Aeolidia

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner/artist of a small stationery and gift brand. I primarily sell my stationery and gifts DTC on my e-commerce website.

For what projects/services did your company hire Aeolidia?

I hired Aeolidia for their Shopify Website in a Week service. I didn't have the resources for an entirely custom site, so this smaller, more affordable service seemed like a good way to improve my site with limited resources. My goals were to make the site look more appealing to customers by implementing more color and artistic touches.

I also wanted to add certain features to my site that would require a few custom coded tweaks. I don't have coding skills, so I knew I needed access to a developer who could add those features for me. My goal was to optimize the appearance and functionality of my site before the busy holiday season, when I knew I would see an increase in traffic and customers.

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

I chose Aeolidia because they specialize in working with smaller e-commerce brands, and have a lot of experience with creative brands. They have developed websites for many of the artists and creatives I admire.

I also trusted their expertise because I have been a longtime consumer of their blog, and have benefited from the free articles offered there. When I heard they were offering this smaller, more affordable website package, I knew I wanted to work with them.

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

When I booked the Website in a Week project, I was assigned a project manager. She sent me several questionnaires to gather important information about the project, and we had a short call in which I was able to get my questions answered. Aeolidia communicated with me mostly via Slack for this project, and I found having a Slack channel was a really easy way to keep track of all our communication instead of having an endless chain of emails.

I was given some "homework" to complete on my end: brand assets I needed to share, and some checklists to ensure Aeolidia had everything they needed for my project. We then had a scheduled design day in which my designer sent me her designs and I was able to give instant feedback on Slack.

By the end of the day, we had agreed on a finished website design. A web developer implemented a few custom coded things over the next day or two, and my design was ready to go. I continued to have access to my project manager through Slack for a few weeks after my site went live, which was really helpful for any follow-up questions I had.

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

I believe I spoke with 4 people total. The first was a director of operations who answered when I inquired about services, and put together a proposal for my project. Once I booked, I had a project manager, a designer, and a developer who worked on my website project.

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

Qualitatively, my site looks really beautiful. Customers have told me they really like how the website looks and functions. I haven't had the site long enough to leave quantitative feedback, but I certainly expect to see positive outcomes!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I found Aeolidia to be extremely organized and efficient with communication. I really enjoyed having a dedicated Slack channel, as well as a project manager to go to whenever I had questions. All the work I needed to do on my end was clearly communicated through detailed checklists with plenty of links to tutorials and helpful resources.

My project manager kept me regularly updated throughout the project, and stayed on top of every detail!

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

I really appreciated having a little team of experts, even on a project at this price point. I think if I had gone elsewhere, I would have worked with an individual to try and achieve the same outcome. With Aeolidia, I had access to a project manager, a developer, and a designer. They were extremely efficient and organized.

I felt that even though my project was brief, I benefited from the many years of experience Aeolidia has in the e-commerce industry. I felt they made design decisions based on data and experience, and my site is better for it.

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

I don't see any areas that need improvement; my project was a success and I have no complaints.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner/designer for little dear, I create hand embroidery, craft patterns, kits and digital download patterns and craft files.

For what projects/services did your company hire Aeolidia?

I hired Aeolidia to redesign my website, adding my own shop and custom galleries.

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

I have followed Aeolidia for years and have always been impressed with their work, I love that their focus is on creative businesses. They were always my first choice.

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

We went through thorough analysis questionnaires to determine what I was looking for and needed. Design preview was submitted and approved and then background/setup work was done steadily and efficiently throughout the process. All stages of the process were well organized, the schedule and what they needed from me was always clear.

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

Director, Product Manager, Designer, E-commerce Strategist, Web developer, SEO consultant, Copyrighter

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

My new website got immediate results and positive feedback, google SEO is already functioning well, everything is running smoothly.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was excellent, I was constantly impressed with how well organized the whole process was and how smoothly everything came together.

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

Everyone I worked with was extremely helpful, knowledgeable and efficient. We felt like they really took the time to learn what we needed, help ME learn what I needed most, and help me get what I was looking for.

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

I haven't worked with anyone else on this scope of a project before to compare, We are impressed and happy with the whole process and especially the results.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner and designer of Rainbow Vision - a line of stationery and gifts

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

I hired Aeolidia to help with rebranding, logo design, and Shopify website design. After years of doing my own branding and website building I was ready for experts because I realized that my knowledge was only going to take me so far.

