BelVG

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of an infant products company. We design and produce baby carriers, baby wraps, and baby slings.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BelVG?

We hired BelVG for web-based development. The vendor rates in Amsterdam were pretty high, and the quality wasn’t always at a high level. We tried three companies (even in the Netherlands for some years). At some point, we had a challenge we were facing in the PrestaShop platform we were using, and they couldn’t solve it for weeks. So, we looked for another vendor.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They are helping us develop our web shop on an ongoing basis. There’s always optimizations and improvements that we foresee and changes that we want to make.

For a year, they worked on a full-time basis with one developer and a project manager. At some point, we had some struggles and stopped the relationship. After a while, I opened the relationship again. 

Starting in June 2018, they redeveloped our current web shop within the newer version of PrestaShop that has all the different code components. It took 3-4 months to get it done. 

Since then, we’ve had ongoing improvements and developments. For example, today we were discussing some finalizations of some tasks. We were adding Canadian dollars to our shop. They will deploy the feature to our live environment, and I will monitor it closely.

What is the team composition?

There’s a full-time developer and a project manager. There’s some interaction with a supervisor when things are a bit complex from a code perspective. 

There is also a more senior person who’s not a developer on a full-time basis, but he supervises some projects, assists, and gives advice. Sometimes the developer has discussions with the senior person to see how we can best implement tasks.

How did you come to work with BelVG?

They had an online blog post on a topic that had to do with PrestaShop, and I picked them from there. I was able to write a question to them on their website, and they were very open to it. 

Two hours later, they told us what the problem was and how they’d fix it — that amazed me. We quickly decided to migrate from the relationship with the Amsterdam company to BelVG

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2015, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far, it’s working fine, and the costs are quite manageable. It’s one-fifth of what we paid in Amsterdam. The quality of their in-house developers is equal to or better than those in Amsterdam. 

So, we’ve had 5,000 more hours to get things done with people that are as good or even better. The partnership has had quite an impact.

BelVG is a PrestaShop partner. We work with PrestaShop which isn’t a super well-known platform as opposed to platforms like Magento. When we discussed rebuilding the web shop, I wasn’t sure whether to use PrestaShop again or Magento since BelVG is also a Magento partner. 

However, they told me it didn’t make sense to use Magento and that PrestaShop is easier and cheaper. So, it’d take fewer development hours to get things done. We only have 50 SKUs and the PrestaShop format is good for that. 

How did BelVG perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is good. We have weekly or biweekly meetings depending on the tasks they’re working on. I write to BelVG about the outcomes of what we do internally.

For project management systems, we’ve worked with Redmine and Jira. Now, they have another system, YouTrack, that they implemented last week. It’s an online system where all their tasks are visible, and I can comment on these tasks. 

There’s a customer support supervisor that I chat with on a daily basis via Skype to ask them questions or send in comments. That works smoothly and efficiently.  Also, they’re responsive. If I say that something is urgent, they’ll be available at night and on the weekend. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They deliver good quality work, and their PrestaShop expertise is impressive. I don’t think it’d be easy to find a PrestaShop development partner that knows it better than they do. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m Dutch, so trying to make myself clear in English isn’t always the easiest thing when it comes to details. (They try to understand what I’m saying and get back to me in English).

Sometimes it takes some extra time and communication to get things exactly clear. I don’t think they like to ask questions. But, it’d be helpful if they could ensure that they understand me fully. 

I speak with them via email or Skype. I used to ask if we could have a call, and they always refused because they don’t like talking over the phone.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to absolutely make sure that they have a correct understanding of your needs before they start on your work. I’d try to always check on that. You should have them explain what they think you want so you can make sure they absolutely understand. 

Also, send a lot of screenshots to avoid any doubts. You can display the changes you’re envisioning in a visual way without doing an entire Photoshop exercise.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of an e-commerce agency that helps clients build advanced online stores.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BelVG?

We hired BelVG for both large and small projects, as well as sporadic maintenance. They have always delivered.

What were your goals for this project?

