Ephyros

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president of an underwater equipment retailer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ephyros?

We needed help migrating our website from Drupal to BigCommerce.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ephyros helped us migrate our website from Drupal to BigCommerce. In addition to that, they took care of some app installations and small design and development tasks for product pages. Regarding technologies, they had to use custom APIs because the platform was open-source. Moreover, they worked on SEO and managed to move all the metadata properly.

What is the team composition?

I worked with three people from Ephyros' team, including one of the co-founders and a couple of project managers.

How did you come to work with Ephyros?

We found Ephyros on BigCommerce's list of partners.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around $15,000 with them on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

For this project, we worked with them from January–September 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ephyros were able to keep our SEO workflow the same, which was good because we were worried that it'd drop. Regarding metrics, our sales went up. Overall, Ephyros delivered good quality service.

How did Ephyros perform from a project management standpoint?

Ephyros was able to overcome the issues they faced meeting deadlines. In addition, they did everything they promised to do while staying on budget and being honest about their estimations. Regarding communication, we had weekly meetings using Zoom and Trello as their main tools.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ephyros' pricing was the best, and they communicated honestly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could always be better with their project time estimation because it took longer than initially estimated. Still, we know that they're facing the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them clear instructions so they can provide accurate estimations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the general manager of an e-commerce and retail business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ephyros?

Our previous website was underperforming, and it was not optimized. We needed a company that could help us build a new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Ephyros to develop a BigCommerce website. They’ve handled everything from discovery, development, implementation, and testing. We initially showed them our previous website and its limitations, after which we discussed what features we would like to see on the new website. 

Ephyros has executed everything very well. They’ve integrated various design elements that add to the site’s overall user experience and make it easier for our customers to understand our products, ensuring that our product pages are highly converting. Aside from that, the team is currently responsible for maintaining the site. They’ve also been working with our internal SEO expert to further optimize the site for SEO, which involves working on the backend to ensure the site’s structure is laid out correctly and all the links lead to the right places.

What is the team composition?

We’ve primarily worked with Nadiia (Head of E-Commerce).

How did you come to work with Ephyros?

We found Ephyros through a freelancing marketplace. Even at the beginning, they were very organized; Everything was very well structured, from our initial interviews to our catch-ups.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $10,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site’s user interface has greatly improved. We’ve also seen an increase in our conversion rate, which has gone from an average of 0.8% to 2%–2.5%.

How did Ephyros perform from a project management standpoint?

Ephyros has performed well in terms of project management. They’re incredibly organized, proactive, and intuitive. They always provide recommendations if there’s anything they notice could be improved. They also deal with bugs and issues efficiently.

We primarily communicate daily via our Trello board, but we also communicate through Google Meet and Zoom meetings. We also have weekly catch-up meetings, where we discuss 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re most impressed with Ephyros’ organized and structured process. They’re incredibly quick to respond and attend to all of our requests and questions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I’m still in disbelief as to how good they are.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the technical product owner at NADUVI, an online outlet for home and living products. We are currently located in the Netherlands but are looking to expand into Europe. We offer 30,000 products from 200 brands at discounted prices.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ephyros?

We have an e-commerce website that allows customers to order our products and we were looking for a partner with e-commerce expertise to help revamp the shop. We hoped to add new features and ensure a good user experience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ephyros provides Shopify web development help for us. We had an early version of the site but they helped customize it into what it is today. Their team works in JavaScript, CSS, HTML, and Liquid. 

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact is our project manager, but I also work closely with Yulia (Sales Manager). 

How did you come to work with Ephyros?

I joined the project later, but our founder got in touch with Pavel (CEO) via LinkedIn. He liked their proposition and the pricing was competitive, so he decided to work with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested around €40,000–€50,000 (approximately $48,000–$60,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement began in November 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been evaluating the relationship based on the consistency of releases and how many iterations are needed to get things done. Our project manager has been excellent at reducing the number of iterations done. We’re happy on all fronts at the moment.

How did Ephyros perform from a project management standpoint?

Our teams use Slack to communicate quickly as well as Trello and GitHub to manage the progress of the project. We have weekly calls where we review what’s been done, discuss any questions, and plan releases.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ephyros is able to address our technical needs and deliver quality features. They have a good QA process in place and have been able to spot some bugs. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Most things have been addressed over time. The number of iterations was a small issue as it required a lot of communication to explain things to their team however, this has improved lately. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear about what you want. Treat them as a development company and have a vision that they can implement for you. Specify exactly what you want to minimize communication.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and director of an online platform that seeks to make the job recruitment process more efficient. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Ephyros?

I hired them to develop and design my online platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The did the development, design, QA testing, and more for the MVP of my platform. They also translated the content on the pages for the English version of the site. I wrote the original copy in Dutch. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with a designated project manager who delegated the work to their development team. 

How did you come to work with Ephyros?

I found them on Upwork. I spoke to several companies, but I felt that Ephyros was the most personal. With many other companies, I only got to speak to the salespeople, but at Ephyros I also met the project manager. They understood the project, listened to me, and gave good suggestions. 

How much have you invested in them?

I invested a little less than $20,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2019. We’re in the final stage of the project right now. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They actually exceeded my expectations. The work is very high quality. They did a great job translating my ideas and building off of them to create a unique solution. 

How did Ephyros perform from a project management standpoint?

