Raison

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm one of the directors at a mental health and wellbeing company. We created a tool to help people to look after children.

What challenge were you trying to address with Raison?

We needed support with development to reduce the time it took to launch our version 2.0 of the app and so we hired Elliott (Director) at Raison.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Raison developed our web application, which was built using Laravel, Vue.js, Tailwind, and Inertia.js. Elliott helped us with some of the initial template structuring and some of the features. This is version 2.0 so we already had a working product, which Elliott used as a template, but he created it using a different text pack.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with Elliott. Raison is a one-man team.

How did you come to work with Raison?

I already knew Elliot from WordCamps, and we had collaborated a bit together and it went very well at the WordCamp. He helped us out with a few items with version 1.0. When we were searching for someone with WordPress and Laravel experience, he was the first person we went to.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent just over £20,000 (approximately $26,900 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Elliott in July 2020 and the engagement is ongoing.

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

Everything he has created utilized my code. He's been giving us guidance on the various elements of the tech stacks. It was really helpful to have him around.

How did Raison perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Microsoft Teams to collaborate, using both their chat and video call features.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Elliott has product experience. We’re not just hiring a developer, but someone that can picture the bigger scope of what we’re trying to do and how it might have an impact on other things. Elliot is a joy to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think it would have been good if he had taken more notes during our discussions. We've had to repeat a few things and go back to change things that haven't been implemented properly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

A detailed scope would be a good thing to provide.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a digital marketing specialist at White Clarke Group. We are a global software provider focusing on end-to-end automotive consumer finance software. In addition to marketing, I oversee the site and all our hosting services.

What challenge were you trying to address with Raison?

Originally, we were porting our old site from an older and less supported content management system (CMS). We were looking to move the site onto WordPress and bring in new technologies to improve functionality.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They oversaw a full rebuild of our site, which includes over 200 pages, and its transition to WordPress. They also redesigned several sections with form fields and implemented several new widgets, including the SEO tool, the custom fields plugin, and the WordPress Multilingual Plugin (WPML).

What is the team composition?

I served as a project manager, and we worked with one developer from Raison.

How did you come to work with Raison?

They came highly recommended by a web developer that we were already working with. After a short interview, we were confident they could address our needs.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2016 and completed the project by November 2017.

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

We’ve made a number of improvements to the customer experience with regards to our Knowledge Share Center and industry insights, and the figures on those are certainly a lot better. We’ve seen drastic improvement in the number of international users. Average page views have gone up by 2%, our bounce rate has fallen 4.2%, and time spent on the site has increased 9%.

How did Raison perform from a project management standpoint?

They communicated very effectively. We used Basecamp for project management and Slack to interact daily.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their industry knowledge when it comes to new technologies and best practices was very impressive. They also had a deep understanding of hosting, which helped us to make improvements on the site’s overall performance. Overall, their ability to understand our needs and translate them into specific technical solutions made them a great partner to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an events, training, and community company for product managers. I am the product manager for the company and look after building our new web platform as well as make sure that our technology works correctly.

What challenge were you trying to address with Raison?

We wanted to widen our network of local chapters based on Meetup.com. We wanted to bring them onto a unified platform to get a better idea of the shape and size of our community and to provide better services for them. We wanted a well-recommended developer with experience in WordPress to extend our existing website and build in functionality.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We use WordPress as a standard frontend, which doesn’t naturally have an MVC structure. One of the engineers developed an MVC system for it, which they adapt and scale to the work. It makes development cleaner and much more effective. We’ve had a chunk of functionality that needed a plugin to integrate it. We built a newsletter subscription controlled directly by use profiles. They came up with an elegant way to present the information we needed and sensibly integrated the API.

They’re good at highlighting what’s feasible and help us make informed decisions about the limitations of the technology and getting what we need from it. We collaborate to find solutions. It’s a big project and there are a lot of things that we need right before the launch. Everything is more effective thanks to the improvements on the site.

We built some quick features on the administration dashboard to make it easier for us to manage certain things. That was a good experience, and we got value from working with them on the following phase. They’ve helped build the infrastructure for event management. We still have a laundry list of things for them to refine as we learn more about how our customers use them. We have some features we’d like to prototype and test.

What is the team composition?

I act as the project manager. Raison supplies one developer/engineer, Elliot (Founder, Raison). We have another company working on the backend and a freelance designer.

How did you come to work with Raison?

We heard of them through word of mouth. We asked the local developer community in Brighton for suggestions and Raison kept coming up. Elliot (Founder, Raison) runs the local WordPress meetup. We looked over his work and his network connections and felt he knew what he was talking about.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around £4,000 ($5,585) per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

Development began in May 2017 and is ongoing.

