UnlimitedWP

BACKGROUND

Please introduce your business and your position there.

I am the president of a company that sells licensed sports apparel, headwear, and related novelty items.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with JD Softtech?

Prior to our engagement with JD Softtech, we had a poor quality website. We needed help developing a new online website and an e-commerce solution. Since we’re a franchise operation, we have the potential of having 100-plus different distribution centers and individuals that go on our website. They need to be able to place orders from all of those places and it needs to be seamless for them. There was no canned product out there that we could use. We had a unique set of challenges for JD Softtech and they had to solve them for us.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Most people have a warehouse and control their own inventory. We have 130 stores that are all franchised and so they control their own inventory. We need to have a system that can work with each one of their systems individually and have the consumer, the end user, not notice. The consumer can go in, order what they want, and it can be sent to them. We needed a system to talk to a lot of distribution centers, look at inventories, and determine whether items can be sent out or not. It’s super difficult. That’s what we needed JD Softtech to handle.

How did you come to work with JD Softtech?

We picked the wrong people at first; it didn’t work and we lost money. They simply did not have the ability to make it happen. They tried to go to too many different canned solutions and then try to make those work together rather than coming up with a solution and program from there. Part of it could have been us not fully explaining what the end product needed to be.

I found JD Softtech through a referral. We then had to do a process upfront about what their capabilities were and then we had a discussion with them to see if we felt good about working with them. We asked them specific questions about whether they could solve certain issues. We felt good about them, and we needed to know that before we hired them. It was a long process. We made a big mistake before we ever got to them, which turned out to be a good thing for us because we learned a lot and we knew what to ask this time around. They finished what we hired them to do, but we continue to ask them more things.

How much have you invested with JD Softtech?

Between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them November 2016 and we have been working together since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

When we went to JD Softtech, we had a big project in mind. They told us what they could do and they didn’t go over budget at all. They absolutely did what they said they could do and they did it on time. The system has been good. We still need to understand it since it’s all new to us. Any issues that we’re having are more user issues than product issues. We’ve seen an increase in sales and traffic to our site.

How did JD Softtech perform from a project management standpoint?

They were fantastic and they met every deadline. They are great communicators, which that is why we continue to use them.

What did you find most impressive about JD Softtech?

They communicate well and at any time of the day. They are fantastic at communicating.

Is there anything JD Softtech could have improved or done differently?

The constructive criticism on this job was for us. We could have done a better job of explaining things. Any slowdowns or anything that happened that was negative was something that we could have done better to help them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and owner of WINNR Digital, a small boutique branding and design firm based in Los Angeles.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JD Softtech?

We had a client in need of a complex build, for which we were handling the design. We started looking for a freelance developer to manage the intricacies of this e-commerce solution at a competitive price. JD Softtech answered the call. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

JD Softtech is organized and well-structured in terms of development. They found our issues and came through with a proposal and statement of work. We set up a schedule with milestones and collaborated on the project.

We used WordPress mainly because of the budget and scope. JD Softtech handled everything through custom HTML, CSS, JavaScript jQuery, and PHP development. They’ve done a number of things with these languages in order to achieve the end-goal of a customized and clean e-commerce solution for a furniture company looking to create a desk configurator for customers.

How did you come to work with JD Softtech?

I found them through Upwork. JD Softtech had a competitive rate and were organized and professional. Plus, they used similar processes and systems for organizing web design. I felt that JD Softtech would be a group I could trust to stay on schedule.

How much have you invested with JD Softtech?

The cost of their work has been around $12,000, including pending invoices.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with JD Softtech in October 2016. The project has been almost a year in the making, and we’re getting ready to launch the product. The work was delayed because the client made some changes. We’re also getting ready to start a new project with JD Softtech. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

We haven’t launched the site yet, so we have no statistics regarding traffic or conversions. The client has been impressed with the functionality and overall results, considering the budget we had. They’ve been happy with the developer, but we don’t have specific testimonials yet.

How did JD Softtech perform from a project management standpoint?

I mainly worked with their Boston-based project manager. I also had contact with 2 of JD Softtech’s lead developers via Skype throughout the process and while moving into our upcoming project. Our lead contact has been dependable, reachable, and precise in terms of scheduling and documentation. I use Asana, which was integrated with JD Softtech for task management. They’re open to using other technologies like Calendly, but most of the communication occurs over Skype and email.

What did you find most impressive about JD Softtech?

They’ve been professional and courteous. I can’t say enough about what a pleasure it’s been to work with JD Softtech. The range and scope of their services, relative to the price, are unbeatable.

