CueBlocks

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Marketing and Ecommerce of Rapids & Affiliates

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Rapids provides commercial foodservice equipment, supplies and design to healthcare, educational, institutional, multi-unit, and independent restaurant and bar owners within the United States with concentration in the Midwest.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire CueBlocks to accomplish?

• Ecommerce website migration and ongoing maintenance

SOLUTION

How did you find CueBlocks?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select CueBlocks over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from CueBlocks were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Cueblocks has been a long time partner with Rapids originally starting with website development assistance on the Magento platform and extending to complete re-platforming.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our ecommerce platform has shown substantial growth in revenue and traffic since our first engagement with Cueblocks. We have very healthy track record of stability, security and growth over time.

What was your primary form of communication with CueBlocks?

Email or Messaging App

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Cueblocks has been a long time partner with Rapids originally starting with website development assistance on the Magento platform. In the 8 years of our partnership, Cueblocks has provided us with exceptional service. We can count on Cueblocks and the team to execute at the highest degree on projects as large as a re-platform and as small as a minor UX tweak. 

Communications through Basecamp or email has been fantastic. They are prompt to address any concern, and more importantly quick to provide suggestions and solutions based on their expertise, familiarity with our company goals, and recent trends in the online retail space.

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

Their flexibility helps us execute our vision and familiarity with our codebase to quickly adapt to our changing needs. On many occasions, Cueblocks has identified, researched, and presented us with suggestions for improvements on our platforms, from UX to security and more.

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

None. They are a pleasure to work with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Goatswhey Inc. We sell protein powder to the sports, fitness, and wellness market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CueBlocks?

We needed to build an e-commerce website that would visually appeal to our customers and enable us to process shipments and online transactions seamlessly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CueBlocks built us an e-commerce website from scratch. Initially, they took a look at our previous website to get a clearer idea of what exactly we were looking for. After that, they proceeded with the development process and implemented all the features we requested. The website was built using Shopify.

Their team also helped us with SEO.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 5–10 people from their company.

How did you come to work with CueBlocks?

We found CueBlocks through an online search, and they were also recommended to us by someone who had worked with them before. We decided to work with their team based on their communication skills and ability to deliver on time.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on this project from January–April 2022, but CueBlocks actually completed the website within 60 days.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is still relatively new, so it’s too early to share any specific metrics. However, we’ve been getting orders and are fulfilling them 3x faster than before.

How did CueBlocks perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a great job from a project management standpoint. They were able to deliver the project earlier than we expected. Moreover, they always sent us weekly updates regarding the progress of each task. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were most impressed with CueBlocks’s speed of service — they really get the job done quickly. Their communication was also impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think that there's anything that they could’ve improved on.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Give CueBlocks the information they need to build your website. The faster you give it, the faster they’ll deliver.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an online fashion company. I am a Co-Founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired CueBlocks for the design and development of our online store, for designing our packaging, and for digital marketing consulting. Our goal was to create a well designed mobile-optimized web store, beautiful packaging for our products and to reach INR 10m in revenue with help from Cue Blocks digital marketing services.

SOLUTION

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

We came to know about the vendor through our network. We were impressed with the work that they had already delivered for their other clients and decided to go ahead with Cue Blocks.

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

There were three major areas of engagement with Cue Blocks: (i) design and development of our online store; (ii) design of our packaging; and (iii) digital marketing of our site and products. As a startup, our headline goals were to have: (i) a fast, mobile optimized, aesthetically pleasing website; (ii) beautiful packaging that resonates with our premium target audience; and (iii) reach INR 10m in revenue by the end of the financial year (31MAR22).

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

Various people from the Cue Blocks team worked with us at different stages. Three designers spent a lot of time with us to understand our goals, products, target audience, etc. and also helped us with ad creatives. Two website developers produced multiple iterations of the site before we went live, and helped adapt after launch as well. Two digital marketing experts worked with us to help manage Facebook and Google ads. A number of these people continue to engage with us on an ongoing basis now as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

1. We have received great feedback from our customers about our website and packaging design.
2. We've experienced negligible downtime on our website.
3. We overshot our revenue expectations by 70% by the end of the financial year.

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

We feel that our engagement was managed with high standards of professionalism by Cue Blocks. Cue Blocks made a lot of effort to understand our expectations clearly, especially the kind of 'brand vibe' we wanted to create. We had weekly catch ups with agendas shared well in advance, and the Cue Blocks team always came prepared. Delays were rare, if any, and bottlenecks were always communicated with possible solutions that we could go with.

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

Cue Block is able to understand precisely what was needed, and then they deliver with high standards of excellence. The team made a lot of effort to understand our expectations across all aspects of our engagement, and then delivered extremely well for us.

