Interactivated Solutions

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO and Founder of Riffer Music Inc. a music entertainment company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Interactivated Ecommerce, and what were your goals?

I hired them to develop a new music platform for venues and musicians.

SOLUTION

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

They were immediately able to understand my needs and bring ideas to develop my project.

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

We had few meetings before we actually started the project. This meeting helps to understand my idea and how to do it. The first meeting was with Roy then we have a few more with developers and project manager. We decided to use Magento 2 for this project.

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

I have more contact with Roy (CEO of the company) and the project manager. Sometimes I talk directly with the developers to explain how I want something to be done so they can translate my idea to reality. The team is big, in general, they have an expert for each area of programming.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform still working in progress also due to the pandemic I decided to postpone the launch and split the remaining work that we have to do.

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

We use from the start Slack and Jira to create perfect communication between me and the team so I was able every day to see the progress of the project.

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

They led efficient communication with all the staff.

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

Nothing, everything has been perfect for me.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director and founder of Nexpitch, a digital agency. We help companies with their digital transformation, and we design interactive concepts for large brands and companies at the top of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interactivated Ecommerce?

They helped us with some wireframing and application software development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Interactivated Ecommerce has helped us develop software for the government. Initially, we had a strict and open process to set up the new project.

What is the team composition?

Around ten people are working on the project. We have software developers, API specialists, project managers, QA people, and a managing director.

How did you come to work with Interactivated Ecommerce?

We found them through a common relation. Someone had worked with them and gave us their contact information.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent between $100,000–$150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2021, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re happy with the software they’ve developed, and the project has had an enormous impact. We had an external code review, and they told us that Interactivated Ecommerce is an excellent company.

How did Interactivated Ecommerce perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve been happy with the project management. They report the number of hours and status. We’re very happy working with Interactivated Ecommerce.

We communicate via Slack, calls, and Microsoft Teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There are multiple things, but it’s mainly about trust. They do what they promise. For example, when they say they’ll do something before Monday, they do it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any comments on that. I’m happy with the way they’re working, their knowledge, and their level of software development.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

For any software development company or project, you need to have reasonable requirements. Also, make sure you clarify your needs and everyone is clear on what you want to develop.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of The Range Inc., a golf simulator business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interactivated Ecommerce?

We needed their team to help develop our website and automate our systems through an application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Interactivated Ecommerce aided our website development efforts and mainly focused on building an app that automated our booking and computer systems in that they were in sync with our services and schedule.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four resources in total, including a project manager, developers, and a QA lead.

How did you come to work with Interactivated Ecommerce?

Interactivated Ecommerce was recommended to us by a friend. We picked their team because we saw their capacity to handle our project, and their team was accommodating from the get-go. Additionally, their services were priced right.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $20,000 CAD (approximately $16,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from December 2020–March 2021. The COVID-19 restrictions affected our partnership, but we plan on contacting them again for other development-related projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Interactivated Ecommerce met all our objectives and implemented innovative solutions to optimize our platform. They completed each segment of the project to our liking.

How did Interactivated Ecommerce perform from a project management standpoint?

Interactivated Ecommerce was a communicative and responsible team that met deadlines and kept their promises in terms of timelines and deliverables.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Interactivated Ecommerce always figured out ways to accommodate our needs, even when changes were involved.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I didn’t encounter any areas that needed improvement — Interactivated Ecommerce delivered satisfactory results throughout our engagement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be inquisitive and clearly determine your project goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of e-commerce at Enterasource, a reseller of refurbished hardware. We sell servers, networking switches, routers, and storage arrays.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interactivated Ecommerce?

We’re in a pretty competitive space, but we’ve managed to stay ahead of the curve by having an advanced website. Recently, our competitors have begun to catch up with us. We decided to bring in Interactivated Ecommerce to develop and deploy a new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our site’s primary feature is a sever configurator, which allows users to design the server they need for their business. Users can add parts to a cart and either buy them or receive a quote. Once they have designed their server, they can send the information to us so we can give them advice and help them save money.

