WEB4PRO

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of X-payments at X-Cart. We develop e-commerce software and provide credit card processing and storing. We also offer a separate product called X-Cart Payments. That product acts as an intermediary between payment gateway APIs and certified application shopping carts like X-Cart, Magento, Zen Cart, OsCommerce, and many others.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WEB4PRO?

We needed a development firm to create a software that connects X-Cart Payments with a Magento shopping cart.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WEB4PRO developed a Magento 1 connector for us. It’s an extension that’s installed into Magento to implement PCI-compliant credit card processing. They worked on the whole connection procedure and implemented use cases like displaying credit card forms, PCI-compliant card storing, recurring charges, subscription products, and so on.

After development began, we needed to add new features and improve on what was initially designed. They built the first few versions of the connector as requested, but we realized that our initial idea needed to be developed further as we realized there are many more use cases needed by our users. The project expanded from a one-time task to a continuous engagement that included new version releases and updates.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and a PHP developer that specialized in Magento. There were a few more people involved in the project that were in charge of payouts and other tasks.

How did you come to work with WEB4PRO?

We found them on Upwork and their quote was realistic. We interviewed a few other companies that bid on the project but decided to hire WEB4PRO based on their expertise in communication, Magento development, and the quality of their portfolio. They were clearly better than their competition.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $20,000–$25,000 across multiple payments.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from 2016–2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our X-Cart Payments product had zero Magento users before working with WEB4PRO. Thanks to their efforts, the product currently boasts a few thousand users.

How did WEB4PRO perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager proactively asked questions about our requirements and general satisfaction. We discussed different project ideas and they were always professional.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What I appreciated most is that they delivered the project and maintained it for a couple of years. Their pricing was affordable and the project created a new way for us to service customers. We can now cater to Magento users and Magento-based solutions. Those solutions are based on the same code, so we can reuse the connector made by WEB4PRO.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing to say in this regard. We had a positive experience with WEB4PRO.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

They’re a good company for clients on a tight budget. WEB4PRO can quickly develop products and support them after completion. That was our experience and I’m sure they’ll perform to that level for future clients.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of Main Merch, a company that sells pop culture merchandise, such as apparel and some novelties. We've been in business for 12 years. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WEB4PRO?

It took us a long time to find a reliable company. We worked with 5–6 vendors before and were not satisfied. We were a small business and had an old website, so our in-house graphic designer designed a new website for us. We were looking for company that could take the design and build a website for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

One big project they did for us was combining three sites into one super site, enabling people to shop across all of them. I spoke with other companies, but they were not able to offer a good solution and gave us higher quotes. WEB4PRO did a great job with that, so we've been using them for other projects since then.

They worked on six websites for us. We usually give them designs and they develop the code. After that, they provide support, making changes if we request them (for example, when Amazon introduces updates or if we need to add reports).

We're currently working with them on optimizing our server and making our mobile sites more user friendly. We're also starting a revision of the frontend for the desktop.

What is the team composition?

We have one primary point of contact, who has a team underneath him. We also often speak with their owner.

How did you come to work with them?

I contacted about 10 people and WEB4PRO was the first company to respond. Their quick response was important to me because web business is a fast-paced business. They were responding to all my questions within an hour, while it took others a day to get back to me. Also, they offered us a good rate and had positive reviews from other people they'd worked for, so we gave them a chance.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $200,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2008 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality is very good, but when I do user testing I occasionally notice a bug. It doesn't happen every time and they fix it right away, so that the website is fast and works exactly the way I want it to work.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very responsive. I use Trello to upload a task for them and they assign someone to a project, so we can see exactly where they are in the process. I also have an emergency phone number for them. When our website was down during the holiday season, I called them at 4 AM (they're in Ukraine and we're in the U.S.) and they picked up the phone and got down to work. The problem was not related to them, but they were available to fix it immediately.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They offer a rare mix of timeliness, professionalism, rate, and all-around work in the industry.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of a single thing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have a way to track your communication, especially if you work on multiple projects with them. It's important to keep track of each project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner and CEO of a company that specializes in marketing, web services, and general services for clients in a variety of industries. I also act as project/workflow manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WEB4PRO?

We hired them for their expertise in e-commerce, specifically Magento and WordPress. We had a number of sites that needed plugin development for each platform, and they fit the bill quite nicely.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We connected with them on LinkedIn after a great conversation with their CEO. He proved that his team could meet all our development needs.

Describe the project in detail.

They worked on numerous projects for us. One of the largest ones involved Magento product feed comparison scripts to be written and fed into our products catalog, as well as customizing a number of plugins.

Another large project consisted of a highly customized WordPress build with a WooCommerce storefront for the checkout of specific packages. It also required custom templates because the default WooCommerce templates weren't sufficient. Aside from that, there have been many other smaller projects.

