Command C

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a blanket manufacturing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Command C?

We needed a partner with experience in Shopify Plus for e-commerce development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Command C is helping us with e-commerce development. Their tasks include coding, creating new features based on our in-house designs, and ad hoc maintenance.

What was the team composition? 

We work with 3–4 members of Command C’s team, including Stephanie (Director of Project Management) and Tiffany (Tech Lead).

How did you come to work with Command C?

Our previous web developer referred them to us.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $70,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2022, and the engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Command C’s team always takes our lead and implements everything we design in a functional way that’s also easy to edit. Overall, Command C meets our expectations — they’re one of the best teams I’ve ever worked with

How did Command C perform from a project management standpoint?

Command C meets our deadlines and stays within budget. Regarding communication, we use Basecamp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Command C is great at outlining timeframe expectations before they start the process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Personally, I wouldn’t say I like Basecamp, but that’s a minor issue because Command C leads a good project management process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Always give them as much information as possible to make the development an informed process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing at Brian Gavin Diamonds, a hand-crafted diamond retailer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Command C?

We needed to migrate our website from Magento to Shopify Plus.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Command C has helped us migrate our website from Magento to Shopify Plus and integrate it into a new ERP system. First, they analyzed our Magento setup. They’ve mainly done development work, though they’ve also done some development work. Command C has taken our existing designs and made them compatible with Shopify. 

Currently, Command C provides maintenance and ongoing work for us. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with the CEO, a project manager, and a lead developer from Command C. 

How did you come to work with Command C?

We contacted Shopify, and they gave us recommendations for service providers with experience with Magento and Shopify. We chose Command C because we loved their approach. They analyzed our existing setup and gave us an unbiased opinion on what it would look like to stay on Magento or move to Shopify for us to choose. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2021, the site went live in November 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Command C’s work, our credit card transactions have doubled year-over-year (YoY) through January 2023. On our old system, we were reporting an average of 2–5 bugs a day. Now, the number of daily bugs has gone down to almost zero. 

Overall, Command C’s work has changed our whole world. Our team doesn’t have to worry about bugs, and clients are happy with the checkout experience. 

How did Command C perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re pretty much on budget and on time. Although we’ve had a delay, it was out of Command C’s control because the issue was due to our ERP integration. Through that delay, the team was highly communicative and helpful. 

Communication with Command C is absolutely wonderful. We use Basecamp and Zoom for project management and communication. Additionally, we use Sifter for bug tracking. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with Command C’s customer care; they go out of their way to help us as much as they can, even outside the scope of work. For example, they helped us with the ERP integration even though it was outside the project’s scope. Moreover, their work is outstanding. Our site has had very few issues since we started working with Command C. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The transition after the site went live and Command C moved into maintenance was a little bumpy. However, we’re currently on track. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Command C does a great job of creating a scope of work before they start. Make sure that scope includes everything you want and consider that things might pop up throughout the process, which is normal. Additionally, ensure you get Tiffany (Tech Lead) because she’s amazing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the e-commerce director of an online retail store that sells seeds to gardeners and wholesale landscapers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Command C?

We wanted to re-platform our e-commerce.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Command C has been doing e-commerce development for us in Shopify. We started with a technical discovery phase, and after that, they started with the project. 

Design-wise, they created a custom theme for us from scratch, mimicking our old platform. After that, they integrated all of our internal systems and built custom apps inside the Shopify platform.

We’re currently planning to move forward with them on a retainer level to do SEO and other further tasks.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with Sara (Founder), Stephanie (Director of Project Management), and Tiffany (Tech Lead).

How did you come to work with Command C?

They were referred to us by a Shopify representative; we had 3–4 other options but decided to go with Command C for this project.

How much money have you invested in this partnership?

We’ve spent close to $140,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen a 20% increase in our conversion rates over the last month. Also, the product has enabled us to do more things in-house without a third party’s help, which has direct cost-related savings because we don’t have to pay a developer whenever we want to make changes.