Our most complex project was the development and maintenance of payment gateways used by hundreds of merchants. We needed to remain adaptive and persistent in maintaining the solutions and ensuring their compatibility. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I sent sample tasks to 30 agencies but stuck with BelVG because of the quality of their code, communication, and customer care.

Describe the project in detail.

We have developed six major e-commerce projects together, all fairly complicated. As far as we know, this project was the most complicated one BelVG has ever had.

What was the team composition?

BelVG provides direct access to developers and assistance from project managers. We currently work with their frontend, backend, and project management teams.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The payment service provider they built has reduced the number of downtime incidents. It has also significantly increased the amount of customers onboarded.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We use our project management tools, such as Jira, for issue management. They work just like our in-house developers. We have a short meeting each week to discuss obstacles and priorities. BelVG is always responsive if we need to change direction suddenly to meet new demands.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I'm impressed by the amount of knowledge their developers have. They are all willing to share their knowledge and help the project go as smoothly as possible.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It would truly blow me away if each developer had a high level of English fluency. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the head of technology at MuscleFood. We sell health food online.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BelVG?

We engaged BelVG to build new features for our Magento 1.9 platform.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to introduce a variety of new functionalities to our online storefront.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After considering many firms, we chose BelVG because they came highly recommended and with a stellar reputation in the Magento community.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

BelVG built several new features for our e-commerce platform. They customized our checkout page and process, added new functionalities to our product pages, and enhanced several UX flows.

What was the team composition?

We worked with two dedicated developers and a few project managers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The cart and checkout page customization have increased our conversion rate considerably.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project managers worked directly with us to ensure the project’s success. We scheduled daily calls and communicated with the team over Slack.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The BelVG team performed difficult work with enthusiasm and a positive attitude from start to finish.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an e-commerce company that specializes in hunting, sporting, and shooting accessories along with some firearms. We sell retail and wholesale mainly in France, as well as other countries in Europe. We were established in 1992 and launched our first website in 1997, so we've been in business for quite some time.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BelVG?

We had an existing basic HTML website that hadn’t been updated in quite a long time. As we became aware of newly available technology, we narrowed our choice down to Magento. We needed to work with a team who could develop websites on that platform. After contacting several companies in April 2010, we found BelVG. In 2015, we assessed other sites including ones outside our market sector and realized we needed a modernized redesign.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave BelVG a briefing of our specifications and a rough outline of the design. Having been in the e-commerce business for over ten years, we had a precise vision for our desired look and feel. We communicated back and forth as they developed test websites. Together, we fine-tuned it to produce exactly what we wanted.

BelVG completed the entire site build from that point on. They worked seamlessly with our in-house I.T. department, who provided the product lists and other necessary details. We initially just requested the basic setup for a Magento e-commerce platform. A few specific requirements hadn’t been on our original website. BelVG added a dealer locator to our dedicated wholesale site, which had been impossible to include before. They significantly improved the integration with our mailing list.

We upgraded to the new version of Magento about four years ago and took the opportunity to redevelop and modernize the entire frontend UI. We needed a different look and feel than the original HTML site so our customers wouldn’t be confused. Since then, they've added several new features and completed all our requested changes.

What is the team composition? 

We only have one point of contact, which I think is an excellent idea. Our project manager takes care of everything. She relays the essential details of our requests to the actual designers and developers. We never have to go back and forth between different people, which works very well. 

How did you come to work with BelVG?

I searched for a vendor on Guru.com, a website for outsourcing. We're based in France but didn't want to use a French company because they're too expensive. I've worked internationally and set up similar outsourcing projects in the past, so I wasn't worried about using an offshore team. There are perfectly reliable vendors available. After posting our project to that site, BelVG was the second or third team to respond. Price was one of the main deciding factors, but they also seemed positive and enthusiastic about working together. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $30,000 at this point. The initial website setup cost $8,000, and the redesign was about the same amount. Our monthly fee is between $200-$300. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our site took about six months to complete. We started in June 2010 and finished just before Christmas in that December. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have the best website in France in our market sector. The final version of the design is perfect. Since launching the new platform, our site visits have noticeably increased, and we've seen steady growth for our business. The site scales up as our company expands and has enabled us to extend our product range. We started with about 5,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs). Now, we have about 16,000 purchasable items available in our e-commerce store. 