I hired Aeolidia with the main goal of increasing our retail site traffic (looking to double our retail sales after 1 year) and to help retain repeat customers through a strategic email marketing plan, fresh and fun branding, and a website that was intuitive, interesting, and user friendly.

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

I selected Aeolidia because of the scope of their experience working with other artists and creative brands. I knew that they would be thorough in their project planning and that they understand the power of preserving the uniqueness of individual brands and their ethos.

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

We had an initial meeting about what my goals were for Rainbow Vision and they put together a package of various project options for me to choose from.

I decided to hire them for branding, shopify website design (customized template), product photography, and email marketing set up through Klayvio. The entire project was organized and communicated through Clickup (project management app).

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

I don't recall exactly how many, but I believe about 8 people were on the team. The team consisted of a project manager, logo and branding designer, email marketing designers (2), shopify website designer, SEO expert, copywriter, and product photographer.

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

Since having launched a month ago we have already seen an increase in conversion rate. We've also seen an uptick in sales for certain products that were less popular before which makes me feel like products are being presented in a better way now on the site.

We also installed a bulk pricing app to our site that allows for customers to order multiples of items at a slight discount and that function has helped drive sales in a way that was a struggle before.

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

There was a weekly update on what was coming down the line as far as what items the team was working on and what was expected of me for that week. I received regular notifications about what content was needed from me so that I could plan ahead.

Anytime that I had a question about something I was able to get in touch with the project manager through the Clickup app and the response was always timely.

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

The team's detailed visioning and big picture planning for my brand were impressive in the workflow. Having their help with putting together a well rounded plan that included various aspects of the Rainbow Vision branded experience right from the beginning was invaluable.

It allowed me to take a step back and receive expert opinions about how to move forward and it has made me feel more confident about the direction of my brand.

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

I don't think I have anything to critique at the moment

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a solo entrepreneur, artist, and product designer. I created the company Deborah Cherrin Design to expand my enterprise and offer my products on a larger scale. 2020 turned out to be the perfect time to expand into e-commerce and develop a professional brand presence.

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

I hired Aeolidia to customize my e-commerce website on Shopify and to create a brand identity that would position my company as a dynamic, successful, and professional design house.

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

Soon after the pandemic shut-down was implemented and there were no more art fairs, I knew it was the ideal time to invest in developing the website that I'd been wanting. I was using WordPress and fumbling around on my own but I knew I need professional assistance.

I found Aeolidia when they began offering free online workshops on email marketing and social media in March 2020. From there I decided to test them by signing up for a free website review and then a $500 social media consult.

Those experiences gave me the confidence to hire Aeolidia to help me with a new website. Aeolidia is particularly focused on working with creative/art-based businesses so they knew my territory well.

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

Aeolidia has a wonderful system in place for getting a full understanding of who you are as an entrepreneur, as an artist, and how this will feed into the project.

We met as a team to get acquainted with me and my needs, and then Aeolidia presented me with two budget options for the project. When the contract was in place, I completed several written interview questionnaires. Then I met with individual team members responsible for the different components of my project: web design, brand identity, photography, copywriting, Shopify training.

Deliverables consistently arrived on schedule. Because of the time invested at the start of the project, each piece was bang on! With very little editing I soon had a new logo, brand colors, brand look, target market. The website design went just as smoothly.

During my time with Aeolidia they had just implemented the HIVE platform for tracking everything to do with the project. They also used LOOM for video training, and Dropbox for sharing files.

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

I had 8+ members working on my project:

• Account manager
• Project manager
• Web developer
• Website/brand identity designer
• Photographer
• Web analyst
• Sales and Marketing Assistant
• Shopify consultant/trainer

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

Launched in November 2020, my current conversion rate is over 2%, a huge improvement over my old site. I have already recommended Aeolidia to my friends and will continue to do so. In my case, I was eager to move forward from local artist to artist-entrepreneur.

I was particularly impressed with the rebrand that Aeolidia did for me. The team really "got" me and all that I aspired to become under the new brand. With my new branding and the beautiful new website, I have the tools to significantly grow my design business.

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

All communication was handled through the Hive platform. Phone meetings were also a key part of the project. Responses were prompt and through Hive, other team members could track where we were at any time. Team members were accessible and supportive.