How did Command C perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management has been on point; they communicate clearly, are responsive, and understand our needs quickly. Regarding tools, we use Basecamp and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their organization and communication are their most important attributes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — we’re satisfied with their work’s quality and their thoughtful and systematic approach.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Layout a roadmap and communicate clearly with them to get to the finish line.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing director of a landscape plants manufacturer, so I’m in charge of our online experiences and oversee our digital advertisement efforts. We grow plants for yards, focusing on quality and dedicated to making homeowners’ landscapes beautiful. We have four major locations in the US, and most of our business is with independent retailers and gardening centers throughout the US and part of Canada. Recently, we started an e-commerce business model, and we have a new line of house plants.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Command C?

In early 2021, we were going through a brand refresh, and we needed our website to reflect that look-and-feel update.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Although another company helped us with the design work, Command C implemented the new appearance on our website. Later, they developed a new Shopify site for our new houseplant line so that clients in California could buy directly from us and receive the plants directly in their homes. Additionally, they’ve been instrumental in ensuring that our site is accessible and that our data feeds are working properly.

What is the team composition?

I work with three people from Command C: Sara (Founder), Stephanie (Director of Project Management), and a developer. However, they have more team members I haven’t met who work on our projects.

How did you come to work with Command C?

The firm that helped us redesign our site recommended Command C. After meeting with them and discussing the project, we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $150,000 in total for both projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2021, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since our site’s redesign, we’ve seen an increase in our conversion rate compared to the previous year.

How did Command C perform from a project management standpoint?

Command C’s project management has met and exceeded our expectations. They work fast, and their turnaround times have been faster than expected. For example, they developed the Shopify site in about 1.5–2 months, which was very quick.

Regarding budget management, Command C has also been great. They’re very forthcoming and transparent about the time they spend on certain projects and where funds are going.

I also feel very comfortable with Command C’s communication style; they’re very willing to share their knowledge and solve our questions. They use Basecamp to communicate with us, through where we can see the projects’ statuses. Additionally, we have weekly half-an-hor calls to ensure that everything is moving forward.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Command C’s partnership spirit is impressive. They’re invested in our projects, creatively thinking about making our sites smoother, faster, and better overall.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’ve been great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come in with a plan, know what you want, and be open to feedback. Our flexibility has helped us get the most out of Command C’s services.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director of Marie Oliver, a women’s clothing company located in Greensboro, North Carolina.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Command C?

We hadn’t updated our website for five years, so we wanted to give it a refresh and improve our online shopping experience.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Command C to build and create our new website. The main deliverable was a Shopify theme made to our requirements and needs. We were already on the platform, so the project was only a matter of identifying a new theme for the website and knowing what modifications we wanted to make to meet our goals. 

They’ve delivered the theme, and we’ve already launched the site. We turn to them if we need anything done to the website or when we encounter problems. 

What is the team composition?

We work with two people from Command C. 

How did you come to work with Command C?

We found Command C by researching different Shopify-certified web development companies via the Shopify website and through other sites. We were hoping to find someone local to North Carolina, and Command C had an office not far from where we were located. I also heard about them through word of mouth and from other people I know in the industry.

We ultimately decided to hire them after having a conversation with Sara (Founder). She was great in the onboarding process and in getting to know us. Then, we talked about our needs and how Command C could help us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the conversation in October 2020, but the project officially kicked off in November 2021. Our engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first month of launching our website is a huge success; it has definitely outperformed our expectations, which is wonderful to see. The amount of time that users spend on our website has increased by 30 seconds, which is exciting. We’ve also increased the number of page sessions to 6.5; previously, it was only 5 sessions. 

On top of that, our conversion rate has jumped from 1.94% to 2.57%. Around 50% of all visitors view a product, and 90% of users add something to their cart, which is up by 5% from the previous rate. 

Moreover, we’ve coordinated the site’s launch with the debut of one of our new collections. Talking about the new website in the context of new products to our audience makes the most sense in this situation. Thanks to Command C’s work, we’ve been able to align the site to our new arrivals, which is great. 

How did Command C perform from a project management standpoint?