Interactivated Ecommerce is developing the frontend of our website using PHP, JavaScript, HTML5, CSS, and Magento 2.  

I check in with them every morning and tell them what to work on. Over the course of the engagement, they’ve updated the platform, resolved bugs, and improved security.

What is the team composition?

Our project manager oversees development, while Roy (Manager) manages our account.

How did you come to work with Interactivated Ecommerce?

I originally started working with them through Upwork.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent a few hundred thousand dollars.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2017 and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we started working with them, we’ve seen a huge increase in organic traffic. We’re ranking a lot higher and we’re attracting more customers. A few years ago, we had just a few hundred users, but now we have between 6,000–7,000 users on our site.  

They’re a solid firm to work with. I have nothing but positive things to say about them. Whenever we have run into an issue, they’ve done a good job and fixed it for us.  

How did Interactivated Ecommerce perform from a project management standpoint?

I simply message our project manager and she creates a task in Jira. Then she assigns the task to the appropriate person, who will then reassign the task to me when they’re done. At that point, I can provide feedback.

I can also contact them over Slack. Even if it’s the middle of the night, I’m able to reach them to fix any problems.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re an excellent value. They provide high-quality work, are affordable, and are easy to communicate with because they speak English well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. They’re pretty solid.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

New clients should make sure they’re organized when they present their requirements. If they’re specific and provide good details, Interactivated Ecommerce can deliver whatever they want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the business development manager at my own company and I work with my family. We have five stores in the Netherlands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interactivated Ecommerce?

For seven years, we've worked with Interactivated Ecommerce for the development of our e-commerce Magento website. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At first, they took over our existing website. When I got in contact with them, they provided me with a design. After that, they developed a new website which took 5–6 months to complete. 

Now, they do web development and maintenance. They try to improve my shop every month such as optimizing the usability of my platform.  They provide us a full package of development. The team developed our website from scratch and they improve our design over and over again in order to help us reach a high conversion rate. 

What is the team composition?

We work with 6–7 people from their team. Artem (Technical Lead) helps me when I got problems with the English language and he assists me in contacting secondary partners. We also work with Anastasiia (Account Manager) and Anton (Developer).

How did you come to work with Interactivated Ecommerce?

I use a checkout system, the backend where we put in articles, items, and do the checkout in the stores and we use a system called RetailTrust. That company advised me to contact Interactivated Ecommerce, and one of their teammates came to the Netherlands and that person came from Spain. We had a nice chat for about 2–3 hours and it just all made sense. He was a nice guy and was very clear in his explanations, and I liked that. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around €200,000–€300,000 (approximately $245,000–$360,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our partnership in January 2014, and we continue to collaborate.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any metrics. When I ask something, they’re very critical in reviewing what I ask. When I ask them to change something, they do it quickly and without any problems. When they do that, I feel that they do a good job. I also have a secondary partner and he’s contented with Interactivated Ecommerce’s work. Our website is very clean and that’s how I like it. 

How did Interactivated Ecommerce perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate on chat and on Slack. At Slack, we talk about small things and I can them for big issues. From the beginning of our collaboration, everything has been great. However, I think it’s improving over time. Today, we have project managers, a testing team, developers, and a leader — I think it’s good to have a clear view of what everybody does. We also have a project management tool where all books are reported and it’s also where we can track the status of those books. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their honestly and speed have been impressive. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Interactivated Ecommerce can improve on advising more. For example, when I ask about changing color, they just agree with me. It’s also probably because I have reasons for requesting that. However, if they know something better, they can advise me with that. Now, I have a partner who’s an expert in this and he’s from another company. I think it can be good to have some conversion experts in-house for them — so that they can tie up everything in their company. In addition, maybe they can also have SEO experts on Google since they do not provide that. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just be as precise and detailed in your wishes as possible because they’re all technically focused. They do not care about the look and feel so much since they just do what you ask.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a spare parts supplier.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interactivated Ecommerce?

