Foundation Commerce

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a Department Head of Peter Tyson

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an audio, visual, and appliances, electricals retailers

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Foundation Commerce to accomplish?

• Improve website page speed performance
• Increase conversion rate
• Increase revenue generated by the website
• Integrate custom website functionality and requirements
• Ease the workload on our in-house developer

SOLUTION

How did you find Foundation Commerce?

Referral

Why did you select Foundation Commerce over others?

• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Foundation Commerce were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The original project with Foundation Commerce was for a complete Magento 2 website redesign, using the Hyvä framework for improved performance and speed, which was delivered in time and budget. Our conversion rates were very poor, prior to this, most likely due to the site speed, which was one of our key requirements to improve. 

The UX of the site was improved and this is something that we are always improving on with our monthly retainer with Foundation Commerce, as well as adding new features and functionality to the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Revenue
• Conversion rate 
• Google Core Web Vitals pass 
• Increase in online business (quantity and turnover)

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

The project was delivered on time, and the progress was transparent with excellent communication along the way. Changes that we made mid-project were dealt with professionally, calmly, and respectfully, and all goals were met.

What was your primary form of communication with Foundation Commerce?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They really care about the project, and they have a very personable team. Within only weeks, communication was as relaxed and fluid as it is with long term colleagues, rather than an external agency. The attention to detail to achieve the correct solution to each task, rather than just taking the simplest option, was very refreshing, always with an eye on long term use and success.

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

None that I can think of

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the IT support and services manager at Citizen Watch Group. We design, manufacture and distribute watches across a variety of brands; Citizen, Bulova, Frederique Constant and Alpina.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our current brand websites (Citizen, Bulova and Frederique Constant) were created a few years ago and had become outdated, with no mobile optimisation. We therefore hired the Foundation team to redesign, implement and manage our ecommerce platform (Magento). Our ultimate goal was to substantially increase conversion rates across our collection of products as well as to bring our websites into the 21st century by the end of the year. Site load speed was also a determining factor that we wished to increase.

SOLUTION

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

We searched online for Magento certified agencies and shortlisted 5 of those with ourstanding reviews. After interviewing each agency, we chose Foundation Commerce as our vendor of choice based on their professionalism, design skills and cost effectivness. Ryan and his teams ability to mitigate our concerns and be at hand to answer any of our technical questions was also a determining factor.

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

We had an initial fact finding meeting to discuss our objectives, brand guidlines and timescales. From there the Foundation team delivered mock up designs/wireframes for our sites, with each stakeholder being given the opportunity to raise feedback. After a few iterations, the team at Foundation developed our new Magento store, incorporating a redesign of many critical features using the Hyva framework. As well as the redesign we use Foundation for day-to-day managed services; including monitoring and rectifying of bugs or issues that occur as well as developing new features - and upgrading the core platform as and when new versions are released. Foundation also support us with the setup and maintainance of email marketing.

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

Lilly, the dedicated project manager was our main point of contact whereby we had scheduled weekly calls to discuss the process. Ryan often joined the call to lend an ear of technical knowledge. We also had contact with mutiple developers through the Trello board. All contact points were friendly, formal and professional.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching our Citizen site, we saw a markable increase in the number of conversions, with our sales doubling - this trend looks to continue and we're on to have a fantastic year. Customers and staff alike have commented the new websites are much easier to navigate, actually work on mobile and tablets and boast a fantastic page load speed.

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

We had weekly meetings via Google meet with Lilly the project manager, who communicated with the rest of their team. If there were any delays or recommendations, they let us know ahead of time and managed our expectations well. We used Slack, Trello and Google Meet to coordinate, and they worked well with our team.

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

Foundation have a wealth of technical expertise with the Magento platform, and web technologies in general - they are able to offer valuable insight into why something should be done in a certain way and provide recommendations on the best methodology. Foundation Commerce is always on hand to answer our questions and provide support.

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

Foundation have been excellent and I have nothing noteworthy they could improve upon.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Open Group is a global consortium that enables the achievement of business objectives through technology standards.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Foundation Commerce?

We were using Magento 2.3 and needed to upgrade to 2.4

SOLUTION

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

Foundation Commerce was recommended by another contact so I made the call. Speaking with Ryan, it became abundantly clear that he knew the product exceptionally well and was someone I'd like to work with.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

We had two storefronts powering a free publications library for member/non-member content and a smaller online store for electronic items based on our standards. There were some custom features that needed to be migrated and this was planned during an initial audit.

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

The CTO and account manager were our main points of contact. Jobs were added and shared via a team Trello board and we were kept up to date with progress - which was rapid.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The update was scheduled for 6.30 am and by 7 am, both sites were up and running with no issues. It could not have been easier so was very happy it all just worked.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Foundation Commerce has put together an amazing team that is responsive and eager to help. Getting in contact was never a problem and it was always a pleasure dealing with them.