Command C is a great, organized team, and they have clear and easy communication. I like how they set up everything to help us manage the project throughout the engagement. We use Basecamp, where all communications go through. It’s the best catch-all platform into which we put everything. Then, they use Pitcher to log any issues or glitches they see to ensure that they can take care of them. 

In terms of deadlines, they’re incredible. We have a lot of back and forths because we sometimes want to adjust features or layouts during the development process. We’ve extended our overall timeline, but the Command C team has been clear in communicating and setting expectations whenever such adjustments happen. Overall, we’ve been pleased with the timeline that we’ve landed on when our website launched. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

No matter what we’re discussing about the website or how we want things to function, Command C always thinks from a mobile-first perspective. For comparison, it’s natural for me and my team members to go to our website through our desktop computers. However, the vast majority of our customers shopping on the website visit us through their mobile devices. Given that, Command C makes sure that the mobile perspective is considered first before anything else, and that is great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. We’re so pleased with the final product. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come together as a team and talk about your goals so that you can prioritize them. Have a clear idea of whether you’ll have sub-goals. This will help you picture the overall timeline and how things could work out. You can also identify things that might be counterintuitive to each other. This way, you’ll end up with the very best product possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing and e-commerce for a women’s footwear brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Command C?

We brought in Command C to help us with our website maintenance and development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, Command C started helping us with general maintenance and development optimizations to our Magento 2 site. Over time, we’ve partnered with them on other projects. In the most recent one, Command C is leading our site replatform and data migration from Magento 2 to Shopify Plus.

What is the team composition?

The team composition has changed a little bit over time. In the beginning, we had a different project manager, but we were transferred to Shay (Lead Project Manager), who has been our project manager since. Tiffany (Tech Lead) has been our lead developer, and we’ve also worked with Sara (Principal & Founder) and one more person.

How did you come to work with Command C?

In the beginning, we were recommended to them by another agency partner who had done development for us. This agency migrated our site from Magento 1 to Magento 2. At some point in time, the number of monthly maintenance hours that we needed was too small for them, so they recommended us to Command C.

We engaged with them over their competitors because of this recommendation and because they seemed like a great team to work with.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve been on a monthly retainer with Command C since we first engaged. At the minimum, our retainer is $2,100 a month for 12 hours. Additionally, we purchase 36-hour blocks 3–4 times a year. Those blocks cost us an additional $6,300. The most recent Shopify migration is a $100,000 project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2017, and the engagement is ongoing. The fact that we engaged with them back in 2017 and we're still partners demonstrates that it's been a strong and fruitful partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The key metric for the success of our engagement is that Command C is doing their developments correctly. They're addressing our needs and solving the problems that arise.

The Command C’s team is an extension of our internal team, and they’re some of my favorite people to work with. They’re smart and conscientious, and the way that they approach every task is thoughtful and well done. I’m always confident that they can do tasks right — there’s a lot of confidence in their capabilities.

How did Command C perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management perspective, Command C is exceptional. They’re always meeting deadlines, and the communication with them is constant. We use Basecamp for project management, and we communicate daily through it. We also communicate via email when third parties are involved. We have biweekly calls and status check-ins. If it’s necessary, we can get on the phone to review anything in between that time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There’s a lot of confidence in our relationship thanks to the level of talent that Command C’s engineering team has. Tiffany, our lead engineer, is a remarkable professional. She’s incredibly good at what she does, and it’s really refreshing to see how good and talented she is.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Command C is not always the fastest. When an issue or task arises, it’s not always done right away. However, it gets done correctly — they offer quality over quantity. If they could improve the amount of time it takes to address individual tasks, it would be a good improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be rest assured that your needs will be understood and met with a thoughtful approach. You can have full confidence in their abilities — you’re in good hands with Command C.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Brooklyn Brewery is a regional craft brewery located in the northeastern US. We have an international footprint of close to 30 states and over 30 countries. 

I’m a content marketing manager, so I handle pretty much everything that’s brand-related, visual, or prints, seen in the marketplace. A good amount of my position in particular involves handling our digital platforms, including our website, and giving some assistance to social media and more.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Command C?