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

Honestly, not much comes to mind!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a parts supplier for electronic goods. We sell Apple and Samsung parts for cellphones, tablets and computers

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I had created my own website on shopify, but it was very simple and clunky. I hired Cue Blocks to work through usability and design of the site.

SOLUTION

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

I searched online to find web designers and also looked up through Shopify's site to look at companies they recommended. I came across Cue Blocks who were reasonably priced and had great reviews

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

We had a meeting to discuss what I wanted and we decided to go through the website in stages. We started with the homepage and then to product page and then collection page. I was able to describe what I wanted and we used figma and basecamp to share designs and discuss changes

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

My main contact was Pancham who is the manager. He would discuss the plan with me and then get the right team members to work. There was designers who would take my idea and show me what it would like, then there is the team that implements it on the site and tests and debugs

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Due to budgeting, I took time to develop the site over a year working on specific sections. While its impossible to accurately pinpoint how much these changes have affected our performance due to other aspects we've also implemented, Our traffic has had an increase of over 20% and our conversion rate has increased by 5-10% which I would attribute to our site visual and usability

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

While I think there would be a huge benefit in having a project manager to have direct contact with (in the pipeline now), using basecamp has been excellent for setting up steps of the project and being able to have detailed conversations around that specific step. This has made communication very easy

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

The teams that were working on the project were very skilled. I have have used other companies before and have never felt like the workers possess the ability that the teams at Cue Blocks do. I can think something up, explain it to them and they will work out a way to do it.

I'm also very impressed with how much they can do. They have teams for design, implementation, graphic design, email, advertising. Everything I've needed, they've had someone for

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

I had discussed with them that it would be great to have a project manager to be the point of contact that would rope in the different teams needed to complete the projects. I would like to develop a relationship with the project manager so they would have a sense with what I like and don't like over time which would mean each project doesn't feel like I'm starting again with descriptions and explanations. They have taken this onboard and are going to implement this in our next project

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of a manufacturing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CueBlocks?

We hired CueBlocks to perform the technical side of web development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CueBlocks is providing web development services to our company. For the general web development issues, they assign one person to deal with them. Then, when we’re faced with server-related issues and other complex things, they assign specialists.

What is the team composition?

There are a number of managers I can contact depending on what we’re doing.

How did you come to work with CueBlocks?

I think I did a search, and we spoke to 2–3 companies. However, I couldn’t remember exactly how we hired Cueblocks because it was a long time ago.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent in the region of $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership began in July 2014, and we’ve been working with them for about seven years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

CueBlocks quickly get things done. If they’re tacking small things, I appreciate that they finish within 24 hours as compared to the previous people I’ve worked with where I’d be waiting a week for their deliverables.

Their team has a professional approach, and they have specialists in various areas. Overall, the project has rolled along quite nicely, which allowed us to have a long-term relationship.

How did CueBlocks perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management process has been great, and we communicate through Basecamp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a very efficient organization.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think I can really answer that question because they’ve been doing a great job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As with any project, have a clear idea of what you need. Normally, CueBlocks charge by the hour, but they’re also open to providing project quotes. They quickly respond, so you have to be prepared to keep up with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a bicycle shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We’re a single-storefront business selling bikes and bicycle accessories.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CueBlocks?

The first issue I had was trying to transition from an older platform to Magento. I’d tried to work with a few different companies, and it wasn’t getting done.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After initially help me fix an extension I was trying to install, they launched my Magento site. They handled both design and development, as well as a later transfer to Magento 2. Post-launch of the first Magento site, they offered us SEO and Google Shopping services, and we’ve been working on that together since 2019. Through the last couple of years, they’ve given me monthly updates as to what they’re doing.

What is the team composition?

I work with nine people regularly, though I have a single point of contact I start projects through. That person is Sumit (Magento Developer), but it’s changed throughout my time with them. One of the owners, Pancham (Co-Founder) is very involved as well.

How did you come to work with CueBlocks?

The first time I worked with them, I was trying to fix an extension I was trying to install. My vendor at the time was struggling, and CueBlocks name was on the support list for that extension. It was very smooth and easy, and I asked them right away if they could help with the Magento transition project. They were easy to work with and very responsive to my needs. It was clear I was going to succeed in launching Magento if I started working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

When it was basic upkeep, feature additions, and changes, we spent $8,000–$10,000 per year. Now, we’re more at $15,000 annually with the addition of SEO. In 2020, we spent over $20,000 with them because of a Magento 1 to Magento 2 transfer.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since March 2017. Their SEO services kicked in in early 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They had me extremely well-positioned when the pandemic hit, and I realize that’s a weird thing to say. A lot of bike shops don’t see a lot of value in their website; they don’t necessarily list their products online like we do because the majority of business happens when people walk in the door. Cycling has become very popular during the pandemic, and in-person shopping has dropped significantly, so we were in a great place with our website. It was amazing to watch. I was actually a bit nervous because our ability to fulfill orders was a bit limited, but it was very fun.

