What was the scope of their involvement?
Using our internal product data from the propriety site, HyQuality built us a new website from scratch, hosted on Magento. As an open-source platform, developer forums offered an existing array of fully developed materials. He’s incorporated dozens of these plug-ins, which he checks for proper functionality and tweaks as needed. Additionally, he custom-built a number of previously unavailable features.
We usually request 10-20 of these small projects per month. Tasks vary in complexity, from moving a border to changing the interface for picture magnification. Our sheer number of offerings differentiated us from Hy’s other clients, who sell select products in multiple ways. Despite this learning curve, we never had persistent issues. With too many Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) to complete simultaneously, we added a plug-in to upload the entire database. This can entail an Excel spreadsheet or text file with up to a hundred SKUs, all linked to pictures.
We rely on him to diagnose minor setbacks, which can be difficult to locate. The often seems to function well ostensibly, and it can take days or weeks to discover a problem on a different page. We're constantly incorporating add-ons to make the site better and faster. He’s completed our initial requirements, and we send biweekly lists of requested work.
What is the team dynamic?
Although Hy is my sole contact, I know he works with other developers and subcontracts with domestic and international teams. We put him in communication with another developer we’ve contracted. They work together occasionally, and have slightly different skill sets.
How did you come to work with HyQuality?
The proprietary custom system a prior developer had built was not the best fit for our company’s needs. After researching options including Shopify, the easily-customizable Magento platform seemed best. We narrowed our search according, and chose HyQuality from five proficient developers.
His proximate New York location enabled us to easily meet in person. We appreciated his straightforward and transparent answers. He detailed his specific capabilities, and was realistic about timelines (rather than claiming he’d finish in a week). We were impressed by sites he’d designed for previous clients, particularly an Argentinian bicycle manufacturer. They looked modern and fresh, and lacked problems like bugs.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent about $35,000 to launch the site and for ongoing work. While we’ll eventually keep on a more formal monthly retainer, he currently charges us per specific job.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working two years ago in November 2015, and our engagement is ongoing.
The delivered website boasts compliments from customers for its ease of use, leading to an increase in sales. HyQuality stood out with their structured and efficient project management and direct communication. Their ability to understand project needs contributed greatly to the project’s success.