We had a several year-long partnership with them as a “troubleshooting helpline.” When it was time to update to Magento 2, they were the clear choice for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They assisted us with our Magento 2 migration, which was really our biggest project for our store platform in the past couple of years. The Command C team matched our existing themes from Magento 1. They were able to get that rolling at the end of 2019 and were able to launch in mid-2020. 

We had just completed a full site overhaul with another agency before the migration started, so they did a lot of work in matching up pattern libraries to make sure that the entire site looks like one piece even though it was technically on two servers. We have an ongoing relationship for technical support, plugins, and other technically-involved rollouts that I might not be able to handle myself. 

What is the team composition?

I primarily work with Kristi (Account Manager), and our lead developer. I've also worked with other members of the team during onboarding, but most of my communication as the project continued has been through Kristi to keep things simple. 

How did you come to work with Command C?

They started working with another member of our organization prior to my work with them. In the end, I decided to keep them because they felt like a great fit. They were doing great work for us. Above all, they were responsive and responsible. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We have an ongoing relationship for support and implementation. Our Magento 2 migration project ran from December 2019–June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They are great at providing instructions for some of the ins and outs of Magento. When I went into issues on my own work for the migration, their instructions have been a handy structure because there are a lot of moving parts and quite a bit of development that went into it. Magento is not the simplest platform to tackle, especially during COVID-19 when we've had quite a bit of business changes, but Command C has made the process seamless. 

The simplest anecdotal feedback I could give is simply that the site works and that I’m able to maintain the site with relative ease, which is somewhat rare in the Magento space. I've spent a lot of time with fellow Magento users who were either experts or intimidated by the platform. Command C has done a great job of getting us to speed and the team made the site a functional piece of our business instead of it being a burden.

How did Command C perform from a project management standpoint?

We maintain a Basecamp environment for our ongoing projects. It has been very handy for us to be able to go back and reference our work done in the past. Basecamp is very helpful, user-friendly, and keeps everything organized than usual. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We ran into some small issues and places where things didn’t quite match up, and the platform seemed insurmountable — but they've been great not only about solving those things — but making it a transparent process during the end. They've communicated well on what they're doing and have given us the functional insights that we need.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t really have any comments about their work. I would love to believe that our work was always most important. I would’ve love for things to get done overnight, but that’s just a completely unrealistic thing to ask of people. Other than superhuman time management, I couldn’t give any real feedback there.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take advantage of the Basecamp platform and what they could offer. Make sure that every piece of the relationship is really set out — and that things are clean, clear, and easy to search. Basecamp may end up becoming such a useful knowledge library and not just a communication platform, which could be a huge asset especially for newer users of the platform.

Being able to go back and reference things can be helpful. Overall, Command C does a great job of breaking stuff out to make it perfect. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of brand partnerships at ByHeart. We’re an infant nutrition brand that’s a year away from launching our product.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Command C?

We needed help with making a landing page.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our industry has a lot of opportunity for storytelling, community, conversation. Our company, in particular, has a multifaceted brand story. While we were waiting to launch the product, we wanted to build a landing page to get our brand out there without revealing too much. 

It wasn’t a complicated build: Command C created a single page with three tabs. It was both consumer- and investor-facing, as we were fundraising at the time.

What is the team composition?

We work with three people: Sara (Founder), a project manager, and a developer.

How did you come to work with Command C?

Wary from lots of horror stories, we wanted a web developer whose abilities we could have confidence in. Command C came highly referred to us by our web designer. We also looked at their past work, which had a lot of examples.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project got started in March 2020 and remains ongoing. We planned to start earlier, but there were delays on our side.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality is A+. Our brief contained a lot of uncertainty, and Command C has made strong suggestions for us. For example, they recommended that we use WordPress for flexibility. The execution has gone perfectly as well.

