Exhibea

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the e-commerce manager for a wood furniture company based in Illinois. I manage all aspects of the website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Exhibea?

Website Design & Build, Shopify Strategy, Conversion Rate Optimization, Klaviyo email strategy, Brand Identity and Logo Redesign

What were your goals for this project?

1. Increase our conversion rate
2. Mobile Optimization
3. UX design improvements
4. Design a website that reflects our values, heritage and history
5. Website speed improvements
6. Redesigning critical pages that represent our company, such as history of our reclaimed wood, our sustainability efforts and stories about the historic properties where we source our wood from
7. Integrating video and editorial content
8. Storytelling within product detail pages
9. Rethink our entire eCommerce experience
10. Because of the pandemic, we wanted to highlight our residential products rather than commercial

SOLUTION

How did you select Exhibea?

We found that Exhibea's portfolio of websites were all well-designed, optimized for speed and featured unique and fresh typography. We had an introductory call and the team clearly understood our vision and goals, and we could tell that they were excited about our products.

Describe the project in detail.

Working with Exhibea on our Company's new web presence was an exceptional experience. The leader of the Exhibea's team, Bita was very professional, responsive, creative and easy to work with.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with Bita (Founder), and Umer (Frontend Developer), as well as contributions from Irfan, who helped with inventory cleanup and data input.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our goal was to guide our clients through the brand and let them fall in love with the product. Exhibea did a wonderful job. I highly recommend to any business looking for a good firm that understands Shopify, good design, e-commerce trends, and marketing. Thank you Exhibea for a beautifully designed, professional website for our furniture company!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was fluid and easy. We shared all of our assets and Exhibea was clear about their requirements and needs throughout the project. They emailed us throughout the development stage with updates and tips. Bita was always accessible via phone or email if I had any questions or concerns.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We've been very happy with our partnership with Exhibea. The attention to detail has been impressive across all areas, from branding, communication, UX design to technology and project management. We would recommend them wholeheartedly to merchants who really want to create an eCommerce experience that stands out and is reflective of their brand values.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the creative director of a housewares and furniture brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Exhibea?

We offer modern housewares with a focus on thoughtful design and quality production. The products we offer are designed in-house and sold direct-to-consumer, and we value cultivating strong relationships with those customers.

Our products are essentials that will be used daily and every aspect has been considered - from the materials and factories we use to the way we photograph and present products on our site.

What were your goals for this project?

We strive to be the go-to destination for not only new furniture and housewares seekers, but incredibly chic, trend-setting clientele both internationally and here in the states. Trust is everything within our market and it’s the backbone of our business.

From the decor of our brick-and-mortar locations to in-person consultations and events, we always go above and beyond. As we continue to grow and plan for the future, we felt it was time to work with the right team to help us provide this same level of service online. We felt that Exhibea had the level of care, taste and ingenuity we needed and partnered with them on a custom website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Throughout my time working with Exhibea and the team I’ve gained an understanding, appreciation, and trust of their creative process. We first worked on a project together four years ago, and have since found many opportunities to collaborate.

Although in different industries, both our companies were founded with a passion to constantly innovate. Not just to stay relevant, but to remain ahead of the curve. Their level of commitment to these values and the integrity of their work shows how deeply they care for their clients

Describe the project in detail.

We started from the ground up with the new website, and the result is unlike anything else. The site doesn’t feel like a template, because it’s not.

While naturally referencing elements of the past, our focus was distinctively forward thinking. Everything is and feels genuinely new - the products, the site, and the collective experience.

What was the team composition?

From the first call with Bita to discuss what we needed all the way to the hand off of our site I always knew we were in good hands.

The whole process and time frame was explained clearly and simply so expectations were set early on. Since we needed an e-commerce site to sell our products I had a list of specific features we needed. Bita and Sean were able to deliver on those requests, and presented us with a site that looked better than the mockups.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our home goods brand website launch is a milestone I know we’re equally proud of. The beauty of the site experience lies within its exacting standards of simplicity.

The design prioritizes the customers needs while respecting the products and level of thought that went into their creation. Exhibea offers curated formulations that have been conscientiously crafted to deliver results, and is part of an exciting new chapter for digital commerce.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Bita is very clear with her directions and instructions on how to manage our website. We are very happy with the results and would be happy to recommend them.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Above all else, what I truly appreciate is the team's integrity. Any small issues or questions encountered while setting up our site were quickly fixed or answered by either of them. They are responsive and went the extra step to make sure that we were happy with the results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Christine Khuri-Roderick has spent her entire professional life developing fitness, health and wellness programs for clients from New York to Los Angeles. Her background as a personal trainer, certified nutritionist and spin instructor as well as her magnetic enthusiasm for beauty, health and fitness includes a variety of certifications in the fitness community including yoga, personal training and spinning.

She currently represents Transformation protein affiliated with world-renowned trainer Gunnar Peterson and maintains a full book of personal clientele of some of Los Angeles' prominent business leaders. You can follow her and learn more @christinekhurifitness.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Exhibea?

E-commerce Development Branding Brand Identity Shopify Development Shopify Web Design

What were your goals for this project?

My fitness company, Core by Christine, has always been more than a blog, it’s a celebration of fitness, health and wellness. What started as teaching popular fitness classes flourished into so much more.

