Catalystdev Web Design

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a hair boutique.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Catalystdev Web Design?

I wanted them to take care of my website. I wanted to be updated regularly throughout the project because my boutique is new. I also wanted to give stylistic input.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team updated an existing WordPress platform for me. I wanted them to update the merchandise listed on the site.

What is the team composition?

From what I know, there are four people involved.

How did you come to work with Catalystdev Web Design?

I found Dany (Founder) on Facebook. After we had a private phone conversation, he convinced me that they were the best choice for the website.

How much have you invested with them?

For the first month, we spent over $800, and since then, we spend $400 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As the engagement went on, I realized that they were exactly what I was looking for. Clients can now purchase products on the website. Since it was an upgrade, it will take time to see metrics, but as of now, I have no complaints about the shop section they put together.

How did Catalystdev Web Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team works very fast while delivering quality work. When I want something done, it’s done on time. I’m not sure what tools they’re using on their side, but we communicate through email. I’m always texting Dany, and we have a regular phone call each month.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The fact that they’re very into what they’re doing is impressive. The web is fast, so companies have to be fast to keep up with it. If I have an issue, it doesn’t take them more than an hour for their team to fix it. I worked with another agency three years ago, and they were taking my money and not meeting my expectations. They were very slow compared to Catalystdev.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I really love what they’re doing. I believe I’m the only hair company they work with, and I enjoy that we work so closely together. We’re all learning from each other.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a private conversation about what you’re looking for. Dany is open to new projects, so put what you want on paper first before meeting with them. They’re open to learning, so tell them what you really expect. Communication is key.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a credit card rating site.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Catalystdev Web Design?

I needed assistance with WordPress design and development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provide on-demand help for my WordPress development. They fix any issues that I can’t resolve on my own.

What is the team composition?

I work with their owner.

How did you come to work with Catalystdev Web Design?

They were referred to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $1,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2020, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work is good and it always gets done. Overall, it’s a great service.

How did Catalystdev Web Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re perfect at project management. We communicate via email and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re always available and accommodating.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m not sure there are.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As with any web development company, be as clear as possible. Don’t leave anything to chance. If you envision something, give as much detail as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Librairie Omnibus. We sell comic books, collectibles, and things of that nature.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Catalystdev Web Design?

I was trying to build my online presence. In particular, I wanted a landing page, which I didn’t have at the time. I was also interested in exploring the possibility of having e-commerce capabilities. I already had social media content, but I wanted a more official kind of online presence. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I gave Catalystdev free reign. I only had a loose idea of what the design concept should be. I answered their questionnaire and talked to one of their staff to figure out the best approach.

I gave them some of the content that highlighted some of the things I’d done and what made my store unique. Catalystdev created a simple five-page website based on that.

They gave me a draft version, which I went through and highlighted some minor changes. 

If I remember correctly, they built the site on WordPress. 

They took over our social media temporarily. Their team made posts for four weeks after the website was designed.

What is the team composition?

I had one primary contact who disseminated the information to the rest of the team.

How did you come to work with Catalystdev Web Design?

One of their designers is a friend of mine and a client of my business. I got to know and trust him, and I liked the idea of supporting local businesses. We knew each other made the process a lot easier for me and a lot more enjoyable overall.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $1,600–$1,800 CAD (approximately $1,256–$1,413 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2020. They finished around late-September of that year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There are some design elements that I really enjoy. The landing page has some nice flip elements, and it does a nice job of highlighting local artists.

I was given lots of positive feedback on the website’s look from the moment it launched. I even got comments from the previous owners of my business and from local artists, who were glad to have another place to go to. Some of them have their own websites, and some don’t. They were featured on a store website got a lot of positive response from them and their communities.

Catalystdev ran a social media campaign to promote the website, and there was a lot of traffic driven through those posts. I haven’t checked the website metrics specifically, but there was lots of talk and information sharing on the Facebook posts. We consistently engaged several hundred people with every post about the website. Catalystdev made exciting blurbs, welcoming people and inviting them to check us out.

How did Catalystdev Web Design perform from a project management standpoint?

For me, it was good. A lot of the delays came from me.  It took me a bit of time to give them the information they needed to move to the next step. Other than that, the timetable was quite rapid. When they told me that something would be done that day, it was. Sometimes, it was done literally minutes after I checked something. 

We didn’t use any project management tools. I had confidence in what was being done, and they updated me constantly on what was happening. I didn’t have to ask for information or updates.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I love that they’re local and that their team is so friendly. Catalystdev is also a bilingual company, which was important for my website. I’m looking at expanding into e-commerce, and I’ll be going back to Catalystdev if and when I decide to do that. I have confidence in their work and their ability to get things done efficiently and timely.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s not much they could improve. I let go of the reigns and gave Catalystdev full control, and they didn’t let me down.

There was one issue of miscommunication. Some changes were done, and they were fine, but I thought I had time for another revision. The things I asked for in the original revision were more complex than originally thought, which chewed into my second revision. That wasn’t made clear to me at any point in time, and I wish I’d been informed that the changes would be more technically difficult.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

My advice is to give them the information they ask for, answer their questions, and be as open and honest as possible. Doing this allowed them to dissect what I was saying and to do better work in a marketing sense.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an online recruitment agency and my job is to help different clients in finding top tech talent across Canada specifically in Montreal, Vancouver, and sometimes Ottawa as well. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Catalystdev Web Design?