What was the team composition?

They’ve assigned a project manager and anywhere from one to three developers depending on the demand of the current project. They work with me and our developer and designer whenever necessary.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

Each solution built or task accomplished has led to either increased product sales, better engagement due to a refined user experience, or additional services being procured. Overall, their work is a success.

How effective was the project management?

This aspect is quite good. I've used other offshore teams and have always had trouble with communication barriers. WEB4PRO always understands the requirements or asks the right questions to clarify their thoughts, which I find very impressive. We’ve used a systems development life cycle process as best we could and BitBucket as a file repository.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their turnaround on any project or task we give them is outstanding. They even beat deadlines at times. Also, they’re willing to compromise on cost or features in order to build a great relationship.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

They could improve on making the difference between their flat rates and hourly quotes less confusing. However, I don’t think I’ve been part of any project where this aspect doesn’t become muddled, especially in ones with large scopes.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of a startup. My company had won some money in a competition, and it's my job to execute the vision of the company. That included building a website. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WEB4PRO?

At the time, I had nothing but sketches. I had used several sites to find freelancers, and I had worked with 3–4 different freelancers already. One of those gave me a good experience but had to end our engagement for personal reasons. The other freelancers were not dependable. Finally, I came upon Sergey, my point man at WEB4PRO, and he did an amazing job.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WEB4PRO did the design and development of my website, which is not your typical e-commerce website. It has e-commerce functionalities, but there are several custom features. For example, people need to be able to build a profile and connect it to Facebook. They can take personality quizzes which saves their results to their profile and updates it with images.

There's a complex feature which lets people compare and contrast their traits with other users visually. People can share their quiz results to Facebook, and there's a blog, a news feed, a store, a home page, an About Us page, etc. There were several complex features that weren't your typical cookie-cutter job. WEB4PRO was able to handle those.

We used Drupal, C++, C#, CSS, and HTML, the typical technologies.

What is the team dynamic?

Sergey was the manager of his squad, but I'm not sure how many people were working under him. Initially, there was a contact person in the first phase who linked me up with Sergey. They probably have a communications head that distributes projects to project managers.

How did you come to work with WEB4PRO?

I had started out using Freelancer.com. That's where I met my first guy. It went well, but he left me with 25% of the website done, and none of the login information. I managed to get 2 more people on Freelancer. I tried a few other websites as well. I probably hired WEB4PRO through Freelancer.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent a little under $10,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

I worked with them from January to September 2016. The process was very active. They worked on the project most of the week, and I asked them for updates here and there. Now that the website completed and launched, the focus is on fixing bugs or making small updates. They used to work quite diligently on the site, and now they're like my doctor: I see them when something goes wrong.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have over 300 profiles created on the website. I'm very satisfied, even though I'm a bit of a perfectionist. We designed the entire website one way and then realized that it wasn't the best way, so they redesigned it with me.

I gave them the freedom to design it how they thought was best based on their experiences. That definitely came through and made a better display. I have a lot of faith in their abilities both to execute what I ask them to do, but also for them to take the initiative and come up with the best way to do something.

How did WEB4PRO perform from a project management standpoint?

I set ambitious deadlines and they didn't always meet them, but they did always get the job done. Sometimes, things took an extra weekend or an extra week, but that was 1 out of 3 times I asked them to do something.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They can handle work that is not necessarily cookie cutter; they can do the cookie cutter features, but they didn't shy away from the custom features that I asked them to build. They did them well, and they are seamless. The custom features ended up flowing well with the rest of the website.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and CEO of Life Enthusiast, which provides products and services to retail and wholesale clients in the alternative health industry. I oversee the company’s operations and make strategic decisions about our business operations. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WEB4PRO?

Twelve years ago, we were a small online store selling nutraceuticals. We needed to upgrade our website several times to keep pace with online developments. We grew to offer 60 brands and over 600 SKUs, together with a library of educational articles. We wanted a site in PHP and Apache with a shopping cart solution. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve provided primarily e-commerce and PHP development. Over the years, they built 3 versions of the website, upgrading the software and expanding the features and scope. We went with osCommerce, which is an open-source shopping cart platform.

A lot of the things that I wanted to incorporate were not available back then, so many features had to be custom-developed. Today, the site may look pretty simple or standard, but 12 years ago there was little to choose from. WEB4PRO developed things based on my designs and suggestions. We negotiated a full feature set, and they made it happen.

Sometimes, we had communication issues, but most of the work went really smoothly. The features included affiliate management, newsletter integration, and a shopping cart. We did content management, so we had an integration of the articles with each product. The standard shopping cart allowed users to choose a size, color, price, and weight and click to buy.