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

Ryan initially was my first point of call and was very easy to get on with. They demonstrated a deep understanding of the product and made excellent suggestions. This is during the site audit that hadn't been brought up before. Prior to our Foundation Commerce contract starting, we experienced a serious login issue and they solved it for us quickly even though we had not officially started working together.

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

They have just been excellent throughout so nothing to add here.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the directors and partners of a retailer of luxury linen. We specialize in selling high-quality linen to hotels, but we also sell to people who want to buy products for their homes. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Foundation Commerce? 

We had a website that was built by a Magento partner, but we had a bad experience. It took us a year before we had a website that functioned in some way. Even then, it was only a basic copy of our old site, and it had many errors and incomplete pages. As a result, we searched for another service provider and found Foundation Commerce. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Foundation Commerce worked to fix the issues we had on the website. For context, many Magento features were promised to us by the previous provider, but they were never done. As a result, the Foundation Commerce team had to improve many things on the site.

They also worked to create a working test site for us. For a bit of background, the previous provider only let us use their own test site, which was on their servers. Their servers were switched off after hours and on the weekends. That wasn’t the case with Foundation Commerce; they gave us a proper Magento server with a staging site that we could work on anytime. 

So far, Foundation Commerce also contributes to the website’s content and customer engagement. For instance, we’ve recently adopted Klaviyo as our email marketing platform based on their recommendation. We’ve had 150,000 customers over the past 25 years, so we have a huge mailing list. Klaviyo also has a feature that separates customers by demographics. 

In due course, Foundation Commerce will also work on our SEO, PPC, and social media marketing efforts. Currently, though, we still have many ideas in terms of improving the website, especially since Magento always has new versions coming up. 

What is the team composition?

We work with two people from their team, including Ryan (Director & Magento 2 Solution Specialist). Meanwhile, Lily (Design & Marketing Manager) takes care of all of our tickets and issues. 

How did you come to work with Foundation Commerce?

I did a Google search of specialists in my area. When I found Foundation Commerce, I discovered that they were only a mile away from our office. On top of that, they answered the phone any time of day and night, which was unusual. As a result, we hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the partnership in January 2021, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our conversions have increased because of the website's new features and functionality — we’re 12% up this year from last year. There’s also an increase in customer efficiency.  

Overall, I'm extremely happy with their work. It's nice to work with a local company that listens to our needs. They have time to come to the office to see us, and they fix whatever we ask them to fix promptly. The team makes our lives easier, which is what we want.

How did Foundation Commerce perform from a project management standpoint?

Foundation Commerce’s project management is excellent. They always work within our timelines and budgets, prioritizing everything we tell them to prioritize. 

In terms of communication, they're on the phone all the time. We can speak to the owners directly and not through tickets and chats, which have become the norm nowadays. Moreover, we have a weekly or bi-weekly meeting depending on the tasks at hand. The team can meet us in person in our offices, but we sometimes use Google Meet.

For project management tools, we use Trello, where we raise tickets based on priority. They go through the boards and do all priority work, asking us any questions they have. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Foundation Commerce answers our questions via emails or phone calls immediately. On average, they reply to our emails within 10–20 minutes. For phone calls, they answer right away. If I don’t get an answer, they call me back within 10 minutes. As a business owner, I consider that invaluable. For comparison, other teams take 48 hours to reply when I submit service tickets. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. They’re excellent. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with Foundation Commerce — you won’t be disappointed. The team makes your life easy since they take care of everything. Business owners have so much to think about, and the last thing we want is to worry about our website. As a result, treat Foundation Commerce’s services as invaluable.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the IT Manager of a sports retain company. We sell sports equipment for the freeflight community including providing advice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our e-commerce platform had come to it's end-of-life and therefor was unsupported. We were forced to migrate to a new platform and Foundation Commerce was selected amongst other agencies to develop the e-commerce platform and website. Our goals was to migrate quickly with critical functionality in order to retire the out-dated platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select Foundation Commerce and what were the deciding factors?

We selected Foundation Commerce because they were straight talking, didn't give any sales pitches, and we had direct access to work with developers (rather than non-technical staff). It seems that Foundation Commerce has the same mindset as Flybubble.

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

We had solution scoping meeting where they then defined the solution specification document. We were provided with mock designs and after a few iterations, Foundation Commerce were able to delivery a platform with integration to payment solution and blog.

How many people from the Foundation Commerce team worked with you, and what were their positions?

A project manager and a senior developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team has delivered on time within the estimated budget and with no surprises.

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

Frequent communication on project progress using Kanban to manage tasks and give visibility on progress.

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

Honest and clear advice, direct access to technical staff, no sales talk.

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

There was a little confusion on what changes were allowed on certain systems which Foundation Commerce immediately owned, clarified and progressed forward.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the marketing manager for a global furniture retailer. We manufacture and sell sustainable wooden nursery & kids' furniture as well as accessories and bedding.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

At an exciting time of growth, we required a development team that could help improve the functionality and speed of our site with the end goal of increasing traffic and conversions.

