Grind Web Studio

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an e-commerce company that offers high-quality organic bedding.

What challenge were you trying to address with Grind Web Studio?

We needed help with web development and UI/UX design; we wanted to focus on a great UX for our customers.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Grind developed our website and designed its UI/UX. We went through a process that began with discussions. We shared our ideas, references, and vision with them. Based on that information, they started with a low-fidelity prototype and then presented the high-fidelity design. 

After the design phase, Grind moved on to the development phase, followed by user testing. The site is on the Shopify platform, and they used HTML and JavaScript for development. We launched the website last month, and the team is currently working on some changes.

What is the team composition?

I'm in contact with two people from Grind.

How did you come to work with Grind Web Studio?

We found them through Clutch.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

I’m very happy with Grind’s work. For us, the primary metrics were the design phase, the UX, and some use cases we wanted to make sure worked, and Grind has come through. We’ve gotten good feedback on the website’s UX from users; its flow is really nice, and people can navigate it easily. User testing results have also been good. 

How did Grind Web Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very attentive, and their communication is very clear. As for deadlines, they’ve achieved every timeline, which we’re quite happy with. We typically communicate through email, phone calls, and video conferences.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Grind team is very patient; they listen to what we say and come back with great solutions. They’re a really good agency, and they know exactly what they’re doing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There isn’t anything they need to improve; I’m very satisfied with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you want to work with a web development agency, work with Grind. I’ve already recommended them to some people.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of a green-tech company which utilises a holistic business model to support beekeepers, save the bees and provide transparency and traceability in the honey industry.

For what projects/services did your company hire Grind Web Studio, and what were your goals?

Our business operates completely online and in order to create a full-on experience, we needed not only an e-commerce website but one that is capable of engaging the users even after purchase. And in terms of operations, we were desperate to integrate a system capable of handling subscription packages for a large and very diverse set of products and customers with various attributes.

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

Grind Studio was recommended to us by our investors and by other companies who have used their services. We needed to go with a studio for the long run and not worry about hiring an agency in the middle of scaling up. At the end we were mostly looking for a reliable long-term partner with a right portfolio and robust team which we can trust.

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

From the beginning we wanted to establish a productive relationship, so Grind invited us to get together and define the scope of the project in person. It was suggested that we bring everybody involved so we get a bit of FaceTime and know who is the person behind a particular work track. Our team felt in good hands after that and soon after Grind were able to define the technical requirements based on our specification, they sent out a price offer.

As soon as we accepted they started working and a serious focus was targeted on handling recurring payments on the backend as well as preparation for integration with our fulfilment centre. As our team is very meticulous about design, we felt in good hands once more when we started knit-picking on the small details.

We even prepared some features of the website which were related to much later iterations of our website including IoT technology which would report directly into a user dashboard. Finally, as we often run promotions and test new products, a set of predefined templates was offered to us to ease up the work of our marketing department.

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

5-6 people. Project manager, team leader, web designer, developer, graphic designer

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

The best feedback here is that the website won Bulgaria's "Website of the Year" award in the two most important categories: eCommerce Website of the Year and Public Choice Award. We couldn't be happier with that achievement and we are super happy that the Grind team was there with us at the ceremony to celebrate our success.

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

The one thing that didn't really work was in the initial part of the project at the estimation of the price. They gave us a cheaper price according to the work amount but we handled that in the best way possible as they did not change the price later and we believe there may have been some miscommunication from our side. Towards the end of the project we were left without a PM but this was also handled quite well and only caused minor disturbances.

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

Our two teams shared the emotion and passion of building something amazing — it felt like we were working as one team throughout the entire process. That's probably the best thing to accomplish with any third-party service provider.

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

Estimation maybe but I wouldn't really complain about that since they ended up charging us a bit less :)

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of platforms and partnerships at With Reach Ltd.

What challenge were you trying to address with Grind Web Studio?

We’re developing a solution for cross-border payments on WooCommerce. It’s a full payment gateway solution with multi-currency functionality and alternative payment methods.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Grind Web Studio has helped us develop a custom WooCommerce plugin on WordPress that will allow online businesses to accept money from customers all over the world in their local currency and preferred payment methods. This is applicable to all retail clients. 

What is the team composition?

We work with two developers, one of whom is the lead developer while the other helps with QA tasks. We also work with one of their founders as well as another person from marketing who helps with our external documentation. 

How did you come to work with Grind Web Studio?

We have a few merchants that use Grind for their web development projects on WooCommerce and WordPress. Those merchants gave us referrals through word of mouth, letting us know that Grind would be a good fit to do this custom software development project.