We have information-rich content and offer some research. I had a lot of referential articles that we needed to link through. We had multiple views of the same database—each article as it relates to the product, category, and application. Each of our products has a list of ingredients, applications, and manufacturers. The database functions kind of like a cube: you can lie it on 6 different sides, and it'll give 6 different views of the same data. That was not common in the feature sets available at the time. WEB4PRO developed that feature for me.

I hired a North American firm to do the design of the website. There are cultural differences between American and Ukrainian views of the world. I found that WEB4PRO’s designs were nice to their eyes but didn’t look right for me. They have multiple developers and many skill sets. I was only using a small section of their expertise for PHP and Apache.

We also dealt with some server and backup issues. WEB4PRO did system work for me where we wanted to make sure that we can restore the site if accidents happen. They offered to work in Magento. They currently maintain the cart. We’re planning to switch to a different platform. We want to use a different shopping cart service, which will signal the end of our partnership with WEB4PRO.

How did you come to work with WEB4PRO?

Web4Pro was recommended by a consultant who was managing our early shopping cart and website development. When we priced things out, doing the work North America was going to cost about 10 times as much as WEB4PRO because they’re based in Ukraine, where the labor costs are a lot lower.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2005 and continue to collaborate. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our company grew from a startup to a stable presence, and web traffic increased over the years. The impact of WEB4PRO’s work has been positive, but the metrics are hard to tell because we don’t have a means of comparison. If I’d chosen a developer who cost twice as much, would I have had the results 20% faster? I don’t know.

I have developed a sense of trust with WEB4PRO. We switched from working on a fixed-price basis to by the hour. I give them tasks and know that they’ll charge a fair price. I trust them enough to have an open-ended setup. Some issues came up, but we were able to resolve them. WEB4PRO owned their problems. If they did something wrong, they felt I shouldn’t have to pay for the fix.

How did WEB4PRO perform from a project management standpoint?

They were really good. They used Solid tracking for task management and accountability. We always knew the project status. We had an expected delivery date that they largely met.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their price is outstanding from our American standpoint. They communicate well and are eager to serve. It’s a strange world where their hardship creates a huge advantage for us in the U.S.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Because the project is flexible, everything can be done faster, better, cheaper, or with less trouble. Overall, we’ve had a good experience, and the results met our expectations. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the interactive and web producer for a design firm in Massachusetts. I’m responsible for project management and development of a number of client websites. A large part of my job is to work with a number of web development teams according to each year’s projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WEB4PRO?

We started working with them in 2013 to increase our capabilities for output of web development projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve primarily used them for Drupal builds, which started with Version 7. That caused some security concerns over the last 18 months, so they have since been building with Drupal 8, which has been better. The websites are basically architectural based in Drupal, and the team at WEB4PRO does a great job with responsive builds as well. We’ve worked with them on 15-20 projects.

We hand them a design package from our internal design team. We do all the design work. The process of handing over that package has evolved in recent years. When we first started working with them, it was using PDF specifications, but it’s now evolved into handing them PSD’s based on Bootstrap architecture to hopefully increase the deliverable time. On average, we have 4-8 resources from WEB4PRO working with us, depending on the project.

They also provide security updates. When a Drupal 7 website has been breached, they are very good about determining the cause and making fixes for those.

How did you come to work with WEB4PRO?

I think we found them on Freelancer. We worked with one of their developers on a small HTML-based project and we were very impressed, so we engaged with their group. It’s been a good relationship over almost four years now.

How much have you invested with WEB4PRO?

In busy years like 2014 and 2015, we spend up to $20,000, but on a slower year like this one, we're projecting more like $12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around August or September of 2013, and our relationship is ongoing. It has waned recently, as we have a lower number of Drupal projects. We haven’t worked with them in WordPress before, but a lot of our clients are requesting WordPress due to the Drupal security issues. We have another team that’s very good in WordPress and much quicker in delivering projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can’t share any metrics at this time. Their builds have been very stable and reliable. I do the CMS training with our clients, and our clients are very impressed with the backend of their Drupal builds. They’re very clean and easy to understand as soon as we open the screen and start touring the CMS. The quality has been extraordinarily high.

How did WEB4PRO perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent. They always have a project manager who is very friendly, professional, courteous, and open to new ideas if needed for an upcoming build. We really enjoy working with their project manager. There has been an issue on how long these builds take, and that translates into capital that we invest in these projects. When comparing the two teams we work with, they seem to take about 6-10 more weeks to build something than others might, but the quality cannot be understated. They cross-browser test everything. Typically, when first or second tier of pages come for us to review, we only have minor things to send back to them. That’s not the case with people who work faster.

What did you find most impressive about WEB4PRO?