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

I was most impressed with Aeolidia's ability to identify the uniqueness of me and my art business, and to help me develop an authentic voice and look that truly represented my company's personality. My new brand identity is what will ensure my success.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Learning to use Hive and understand its quirks was a bit of an ordeal when you're already trying to learn new email programs and the Shopify platform, among so many other things. I understand that they are not planning to use it going forward.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of Bicycle Pie, an online children's retail boutique and parenting blog.

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

Aeolidia was hired to design and build my website.

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

This is the second time I have worked with Aeolidia. Several years ago, when I owned a brick and mortar store, they helped me with the logo design, branding, and website. I was so pleased with the experience and overall end product that I returned to them for help on my next business venture.

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

Aeolidia was very well organized. We had a number of meetings throughout the project that were organized and always on time, they also used an online program to track emails, notes, progress, to-dos, etc. This program was accessible to everyone in the project.

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

There was a project manager, a web designer, and a web developer.

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

I am thrilled with the website. It's still quite new, however, but my customers love the look of the site so far and find it very user friendly.

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

I'm also a mom with 4 little ones at home, so the team at Aeolidia was very flexible with my scheduling conflicts. Communications were clear, timely, friendly.

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

I love working with Aeolidia. They didn't disappoint 5 years ago, nor did they disappoint this time around. They are professional, organized, pleasant to work with, and they deliver a great product and great experience.

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

I can't think of a thing, honestly.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the sole trader and owner of the company The Curious Pancake. Based in the UK, we sell greeting cards, prints and stationery exclusively online. We sell worldwide.

For what projects/services did your company hire Aeolidia?

Branding/logo re-design & social media graphics.

What were your goals for this project?

I'd been unhappy with my business logo for quite some time, I felt it didn't really express the personality of my business fully, and, although I'm a creative myself, I felt a bit too close to things to objectively do a good job myself.

My goal was to have a logo that showed the personality behind the brand and to have an overall look to the graphics that I felt proud of and could work with in a variety of different scenarios.

How did you select Aeolidia?

As I had been following Aeolidia for years on social media and taking advantage of their free advice and q&a's on all kinds of design and web-related stuff, I felt that their small business focus would suit my needs perfectly.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Aeolidia sent me a form to fill in about my business, with lots of discovery questions designed to get to the root of what my business is about. I completed a core customer profile for them and sent them Pinterest boards with a flavour of the designs I liked. I also had a chat with the designer before work commenced.

When work commenced on the logo, I was kept in the loop with their communications system, Hive, which I found to be a really fantastic way of collating all communication and files. Each round of design work allowed for three alterations, but the designer was so spot on with the work that not much was needed.

Once the project had the final sign off from me I received all the design files and branding check sheets from the designer via a dropbox link. Perfect and frictionless business!

What was the team composition?

I worked with the lead designer, Christine Hughes, mostly on the project. The Captain and founder, Arianne, contacted me at the beginning and end of the project to make sure I was happy with the process.

I also spoke a few times to Sam (director of operations) who organised an initial chat before we embarked upon the project and sent over invoices at various stages of the process.

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

I haven't heard a single negative word about the logo or branding elements, and many of my customers have contacted me to say how much they love the logo. It's early days at the moment, but I'm excited to use the new branding wherever I can!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was amazing. I was never left wondering what the next steps would be, it was all mapped out in Hive. It gave me a huge sense of relief knowing that certain milestones would be reached by very specific dates.

All the communication and files were presented in one place, which made for a very easy life, there's nothing worse than looking for an email two weeks after you've received it!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their organisation, attention to detail and focus. Professional, creative and friendly, I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nope. I'm 100% a satisfied customer.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an online retail brand selling kitchen decor and recipe art. I am the owner and founder of the brand.

For what projects/services did your company hire Aeolidia?

Brand Development Logo concepts Brand Stylization Copywriting

What were your goals for this project?

We are a brand new company looking to get recognized by our target market. We wanted to create a brand that resonated with and attracted our audience and drew them in to be loyal fans of the brand.

How did you select Aeolidia?

I knew of several other small business owners that had worked with Aeolidia and had nothing but positive things to say about them.

After discussing their experiences with them and then a quick conference call with Arianne from Aeolidia - I felt confident that I was in good hands and working with the best people for the job.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The process began with a brief conference call with one of the co-owner's of Aeolidia to discuss my brand history, goals and the scope of the work I was looking for. After that call, a few quotes were put together for me and I was able to decide which one best fit my budget and needs.

From there, I met with my Project Manager and was briefed on the basic timeline we would be adhering to for the project. Communication was always prompt and we stuck to the timeline for the entirety of the project. The process was very collaborative and I was able to provide insight or feedback for every piece.