How much have you invested with them?

For this project, we invested about $15,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership began in October 2020, and it’s ongoing. This project is completed, but we’ve decided to do more work with them. 

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

Our mutual partners have been very satisfied with the work that Grind has done. In terms of our internal success metrics, we wanted a good partner that worked quickly, utilized efficient code, and used best practices. They must use code based on intuitive language so other developers can install the application on new websites. Grind has been a good partner since they’ve been able to do all of that. They’ve worked quickly and met timelines and expectations.

How did Grind Web Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s been a complex build, so we’ve had a very thorough scope of work that both parties agreed upon before properly engaging. That scope of work is well thought out, and most of its execution and project management has been actual code development and heavy lifting. 

In terms of communication, we’ve utilized Slack and email. We also make calls to check in with each other as we hit the major checkpoints outlined in the scope of work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing about working with Grind is their speed. They’re fast at pushing code and identifying bugs, and their QA process is very strong and thorough. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve had a pretty good experience overall, but in terms of constructive feedback, we can do more frequent check-ins as we hit more checkpoints. That being said, we’ve been pretty thorough, and both parties have been quite happy with the way everything has turned out. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Follow the same regimen we have: create a very thorough scope of work that both parties agree on before officially engaging in the contract. This has been very helpful for us, and it has helped the Grind team understand the nuances of what is expected both from us and from them as partners. 

This setup has helped us ensure the partnership is successful on both sides. It has eliminated a lot of friction that we’ve had with other agencies on very similar projects in the past. Overall, being extremely thorough upfront in the scope of work is very helpful. On top of that, have regular check-in meetings to make sure that everything is on track.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director and CEO of League of Entertainment. We’re basically an iGaming company in Malta.

What challenge were you trying to address with Grind Web Studio?

We’re an affiliate company that was looking to update and upgrade our website to acquire new customers, make it easier to find information, and give our customers a better experience on our website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re currently running several projects with them, but the first project we launched was our affiliate website. We launched the website in January 2021. We have asked for changes and add-ons, so the project has become bigger and bigger.

What is the team composition?

I’ve been mostly in contact with Ivaylo (Co-Founder). I haven’t really had a lot of contact with the developers directly.

How did you come to work with Grind Web Studio?

We reached out to them because we had a mutual connection and had heard good things about them. We told Grind Web Studio we were looking to build a new website and gave them the scope of what we were looking to do. Then, they gave us a budget and timeframe. The project started around 10 days later, so it started pretty quickly.

How much have you invested in them?

It’s approximately €60,000 (approximately $72,000 USD) for this project. We also have two other projects we are working on, which are another €30,000–€40,000 (approximately $36,000–$48,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in November 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

Grind Web Studio has done a fantastic job both in terms of the work they’ve delivered and in communication. No matter when I contact them, I always get a response, which is really good. Their team even works on weekends. If we have any problems over the weekend, they are there to help us out. Grind Web Studio has been super good, and I have nothing bad to say at all. They’ve done more than expected so we are super happy.

How did Grind Web Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Things are done on time, and they are always available. I tell Ivaylo what we want to achieve and then he forwards the messages to his developers and makes it happen. I like to do things live, so we use a lot of calls and screen sharing. If there is something that needs to be explained, our teams just jump on a Zoom or Skype call and then figure it out there. If we send emails back and forth, it takes a lot of time so we try and stay away from email as much as possible.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s a mix of several things, but it is their understanding of what we want to achieve. We don’t have to sit down and explain things to them for 20 hours; we can explain it in an easy way and they get it. They’re smart people who understand what we want. The most impressive thing is that they really know what the client wants and make exactly what we want.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of. I have nothing that comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If someone needs a great development team, they should use them. We have had a great experience with them, and they have done a great job. If someone needs something technical done, Grind Web Studio is the right company to go to.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive for an e-commerce store that sells sleep products based in Europe.

What challenge were you trying to address with Grind Web Studio?

We wanted to migrate our online store from Shopify to WooCommerce.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Grind Web provided a variety of services, which included developing the WooCommerce website and advising us on hosting solutions. Their team copied product descriptions and images from our old website onto the new one.  They also consulted us on site speed, Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and Google Analytics.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Stefan (Co-Founder & Technical Lead), Ivaylo (Co-Founder & Business Developer), and 1–2 developers.  

How did you come to work with Grind Web Studio?

A friend previously worked with Grind Web to move their Shopify store to WooCommerce and recommended them. As website speed was important to us, we quizzed Grind Web about it and liked their answers. They knew how to make sites work fast.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $20,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Grind Web around October 2020, and they’re maintaining the website for us.

