Inverse Paradox

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the creative director of a woman’s luxury clothing and apparel brand. We have an e-commerce website and do a lot of wholesale work. We also have 2 brick-and-mortar stores—1 in Jupiter, Florida and 1 in Newport Beach, California. We’re looking to open 2 stores per year as we venture further. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inverse Paradox?

In 2014, we commissioned Inverse Paradox to create an e-commerce website for our brand. We had a website before that was created in 2011 by another agency. It was on a platform that is nonexistent and totally antiquated at this point and really wasn’t supported at all. It really didn’t help our business. Our owner found Inverse Paradox, and they had a few meetings about what she was trying to achieve. She wanted to become competitive in women’s apparel in the e-commerce landscape.

Our company was established in 2006, and until going live with the Magento e-commerce website, the business model was basically wholesale. We had some internal conversations because certain directors were thinking that wholesale was the future, while other directors thought that e-commerce was a better investment. 

We wanted to move to Magento because it was a robust platform that could optimize for SEO. We wanted to maximize our efforts in PLA [product listing ads], PPC [pay-per-click], online ads, and affiliate marketing to grow the brand as well as increase revenue from e-commerce and email marketing. We also wanted to enhance our social media presence. This all centered on making our website the hub of these online marketing and brand-building strategies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Neil [Director of Business Development, Inverse Paradox] recommended that we move from the old platform to Magento Enterprise. In 2014, Neil and his team designed the site, and then we deployed it right before the holidays. I came on board at that point with this company based on Neil’s recommendation. The company needed somebody with experience in graphic and web design, e-commerce, and online marketing. I came along to support that venture.

Neil and his team have also been helping us with the retail aspect of growing the brand by moving to Ebizmarts POS [point of sale] system. This system can plug into our Magento-based website and offer a seamless omnichannel shopping experience for our customers between online sales, retail, and in-store offerings. For example, they can redeem gift cards and loyalty points that were accrued online in the store and vice versa.

When Neil and his team originally designed the website, I wasn’t a part of the company, so I don’t have insight into that. I came on board as the site was already designed, but we were really trying to get the website connected to our ERP [enterprise resource planning] system, get all the inventory in check, and make sure all the data were accurate. I was the in-house resource as we deployed the live site.

Last year, we did a major overhaul of the website in terms of design. I designed Photoshop documents and wireframes, and we had internal conversations with marketing and sales departments about our consumer objectives. I put all that to Neil and his team. Then, Inverse Paradox built the website that we had designed, and we went back and forth with testing. The old website was still live, so we didn’t lose any revenue. We kept working that way until everything was approved and we all felt good about the site.

When we deployed the live site, we were expecting unforeseen issues, but we actually had a very seamless experience. We had minimal downtime, if any. Everything was planned in advance. Inverse Paradox has logical thinkers and a strategic approach. They don’t just do the job to get it done. They want to minimize any potential issues that could happen when launching a new website or upgrading.

What are some features that you asked for?

The previous version of the website only spanned about 1,200 pixels wide, so the header image couldn’t extend all the way across the window. Now, for different product pages, if the image is long enough, it’ll span the entire width of the window. We also wanted the pink banner to appear at the top where we can add specific promotions without using space on the landing page banner. The store locator and newsletter signup form were pretty much hidden at the bottom of the old website, so we moved that above the fold in order to build our email database and add more customers.

We now have a fully responsive site that stacks on top of the older version. All these modules are telling the brand’s story. In the previous iteration of the website, we had a hero image, a few new items, and a footer. We didn’t really have modules that we could swap out and include active visual links to tell the brand’s story. In the new version, we put more of an emphasis on creating an editorial feel. Then, we added pages about the lookbook and an Instagram aggregator at the bottom. If any consumers tag our company on that platform, it’ll show up at the bottom of the webpage.

How many resources have been assigned to your project?

Neil is our main point of contact. They had a project manager, Alicia, and then a few developers. More people may have been working behind the scenes, but I didn’t have contact with them. They had enough staff to get the job done without having to find additional resources. We interacted pretty regularly. I understood that they had other projects going on at the same time; they weren’t dedicated to me for 50 hours a week. However, whenever I reached out for an update, they were always quick to respond, even after business hours and on weekends.

How did you come to work with Inverse Paradox?

That decision was made before I joined the company. Inverse Paradox is local, so I think that had a lot to do it with their selection. I believe our owner just asked around or did some online research and found that they were located nearby and reputable.

How much have you invested with Inverse Paradox?

[I can email you that information.]

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2014, and the work is ongoing. They continue to support our website, as we don’t have any in-house developers. I’m a graphic and web designer by trade, but I’m not a developer. We submit tickets to them if there’s an issue, and they’re always responsive.

Currently, they are installing an Avalara tax module on our site to calculate all the taxes for us seamlessly. Neil has also been helping us with POS for our physical stores by integrating that into Magento since the new year. It’s not perfect at this point. We’re figuring out some pain points that we’re trying to resolve. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

We’ve been growing our brand tremendously through the new site. In the first quarter of this year, we’re up 150% versus the first quarter of last year. [I can send you more metrics.]

How did Inverse Paradox perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve dealt with other agencies before in the past, and Inverse Paradox is by far the most organized and strategic partner that I’ve worked with. We move very fast, so the deadlines are always tight. Orders always seem to come in at the end of the day on a Friday, and they need to be processed quickly. We know that other agencies are out there, but they’ve always done right by us and finished the job quickly and efficiently.

Sometimes, we’ll exceed our budget, but I can’t blame them because they quote based on the specifications and the scope of the project. We tend to pile on elements as we’re working on the project or run into unforeseen circumstances. For the POS system, they quoted an honest number based on their assessment, but it wasn’t until they did some digging that they realized they had to spend a lot of time making sure that the SKUs [stock keeping units] in our ERP system matched the SKUs in Magento. They had to do data processing for hours just to make sure that this worked correctly. We take responsibility for the issue, but they found a solution.

What did you find most impressive about Inverse Paradox?

Their logic is impressive. I’m a creative thinker, so all the tech language gives me analysis paralysis. But, Inverse Paradox understands e-commerce and how the platform works with the ERP, the whole system, and the inventory. They know how the business works, beyond the website. Every time I have a conversation with Neil, I walk away with a better understanding of the industry as a whole.

Are there any areas Inverse Paradox could improve?

I think sometimes the support ticket system is a little cumbersome. Sometimes, I’ll have to follow up on a ticket a day later and ask if anybody received it or where it is in the queue. I get an automated response saying the ticket was received and somebody will look into it, but sometimes they don’t let me know when to expect a resolution.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Inverse Paradox?

Make sure that Neil is the lead of the project. He really understands both development and business and can offer some really good advice about running a company online and being competitive. He’s always ahead of the curve in what’s trending at the moment. He’s not going to let you put out an antiquated website.