Our site sells spare parts for household electronics, such as washing machines, and we needed the e-commerce platform built.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Interactivated Ecommerce created our e-commerce website, handling the design and development. They built the site on Magento 1.9, but will be migrating it to Magento 2. They also put the servers on AWS, which was switched later, and created the design and screens. 

What is the team composition?

We’re working with the owner, project managers, and two developers directly. There are developers on the team that we don’t directly interact with, too. 

How did you come to work with Interactivated Ecommerce?

I found them online. We discussed the project, and I was satisfied they could deliver the specific requirements we had regarding the search engine.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €211,000 (approximately $247,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in April 2015 and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re satisfied with the website they’ve created for us.

How did Interactivated Ecommerce perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Jira and communication is going well between our teams. They resolve issues as they come up. We follow up to check the accuracy, as well as the timeliness of their work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have strong technical developers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was some miscommunication due to the language barrier early on. They also had junior developers handle code review, and it was not always completed. We feel that could’ve been handled better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure they understand what you need, and be sure to follow up on issues.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and managing director of a ticket solutions company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interactivated Ecommerce?

We needed development and UI/UX design for our e-commerce site and platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I presented my overall idea. We collaborated back and forth, scoping the work and choosing the technology, which is Laravel PHP.

They recommended we pursue a PWA as a good way to allow us to have a website and an app without building them separately.

They developed and designed the website, creating all the pages. They did front- and backend development.

They created the MVP, including a QR code generator and a ticket scanner. There are vendor dashboards to create, post, sell, and scan tickets. There will be functionalities added such as seat maps, an advanced payment platform for automated payments, a CRM marketing tool, HubSpot integration, and more.

They also designed a logo. 

What is the team composition?

 I interact with two project managers: Roy (Magento and Usability Specialist), who is overseeing the design team, and Olha (Project Manager), who handles the day-to-day. The development team includes Dmytro (Frontend Developer), Bogdan (QA Specialist), Artem (Tech Lead), and Anatolii (Magento Backend Developer). 

How did you come to work with Interactivated Ecommerce?

We found them on Upwork. We received a few proposals, but we felt that this team had the quality and technical expertise to deliver what we were looking for. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January – October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered the MVP, and the website is now live. We have accepted our first client and will be testing the product soon. We will also be selling tickets on the platform. They delivered high-quality work with the features we asked for. It has also been cost-effective, so we’re satisfied. 

How did Interactivated Ecommerce perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Jira to track our backlog, approved items, progress, and make comments, and more. We also used Excel and communicated via Slack. They were very responsive. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

It is easy to communicate with them, and I can trust them to deliver what we ask for. They’re very reliable. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There could be more transparency regarding billing. It would be nice if they attached the estimate along with the completed work to show what was achieved.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Argentor. We’re active in the precious metal field. We buy scrap and mined gold, and we buy and sell investment bullion bars and coins.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interactivated Ecommerce?

We’ve had a webshop since 2011, but it was on a closed-source platform. Every single change we made with the previous development partner was costing us time, energy, and money. We switched to Magento for that reason and started working with Interactivated Ecommerce.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

There was a lot of custom development to be done on the Magento platform. We have a live price feed for gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, which updates every second.

Interactivated also implemented exchange rate alerts. Users get a warning when a price hits a certain amount, either for buying or selling.

What is the team composition?

We talked through the project scope with their CEO initially. We got a Ukrainian project manager, but we quickly asked for a Dutch-speaking one, which Interactivated delivered quickly. Not everyone at Argentor is a native English speaker, myself included, so it can be difficult to get a message across.

We’ve been working mainly with the Dutch project manager since then. We’ve had communication with around eight people from Interactivated in total.

How did you come to work with Interactivated Ecommerce?

Interactivated was referred to us by our digital marketing agency, which we’ve been using for the last eight years.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$100,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Interactivated around July 2016, but the project was on the shelf for around two years. We got off to a flying start in the first nine months, the project gathered dust for a while, and we picked it up again. This was down to our internal project manager leaving. The previous webshop was still operational in the meantime, so there was no downtime for us.

