XWP

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of digital at Kelsey Media, which traditionally publishes specialist magazines. We currently have 60–70 managing that spans everything from farming and agriculture to technology brands. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with XWP?

We had about 40–50 websites on different platforms covering each of our magazines. Some of our sites had scalable revenue streams, but they were all on Drupal, which wasn’t practical for our needs. We needed to find a new web development partner to migrate and develop those websites on a common platform. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

XWP migrated two of our websites from Drupal to WordPress, one of which was a consumer-focused technology website that highlights tech reviews and news. We required that XWP help us improve site performance by migrating our content over WordPress so we could manage each platform more efficiently. However, the project was more than a straightforward migration; XWP also had to redesign the sites and optimize site speed. XWP worked to eradicate our CLS issues. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Caitlyn (Lead Project Manager), a lead developer, two designers, and a wide variety of specialists. 

How did you come to work with XWP?

We knew someone working for XWP and knew about the company’s reputation as a top WordPress development agency. We went through a pitch process with XWP, and they provided us with excellent advice on how to tackle the challenges we faced. Their team was enthusiastic and had worked on similar projects before.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested $440,000 with XWP. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with XWP began in May 2021, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve completed two large website projects with XWP, and they both have A reports from Core Web Vitals. Our CLS has decreased to 0.01, and the site we just launched last month has a 97% performance rating. The new websites are much cleaner looking than the previous, and we’ve had a lot of positive feedback from our staff and customers. 

How did XWP perform from a project management standpoint?

We were under a strict timeline because the existing platform wasn’t stable, but XWP ensured our websites were migrated onto WordPress by our deadline. XWP delivered each complex project within four months. XWP was incredibly organized, and if we ever strayed from the original timeline, it was because my team wanted to add new functionalities to the sites. Those additions made us go over budget by about 15%.

We had weekly calls to establish what we wanted to archive and how it would be delivered; we mostly used video calls because our teams are in different countries. XWP collaborated with us through Miro for the early discovery work, and later we migrated to Jira.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been really impressed with XWP’s team and their quality of work. Everyone involved in our project has been excellent — XWP’s team has a real depth of talent. Our partnerships with other web developers have been challenging, especially when new teammates are substituted in. However, all project handovers have been seamless because XWP’s team is so knowledgeable. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything specific for XWP to improve. We’ve faced several challenges due to the time zone differences, but there isn’t much either company can do about that. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

After completing two projects with XWP, I completely recommend that any future customer hire them because they’re a great partner. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

AdThrive helps professional publishers monetize their websites with ads and services to help grow their businesses. I work with our account management team to serve our larger publishers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with XWP?

We are very interested in helping our publishers have the fastest websites on the internet. When Google introduced new metrics to measure site speed, Core Web Vitals, it was difficult to find providers that could do that kind of optimization effectively because it was a paradigm shift in how to think about site speed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

XWP has provided Core Web Vitals speed optimization for several of our publishers' websites.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager, a lead developer, and 3–4 developers.

How did you come to work with XWP?

They came across our radar as a thought leader in the WordPress space. Specifically, we noticed work they did on certain popular WordPress plugins.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $60,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2021, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Every site we've worked on with them has achieved good Core Web Vitals as reported by Google Search Console for 100% or nearly 100% of their pages.

How did XWP perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been excellent. They’re flexible and responsive in communication, which is exactly what we were looking for. We’ve asked them for changes on how we can communicate and the types of reports we need, and they’ve responded quickly every time. We’ve been very happy.

We use Slack and Jira to manage the project, with periodic Zoom calls and emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their technical execution and knowledge of web optimization stands far above most other providers we've worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re always responsive and ready to adapt.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

For any technical project, be as clear as possible on what you want to accomplish before going into it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the head of the Digital Product and Development Team at an audio company in Australia

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We worked on a trade marketing website with XWP, the goal is to refresh website design and build in WordPress.

SOLUTION

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

We briefed 3 agencies for quotes. The key decision is based on how well the agency interpreted the scope of work based on the same project brief documents we provided, we also considered the time of delivery and the cost. We also need the solution to meet our technical coding standards.

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

We did discovery workshops, then the main project was broken into sprints. The project is managed using scrum methodology, we use slack and Jira to communicate.

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

1 project manager, 1 product owner, 1 software solution architect, 1 backend developer, 1 UX designer, 1 frontend developer, 1 tester

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project has been delivered within budget & on time, overall quality of the final product has been satisfying.

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

We ran scrum to manage this project. Both us and XWP are familiar with scrum, it naturally works really well. XWP's communication style is outstanding, response is always fast efficient. Every meeting is well planned, tracked, and post-meeting actions are clear and actionable. There is also follow up on every action, which we found very helpful. We used Slack, Jira and Zoom. Both us and XWP react very fast to questions and actions throughout the project, which helped to keep the project on track.

