Nirvana Canada

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Julian Cerrillo, CEO of VGAME (Video Game Audio & Music Elements) a web-based library made up of contributions from video game music composers, producers, and sound designers. VGAME’S library includes great music assets from Grammy and G.A.N.G. award winners

Our goal is to facilitate the integration of sound and music into video games utilizing standard industry practices. We offer a high-end quality music and audio library as well as a powerful search engine for you to take advantage of while searching for the perfect track: + More than 9000 tracks specifically curated for all types of video games + Simple Music & Audio License + Team of Expert Curators

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Nirvana Canada?

VGAME is a really challenging project in all the senses. We needed to develop a platform capable of managing many fronts: Contributors, Clients, Payouts, Payment Gateways, etc. on top of large amounts of data (many, many GB) that should be constantly flowing and available through our website.

What were your goals for this project?

Develop and design a web-based library in which Music Composers and Sound Designers from all around the world can upload their creations for the opportunity to License them to Video Game Programmers and Designers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected Nirvana based on their experience and budget or total estimated cost. There were more than 8 different companies that we asked to present a proposal for developing VGAME'S website. Only 4 of them actually presented a complete proposal. The other 4 got back to us saying the project was too big for them or that they lacked the experience to do it.

For the ones that presented the proposals, VGAME'S investors and I analyzed their previous experience, such as if they had developed intricate and big marketplaces before, their level of services and the way they were thinking to approach the technical difficulties we will most likely face during the development of our project (e.g. which backend and frontend platform they were going to use, storage issues that could make the site loading speed very slow and payouts to contributors - to name a few)

Nirvana had developed website/marketplaces like ours before. Maybe not the same industry, but the level of intricacy and detailed needed for our website was something that Nirvana had worked with before. Between what I've just described, their level of service and the total cost estimate for the project we decided that they were the best fit for us and hired them immediately.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

On phase 1 of our project, we provided Nirvana with the idea and how we wanted our website to work for both, contributors and end users. We needed to have something that could be easy to use for Musicians and Sound Designers so that they can upload their creations and, at the same time, provide us with as much metadata as possible to be able to categorize and organize the information.

Once we achieved a certain number of tracks on our database we launched Phase 2 of our project. In this phase we used the metadata collected on phase 1 to offer Video Game Programmers and Designers a website in which they can find music and audio for their video games easily by:

1. Organizing and curating the Music and SFX into Video Game Categories that they understand
2. Giving them a playback in which they can listen to the music and SFX they are looking for without having to open several tabs
3. Providing them with a powerful search engine that can help them minimize the time of search and integration of music and SFX into video games Nirvana took care of all of the technical and design aspects of our website.

From the design to the development of the front and backend they were in charge of making this portal possible, user friendly, reliable and expandable according to our needs.

They developed all of our website's key modules: + General Users Module which includes: Dashboard, My account, Wishlist, My orders and Messages + Contributors upload and dashboard module which includes all of the above plus: My assets/uploades, My account, My Finances and Sales. + Search page module which includes filters such as: Keywords, Video Game Categories, Track Duration, Music, SFX (to name a few) + Curators backend module in which we can listen, approve and edit all of the tracks we receive. + Payout module for contributors + Custom Shopping cart and payment gateway + Full website look and feel and web pages

What was the team composition?

The project had around 6 people that were closely involved with the development. Smita, our project manager, was and remain our point of contact with the business and had made an outstanding job organizing all the task and requirements that have made this project possible.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Our entire operations are web-based. We simply can't exist without a website because that's the whole point of the services we offer. When we first started Phase 1 I immediately noticed that they knew precisely what they were doing; they would recommend and suggest to me what the project needed in order to make it possible while looking out for our budget through every decision making.

Things like storing all of our tracks on a cloud to make the search results and VGAME'S website pages load faster, use a certain plug for our the search engine or how to better organize the data we collected, ended up being key components of our challenging project and things that only they, with their experience, can come up with.

They've also given us priceless support all the time. Projects like this one require constant and special care. We faced challenges during the website construction, such music composers approaching to us with massive music catalogues that required to be uploaded to the website, or Payout modules not able to link properly with the bank. They had, and still have, our back through all of our journey.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We divided the project in Phases (as I mentioned before) for each phase we clearly stated the key modules to develop and the time each module will approximately take to be ready. Although some modules took a little longer than expected our project was released on time and in a timely matter. We use tools such as Google Spreadsheets, regular email, Whereby and Microsoft Office.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I can say with confidence, after working together with them for more than a year, that there are not that many companies like this out there. They have a rare mix of talent, service, and commitment.