JD Softtech is a US-based company out of Boston with an Indian-American owner. Many of their developers are based in India and are actual employees of the company, rather than just freelancers. The owner visits them on-site and has team workshops. He recently came back from a month there. As a result, we’re getting the cost benefit of working with Indian developers but the assurance of working with a US company that’s close to our time zone.  

Are there any areas JD Softtech could improve?

Communication issues are typical when it comes to Indian developers. Because Ronik, their founder, leads the project, we haven’t had many issues outside of some CSS design items. But, I have no criticisms of their code implementation. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and creative director of EPD Studio, Inc. We are a full-service graphic design and branding agency, focusing on everything from print to web. We work with corporate clients and startups who are looking for brand initiatives for their products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JD Softtech?

My client at that time wanted to build a site that was customized, so a lot of the work was HTML coding. However, after changing our strategy and considering timelines, constraints, and the budget, we needed to take everything that was coded in HTML and turn it into a WordPress site so that it could be more responsive and easier to deal with within that timeline. We reached out to JD Softtech, asking them to convert whatever we had into WordPress and continue developing the site on that platform.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They put together a site and added the content that we gave them, and they also built a blog page, a news feed, and an e-commerce site onto it as well.

We wanted to turn what we had into a WordPress site, and JD Softtech transitioned everything that we asked. They had to understand what we could provide for them, which was a bunch of crazy code. We gave them all of our design assets as well. They had to take those materials and build up the site while continuing to maintain it and developing other pages as we went along.

Besides creating a product-centric website for branding and showing the products, usage, and user cases, they also incorporated WooCommerce.

I dealt with 3 project managers, and Ronik [Founder and Owner, JD Softtech] was my primary contact.

How did you come to work with JD Softtech?

I did some research online. At that point, I really needed someone as soon as possible. I came into contact with Ronik and explained what I needed. He came back with a budget and a proposal. Everything seemed good, so I just went with it.

How much have you invested with JD Softtech?

I’ve spent about $8,000–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November of 2016 and completed the work in March of 2017. Now that everything has been converted to WordPress, I can finish other tasks on my end for the most part. If I have any questions or updates or if the client asks for changes, I email Ronik, and he responds quickly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

There aren’t really any measurable results that we can attribute to them. Metrics were more on the client’s side. As far as traffic, I'm sure there are analytics from the site that can be looked at, but I don't know how much that could be attributed to what JD Softtech produced.

The client liked the website. Even though they used WordPress, they didn't really use themes since they had to do a lot of custom coding based on what I had given them. They were able to do everything I needed in a short amount of time.

There was a lot of back and forth, for sure. I don't think development is ever perfect. We did go through iterations. Once we staged it, we had to go through testing on our phones, iPads, and desktops and fix a few issues. That’s a natural part of any development project.

Ronik was exceptional at keeping me up to date. The client requested multiple updates and revisions. Having a reliable, responsive person to make sure that everything was done was really helpful.

How did JD Softtech perform from a project management standpoint?

We had pretty consistent communication through emails and Skype calls, which I really appreciated. If I needed something right away, JD Softtech responded quickly. Ronik always set up a call if I felt like something needed to be explained. He would send feedback based on my notes, highlighting finished items in green and items for discussion in red. Then, we would look at the site together and go over questions, answers, and comments.

They were very reasonable, within budget, and pretty good in terms of timing. I was pushing like crazy. I know they were trying to give me a solid estimate, but I couldn’t give them a lot of time. This was a special case because of what I was providing them. They weren’t building a WordPress site from the start; I gave them a whole bunch of stuff that they had to dissect and utilize.

In terms of timeline, they did the best they could under the circumstances. Would I have liked things to be done quicker? Of course, because the client was pushing me as well. But, under the circumstances, they gave me a reasonable timeline. Ronik would let me know right away if they needed a little more time. I appreciated that honesty.

What did you find most impressive about JD Softtech?

It really depends on what you're looking for and your price point. There are so many alternatives now. There's a lot of competition out there, and some developers are willing to work for a lot less.

Since JD Softtech is based here in the US, I'm able to communicate with them clearly and get things done. I'm not sure how things are developed on their end and what their structure’s like; at the same time, I'm just happy that I found an agency that I can work with.

Are there any areas JD Softtech could improve?

I really don't have any negatives or constructive criticisms for them. In terms of this project, everything was scoped out. We had so many updates and changes, but those weren’t due to JD Softtech’s work. Their hours of operation are a bit different, so potential clients should keep that in mind. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for LeadersUp as the innovation and digital platforms administrator. At LeadersUp, our mission is to solve the youth unemployment gap by bridging the divide to connect young adults who are searching for employment with employers who are searching for talent. We do that by helping businesses design customized talent solutions for their talent demands. On the flip side, we also help young adults grow their skills to meet those talent demands. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JD Softtech?