While we’re still a small company, we've doubled in size. We employed eight people back in 2010 and currently have a staff of 15. We've doubled our annual turnover over that period, as well. Our website is our primary source of exposure for selling products. I'm pleased about the results we've seen. Over time, we've developed a very close working relationship with BelVG. More than eight years is quite a long time to work with an outsourcing company, but they're essentially part of our team at this point.

How did BelVG perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a great job. Our main point of contact offers excellent response times, and we use e-mail to communicate exclusively. They also have a collaboration tool that shows the state of a project or specific task. I've looked at it briefly but never feel the need to check it. I trust that BelVG will get the project done. 

We've had difficulties like any other e-commerce company, but they quickly fix anything that goes wrong. They even provide support on nights and weekends, which is reassuring since problems usually occur at the most inconvenient times. I never have to worry about downtime, which is the worst possible problem for an e-commerce website. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everything is essentially perfect. The communication is excellent. They not only respond promptly but also make sure they’re giving me the correct answer. That's one of the most important considerations for me. As someone who works in wholesaling and retail sales, I know how important it is to offer accurate and efficient customer support. BelVG follows through on their promises. If a delay occurs, they give a specific timeframe for when it will be done and respect that deadline. That's the most important thing for me. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

When we first started working together, there were a few oversights, but I’ve seen a marked improvement since then. I can't think of any areas that need work right now.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Apart from choosing them to work with, not at all. BelVG is very good at what they do. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m one of the Managing Directors of Deine Tuer, a door and flooring company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BelVG?

We needed help with backend development, as well as bug-fixes on our Magento site.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to deal with our complex product options and work on client feature requests.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended to us.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

BelVG developed some of our core features and worked on our most time-consuming debugging.

What was the team composition?

We’ve worked with four different developers so far, all with their own specialties.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

They worked with incredible speed and provided outstanding quality.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project manager was always available and communication was very honest and transparent.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We’ve worked with six different agencies so far and BelVG is one of two that’s been able to understand our complex setup and requests. We’ve never seen anyone understand our requests with such minimal communication – not even with developers that are right around the corner from us.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

They were almost perfect.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the e-commerce manager at BLK Sport, a teamwear and sports apparel manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BelVG?

My company hired BelVG to develop our e-commerce website using Magento 2.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted our site built out according to custom design and specifications that we provided.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had worked with BelVG in the past.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

We provided a detailed scope of work with references to all functionality and module extensions that the project required. We also set up a project system and Gannt chart along with detailed XD design files that outlined all pages, click states and mobile design proposals.

The BelVG team was to provide Magento 2 development and general project management, but unfortunately, both ended up being sub-par services.

What was the team composition?

We were only given access to the project manager, with whom we were unable to communicate for most of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Due to BELVG's inability to complete the project and follow the in-depth scope document that we provided, we were left with a large delay and an unusable website.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We were unable to access our project manager for the majority of the engagement.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We had a multitude of issues, so nothing stands out. It often took days to get a response from them, and their code/development work failed to meet our quality standards.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

They need to prioritize communication and improve their approach to development. They also have trouble adhering to timelines and price quotes.

Company Responses

This comment was provided by Luba Andreeva, Marketer at BelVG, on July 23rd, 2018.

Dear Joshua Smith,

Thank you for your feedback! Certainly, we cannot leave it without a response.

We are sorry for the circumstances that prevented the successful implementation of your project. Despite the high workload, our specialists did all they could to manage the project, including the assistance to your new contractors.

We hope that you will successfully complete the project that required so much time and effort.

Best regards,
BelVG

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CTO of Shiekh Shoes, a multi-channel retailer. We have about 90 brick-and-mortar along with multiple online properties, websites, and mobile apps. My role is to push through more of an omnichannel and increase online sales volume.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BelVG?