They like challenges, and while most of the people would probably run far away from the unknown, they own it, face it and embrace each and every one of their tasks while carrying them out with the joy, passion and intelligence that only Smita and Nirvana’s team can bring together.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own Nordel Physiotherapy & Sports Clinic. We provide a full complement of therapeutic services—including active rehab, registered massage therapy, sports injury treatment, and cold laser therapy—to heal body ailments, encourage injury recovery, and promote a healthy lifestyle.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Nirvana Canada?

We started our physio clinic in May 2017. New to the business and with a substantial financial loan from the bank, we needed a compelling image and identity to help us grow quickly. 

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a strong brand and a customer-facing website at an affordable price.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were very frustrated with the five quotes we'd gathered from other internet companies that were either too expensive or inexperienced in our industry. We readily accepted a friend’s recommendation for Nirvana Canada; he was very happy with their marketing services for his own business. We met the founder and were instantly impressed with his in-depth knowledge of website development. 

Describe the project in detail.

Nirvana Canada designed the brand and logo for our clinic, designed and developed the website, and produced content. After seeing the quality of their work, we retained them for SEO and reputation management services. 

What was the team composition?

The company’s founder served as our primary point of contact throughout the project. We also communicated via phone with their head of content and client engagement regarding written material.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

All of our guests and staff were very pleased with the new website, which was finished promptly. Our branding and logo are prominently displayed, and we immediately realized an increase in phone calls and inquiries. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team provided responsive and efficient communication. They were true professionals.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their competitive pricing ensures their clients receive great value for the money.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the president of a company that offers roofing and drainage services to residential and commercial buildings. Our expert team has been repairing and installing roofs of all types for over 30 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Nirvana Canada?

We hired Nirvana Canada for web development, video production, and SEO.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to have a professional website so that more people could find us online.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our web consultant selected Nirvana Canada after looking at their work and conducting an in-depth interview.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Nirvana Canada has designed and developed a customer-facing website and produced a company video. We also asked them to develop a marketing strategy and update the campaigns on a seasonal basis. They also manage our SEO, provide monthly marketing reports, and handle website maintenance.

What was the team composition?

We work with several people from Nirvana Canada, including a web strategist, business manager, copywriter, graphic designer, web developer, internet marketing specialist, and SEO person.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We are extremely happy with the outcome of our collaboration. They’ve helped increase our online visibility, leads, and phone inquiries.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Nirvana Canada is always available for in-person meetings and phone calls. They quickly respond whenever we need help or request changes on our website and marketing campaigns.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We’re impressed with their promptness and transparency. Their work contract and pricing are reasonable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Everything seems okay.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an area manager for a company that creates custom t-shirts, branded apparel, signs, banners, promotional products, and print services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Nirvana Canada?

We wanted to develop a tool for giving quotations to customers.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to have an easy quotation process, the ability to save quotes in a common database, and uniform pricing in all of our locations.  

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Initially, we checked Nirvana Canada’s website and past work. They had excellent online reviews. During their proposal presentation, it was clear that they knew what they were talking about. They also offered the most reasonable pricing.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Nirvana Canada made wireframe mock-ups of all the pages of the software. After the designs were finalized, they created HTML prototypes. We provided the formulas, as there is a complex logic involved in preparing quotations for embroidery services. We have to calculate the colors, stitches, location, and number of items. Afterward, Nirvana Canada gave us a link to the beta system where we could see the functionality and the workflow. Later, they helped us onboard salespeople in four locations.

What was the team composition?

Their project manager was my main contact. The team also included a graphic designer, a senior developer, and a coder.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We are happy with the software; it has been a great help to us. We used to keep the quotes or estimates on paper, but these were easy to lose. If the same customer came back, we had no clue what quote was given to them. With this tool, everything was centralized. Plus, our salespeople could easily produce a quote in a few seconds.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They completed the product on time. Nirvana Canada’s project manager was available for meetings whenever we wanted. She sent us updates via email and replied promptly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Nirvana Canada’s team is highly skilled in software development. They stuck to the original price and never charged for anything extra.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Everything was good.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO of Holidays for Humanity, an online media channel for impact tourism programs around the world, such as wildlife conservation and community development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nirvana Canada?
We needed a well-built site that was scalable and allowed us to interact dynamically with our tourism partners so that we could reflect accurate pricing and changes in itineraries. It needed to be a frontend site that was comprehensive and directly interacted with our partners through various APIs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
Nirvana Canada has helped with nearly every step of our process, from developing the scope to implementing the design. I presented them with a vision of what I wanted, and they helped me understand the resources I’d need to accomplish that goal. They provided advice on what was technically feasible and what would help optimize time and cost.

They built the backend platform in Drupal, and the frontend sites are on WordPress with the APIs interacting with our partners’ websites. Nirvana Canada does live wireframing in a sandbox-like site, which allows us to move and interact with different digital components to see how they look in real time. Once those are approved, they then push them live.