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

We’re happy with the results, including the site’s speed and Grind Web’s ability to meet deadlines. Our conversion rates have increased too. That means more customers are buying from the site now. That’s the best feedback we could give.

How did Grind Web Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We couldn’t provide materials on time, which caused bottlenecks. We can’t fault Grind Web Studio in any way. Although their team uses Slack and other project management tools, we mostly communicate over the phone. They offered to use a tool like Asana, but we opted not to use it. We talk about once a week to ensure everything’s okay. Their team responds to our emails at all times.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Grind Web delivered what was promised within the proposed timeline and budget. That’s rare in this industry. They also provide design feedback, which not many developers can do. Grind Web is affordable relative to the quality of work, and they work fast.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I feel that Grind Web did everything they said they would, and the bottleneck was on our side.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an SEO and digital marketing consultant for a number of companies.

What challenge were you trying to address with Grind Web Studio?

I contacted Grind Web Studio about four years ago, when I was working for a restaurant chain called Mamma Mia. Afterward, I started working with another chain, called Mr. Pizza. I worked with their team for both of these clients.

Mamma Mia didn’t have a proper website, so we had to develop a specialized web page with Grind Web Studio.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Grind Web Studio developed a website with a separate custom-made order system. We were targeting home orders in the Sofia region. The website was built on WordPress.

We didn’t have a precise idea of what the order system should be like, so they were given the liberty to make a proposal based on what had worked for companies.

The system was integrated with an email service, and it allowed users to manage their food preferences. They installed a heatmap on the order system, and we also tracked clicks and other metrics.

What is the team composition?

I mainly communicated with Ivaylo (Co-Founder) back then, but they have project managers for each project now.

How did you come to work with Grind Web Studio?

I made some research on Sofia-based companies, and I was impressed by the initial conversation with Grind Web Studio.

I worked with them again because they were always prompt and answered all my queries, no matter how small.

How much have you invested with them?

The development cost for the specialized order system was around $45,000. The website cost an additional price.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in early 2016, and it ran for three months.

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

We were getting five orders per restaurant for each of the five restaurants before the system was implemented. We went from 5–30 orders per restaurant within the first five months of using the order system, and it grew exponentially from there.

I was out of the company, but I kept in touch with people there, who’ve told me that they’re getting around 40 orders per restaurant in 2020.

How did Grind Web Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered exactly on the spot. Everything was done within the three-month timeline, including testing. We mainly communicated through email and phone calls, and they have their own systems and tools.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They gave us solutions, and they told us when a crazy idea that we had wouldn’t work. Clients don’t always know what they want, and Grind Web Studio’s primary value add is their e-commerce knowledge.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve evolved since 2016.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The client needs to have patience, always express their concerns, and listen to Grind Web.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of Parkmart, a grocery store chain in Bulgaria.

What challenge were you trying to address with Grind Web Studio?

We have physical grocery stores and now we’re moving into the e-commerce side. We needed help with creating our online store with all the products that can be ordered online.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our WooCommerce website. It’s a scalable solution because we’re divided into different cities. If we have physical stores in two different cities, they connect with the online store through different warehouse systems. They used mainly PHP and completed the first phase in July. They’re now developing a second phase by helping us build a mobile app that will serve our marketing purposes.

What is the team composition?

There are more than five people involved. My points of contact are the project manager and the CTO.

How did you come to work with Grind Web Studio?

We found them through a referral of a friend who had experience with them in the past. This was enough for me to make the decision to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $40,000 together.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2020 and the work is ongoing.

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

We’re very happy with the final results. The project has been successful so far. It really depends on our marketing and whether we’re going to grow it or not.

How did Grind Web Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager works very well. We don’t have any problems. Everything was clearly communicated and the scope was very clear. It was very well structured. They have an internal system for project management that we use, and we also communicate via phone, email, and WhatsApp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They managed to make all the integrations very easily and without any big troubles. It works very well. We have 20,000-30,000 products and everything is working very smoothly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything works very well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Define the deliverables and what you want to achieve at the end of the project.

Please describe your company and your position there.

For nearly 20 years, Telelink Infra Services is maintaining an industry leading name as a premier provider of intelligent telecommunication and security solutions tailored to the needs of the customer.

Headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria, our core business focuses on design and construction of network infrastructure, complete range of integrated security solutions and critical infrastructure protection systems together with developing and implementing future-proof smart technologies.