Most of the work was finished in September 2020, but we’re still making updates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m quite happy with their services. I get the idea that they have a very performant theme. We have a turnover of $600 million, given that the price of gold is a lot, but we’re a rather small company with only 12 employees. We had a positive experience with Interactivated Ecommerce.

It took us a while to get to this point, but I think that our webshop is doing a pretty good job. We’re the market leader in Belgium, and we’re getting good reviews from customers. Everyone’s happy with the final product.

How did Interactivated Ecommerce perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Jira to keep track of open issues and tickets. They’re Dutch, and we’re a Belgian company, and we both speak Dutch, but they have some foreign developers, so communication is done in English. They can onboard new team members quickly, and update them on what’s been done.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re quick to respond and understand what we want very quickly. I’m very happy with the end product they’ve delivered. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The English level of their Ukrainian developers isn’t always 100%. This is why we asked for a local project manager.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

When working with any developer, I would ask for at least three client references and get a testimony of their experiences. Word of mouth is the most important thing, in my opinion.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of SwiftERM. We’re a marketing automation email software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interactivated Ecommerce?

There are so many different aspects of how the software works relating to automation, predictive analytics, data feed, and so on. Interactivated Ecommerce was tasked with maintaining some of the platforms that we run to make sure all the different aspects run smoothly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our platforms are on Shopify, Magento, OpenCart, and WooCommerce. Interactivated Ecommerce is responsible for making sure our Python system operates. They maintain the system so it’s in pristine condition, up to date, doesn’t have any vulnerabilities, and has the best potential going forward.

What is the team composition?

On average, I talk to four different people. At various stages in the process, there have been different individuals.

How did you come to work with Interactivated Ecommerce?

I found them on Upwork.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve done 3–4 projects with them at $5,000–$10,000 apiece.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement started in February 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have one system and it either works perfectly or it doesn’t. We can tell instantly if the work has been done to our satisfaction so there’s no gray area. I’m absolutely delighted with Interactivated Ecommerce; they’re wonderful.

How did Interactivated Ecommerce perform from a project management standpoint?
They’ve always communicated very well and have a great process where I can log in and see the updates on a perpetual basis. I can go in and look at any time, even if I can’t speak to Interactivated Ecommerce immediately because they’re busy doing something.

I can see where my jobs are at, if they’re finished, when it’s being addressing, who’s addressing it, and so on. I can communicate with them on a perpetual basis; this is one of the reasons I want to carry on working with them. We use Slack for correspondence.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re honest; they don’t make promises they can’t keep or say something before they investigate it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They don’t know every aspect of my system, how it works, or the implication of changing one thing. However, that will come with time and is the same for everybody.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what you want before you start. If both parties are absolutely clear on the objective and potential pitfalls, you’ll have a seamless operation.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of Babashop, an alternative clothing store. We opened our brick and mortar store in 1994. We also sell products during events like music festivals, which I sometimes organize.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interactivated Ecommerce?

We needed help building an e-commerce site using Magento.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Interactivated Ecommerce is our go-to web developer. Aside from building my online shop, they’ve also introduced me to the right marketing bureaus, which is quite important these days.

How did you come to work with Interactivated Ecommerce?

The founder of Interactivated Ecommerce is one of my customers. When it came time to open an online shop, I decided to hire him because of his transparency.

How much have you invested in them?

I have spent around €200,000 (approximately $226,800 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working together since 2008, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Interactivated Ecommerce, I have a brilliant online shop that saved my physical store from the financial crisis several years ago. Without their tools, I wouldn’t be able to run my business. They can multitask well.

How did Interactivated Ecommerce perform from a project management standpoint?

We had more meetings when the founder was still living in Holland, but now that he lives in Spain, I see him twice a year. Prior to him moving away, he introduced me to my personal webmaster. They are always available and quickly deal with any issues that come up.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are a pleasure to work with. The founder is a real entrepreneur and adventurer who does not hesitate to take on challenges.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Things can always be better. It would be nice if things were a little quicker, but the quality is perfect.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have a budget and long-term goals. Otherwise, don’t even think about getting started.