A decade later I’ve started a wellness brand that I wanted to take to the next level with a suberb e-commerce experience. It’s been an incredible journey that has shown me how important it is to have the right team by your side.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had big dreams and expectations for the our online store, and i've been working with Bita and the team at Exhibea for over 6 years now on various digital ventures. They have not only met but exceeded our business goals. They were true collaborators in every sense of the word and invited us to take part in each step while keeping the process so easy.

They took our ideas to heart and leveraged their experience to make recommendations to built upon them. We shared a goal: to transform Core by Christine from simply an online store into an experience.

Throughout the project they made us feel that they valued our followers and customers as much as we do, which is so rewarding to find in collaborators. As happy as we were with the designs, the level of polish of the final site eclipsed our expectations.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project was for an e-commerce experience that can contain my fitness products, classes, videos and community. Their imagination and skill resulted in a custom Shopify theme and website where even the most most complex features are beautifully designed and easy to use.

What was the team composition?

I worked with the founder and a graphic designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Perhaps one of the aspects we’re most excited about is how easy our new site is for us to work with. Exhibea clearly put a lot of thought into our build so the daily upkeep would be as simple as possible for our team. One of the defining aspects of our brand is how we offer fitness and wellness to our customers. We’re delighted to enter the Summer season with a beautiful new site.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Very clear communication and transparent pricing and guidance all throughout the project. We were stunned by their organization.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are responsive and went the extra step to make sure that we were happy with the results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Offer more just e-commerce design and development, I wish they could have helped me with editing my fitness videos.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a contemporary luxury brand launched in fall 2019. We sell direct to consumer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Exhibea?

We hired Exhibea to build out our e-commerce site for launch. She was tasked with creating layout from given design deck, including layout of homepage and product pages for different category of products.

What were your goals for this project?

Fully functional site in given layout.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

This vendor is known in my community and worked on a few other brands where I knew the founders.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

I had issues with Exhibea as soon as first round of design began. She (the developer) did not follow design specifications and then argued with us on having to pay for another round because we did not specify when there was email evidence of us showing exact design.

She charged us for a design theme on Shopify and sent us a receipt, but Shopify then notified us that this purchase was used on another site she worked on which got us in trouble with the theme developer.

She also was behind on creating a product page we needed for 4 weeks after launch and asked if she could work on it after launch. We agreed and then she stopped communicating with us once she received payment and never created the product page. She refuses to acknowledge using Shopify theme license on another site, and failed to fulfill her contract.

What was the team composition?

It is just Bita, the founder of Exhibea, who worked on our project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working with Exhibea took a lot more time than it should have. We also do not have the website we wanted because the changes we requested and general design were never completed. I, the founder of the brand, have had to spend a lot of my time figuring out how to create the changes we were looking for.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The founder of our company worked directly with the founder of Exhibea to complete the project. We used google drive to upload all design templates, photos, copy, etc.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Nothing. The way my project was handled was unacceptable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Follow through on agreed upon contract terms, and do not illegally give someone theme rights and charge them for it.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was updated by the client on October 16, 2020. The original star ratings were: Overall - 0.5, Quality - 0.5, Schedule - 0.5, Cost -0.5, NPS - 0.5. New content is below:

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did Exhibea address the challenges that arose?

Communication suddenly stopped in November when I did not hear from Exhibea. She later reached out to inform me that she had a family issue that prohibited from finishing part of the contract. She apologized and offered to fix everything, so we settled everything and cleared up the confusion.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

Exhibea has a clear understanding of Shopify and backend coding to make adjustments where needed.

Company Responses

The vendor responded on July 1, 2020.

It’s unfortunate that our client feels this way — the purchase of the theme was a misunderstanding that we have since resolved. In no way did we intend to cause distress or do anything against the rules.

Integrity is paramount to us. When we take on a project, we vow to keep our clients' affairs private — no matter the outcome, as their Shopify stores are connected to their livelihood.

We’ve been building Shopify stores for over 5 years; we treasure our clients, cheer for their success, and are grateful for the many happy clients we’ve amassed over the years. We value fairness, transparency, and, most of all, respect. We take enormous pride in helping people out.

I’m sorry we couldn’t help this client out like she wanted us to, and we vow to do better.

Thanks for reading,
Team Exhibea

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a venture capital investment firm that focuses on enterprise and SaaS software companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Exhibea?

We needed help with building our website and our brand identity.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Exhibea helped us crystallize our message and translate it into a web-friendly way. In that, they assisted us with copywriting and refining our words. They also created our brand identity, which includes our logo, images, and everything for our website. They built the website — which provides informational pages and a contact form — on WordPress and used GoDaddy as our domain. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with just one person.

How did you come to work with Exhibea?

I was referred to them by my colleague; Exhibea had built his website. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $3,500–$4,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from February until June 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t know the analytics at this time, but we’ve gotten really good feedback from partners and prospective portfolio companies. The site is easy to find, informational, and mobile-friendly, which is exactly what we wanted. We’re really satisfied with Exhibea’s work.

How did Exhibea perform from a project management standpoint?

They were perfect. They always had clear communication, immediately answered our emails, and stayed within our budgets and timelines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Exhibea was really forward-thinking and innovative when it came to design. A lot of venture capital sites look a bit dated, but ours does not. They keep in mind UX principles and ensured that the information is easy to read, easy to find, and mobile-friendly. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. Everything was great. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Just be clear about your expectations and your goals.