Serving hundreds of customers within the telecom, enterprise, industry and public sectors, extending the reach of our operations in five countries across Europe, we continue to set the standard for next generation intelligence and interconnectivity. I am Communications Manager.

For what projects/services did your company hire Grind Web Studio, and what were your goals?

We had two reasons to approach Grind Web Studio:

1. We are part of a holding company. There was a group reorganisation and we needed a brand new website to focus on our specific business and highlight our corporate identity.
2. Our previous website was outdated and we needed a new website with modern functionalities and look.

They developed and designed a brand new bilingual website, including building SEO structure.

How did you select Grind Web Studio and what were the deciding factors?

We made a contest and we chose them among four other companies. They had excellent creditials and appeared to be up to date and flexible.

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

We had an introduction meeting to discuss the assignment, their approach, the process steps and the timeline. We provided the draft texts. They made mock-ups and wireframes. The team designed and developed WordPress website.

We exchanged ideas and feedback. Improvements were made. In the end they updated the website with the final content. And built the SEO structure.

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

We had two points of contact - one of the partners and a Project Manager. I don't know how many people worked behind the scenes.

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

We launched the website three weeks ago and we are unable to share specific metrics at the time. But we received a positive feedback from our colleagues, customers and partners.

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

We had daily sincs. We used emails, viber and their platform to communicate any details.

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

We had a very positive, fruitfull and easy communication. When we discussed each of our ideas, they always gave an adequate response - either did their best to do what we wanted or explained simply and reasonably why it is not recommended to be done.

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

Just have to keep up the good work.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the e-commerce manager at a baby clothes company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Grind Web Studio?

We didn’t have support from the developers on the old e-shop we used. We needed a new vendor to relaunch our e-shop and make new functionalities that we wanted.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our new e-shop on WooCommerce. The team made the design, UX, and synchronized the system with our e-shop. Now, our e-commerce shop can track our inventory. They also implemented new functionalities like product filters and a wish list. The team organized thousands of products by filters and categories to optimize the checkout process. Additionally, they optimized the speed of the site, too.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a marketing manager, a developer, an account manager, and some graphic designers, and web designers.

How did you come to work with Grind Web Studio?

We considered six companies in our search, and we chose Grind out of those because of their ability to support us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in January 2019, and we wrapped up development in November 2019.

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

Our clients like our design, and new functionalities. They especially like a button we’ve implemented where they can locate an item in one of our stores. Overall, the new platform is easier for customers to find what they need.

How did Grind Web Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They perform very well. When I have a problem, I just call or write an email and they respond immediately.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They support us whenever we have any problems and it’s very easy to get in touch with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything was great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re very helpful, organized, and responsible.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of marketing for Biotrade, a Bulgarian-based producer of medical cosmetics with products for conditions such as acne, excessive sweating, and more. We’ve been in business for 25 years and sell across three continents in more than 25 countries.

What challenge were you trying to address with Grind Web Studio?

We had an old e-shop that didn’t perform well and wasn’t mobile optimized. We needed a new multi-language server to cover most of Europe. In particular, we needed the Bulgarian website to be built by Black Friday 2019.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our teams discussed the scope of the work, available options, what to keep from the old website, and the requirements for the new one. Grind Web Studio provided consulting about what we should and shouldn’t do, suggesting technical solutions of how to proceed throughout the entire process.

They presented the phases and set up deadlines. Their team built the website and launched the Bulgarian version, and they’re working on the next language versions, of which there are six planned. They also maintain the entire infrastructure on a monthly basis.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with five people total. The founder was at the early meetings. We work with a technical person, a designer, and Nelina (Sales Manager), our account manager. There is also a backup account manager when Nelina is unavailable.

How did you come to work with Grind Web Studio?

We interviewed companies for about a year before choosing Grind Web Studio. They answered any questions we had and were open to budget negotiation.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent €20,000 (approximately $22,000 USD). The whole project will cost around €40,000 (approximately $43,000 USD). 

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

The new website works and can do so many new things, like setting campaigns on Facebook and Instagram. On Black Friday, three days after we launched, we generated a threefold growth in turnover compared to 2018. We directed more people to the site, and they were able to complete their purchases. It’s an entirely different universe.

How did Grind Web Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

It goes smoothly and quickly. There are many critical things timewise. We have a group to discuss the most urgent topics, which are then emailed to the project manager. She collaborates with the team. We’ve had no difficulties in communication; they’re responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re solution-oriented, whereas many other companies said the project would cost a lot more or wasn’t feasible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There isn’t anything that I can say should be changed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and share all needs and expectations upfront. Trust their professional opinions.