We wanted to redesign our website completely. We wanted to focus on leveraging our Google Analytics to inform the creative design so that we could capture the customer flow and funnel it through our website. We wanted to drive traffic to our recruitment strategies and our corporate sales and partnership team in order to leverage them as a business asset. We saw the website as a way for us to amplify our messaging and enhance our brand overall. We also wanted to start to centralize all our data into a single place. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a few email conversations to work out the scope of the project, get the ideas finalized, and sign the proposal. JD Softtech has a really laid-out strategy, and we kicked off with meetings to talk about the project scope, the requirements, and our needs in light of the design process. In the first phase of the project, we ideated and estimated what was feasible within our budget.

From there, JD Softtech provided us with mockups of the site. Some were Photoshop files to give us a feel for the colors and our design aesthetics. After we selected those, they took the mockups and transferred them to a frontend on a static page. There wasn’t any HTML or hard code built into it at this point. We went through several iterations of the mockups.

Once we settled on the direction we wanted to go, they hard-coded the iterations and mockups to give us a vibe for the actual flow throughout the website. From there, they went through everything, tested the responsiveness, made sure all the backend links were connected, and optimized the SEO. They also did an orientation with me and several of my team members who would be managing the site. I was managing the project, so I was more hands-on throughout the entire process; however, other team members weren’t as hands-on, so JD Softtech provided guidance and training for the backend management, which was helpful.

We now have them on retainer. They’re able to provide immediate feedback for troubleshooting solutions. We go through a lot of iterations for changes to the website. They have a dedicated team assigned to us that’s available through Skype pretty much 24/7.

We used them solely for our website. In terms of website performance, industry best practices, or standards for web design and creativity, I leaned on their expertise, but for not social media marketing.

How did you come to work with JD Softtech?

Initially, I researched various developers through Upwork and reached out to JD Softtech. They were quick to respond to our initial request, and they immediately sent over a proposal. They used a platform that made it easy for us to just click a link, see the design and digital proposal they had put together, sign it, and move forward.

I had an initial list of about 20 agencies, and JD Softtech definitely stuck out. They came in below our budget and proposed even more features than we asked for.

How much have you invested with JD Softtech?

We’ve invested about $15,000–$20,000 at this point.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our relationship began in August of 2016, and we’re still working with them on a retainer basis. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

I don’t have the actual numbers, but I have seen an increase in our site visits and a decrease in our bounce rate. I’ve been able to narrow down where that bounce rate is coming from when it’s higher than we think it should be. Across Google Analytics, we saw immediate and positive results once we switched to the current site. We’re in the measuring phase to create baselines, so from here we can start to gauge growth and production based on the changes we’ve implemented. When I joined the team, we weren’t measuring the impact of our previous website, so I took a baseline glance at it prior to doing the switch. We’re now in the first quarter of having the new site, so we’re still measuring those statistics.

Internally, the work done by JD Softtech has gotten high praise and great reviews from our C-suite executive to my coordinators and team members on the ground. My CEO raves all the time about the feedback we’re getting from site visitors.

How did JD Softtech perform from a project management standpoint?

I work at all times of day, and someone from their team always responds within a short time. I’m on Pacific Standard Time, and they’re based on the East Coast, so our time difference really works out. They’re responsive during normal business hours and even when I’m working after hours. The lead at JD Softtech is very responsive to our needs.

I like the Skype conversations we have. Whenever I think of something, I can always post it, and someone will respond to me. Each month, they send me reports about the site’s status, performance, downtime, and other analytics. We troubleshoot how we can continue to optimize it over the course of our relationship.

We generally use email and Skype for all communication. When we were doing the build out, we had 2 meeting days, which were reserved times for going through tasks or to-do lists.

What did you find most impressive about JD Softtech?

I’ve worked with different developers before. I like JD Softtech’s professionalism, responsiveness, and can-do attitude. Sometimes, developers get in the mode of telling you what you can’t do or limiting your creativity. With JD Softtech, I felt like there was no limit to our creative ideas. Granted, when you’re working against an aggressive timeline like we had, you can’t do everything you want. But, we were able to create a plan, stick to it, and execute it. For the things we weren’t able to do, we developed another strategy to address later.

The team was able to turn around projects really quickly. I have an aggressive leadership team, and they like to push us, which in turn forces me to push the vendors and contractors. JD Softtech was able to respond to our demands with a smile. I appreciated that.

Are there any areas JD Softtech could improve?

I don’t have anything I’d change. We have a great relationship. They’ve set the standard for developers I work with from now on. Communication is critical when you’re working across distances, and I was pretty satisfied with their abilities in this regard.