They’re very reliable and very talented. We know that if we hand a project off to them, they will provide an estimate down to each line item on which they’ll spend time. They’re higher than we would expect, but they do come back in line unless the client changes the requirements. They’re very friendly, courteous, and professional. They do an amazing job. There’s nothing we’ve asked them to do that they have balked at, so we really enjoy working with them.

Are there any areas WEB4PRO could improve?

Last year, when we had an urgent request from a client, they sometimes wouldn’t respond for over 24 hours. If there’s an urgent thing happening, our clients really need an immediate response. Over the last year, they’ve made great improvements in this area. There was a holiday in Ukraine earlier this week, and I sent out an email with a fire emoji on it. I was impressed that they came in on a holiday and fixed things for the client so we wouldn’t look like we weren’t doing anything for two days.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of a skincare company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Advanced Skincare chain 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire WEB4PRO to accomplish?

• Revamp the website
• Migrate to Wordpress
• Speed up SEO

SOLUTION

How did you find WEB4PRO?

Online Search

Why did you select WEB4PRO over others?

Good value for cost

How many teammates from WEB4PRO were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Migrated our website from Magenta to WordPress and added a bunch of functionality.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Helped increase our SEO.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Very personal and responsive, and stick to lists and schedules.

What was your primary form of communication with WEB4PRO?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

WEB4PRO is a small team that cares, and it shows. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something WEB4PRO could have done differently?

Not really

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of TruffleHunter

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Manufacturer of Truffle Products

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire WEB4PRO to accomplish?

• Run Magento Website

SOLUTION

How did you find WEB4PRO?

Online Search

Why did you select WEB4PRO over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from WEB4PRO were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Ongoing maintenance and development of our Magento website

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Website sales improvement

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They were very supportive and very responsive,. always dealing with urgent situations very promptly and efficiently

What was your primary form of communication with WEB4PRO?

Email or Messaging App

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

excellent supporting staff

Are there any areas for improvement or something WEB4PRO could have done differently?

no

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Treasurer of Highland Park Improvement Club

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

HPIC's mission is to enhance the quality of life in the neighborhood by providing an inclusive gathering place, hosting neighborhood programs that celebrate the diverse arts and culture we represent, and fostering community engagement today and for future generations to come. HPIC is a volunteer-driven non-profit and the Board is no exception. All Board members are unpaid neighbors working to ensure the continued viability of HPIC for the good of our neighborhood.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire WEB4PRO to accomplish?

• We aimed to launch a specific fundraising campaign. For this purpose, we needed customizations on our website to get all the needed functions.The desired features included Stripe and Gravity forms, to give donors options such as a donation of a fixed (or any) amount, or a subscription to make regular donations, and also the option to cover the credit card fees.

SOLUTION

How did you find WEB4PRO?

Referral

Why did you select WEB4PRO over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from WEB4PRO were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The scope of work included Gravity Forms set up with Stripe payment to achieve desired options. And also the team did some other minor support for our website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Now we have successfully launched the new Fundraising campaign with all custom options. So the desired result is fully achieved - we've begun to receive donations using our new custom options.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project Management has been collaborative and supportive of what we are trying to accomplish. Communications have been productive and saved us time. We always finish communications with a full understanding of the things that are planned to be done, usually chatting via email. Also, the team sends us email reports about work progress. The team has always delivered on time and has been very responsive to our needs.

What was your primary form of communication with WEB4PRO?

Email or Messaging App

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

We appreciate working with Web4Pro very much - we are a small organization with a small project and they really took the time to help us. People do their job really well. They are professionals and look carefully at your goals, not only at the technical side of the matter. We like how they offer solutions and keep track of all things.

Are there any areas for improvement or something WEB4PRO could have done differently?

I can't think of anything - they were really great to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Ideation of a design company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Strategic Digital Design

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire WEB4PRO to accomplish?

Shopify Store Development

SOLUTION

How did you find WEB4PRO?

Referral

Why did you select WEB4PRO over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me

How many teammates from WEB4PRO were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The scope of work included creation of a custom Shopify theme, and content implementation, product migration, localization for Switzerland, ERP integration with the Private Shopify App.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Now we have successfully launched the Shopify store with a brand new custom theme. It looks exactly like we desired, works smoothly, and all website data is preserved after migration. ERP integration allowed us to connect all needed processes and make the business solution more effective.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

We usually communicate with the team via video call and email. The project management here is highly productive and effective. These people know their job.

What was your primary form of communication with WEB4PRO?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Really professional people, and experienced e-commerce engineers. We like their approach to working on the solution and decision-making. They place the client's business as their top priority.

Are there any areas for improvement or something WEB4PRO could have done differently?

All is totally fine. I have nothing special to say here.