As of now, we have a minimum viable product (MVP) that they’ve added features to and integrated with the Drupal backend. They’ve built four sites, our custom backend, and a tailored SEO and digital strategy.

What is the team composition? 
I mainly work with our account manager, but I can talk to anyone on the team, if necessary.

How did you come to work with Nirvana Canada?
I found them by doing some research online for web developers in my area. Unlike other firms who just sent us a general quote, Nirvana Canada listened to what we wanted and asked questions to make sure they understood our project. They even met with us to thoroughly review project requirements in order to better manage expectations. I appreciated that and was comfortable with their price, so I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?
We’ve worked together since February 2010, and the partnership is ongoing. 

What is the status of this engagement?
We’ve spent around $100,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We essentially started with nothing, and now we’re running a small but profitable business. Our web traffic is about 500,000 visitors a year, which is a great number for our niche industry.

How did Nirvana Canada perform from a project management standpoint?
Because their team is global, they’re always responsive and getting work done. I also appreciate that we’re able to sit down in-person and review the project progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?
They’ve been incredibly candid, flexible, and accommodating, especially as we’ve determined the best next steps for our projects. They offshore some elements of their team, which helps them effectively keep prices down and get work done around the clock. Unlike many other firms, they don’t have a problem with using shelf programs to speed up the process or save money; they only build custom products if we ask them or if they think it’ll provide better service.

Are there any areas they could improve?
No. They’re steady and reliable across the board.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?
Map out your vision and how you want your problem solved. They’ll ask lots of questions and listen to your responses, so be clear about what you want in order to optimize the partnership.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the manager of Speedy Tire Centers Limited, an automotive repair business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Nirvana Canada?

We wanted to develop a web presence to assist us in our marketing and organization efforts. This would allow customers to book inspections, repairs, and oil changes.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to engage our customers more with this website, so they trust us more and make us their first choice for their ongoing maintenance and needs.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Nirvana approached our team when they started working in our area. We didn’t sign on with them right away, but over time we agreed to use their services.

Describe the project in detail.

Our website’s current design was well done, but it wasn’t receiving a lot of customer interaction. Additionally, the diversity of services we offered was negatively impacting our bottom-line. Nirvana introduced a calendar and self-booking feature that helped us cap and better organize less productive jobs. Moreover, customers can use the self-booking feature to schedule their appointments, which allows them to interact with and trust our site more. Nirvana turned the booking feature around almost overnight and then adjusted it until it was perfect.

What was the team composition?

They have professional design and sales teams that are flexible and understanding, which helps them retain a large customer base.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Customer engagement with the website has increased by 50% since we introduced the calendar booking feature. We’ve also been able to promote coupons more efficiently. Everyone has reacted positively to the site.  

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Project management is absolutely one of their strengths. Their personal communication and responsiveness to change requests have helped them build up a strong portfolio of clients.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Even though we’re not one of their larger clients, they use their experience with bigger enterprises to suggest positive changes to us. They have low turnover, both in their clients and their design resources, and they offer competitive pricing. Because of how their design team is structured, they deliver final products rapidly.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don’t have any complaints about their service. I highly recommend this group to anyone seeking web design services.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

VP of Business Development. Head of Website Development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Nirvana Canada, and what were your goals?

We needed a multi-lingual website that was optimized for SEO.

SOLUTION

How did you select Nirvana Canada and what were the deciding factors?

Nirvana's team gave us a comprehensive presentation about their services.

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

We used WordPress.

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

3

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We worked with Nirvana to build our multi-lingual news site in 2019. We went from 300 users per day to 5000 users per day over the course of a few months, mainly due to Nirvana's excellent SEO protocols and training.

Their team is passionate, helpful, and fast. They also are good at working with non website trained people.

Also, they don't give you the run around like a lot of folks in Vancouver do. I guess there is a lot of demand in the city, so a lot of the designers we talked to didn't seem motivated to work quickly and within budget.

Nirvana always kept our needs in mind. We are still using Nirvana and happily recommend them to anyone who is looking for a web designer.

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

They used email, Click-up and phone.

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

Great account manager. Responsible, fast and accurate.

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

Not much.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the marketing coordinator of Vortex Restaurant Equipment, which sells commercial kitchen supplies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Nirvana Canada?

We hired Nirvana Canada to develop our website and increase our SEO rankings.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to produce a user-friendly platform and boost our SEO standings.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I learned of Nirvana Canada through a recommendation.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They developed our WordPress website and currently organize our SEO efforts.

What was the team composition?

I’m not sure of the entire team’s size.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

I am very satisfied with the results so far.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They work efficiently, and they are always responsive and willing to help.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I’m impressed by how quick they are to respond to our questions.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, they’ve been great so far.