How did Command C perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication has been awesome. We use Basecamp and have direct access to Tim (Director of E-Commerce Technology), our developer. Every member of the team is extremely available. The project managers switched partway through the project, but it was seamless and had no impact on the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Communication is not something you get from all developers, but we’ve gotten it from Command C. We also appreciate their willingness to hold our hand. Tim is really patient when I ask really basic questions about WordPress. Overall, they’re easy to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If the scope were more robust, I might have more feedback. But it was a relatively small project, and they handled everything perfectly.

Any advice for potential customers?

I don’t have an answer to that, to be honest.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the vice president of everythingsummercamp.com. We are a manufacturer and a retailer of summer camp supplies and apparel. We manufacture a lot of products on our own, but we also carry large national brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Command C?

Our old platform was limited in which features we could integrate, and it was expensive to manage. We contracted with Command C to develop a new e-commerce website that would address these problems.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We relied on Command C to set us up with a Shopify Plus website that allows us to try out new features quickly and with less financial risk. Our site hosts the packing lists for campers at an extensive selection of summer camps across the country. All items are hyperlinked to that specific product category to make shopping easier. We also sell branded apparel for summer camps that needed to be arranged online so that campers at one camp do not see the branded merchandise for a different camp. Realistically, we could have created a Shopify website on our own, but we needed a partner like Command C to program those special features and arrange our site correctly.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a team of about four people, which included a project manager, a technical team, and sometimes the founder.

How did you come to work with Command C?

We originally spoke with a Shopify representative, and they provided a list of agencies they recommended. After researching several of those firms, we settled on Command C because of their honesty. Several companies boasted that they could easily accomplish what we were asking. Command C was forthright in saying they weren’t sure exactly how they would accommodate our unique features, but they were excited for the challenge presented to them. Command C was much more invested in the project. Their honesty was refreshing.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement spanned April–September 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We intentionally launched during our slowest time of the year so that we had time to fix any problems if any came up. That said, our sales have increased relative to the time of the year. Customers are prompted to leave a review of our site at checkout, and we have yet to receive a negative review since switching to Shopify.

How did Command C perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication efforts ensured that we never waited to hear back from them. We worked primarily through Basecamp. We tried to hold each other accountable so that we would be at our best.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They did a good job of setting appropriate expectations and then exceeding them. And, again, the communication was almost flawless.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were wonderful to work with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Command C will work quickly, so any future clients will have to be prepared to work quickly alongside them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the e-commerce and digital marketing manager for YouCopia®. We create storage and organization products for the home.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Command C?

We recently completed a refresh of our brand. Not only was Command C responsible for helping us launch our first DTC site on the Shopify Platform, but they were challenged with creating a brand experience that was consistent with our new look and feel.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We recently refreshed our brand positioning. They not only helped us launch our first B2C site, but they were also challenged with creating a brand experience that was consistent with our new look-and-feel.

Command C was responsible for custom theming that delivered on new style guide and brand position. Additionally, they completed numerous application integrations on the back end to support Marketing, Analytics and Operations

What is the team composition?

We primarily work with Amanda Bernsohn (Project Management Lead, Command C), and Tiffany Kuchta (Tech Lead, Command C). Prior to kickoff we mostly worked with Sara to hammer out the scope.

How did you come to work with Command C?

We evaluated quite a few development agencies including Command C who specialize in Shopify. Ultimately, we felt like they were the best fit for the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–April 2018. They continue to help us with maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working within a tight timeline, Command C delivered a beautiful site that met all of our project goals and stayed within the scope of our project. I enjoyed the experience. I’m extremely pleased with how the site is performing so far.

How did Command C perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was solid. They used Basecamp, which worked well for this engagement. Amanda, our project manager, was always quick to respond, and I never felt in the dark.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our project required a lot of knowledge of Liquid and the restrictions of theme customization. Tiffany (Tech Lead, Command C) did a great job of providing answers and helped guide us in the right direction. She made sure that we didn’t head down the wrong paths when considering the customization options because of the limitations of Liquid.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t hesitate to go into detail for large deliverables within the statement of work during planning. Command C has a brilliant team and will lead you down a different and better path if they are fully aware of what you are trying to do. They have no problem being transparent regarding actual scope which leads to fewer surprises down the road.