flow where our visitors are taken to multiple sub-domains as they progress through signing up on our site.  4Hilton helped make sure the data is passed correctly on the backend between the sub-domains. 

What is the team composition?

We work directly with the two main developers and also have a great relationship with the owner/CEO.

How did you come to work with 4Hilton Inc.?

Jazzercise was already working with 4Hilton before I joined the company.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent somewhere in the range of $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The website project took place from October 2014–January 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have had a tremendous amount of positive feedback on the new look and feel of the site. Not only did it modernize the look and feel to support our rebranding efforts, but it also improved functionality for users.  In our analytics, we immediately noticed an increase in user engagement and conversions.  ​

​​​​​​How did 4Hilton Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication was very good. We worked closely with their main developer, Adam.  Having that level of direct communication with the developers helped to ensure little details did not get overlooked or lost in translation.  The online tools they used, such as Basecamp and their ticketing system FreshDesk, helped streamline our requests and kept things on track. ​

​​​​​​What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their work is always top notch, they turn things around very quickly, and they offer great rates.  Although headquartered in the US, some of their developers are located abroad which has actually worked out in our favor.  This allows their rates to be more favorable and even increases efficiency in certain cases where work can be completed during our off hours. ​

​​​​​​Are there any areas they could improve?

There are not many areas they need to improve upon.  I will definitely use them again for future projects and would highly recommend them.