Deliverables were handed to me as they were completed based on the timeline.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a Project Manager that oversaw the logistics and timeline of the project. I also worked with a Graphic Designer and Copywriter for the details.

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

I have not yet launched the new brand, but I have announced the name change and new logo and have gotten numerous compliments on all of the new brand visuals!

I noticed that I have attracted new members of my target audience on social media and have gained new subscribers to my email newsletter list.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

All communication was process through Hive and we had no issues. Questions were answered in a timely manner, responses and project updates were issued on time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I loved that they have worked with large brands that are names I recognized. I love that they work to empower female entrepreneurship.

I appreciate that they never made me or my brand feel insignificant despite the fact that this was not one of their "big ticket" projects.

Are there any areas for improvement?

My only critique is that when we really got to the "meat and potatoes" of the graphic design, that timeline coincided with the copywriter's time and it felt like it was too much to focus on at one time.

I would have preferred those items be handled that different points of the project.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Modern Merrigold is a made in the USA jewelry brand based in Texas. I am the founder + designer of Modern Merrigold.

For what projects/services did your company hire Aeolidia?

I hired Aeolidia to assist with a new visual brand identity, including a new business name, logo, and full brand identity.

What were your goals for this project?

As my e-commerce business has grown over the last several years, I noticed a disconnect between my branding, the customers I wanted to reach, and the type of jewelry I wanted to offer them.

My main goal in working with Aeolidia was to bring all of those elements in line so that going forward, I can offer the best possible products to the right target audience.

How did you select Aeolidia?

I searched for various branding agencies on Google and received recommendations from my peers. Ultimately, I felt that Aeolidia's expansive portfolio and the incredibly unique work that they did with other brands best fit the aesthetic I wanted for my rebrand.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The process began by working with an Aeolidia copywriter to brainstorm a new business name. We found a winner after 2-3 short rounds of ideas & revisions, and finished that portion of the rebrand at least a week ahead of schedule.

Next, the graphic designer that I was paired with began working on the primary logo. I provided her with a Pinterest mood board that contained colors, scenery, font examples, and other ideas to show the direction I hoped to go.

We chatted briefly by video, and shortly thereafter she provided me with the logo she had designed, which was absolutely what i was looking for. She did so incredibly well, I had no revisions to request.

We finished the primary logo process ahead of schedule and moved on to the rest of the brand identity, where we collaboratively worked together for another few weeks to flesh out an alternate logo, brand colors, patterns, icons, and brand seal.

All in all, I could not be happier with how smoothly this process went.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a copywriter & graphic designer. There was also a project manager and the leader at Aeolidia consistently checked in during the process. The team did not change for the duration of my project, and I really liked the continuity that provided.

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

Our rebrand just launched very recently, but all of the feedback we've received from peers and customers has been overwhelmingly positive.

I anticipate a higher than average holiday season stemming from more confidence in my brand and heightened customer awareness from this new, distinctive, colorful brand identity.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The Aeolidia team utilized Hive.co for managing the project, which I really enjoyed. It was very helpful to see the entire project laid out in an easy to follow chronological format with each individual task and all the details for that task.

They performed like a well-oiled machine from a PM standpoint; everyone knew their job and performed it very well. Expectations were clearly communicated and I never felt lost at any point in the process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was very impressed by Aeolidia's dedication to learning about my current brand position and what I wanted from a rebrand. They asked many, many in depth questions and really got to the heart of what I wanted.

I believe this is one reason why my project was so successfully and finished ahead of time. They're incredibly thorough throughout the process. I also very much appreciated their professionalism, cheerfulness, and willingness to help.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don't believe there's anything that should have or could have been done differently with regards to my project.

I was very happy with how I was treated as a client, how the team took ownership of my project and created a visual brand identity that will last.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Kate Ryan Skincare. We’ve been in business for around nine years and we’re a natural, professional-grade skincare company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Aeolidia?

We hired them because we were in the third iteration of our WordPress platform, but we felt not being built on an e-commerce site was holding back our growth. Our conversion rate and bounce rate were not acceptable and we couldn’t correct it on the WordPress platform. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

The main reason we hired them was to migrate our existing WordPress platform over to a Shopify site. They incorporated functionalities to make check-out more efficient and several qualifiers to build consumer confidence in our brand. We view our home page as our front door since we don’t have a retail shop, so they incorporated our brand into it and personalized the page. 