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

Outstanding communication style, very organised project management and product management style. Also, the product team is very experienced and capable, XWP team naturally understood our requirements and avoided overengineering.

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

We are satisfied with XWP at this project throughout the process, nothing to add now.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the marketing manager at Big Health, a mental health company that builds digital therapeutics. Our products are scalable software devices that use cognitive behavioral therapy to help provide mental healthcare to people in need. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with XWP?

We were looking for a firm to help us completely redesign and rebuild our website because we were going through a company-wide rebranding process. Our site was on HubSpot, but we wanted a more flexible platform that would give us opportunities to grow in the future. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

XWP redesigned and developed a new website in WordPress so we could go to market with our new company branding. Our internal team provided some of the site design ideas, but XWP mostly designed the site from scratch. We worked with XWP's engineering and product teams to determine the look and feel of the site, our functionalities, and site metrics. Their team provided a lot of strategic direction and feedback on the content we developed for the site, but didn't create any themselves. 

The first iteration of the rebuild was completed in August 2021, and then XWP helped us set up our Google Analytics dashboard. They also helped ensure that our migration from HubSpot to WordPress went smoothly. 

Now we're working with them month-to-month to continue iterating the site. XWP's team adds new functionalities and features as our company grows.

What is the team composition?

During the rebuild, we worked with 8–10 teammates from XWP, including a team of WordPress engineers, a project manager, technical lead, QA engineers, and designers. 

How did you come to work with XWP?

Our VP of marketing and head of design were tasked with finding a firm to rebuild our site. They interviewed several firms, and XWP had excellent online reviews. In the end, we decided to hire XWP because of their strategic offering, portfolio, efficiency, and positive experience during the initial interviews. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested $130,000 with XWP thus far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with XWP began in April 2021, and it's ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've seen an increase in site traffic and engagement with our content. Internally, our team is more efficient because it's now easier to upgrade and upload content to the site. The new WordPress site has given us a lot of flexibility to make site changes ourselves and potentially use it as a CMS. The new site perfectly reflects our brand; it's an upgrade in every way. 

How did XWP perform from a project management standpoint?

XWP's project manager is great at keeping us on track, updating us on timelines, and keeping us on budget. Their project management has been one of the best parts of working with XWP. Their team uses Jira to track project progress, but we can also use it to contact their team with technical questions if needed. Otherwise, we utilize a Slack channel, which is efficient. Generally, we have longer meetings once a month, but had daily meetings with them during the site rebuild. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

XWP's high level of professionalism, expertise, and quality of work are exceptional. Also, they're just a joy to work with as a partner. XWP really helps us understand our development limitations while still being flexible to our needs and patient with our lack of technical expertise. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything pressing for XWP to improve. There were slight delays in the process because of the time differences, so I think if they had engineers in the US, it would've moved the process along quicker. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd advise customers to be very clear about their requirements and goals and let XWP run with the technical side of the project. Throughout the process, customers should also stay in constant communication with XWP. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the general manager at an online publisher focused on affiliate marketing. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with XWP?

We were looking to expand our business into new countries and needed help with our website development.   

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

XWP serves as our engineering and product arm, developing a WordPress website for our Canadian market that is suitable to be used when we launch in additional countries in the future. We’ve provided XWP with our initial requirements based on our US website for them to use before they began development, which has since been completed. Now, we’re working with XWP to expand the site’s functionalities. 

What is the team composition?

We initially worked with two teammates from XWP, and have since scaled up to a team of five. Our team at XWP now consists of a project manager, a product teammate, a frontend developer, a backend developer, and a QA specialist. 

How did you come to work with XWP?

I’m not sure how I found XWP, but I ran a vendor selection process, interviewing several companies before selecting XWP as the best partner. 

How much have you invested with them?

Last year we invested $230,000 with XWP, and this year we plan to invest an additional $420,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with XWP began in May 2021, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our site has launched successfully, which our previous web developer could not do. We also have great Core Web Vitals, which were a priority for us. 

How did XWP perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything XWP developed has been launched on time and within budget. The XWP team is extremely collaborative and responsive — we mainly communicate via Slack, a Jira board, and have Zoom meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I am impressed that XWP has the technical competency to handle our needs because we’re a multinational company. Secondly, I appreciate that they’re very open and responsive to feedback. We’re able to work and collaborate with XWP to test additional products as we expand our market reach. XWP is incredibly reliable. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, I can’t think of anything XWP could improve. Anytime issues come up, they’re proactive about adjusting the team to fit our needs. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise customers to be communicative about their business needs while allowing XWP to take the lead on how the project will look and progress. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the lead web designer at a nurse staffing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with XWP?