We worked collaboratively to manage the project. I had a lot of work that I had on my side. We have a weekly call to discuss the project, and we use Trello to manage tasks. I think they did an amazing job and were thorough in their work. The quality is the highest it could be, especially for an MVP. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

I’ve been able to visit them in person a few times. I really enjoy the personal connection we’ve built. I feel like they care about the project, and they keep my customers in mind. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think there’s anything they can improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Take a chance on them; they bring expertise and ideas to the table. Their team becomes an extension of yours.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Founder of a Marketing Planning tool that enables start-ups and solopreneurs to build their marketing plans more easily. It's got everything needed to get started in the one place - from best practice content to interactive tools, start-up marketing is made so much easier with our tool.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ephyros?

We hired Ephyros to build the software from scratch. From scoping out and building the initial MVP, to then supporting the launch of the BETA, and now helping with the continued launch to a broader customer base, Ephyros have provided the full software development expertise from scope right through to execution.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was initially to launch and test the MVP, then scale up the product to BETA, and then to continue with additional features in order to reach a wider audience.

As a desktop tool aimed at start-ups and marketers, most of the requirements relate to great user experience, an interactive UI and seamless design. Ephyros have helped every step of the way and have built a very scalable solution.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I ran a small tender process through an online job platform. Ephyros reached out to me with a great proposal and were very friendly as a team too. They had the right sort of background and felt like a good fit.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Ephyros have built a robust desktop tool aimed at start-ups and marketers. The user experience is great, there is a fully interactive UI and the design is engaging and eye-catching.

Ephyros have helped every step of the way and have built a very scalable solution. They have also built a really good Admin panel for me to be able to make certain updates to the tool myself - this has been invaluable.

What was the team composition?

I mainly interact with a lead Project Manager - this person has changed once in the 11 or so months I've been working with the company. Beyond this, there is a team of developers, both front and back end, that I believe rotate depending on bandwidth.

There is a strong knowledge base on the team now so I don't feel like if any one person was to leave that that knowledge would be lost.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Great user feedback, 500 users so far - and that's with next to no marketing!

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

There have been a few hiccups along the way but by and large the Project Management has been great - the team are always responsive and on top of the work. And they are very flexible as to what we use for communication - be that Trello, Skype, email.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Work ethic and the drive to deliver a perfect solution.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The areas of improvement have been around communication - but these have been fixed so really there isn't anything now!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Head of Product at a Mealplanning Service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ephyros?

Ephyros built our web-app (backend and frontend) according to our specifications.

What were your goals for this project?

Successful launch of new version of our web app.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Previous relationship from other projects.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Ephyros built the web app frontend and backend according to our specifications and fixed bugs we found.

What was the team composition?

On our side two team members for product functionality and UX. On Ephyros' side a project manager, a dev, UX designer and tester.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It allowed us to launch the next version of our web app.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Very good communication and solid management of resources while in the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They really care about satisfying their customers.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Initial expectation for overall timeline was a few weeks, while the actual time needed ended being several months. Testing didn't seem to be too thorough resulting in us finding many more obvious bugs than expected.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and managing director of QPQ International, a boutique investment advisory firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ephyros?

We needed someone to help us build our websites and mobile apps.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ephyros was our one-stop shop for IT solutions. They developed our website as well as a membership site using PHP and Java. It’s a comprehensive platform that uses a credit system for members to exchange business favors.

Also, we asked Ephyros to build a few smaller websites and develop our mobile apps for iOS and Android. They advised us on how we should build our products and offered solutions proactively. The majority of the work was done in July 2018, but they still help with maintenance.  

What is the team composition?

We were in constant communication with at least four people.

How did you come to work with Ephyros?

We posted a job on Upwork and chose Ephyros out of many other candidates. Initially, we worked with 6–7 vendors for various projects. Since we started working with Ephyros, we haven’t worked with anyone else.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $50,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2018, and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ephyros did their part properly, and we’re perfectly satisfied with the way they built our website. We’re focusing more on the offline part of our business, but the online part is still there. It’s now a matter of us investing more into the website to scale it.

They were available 24/7 when we organized live demonstrations of the mobile app. We didn’t experience any problems, even when we were testing the platform and introducing it to our members. If there were issues, they rectified it immediately.

How did Ephyros perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re completely satisfied with the project management. During the development phase, we were in contact weekly, sometimes more often, via Uber Conference, mobile phone, and emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ephyros offers competitive pricing and great support. They think outside the box and offer solutions instead of just following instructions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of a job website called Topreqs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ephyros?

I was looking for a vendor to build a web application for me.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ephyros used PHP to build a web platform that people can use to find jobs. They added many features, such as a job posting flow and a learning center. In addition, they built a testing website for me.

What is the team composition? 

I worked with a project manager, a designer, and a backend developer. 

How did you come to work with Ephyros?

I found them on Upwork. They had good reviews and I liked their approach, so I decided they'd be a great fit. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $10,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement? 

We worked with them between January 2017–June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website functions as expected, and I'm happy with the quality of their work.

How did Ephyros perform from a project management standpoint? 

Ephyros did a thorough job scoping out the requirements. We talked via Skype almost every day, and the met most of my deadlines. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were really invested in understanding the project. Also, they're very strong at project management. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. As a buyer, I can always wish the cost was lower. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your requirements. That will make the process much quicker and easier. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-founder of ApprenticePath

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We enable easy, seamless access to 21st century apprenticeships via our AI/ML data-driven platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Jumpstart a MVP
• Launch the platform

SOLUTION

How did you find Ephyros?

Online Search

Why did you select Ephyros over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• MVP offering

How many teammates from Ephyros were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Help jumpstart a MVP and then formally launch the platform in a timely manner.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• End-to-end design
• development and launch of the platform in a timely manner.

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

Yes. They were very responsive and a great partner.

What was your primary form of communication with Ephyros?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

• Spirit of ownership and partnership.
• Deliver as per promise.

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

None