Two years ago, there was very little in terms of online presence. The plan was to start a new website as well as acquire some online-only retailers. There was really no in-house tech team to speak of and our platforms were quite outdated. We researched the current state of technology within our company and solidified our main goals. Magento seemed to be the best e-commerce platform for our backend and retail technology needs, so we needed to hire a specialized contractor for that solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The responsibilities we outsource to BelVG usually involve e-commerce platforms, like our current Magento project. On an ongoing basis, they re-platform old sites, build new ones, and add new functionality to the system for the omnichannel. Our onsite developers are mostly higher-level architects. BelVG provides hands-on coding to support their work.

BelVG came on board to re-develop our existing site and build out new ones. We usually supply the team with wireframes and documentation ahead of time. They support our Magento platform’s frontend and backend development. In addition, they built compatible mobile apps for iOS and Android that lets users access our digital sales platform through their smartphones.

What is the team composition?

We work with seven developers and one project manager from their side. We’re able to talk directly with the developers. BelVG supplements their own resources by hiring subcontractors to work for us full-time on a long-term basis.

How did you come to work with BelVG?

I found them several years ago when I needed Magento developers. I’ve worked with them previously at multiple companies, so we selected them as our partner for this project.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent over $500,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in February 2016 and have an ongoing relationship. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re very happy with all the sites they’ve delivered. Switching to Magento gives us much more flexibility as a company. Their development team includes highly skilled experts who are proficient at using that platform. Ultimately, their efforts helped connect our brick-and-mortar stores to our digital shops. BelVG has substantially improved our platform and omnichannel, which now has increased functional capabilities.

How did BelVG perform from a project management standpoint?

Some tasks are assigned directly to BelVG’s project manager, but we manage most internally. They completed each task we assigned using the allotted resources and within the appropriate timeframe. We mostly communicate through HipChat, Skype calls, screen sharing, and email. If we need to reach someone during off hours, we also have their cell phone numbers and can call them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

BelVG is very skilled at working with Magento. They consistently hire talented developers. They’re a great team for anyone who wants to build new sites, re-platform existing ones, or needs ongoing support.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The time difference poses a consistent issue. Most of their staff are very flexible, but some of them could improve in that regard. We rarely have any issues reaching someone in case of an emergency. Ongoing communication mostly happens very early our time since we’re on the West Coast. We’ve had to modify our schedule a bit so that we can catch them while they’re still at work. This problem is to be expected with offshoring.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own Georgia Gun Store. We sell firearms and accessories through a retail store and online.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BelVG?

Another developer started work on a Magento site for us. Though it was running, it didn’t function properly or have all the features I wanted. The site was full of errors, so I decided to look for a new developer to help.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They combed through the programming to find problems and glitches. They often had to scrap existing portions and start from scratch. Our biggest challenge was synchronizing our inventory with a major distributor that uses an FTP site. Their inventory file updates every half hour with new quantities and pricing. To keep our own site up-to-date, we had to incorporate those updates into our own inventory list. That meant reprogramming that entire section.

They developed protocols that let us update in-store quantities every half hour, update pricing once a day, and import new product descriptions and pictures once a week. They also set up inventory alerts for customers and added a dealer locator to our website. There are specific rules for shipping firearms that vary depending on the category of each item. Firearms must be shipped to a dealer and can’t be sent directly to a customer. BelVG added a CSV file that allows customers to search for the nearest dealer in their area.

Other functionality that they added included customized invoices and a layaway extension. They also created a price request feature from scratch. Many distributors and manufacturers have minimum advertised pricing that prevents customers from adding certain items to their cart. BelVG created a custom module that allows customers to click a button on the website and request price quotes and purchase links by email.

What is the team composition?

We work with a team of three. Dmitry (Head of Business Development, BelVG) acts as our project manager. We also work with another Dmitry (Web Developer, BelVG) and Tatiana (Project Manager, BelVG).

How did you come to work with BelVG?