We were seeking assistance with an improvement to our site's page load speed/UX, and we needed to complete it before an anticipated search algorithm update.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

XWP optimized our website’s UI/UX, working mostly on the frontend. They scanned our platform and isolated several details that they thought would be most impactful in improving the site’s efficiency. Our website is built on Drupal.

We had a thorough period of discovery to get the project’s scope nailed down. However, once we knew what we needed to do, the actual work only took a few weeks.

What is the team composition?

I worked with 3–4 resources at XWP, including Amit (Chief Revenue Officer), who was the main point of contact.  

How did you come to work with XWP?

XWP was recommended by our web publishing platform. XWP seemed to have the expertise we needed and felt like they would be a good fit for us, so we hired them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–May 2021.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to XWP, our page load times improved sitewide, exceeding the expected performance standards of the upcoming algorithm update.

How did XWP perform from a project management standpoint?

They were terrific at project management. They used several online project management tools, and we had regular check-ins where we could see the project’s progress. To our delight, the project was finished by the deadline. We used Jira, Zoom, Slack, and email to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

XWP truly are experts in improving site performance. They didn’t make any exaggerated claims about their capabilities or the results that we could expect. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust them — they know what they’re doing. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a mid-sized creative agency focused on the intersection of brand and product. We work across a wide range of industry verticals and company sizes. I’m one of the partners but I also serve as the executive digital director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with XWP?

We hired XWP for a platform development project. Our company was working with a nonprofit institute that focused on reimagining and restructuring the American high school experience. In 2020, we created a platform that gave high school students the opportunity to have their graduation recognized since none of them was going to have in-person commencement. This platform was built on WordPress as a proprietary social media channel. Our intent was to bring students, parents, and educators together and facilitate dialog. Given that, we rapidly developed the platform. After that, the nonprofit institute’s product roadmap continued to grow, so we reached out to XWP and asked them to be a development partner for this platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

XWP provides project management and backend development services. In terms of technologies, we use WordPress, JavaScript, PHP, CSS, and HTML. Moreover, their resources have customized a number of enterprise-grade plug-ins in response to the directives in the product roadmap. On top of that, XWP offers maintenance work; they’re currently responsible for maintaining the platform. The team also handles product management, where they evaluate tasks and come up with a clear sense of what needs to be done. They also challenge assumptions and offer optimization solutions. 

For the platform’s features, one of its core functions is a single-sign-on registration. The goal is to lower the barrier of entry and let people create accounts with whatever platform they want, including Google, Facebook, and Twitter. We’ve also added custom integration with TikTok since our targets are first and foremost high school students. Moreover, users can create profiles the same way they do on other social media platforms. They can identify whether they’re a student, a parent, an educator, an administrator, or even a community member. Likewise, they can upload headshots and a brief bio that will be displayed in the conversation threads they’re following. Further, users can identify their school, district, city, state, and region. The overarching goal is to create engagement among platform users. 

At present, we continue to work with XWP on various fronts. Apart from this project, we also work with them on a team augmentation basis; one of their developers is a full-time member of our team. 

What is the team composition?

At the height of the project, we’ve worked with four people, including one main point of contact. 

How did you come to work with XWP?

We knew XWP from being involved in the WordPress community at the enterprise scale. For context, we moved away from creating custom CMS platforms several years ago and used WordPress for the majority of our web development projects. Meanwhile, XWP had an incredible reputation in that community as one of its leading developers. We ultimately met them at a WordPress VIP event, and that was where we found them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $100,000–$150,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with XWP in September 2020, and the partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From an audience perspective, our user base has grown by another 7,000 users since the start of the project in 2020 — that represents a 300% growth over the past year. Meanwhile, from a client perspective, the nonprofit institute has continued to invest in this project as a result of XWP’s work. In other words, we’ve achieved client satisfaction. For my agency, this translates to an ongoing relationship with our end client, letting us build their confidence and trust in our work further. 

How did XWP perform from a project management standpoint?

XWP’s project management is great, and I’ll rate them highly for that. Meanwhile, the variances in budgets and timelines are completely understandable and clearly communicated. These variances usually come from late-breaking changes from the client and not from XWP. 

To communicate, we use Slack for in-the-minute conversations. Meanwhile, the XWP team manages the sprint sessions using Jira and Trello. They have a strong mastery of those platforms, giving us a clear sense of their progress and when we can expect the tasks to be completed. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

XWP understands WordPress at the enterprise level in a way that we haven’t seen with our other development partners and contractors. WordPress is a widely adopted platform, and the quality we encounter in the market varies widely —  XWP is on the leading edge of that range. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

XWP can do a better job taking direction from us as their agency partner. To clarify, the challenges we face usually arise from the triangulation between XWP, our agency, and our end client. As a result, they must learn to adapt to this dynamic without compromising quality. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

XWP is an organized and professional team. As a result, the more planning and organization you bring to the initial relationship, the more you’ll benefit from it. If you come to them with a strong plan, they’ll take that and pay it forward in a truly impactful manner. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there?