Metrics have increased across the board including organic sessions (up by 53%), new users (up 67%), and organic revenue (up by 156%). Focusing on Google Shopping, we’ve seen a 600% increase in revenue, a nearly 1,000% increase in transactions, and a one-fourth reduction in CPC.

How did CueBlocks perform from a project management standpoint?

We pretty much communicate solely through Basecamp. Yesterday, I wanted them to help sell some products that will do well this year, and I did so through a comment in Basecamp. Sumit translated that and created a task from it. Every once in a while, we’ll communicate through WhatsApp, especially if it’s off-hours, like on a Friday night. It’s rare that I have a phone call with anyone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They under-promise and over-perform. They don’t glue jewels to anything, rather they speak plainly about how much time and money something will take. Then, they do it faster and better than I expect. It happens every time, and it’s unbelievable to me.

We have 10 people working in the shop and not one of them is an IT person. One nice aspect of working with CueBlocks is that Sumit will keep me up to speed if someone very technical comes onto the project. He helps us understand that language, which empowers me to make a smart decision.

Recently, we were having a problem with bots on the site and I needed to add some security. CueBlock’s security resource isn’t someone I work with frequently, and I wasn’t understanding what they were trying to communicate. Yet, I didn’t have to raise my hand and ask for clarification because Sumit stepped in and explained everything. He made sure I got the information I needed in a way I could understand so I could proceed with making a choice.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As a non-technical person, there are some things that are very exciting, like switching from our original platform to Magento 1, and then from Magento 1 to Magento 2. CueBlocks has a lot of balls in the air in these moments, and I could have used more communication about what they needed from me, or if they needed me at all. I’m excited to see the new website in these moments — and I know there’s a lot that can go wrong — and I feel like they’re missing an opportunity to be excited with me.

There are also times when I need advice, and I’m not 100% sure who to go to for it. Part of that is probably my misunderstanding of that relationship. Most of the business relationships I have involve feedback moving both ways; advice gets thrown around. I feel that I could be getting more advice from them on certain things. This isn’t much of a complaint though because they identified huge opportunities for SEO. Certain products are underserved, so people looking at those products can capitalize on them. Sumit pressed hard to get the SEO project running.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You have to understand what you’re asking of them. As long as it’s clear what you need, they’ll excel. Be prepared on your side and know what exactly you’re in need of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an affiliate marketing company aimed at educating consumers in the diamond jewelry sector. I am the CEO of the company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We initially brought on Cueblocks to do a broad SEO audit of our website and to then give us page by page recommendations to improve our SEO and CTR. We have expanded our relationship to include technical help for our site (developing custom plugins, integrating other plugins, site maintenence etc).

SOLUTION

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

I was recommended by some colleagues and was impressed with their communication skills.

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

Site Audit - was completed within a few weeks. There wasn't much from Cueblocks on this matter as our site was pretty strong by all general markers.

Page by page improvement - Cueblocks has been taking 10-20 pages on our site a month and providing us detailed worksheets for our writers and content creators to use to improve those pages (changing actual content, technical seo points, backlinking etc).

We have since covered every major page on our site. Cueblocks would also recommend additional topics that were related to our current content and would prepare similar worksheets. They have developed multiple plugins quickly and effiiciently. And worked on many wordpress related issues.

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

We have ranged from 4 to 10 people working on various topics. I am not fully familiar with their titles but Deepanshu and Rajiv were consistently working on our SEO improvements and Girish was the main quarterback on technical issues. Avneet was our original point of contact and would jump in to manage issues when we needed something urgent.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have consistently jumped in rankings on most targeted keywords and improved our overall site authority. We have seen a 70% increase in traffic and an 80% improvement in CTR, resulting in a strong increase in business.

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

They have been good overall with project management and have been quick to respond to, and deal with, any emergencies. We mainly communicate via email and basecamp with occasional whatsapp discussions.

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

They were the first company we have tried that did not over-promise and under-deliver. They were quick to grasp what we wanted and, on rare occasions they missed the mark, were able to quickly get back on track.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a farmer, growing organic grains / pulses on my 6 acre farm. I am also the owner of a registered proprietorship firm Honest Farmer. I also own the trademark 'Graintastic' , under which my produce is sold.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

For the past 4 years, I have build a market of consumers who buy from me via irregular channels e.g. WhatsApp / Text messages etc. My primary goal was to streamline order management and other processes, so i would be able to scale better in future. Another objective was to engage my existing customers using a single channel!

SOLUTION

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

As a IT professional myself - in my previous life - i knew i was going to be a very tough client! Apart from technical competencies , i was looking for a team which understood my purpose.