SOLUTION

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

We had worked with Ryan at Foundation Commerce previously and were impressed with the quality of his development work.

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

Foundation Commerce has worked with us across many projects on our Magento 2 site. After an initial site audit, the team began work on improving site speed before taking on some of our larger projects including a store locator and integrated reviews.

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

We work closely with our Account Manager and the Founder/Lead Developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Foundation Commerce continues to meet our high expectations and we're extremely pleased with how well the site is performing as a result.

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

Trello and Slack allow for seamless communication with the team and a regular call with our Account Manager ensures projects are always kept on top of.

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

Their knowledge of Magento best practices and the fact they have simplified many of our website management processes over the time we've been working with them.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of Inca Jewellery Ltd, a company that imports, exports, and wholesales hair accessories and gift packaging.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Foundation Commerce?

We needed help from Foundation Commerce to revamp our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Foundation Commerce has revamped the old site by fixing a lot of issues. It has been quite a complicated process. We had various meetings with their team to go through everything we expected to rework on our website. We vaguely knew what we wanted, but there were a lot of technical aspects that we needed help with. They guided us through them, put some proposals together, and have carried out the redesign of our website since.

What is the team composition?

I mainly work and speak with two members of their team, but I know there are more people working in the background. 

How did you come to work with Foundation Commerce?

I found their website on Google. They seemed sensible, and they were one of the only people I found that had that cost upfront on the website, which made me trust them. Normally, people only put their costs on there if they're sensible.

How much have you invested with them?

On the initial website, we’ve spent £10,000 (approximately $14,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working in March 2020, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work has been more about redesigning and reworking our original website, so we don’t really have any metrics that I can show, but I do have a lot of happy customers. 

How did Foundation Commerce perform from a project management standpoint?

They have used Trello for project management, which has made everything quite organized, methodical, and easy to follow up whenever they do any changes, which we’ve found very useful. We’ve communicated via email and phone calls

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are efficient, transparent, and visionary. In terms of their quality work, Foundation Commerce is brilliant. They’re very good and do things properly and methodically. It’s good to have them around and to be able to resolve these issues because I don’t think everybody could do as well as they’ve done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t know if there’s anything they could improve on.

Any advice for potential customers?

To get the most out of it, be as organized as Foundation Commerce is.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of an electronics utility retailer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Foundation Commerce?

We needed someone to consult us on our e-commerce business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Foundation Commerce is our primary consultation partner helping us develop ideas to improve our e-commerce platform and digital presence.

What is the team composition?

We mainly interface with Ryan (Director & Certified Magento and Adobe Commerce Solutions Specialist) and Lily (Operations & Marketing Director).

How did you come to work with Foundation Commerce?

After talking with different vendors, we came across Foundation Commerce online and chose them because they didn’t overpromise and underdeliver.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested somewhere between $10,000–$49,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in December 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working with Foundation Commerce has allowed us to operate with agility and maintain a competitive advantage. They’ve also introduced a phenomenal marketing agency which has helped us improve our presence in the digital space.

How did Foundation Commerce perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent from a project management perspective as they’re able to consistently deliver their tasks on time. Their team is highly personable, and we typically communicate through the phone, and there has never been a time when I couldn’t get hold of them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed with their ability to manage our expectations and seamlessly deliver what we ask. We also like their vast e-commerce expertise and communication skills.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they need to improve because I’ve been delighted with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would just highly recommend them because you’ll be lucky to work with a company like Foundation Commerce.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Managing Director

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our website was hosted by Magento 1 which was becoming obsolete so we hired Foundation to change us to Big Commerce and do a redesign

SOLUTION

How did you select Foundation Commerce and what were the deciding factors?

great new solution, professional service and a speedy turnaround

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

We started off with an indepth call with Lilly and Ryan explaining what we were wanting to achieve, there on we worked with trello for tasks needing completed

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

A project manager, Marketing Assistant, Lilly and Ryan as well as our own in house designer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thank you to the team at Foundation Commerce for presenting us with a great new solution, professional service and a speedy turnaround.

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

We had daily communication with their team whether it be calls, emails or via Trello. they were very efficient and let us know a head of time if there was any scheduling issues but always got work done when we needed

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

They have had a lot of experience and have brought our goals and what we had envisioned to life.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None applicable

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Business Owner

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Website. 

SOLUTION

How did you select Foundation Commerce and what were the deciding factors?

Awesome.

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

We approached Foundation Commerce to maintain our Magento 2 updates, security and ongoing developments. 

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

3.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Excellent. We were impressed by how quickly Ryan and his team grasped our concept and delivered consistent results with impressive speed. 

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

Fantastic. The team is always friendly, approachable, and responsive, and most importantly they're creative.

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

They think outside the box and suggested improvements we believed were not possible by previous Magento agencies. 

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

No. I would recommend Foundation Commerce to any business looking to attract more customers and maintain a professional look. Their credentials and skillset are rare finds. Bringing Foundation Commerce onboard was one of the best decisions we have made.