I found them on Upwork. I reached out to other developers, but I either never got a response or we had a language barrier. BelVG had good reviews and customer comments, so I asked them to work for me.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around December 2016 and our collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The whole process has been very positive and I’ve definitely noticed improvements. They cloned the website and added dropship options. That site can ship direct from a warehouse and is tied into Amazon.

We usually do about $1 million in online sales each year; this year we may do more. Customer feedback is positive and our sales have increased as we expand our functionality.

How did BelVG perform from a project management standpoint?

They do well. Early on, we had five or six phone calls, but we mostly converse through Skype. They’re responsive and they monitor the Skype connection constantly, even on weekends. They also use Redmine as a project management tool. I can set parameters and information that they use to prioritize different tasks. They’re very easy to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed by their responsiveness. I’ve worked on various platforms with four different web developers over the past eight years. BelVG is the most reliable developer I’ve worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they did a good job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them as much direction as you can on complicated tasks. They will provide what you want, but be clear if you have something specific in mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Lothar John distributes European tableware from major manufacturers, including porcelain, glass, and cutlery. We also sell trending lifestyle and home decor through a shop in downtown Hannover and our website. I am responsible for everything related to the company website and IT.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BelVG?

We hired them to update our site from Magento 1.9 to Magento 2. We also needed project support after the update.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to have a perfectly functional e-commerce site that kept as much of the old customer interface (CI) as possible.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Dmitry (Project Manager, BelVG), who speaks German, called me and sent information about BelVG via email. Their references and professionalism convinced me to hire them.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

They helped us upgrade to an advanced shop system with complete SSL encryption. The work was done on a development environment using a separate server. Our biggest challenge was migrating all of our data from the old system.

What was the team composition?

They assigned a German-speaking employee and a developer to our project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

They achieved our goal to our utmost satisfaction. However, we had to move the launch of the updated site from October 2017 to January 2018 due to Christmas sales.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We communicated via Skype, while tasks were assigned through tickets on Redmine. Our working hours were tracked on Upwork. Dmitry was always available, even outside of normal working hours.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their quick reaction time and implementation impressed me a lot.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I cannot think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

ZNaturalFoods.com is an online supplier of exotic, hard-to-find superfoods from all over the world. We sell products to retail customers and offer bulk ingredients to other companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BelVG?

Our prior developer had created several glitches while trying to resolve unrelated problems. This dynamic wasted a tremendous amount of time and money. Our customers were often frustrated by the site’s dysfunctionality. There were substantial problems on both the frontend and backend. We needed to fix these problems and optimize the entire page.

What were your goals for this project?

We engaged BelVG to optimize our PrestaShop site and build a new Magento platform. Specifically, we requested that the new e-commerce site include a comparable UX and all the same content.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched for providers certified in both PrestaShop and Magento. We wanted a vendor with sufficient resources to allocate multiple developers. Having an expanded team was integral to promptly completing our project. BelVG was a perfect match for our company. They had a proven track record and a skilled, experienced team.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

BelVG revamped our PrestaShop site, built a Magento platform, and migrated all the existing product and customer data. They designed the new frontend to adhere to UX guidelines and programmed custom extensions for our store. Programmers integrated all our required functions into a customized backend admin area. For our mobile site, they redesigned the layout to streamline navigation.

What was the team composition?

We worked with two project managers from BelVG. As our main points of contact, they coordinated the project with the entire development team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

When BelVG took over development, they immediately began fixing bugs left by the previous vendor. They resolved faulty modules and improved the entire platform’s loading speed. Enhancing the site’s quality and stability increased our sales and reduced the customer service load.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We communicate over Slack and use Trello for certain complicated tasks. Our two project managers have always been available when we need them. When our site had problems that required an immediate fix, we could reach them day or night. They even worked on acute issues after office hours.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Communication is a critical aspect for engagements between disparately located teams. BelVG does an excellent job of informing us about their progress. I appreciated that they send multiple daily updates via Slack.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

Nothing stands out as needing improvement. If they keep producing the same quality of work, they’ll continue experiencing great success and garner more satisfied clients.