Even though we had done a rebranding several years before working with Aeolidia, they ended up taking on some of those efforts and made tweaks to it, including our copywriting. We stuck with our logo, but they softened the brand to make it feel more personal and tailored to our products. 

They connected us with a designer to do watercolor artwork for our packaging. Our packaging is more eco-friendly now, so we’re using more glass and aluminum, which they helped us with. Our photography was also updated by their team. They also took a look at where we were in the market and looked at future planning efforts.

What is the team composition?

We had one main point of contact who was the lead designer. There was also someone for copywriting, a person working on email strategy, a project manager. 

How did you come to work with Aeolidia?

Since we decided we wanted to use Shopify, we did endless online research but kept coming back to Aeolidia. One of the reasons is they did an excellent job providing information for small businesses, including emails that anticipated our needs and questions. They had a wealth of information on the website and they seemed to connect with us on a personal level even before we knew them. 

We really liked that they had everything under one roof. Before, we had design, marketing, copywriting entities. Even though we were just looking for a developer, they could take on a lot more. They seemed to understand the challenges of small businesses and had all of the resources to help. It felt very reassuring to go with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent right under $50,000. We spent more than we originally planned, but it was all clear and we were aware of the increases, which were well worth doing. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2018–January 2020. It took a bit longer than expected, since finding the right packaging is a slow process and we changed the scope. 

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

Over the last year, our bounce rate improved 28%, so we’re down to 59%. Our page per session improved by 32% and our average session duration has improved by 45%. The number of transactions has gone up by 55%. Our revenue has increased by 33%, as our conversion rate has improved by 75%

Anecdotally, a YouTube esthetician picked up one of our products and we sold out in a matter of hours, so that has caused a phenomenal conversion rate recently. In the past, we never felt like our welcome page was welcoming people to our store. We now appreciate the ease of functionality for both our users and also our team for the backend. All of the automation has saved us a lot of time. 

How did Aeolidia perform from a project management standpoint?

I can’t say enough positive things about how their project management was. They were fantastic. They were extremely organized to work with, which was really nice. As a small business owner, we wear a lot of hats and we knew how time-consuming a website project could be. Having a team like Aeolidia who knew what tasks they were responsible for and were organized was great. They knew when everything needed to be done and the project moved along well. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are experts in what they do, which is hard to find. They truly cared; from the beginning, we got that sense from their website to their emails. I’m still in contact with their owner after our project because she gets in touch with us. They truly wanted us to succeed and we could see that from start to finish, from the people to the quality. 

They did quality work with very little needed from the business owners, which is not how it’s been with other companies who rely on us to come up with ideas. They told us what we needed to do to grow and were proactive to take our brand to the next level. They were truly cohesive and knew what they were doing. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Off the top of my head, no. With what we’ve seen, we’ve been pleased. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re at the tipping point where you know your products are great but you’re not growing, hire them. Have the confidence in your business if you have products that work and partner with a team that has experts to take you to the next level. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a self-employed artist designer that also retails products through design partnerships with other companies who manufacture for me. I am the sole employee, but I engage several freelancers. I have been in business since 2008.

For what projects/services did your company hire Aeolidia?

I needed to create a central home on the internet for my design work, where I could sell my products. They customized my Shopify site to work with all the aspects of my business. 

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted to increase traffic and sales on my site through a better presentation of my brand and services. 

How did you select this vendor?

I noticed that a lot of my peers were using Aeolidia for their sites, so I asked them about their experience. People enjoyed working with them, so I asked if they would work on my site. They offered a lot of services, including SEO and copywriting, which other designers didn't offer.

What was the team composition?

There were several specialized team members on this project. Before I engaged them, a salesperson helped me understand their process and outlined the cost, scope, and timeline for the project. After I hired them, my primary contact person was a project manager, who I spoke with once a week. I also worked with a copywriter, a graphic designer, and a coding specialist. Additionally, I hired an SEO expert to work with the team.

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

My business has grown exponentially, and monthly sales now surpass my previous yearly sales. Newsletter subscribers are up 30%, and there is a lot more data on our customers. We can apply that data to future marketing and sales. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were very organized. Everything happened within a tight schedule and came together as planned. The workflow between us was very effective, and I had a fabulous experience. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

I wish the original team stayed involved after the site was published. It would help to have more continuity after the site went live for tweaks and minor adjustments.