Graintastic was never a consumer / producer / buy / sell type of 'business'. It was a conscious effort towards keeping the soil alive using sustainable agriculture! The owner of Cue Blocks were equally engaged with the same philosophy and this alignment of purpose was something which brought us together.

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

Our first meeting was nothing about technology! Everyone was keen to hear my story, my journey from IT to organic farming. I think it gave all of us a sense of how personalised this website was going to be.

The scope was; how to deliver me and my philosophy of conscious farming to my consumers. Everything was build around that, mockups of pages were crated, the images, the text, the STORY!

I left most of the decisions - regarding which tech to use - to Cue Blocks team. The page designs happened, which were regularly discussed, apart from the various e-commerce processes.

Each time a process or a page was done, it would be tested by me and the feedback given using Basecamp (which made things easier for all of us). Word press + Woo commerce was used as the implementation platform.

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

A project manager was designated at the very first meeting. He was coordinating with a team of developers and me. I believe there were 2 dedicated resources and others floating ones, as a need arises. We also engaged graphic designers to pick our icons etc.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

from WhatsApp to a professional e-commerce site was a huge improvement / upgrade! The product inventory was setup, order management was streamlined, and online payment gateway was a blessing! (no more 'forgotten payments') Because of SM integrations, i was able to run simple promotions to drive traffic to my brand.

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

"Basecamp" tool was configured at the start and all communications happens through it. Tasks and discussion threads were created and assigned, making it easier for me to follow multiple conversations. project management was never a one-sided affair, it was always inclusive and accommodating. Even in the times of Covid lockdown, the communication was always a phone-call or an email away! :-)

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

Apart from team's technical competency, it was their forthrightness and keenness to help small businesses which are aligned to Cue Blocks philosophy of a sustainable environmental development. I believe they are keen to build solutions which solve a real world problem, and not just provide a group of s/w engineers who can code for you.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Hmm... a teeny tiny area of improvement, where i think few pages could have been better designed. We did have long discussions over this, and who knows, perhaps they were right! The site is still new, and i will find it out in the next few months. :-)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Peedu's People is a non-profit organization. We work for the Animals (prevention of disease and cruelty) and the Environment. I am the director and co-founder of the non-profit.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired CueBlocks for the development and design of our website. The goals were:

• Convey what we do to the target audience.
• Create a database of the work done.
• Allow customers to get in touch with us.
• Allow collaborations with strategic partners.
• Help create awareness for the cause and the organization
• Allow more volunteers and partners to find us.

SOLUTION

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

Cueblocks and its founders are Vegans much like we are. The core of the company and the thought processes align to provide real-life and practical solutions to tangible problems. Cueblocks also has the initiative to use technology to do good. This is perfectly aligned with Peedu's people for the effect we are looking for to create awareness

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

Project steps:

• Understanding scope of work.
• Understanding target audience.
• Understanding the core-values and concerns of the business
• Create a project plan for the task
• Recreate the logo for the company base don rages audience and marketing
• Designing basic framework with Peedu's People
• Making suggestions and improvements to create a web template
• Selecting and modifying the template selected and created
• Populating data and pictures. Selecting appropriate forms for the same.
• Trial run and sampling of work done.
• Feedback and follow up on plans.
• Releasing the website and making it go live

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

A 5 person team worked with us exclusively and clocked approx 125 work hours to produce the results. They were web-designers, creative artists and project manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Outcomes:

• Visits to the website
• Verbal and written feedback about the website

The feedback:

• Most clients found our website very attractive and professional
• Younger people found the website very mobile-friendly

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

Project management:

1. Well planned and with constant feedback and course-correction
2. Stage gate process is used
3. Communication is done via the common communication platform. Files uploaded and everyone is on the same page

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

We were impressed by the complete involvement of the entire team and inclusivity and personal stakes in the success of the website

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

The timeline slipped a little but that was mostly due to the pandemic situation

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a direct-to-consumer home appliance company. I’m the marketing manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CueBlocks?

I hired them for Shopify enhancements and design updates for our site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They implemented checkout enhancements, onsite API calls, and integrated a few other apps that we use. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with a project manager, a few developers, and the head of the company. 

How did you come to work with CueBlocks?

I found them on a directory for Shopify Plus partners. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $10,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2019, and our work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They helped improve our page load time by 20%. Their communication is incredible, they have a quick turnaround time, and their price is affordable. 

How did CueBlocks perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re really good. I have one main point of contact, and we manage the project through Basecamp. I hear back from them within 24 hours, and they’re always on the ball. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with the feedback that they provided me. I think they helped me implement the best possible solutions. Their expertise is impressive. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

In a perfect world, I’d love it if we could be in the same time zone, but that hasn’t hindered our relationship. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

When working with any development team, it’s important to understand the scope of what you want them to do. That being said, CueBlocks has been good about reading between the lines.