IWD Agency

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the owners of Paragon Machine Works. It’s a machine shop and we make things out of steel.

What challenge were you trying to address with IWD Agency?

We were creating a website using a new e-commerce platform and needed help with the design.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did a redesign of the website in Magento, which we had already purchased, so it wasn’t a bottom-up process. They would organize the different pages so that it was more user-friendly and if I wanted something configured, they would make it happen.

I have a basic understanding of web design and implementation, but they modified things in Magento that I didn’t know how to do. They were able to fix any problems or create the software needed so that I could make things work the way I wanted to on the website.

What is the team dynamic?

I worked with about half a dozen people on their team.

How did you come to work with IWD Agency?

I found them through a web search. Their ratings were really good, and when I called them, their customer service was great. When looking for agencies, I wanted to find someone who was responsive and knew what they are talking about. Both of those things were evident with IWD Agency.

How much have you invested with them?

Probably $125,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work began in May 2016, and is still ongoing. We consult with them if any issues come up or improvements need to be made. 

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

Our clientele tends to be older, so some people didn't like the changes. More specifically, they said they liked the way it looked but didn’t like the way it functioned. I can attribute the design to IWD Agency and the functionality is more Magento. I've gotten some compliments, but overall I’ve found people usually resist change and do not embrace it in regards to a website.

How did IWD Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. We communicated through phone but primarily by email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I would say their customer service. They're really on top of stuff and always come back to me in a timely manner. They were able to solve problems and figure things out that I couldn't. They provide great customer service and their knowledge level is excellent.

Are there any areas they could improve?

All of a sudden, I noticed that I was corresponding with people whose English language skills were not as good. I knew something had changed and nobody had reached out and informed us that they were going to take some of the functions and give them to people in the Ukraine. When I talked with our project manager, Donovan, he said that it can be hard to find designers in their area of the United States. They did it that way which works, but it would have been nice to get the heads up and understand what was going on.

Advice for potential customers?

If you don’t get a question answered, ask them again because they want to do a good job and get back to you.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT manager for Froggys Fog. We manufacture theatrical fluids and maintain an e-commerce site that connects to various sales channels. We also offer options to rent fog machines.

What challenge were you trying to address with IWD Agency?

Our commerce site runs off of Magento. We wanted to upgrade the backend and have a company manage it for us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They had a major role in our site redesign, and they do the coding and web improvements for new features, as well as customizations to existing extensions and core functionality in Magento. IWD fixed some of the old functionality, and reconfigured the logic to better work with our new layout. We maintain the data integrity ourselves, while they edit and develop the backend, and roll out those changes to our production site.

The rental program on our site has a calendar function to show which stakes are available on a given day. Users can reserve fog machines and make payments from the site. IWD has eliminated a lot of errors from the scheduling process, especially issues with double-booking items.

What is the team dynamic?

Their team is usually three people, including a project manager and one or two coders. We’ve had two project managers since we started working with them. Most of our communication is through email or phone, and they use Zendesk for ticketing.

How did you come to work with IWD Agency?

We originally contracted our website through a different company, but wanted more transparency and timeliness than they were providing. We were already using some of IWD’s extensions in Magento, so we had a couple of conversations with them and determined they’d be a good replacement candidate for day-to-day maintenance and website customizations.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent slightly over $70,000 for the full site redesign and monthly maintenance.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in May 2016, and our maintenance contract is ongoing. We have a base number of monthly hours, which we can increase for extra activities.

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

We’re very satisfied with the work they do. Everybody likes our new site layout, which is easier to use. They’ve made smart suggestions on new features, including layered navigation to drill down through our lineup of 800–900 products.

How did IWD Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Their responses are timely. When we need a function they don’t offer, they make outside party suggestions to get the work done. They do whatever it takes to help meet our vision.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their transparency and timeliness are important to us. They always complete complicated tasks, and I appreciate their willingness to see a problem through to a solution.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some of their timeline estimations seem longer than they should be. I am not a coding person, so they may be covering unforeseen complications in their estimates. It’s a minor issue.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the product manager for Urbanspace Interiors. We do interior design and we have a showroom where we sell high-end furniture. We also have a website where we do e-commerce.

For what projects/services did your company hire IWD Agency, and what were your goals?

• implement our leaderships E-commerce vision
• Magento functionality
• Customer support

How did you select IWD Agency and what were the deciding factors?

We had heard that they were very knowledgeable in their field.

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

1. Their experienced IWD Team consistently provided honest and transparent feedback which we found invaluable.
2. The IWD team provided quick & timely customer support on issues that needed their immediate attention.
3. We provided IWD with a business requirement that was unique to our company's specific needs and their team brought a custom solution that has created immense value for our brand.

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

16 people worked on our project.

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

• Their significant Magento experience has really helped our site function within our unique business model.
• They really had the necessary expertise to implement our leadership's E-Commerce vision.

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

We have monthly meetings as well as a slack dedicated to our project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.