Our company is still very young and we just recently launched it. We hired Catalystdev Web Design to create our first website, everything from A–Z. They also offered their social media marketing services to us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We needed Catalystdev Web Design’s help to develop our agency website. The team also handled the design of our platform. 

Additionally, they had a promotion with their social media marketing services and we grabbed the opportunity of having a free one-month subscription. I also wanted to give them a chance and see what they can do for us. The social media platforms they handled were Facebook and LinkedIn where they also built company pages for us.

What is the team composition?

There were two people from Catalystdev Web Design’s team, both of them were co-founders of the company. The first one specialized in creating the website and other technical outputs. The second one was in charge of marketing, analytics, and so on. Part of the work he provided was related to social media creation. 

How did you come to work with Catalystdev Web Design?

We have a Facebook page in Montreal where I was looking for a company within our community. I posted and asked people for who they thought was capable of doing our website. In the end, many people recommended them and I contacted them after. In terms of prices, they offered a cost-effective solution for the project compared to other companies we scouted.

How much have you invested with them?

We paid $1000 CAD (approximately $760 USD)  for everything they did.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from August–September 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a very good experience with Catalystdev Web Design. I’m pleased with their final product. It was very nice working with them because they quickly understood what we wanted for our website.

How did Catalystdev Web Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They had an excellent project management process. When we first talked, we were able to map out deadlines and I was able to explain everything they needed to do as well as what we expected at certain times. We were aware of what Catalystdev Web Design would send us and we knew exactly what we could put on our platform. 

Furthermore, they worked tirelessly to achieve our goals. Overall, I really trusted them. They told me the project would be finished in a month and they were able to do that. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We liked that they were very professional. Nothing was too much to ask of them and they were able to deliver all our requests. Most of all, Catalystdev Web Design was very nice.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I actually have no ideas as far as improving their work. However, maybe they could have more people so they could partner with more clients.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend Catalystdev Web Design because they do amazing work. If you’re looking for someone who can improve your website and other related work, you should collaborate with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Méli Mélo le Neo Resto, a family-owned restaurant.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Catalystdev Web Design?

We opened a second location so we needed a website built and support with social media marketing. For Asian businesses, it’s sometimes rare to have a website and social media — a lot of businesses are on Facebook but they don’t have a website so we wanted to make a difference. Since I need to work at the restaurant, too, I needed help taking care of our social media.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They designed and developed our website from scratch. We had two meetings about it but I had so much on my plate that I gave them full control over the website. I trust them to put whatever they feel needs to be on the website.

They also handle our social media marketing — running the account and providing the content, including taking all of the pictures. Also, we have an existing email address, but they’re going to give us one for our business. 

What is the team composition?

I work with one person.

How did you come to work with Catalystdev Web Design?

He was a customer of ours and someone referred him to me. He was excited to do it — we were his first Asian client and he’s Asian too.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $1,300.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2020 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had a lot of good reviews for our website. Everybody tells us the pictures and the text on the website is perfect.

How did Catalystdev Web Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication is good between us. He tells me things right away and texts me any time if there’s a problem. They fix everything the same day and are a very efficient partner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

His flexibility is most impressive. One time, he had to wait an hour for me because I couldn’t get out of the kitchen, which shows that. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything has gone perfectly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re very trustworthy. The fact that he’s flexible, you can call him anytime. He can show up at any time and he will wait for you.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work in a community organization in HR.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catalystdev Web Design?

We approached CatalystDev Web Design because we needed to refresh our website. Their mandate was to refresh the design of our website and create a registration platform.

SOLUTION

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

One of the owners of CatalystDev was referred to me by a friend.

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

CatalystDev web designer explained to us that there were several steps to refreshing the website. First meeting: During the brainstorming phase, everything went well. Second meeting: At the phase of a first draft of the website following our brainstorming meeting: we were very DISSATISFIED. What CatalystDev Web design offered us had nothing to do with what had been discussed during the brainstorming phase. 

We had to stop this meeting and ask for another one with the modifications that we had shared with the co-founder. At the third meeting, the person with whom we had an appointment never showed up, although the same morning, the president had confirmed his presence at the meeting by email. 1 hour after the time of the meeting, this person called us with an aggressive, accusatory and condescending tone. According to his words, it was our fault if he was not present at the meeting... Incredible! As a result of this call, we no longer wanted to work with this company.

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

We worked mainly with the co-founder of CatalystDevWeb, Dany.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

1. We had to terminate the contract because the co-founder and his company failed to understand our needs and reflect them in the redesign of the website.
2. There was aggressiveness, condescension and contempt from the co-founder in the exchanges, it was very difficult to communicate
3. Lack of customer service, professionalism and punctuality
4. They don't value their clients time.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

0

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

Nothing

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

1. Respect for their client
2. Punctuality to scheduled meetings
3. Customer service
4. Aesthetic quality of work