I'm an executive at Bartercard Australia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with XWP?

We needed someone to develop a website for member onboarding.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

XWP developed a website for us. We first presented our requirements and some initial UX designs. Afterward, they came up with the architecture and built the website from scratch. It is a member registration and onboarding solution.

They integrated the authentication method we were already using to allow a single sign-on process. The team also set up two-factor authentication via a user's email or phone number. Finally, XWP ensured its scalability to help us as we grow our user base.

What is the team composition?

We initially worked with four teammates: a project manager, a web architect, a web developer, and a product owner. As we were nearing our deadline, they added a few more developers.

How did you come to work with XWP?

We had worked with them on other projects and were happy with how they fit with our internal team.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost $200,000 AUD (approximately $147,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–September 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They built a website that was secure and functioned the way we needed it to. XWP employed best practices and worked well with our internal team.

How did XWP perform from a project management standpoint?

They used an agile approach to the development process. The project manager did a great job of keeping everyone on track. They even added more resources to ensure their ability to meet our tight deadlines and accommodate all our requests. 

We used Jira to track their progress, and we communicated via Slack and Zoom for our twice-a-week standup meetings. Compared to our experiences with other foreign vendors, XWP's communication was superior.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They introduced us to some best practices in terms of development — with their help, we transitioned to a more formal development environment. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they did everything we asked of them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you know what product you're building and create initial design documentation. XWP will help you work through the rest of the project and give you all the resources you need.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Publisher and CEO of COWGIRL. We are a nationally distributed print magazine with an enormous digital following that caters to women who live a Western lifestyle.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

An early adopter of AMP, cowgirlmagazine.com outgrew the basic site and ran into issues with the plugin developer. This led to a site with a growing number of broken components. We discovered XWP as a provider of AMP related service for Rollingstone magazine and reached out to see if they could help get us back on track.

SOLUTION

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

Their immediate interest and introduction to their team inspired us to move forward XWP. The fact they were experienced in the AMP universe was a major deciding factor.

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

After several exploratory meetings using the Slack and Jira platforms, XWP took over the site and began the overhaul in a development environment. Working directly with the official Goole AMP plugin and the Newspack template, the team quickly had cowgirlmagazine.com up and running in a full AMP environment.

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

The XWP Team consisted of developers, coders, and experts in AMP operations. A separate team help with the implementation of the "Stories" component that immediately added state-of-the-art technology to the site proving a richer user experience.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching the site, cowgirlmagazine.com experienced a significant increase in user traffic. The site speed increased significantly and the stability of the user interface was impeccable. Layout and design were also notably professional and appealing.

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

Scheduled weekly meetings with project management using the Slack platform made it very easy to communicate. Team members from around the globe were coordinated and fully informed. XWP management style is swift, well informed and geared to keep the customer in the loop at all times.

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

We were impressed by the global world team, each with their areas of expertise and keen sense of coordination. Each team member appeared to really care about the project at hand.

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

Our experience with XWP was flawless. With open communication and regularly scheduled update meetings, all went according to plan.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the VP of Products at Liquid Web, a hosting company that provides managed application hosting at Nexcess.net.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were looking for a company that could help us build a product that we'd scoped out. While we had ideas around the product, we were hoping that XWP could help translate them into a finished and valuable product.

SOLUTION

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

I know most of the major vendors in the space and was happy to select XWP to build this for us. Because the product was focused on performance, I knew their expertise would add immediate value to our project.

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

After starting on the project, we asked their designers to create the UI/UX designs for the WordPress plugin. At the same time, their engineering started working on the SaaS and API that the plugin would consume. From there we met weekly to move the project from the beginning to the conclusion - with a plugin that monitors site performance and creates some causation links.

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

We worked directly with a small team of 3 or 4 that were on our weekly calls - from the project manager to the leads on UX and architecture. Behind the scenes, several other developers were involved. It was clear we were working with the senior members of their teams.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project took 30% less time than if we had built it in-house - so that was the first major result. The other dynamic, in a company like ours, is that had we done the work internally, we might have pushed the priority out and delayed the delivery. XWP nailed the project and the timeline perfectly.

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

We had weekly calls to make sure things were progressing, along with a two-company Slack channel that allowed for direct connect and communication between both company's engineers.

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

Every bit of the project was excellent. I could tell you that the UI/UX work was amazing, but that would suggest that the engineering wasn't amazing - which it was. Great work overall.

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

We have nothing negative to say about this project. Not even in tiny ways. It was fantastic to work with XWP.