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

We haven’t fully shipped yet, we’ve mostly solved internal pain points. The team as a whole is delighted with the impact. The feedback for the first wave of work is overwhelmingly positive. We were also pleased with small backend features that improve the team workflow.

We changed the way we present upcoming events on the home page. Previously, they were coded by hand and were prone to error. We worked to quickly build a small widget in the backend that allowed us to use forms for the information, effectively dropping errors to zero. We’re so much happier with the design system; it’s much faster and easier.

How did Raison perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very responsive on the phone. If they’re working, I can just pick up the phone and have a discussion or ask questions. We email very little, and tend to use Slack or the telephone for quick, ad hoc communication. We’ve had regular video calls every week or every other week and check in to make sure everything is on track. The scope of tools we use has been excellent and detailed where it needs to be.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s been a very good experience; their work is great. Their communication and attitude are delightful. They’re very easy to reach and to work with; their attitude is relaxed, positive, and constructive; and there’s no bureaucratic back-and-forth. We can focus on building or fixing things and moving forward. Every conversation is focused on creating value and solving problems. There’s a very good rapport and they provide good insight.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's very little I'd change. One thing that could be useful is communicating the scope of individual segments of work. Granulating the tasks to the nearest half day would allow us to release things more frequently and focus on the pieces that need more energy or priority. We haven’t communicated this to them yet.

Please describe your company.

My company is called Golden Oils, and I’m an online retailer of health products from Siberia.

What is your position?

I am the founder and owner.

Could you describe the business challenge that you were trying to address when you first approached Raison Online?

I just wanted a new website to showcase my brand and process transactions for my customers. I didn’t know the technical implications it would incur, but I ended up with a brand new website which looked so much better, and I’ve had only positive feedback ever since.

Could you describe the actual scope of work assigned to them?

They reviewed my old site, and they suggested a much simpler and cheaper version for me. I can now edit the site myself in many cases, which is great. I provided all of the content and visuals they needed for the new site.

Their founder [Elliot Taylor] came over for an initial meeting, to meet me and assess my needs, to have a conversation, to get a feel for what I wanted, which was greatly appreciated. Then, he came over to train me to use the Woo Commerce system, which was good. He also provided support over the phone, which I thought was kind.

How did you come to choose Raison Online as your partner?

I came across them by chance when I was looking for a company to update my old website.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

It was approximately £2,500 [$3,700].

What is the status of the project?

There’s no formal support contract between us now, but I still call on them regularly when I need assistance with updates to the site. They’ve been very accommodating.

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the quality of their performance?

In terms of customer feedback, I’ve heard that it’s easy to use, and it looks great. I get constant feedback that it looks very modern, and it’s easy to use. It’s a tremendous improvement on my old website, which was cumbersome to manage and wasn’t very visually appealing.

About halfway through our collaboration, they restructured our payment. I was a much smaller client than they were used to focusing on, and I couldn’t handle the pricing packages they were offering. They were so good about that. They agreed to continue providing me one-off personal service when and how I needed, and they would charge me per inquiry, or per work. I thought that was very flexible.

When working with Raison Online, is there anything that you would consider unique about their strategic approach or development methodology that distinguish them from other vendors?

I know they’re probably not making a lot of money on me, but they haven’t dropped their code of ethics in dealing with customers, which I really appreciated. Whenever I have inquiries, they always come back to me. They’re always very efficient in dealing with my problems. I’m a customer who doesn’t give them much profit or anything else, but they treat me really well. I can see their integrity as a company. The majority of companies would have dropped me, but they didn’t, and they treated me with the same respect, which is something to value nowadays.

They’re very kind and professional. They’re always looking at new trends. They’re a very friendly bunch. They’ve recommended me to a few people in business who I’m dealing with now, which is great because they’re ready to share their business connections. Outside of the business, they’re also very socially flexible and friendly, and they don’t want to keep their useful connections for themselves. They’re always open up to the world and happy to share people who provide great value for money with their customers. They’re more than just professionals. They’re a warm company and definitely nice to deal with.

In retrospect, are there any areas in which you think they could improve as a service provider?

They have no phone number that you can call, which is something they definitely could improve on because it could come across that they are relatively inaccessible. They are good at coming back to you if you drop them an email.

Please describe your company.

I run an online Internet business selling fancy dress costumes. It’s a U.K. Internet business in its infancy, something I set up and run out of my bedroom.

What is your position?

I’m the founder.

Could you describe the business challenge you were trying to address when you first approached Raison Online?

I initially engaged another Web designer to start the project from inception. It transpired that this particular chap was out of his depth really, and when I finally got rid of him, it was almost a case of having to abandon the project altogether. Raison was able to retain some assets from the previous developer, for example, some of the graphics work. The whole hosting package, the mechanics of the site, and the data had to be recalibrated.

Could you describe the actual scope of work assigned to them?

They were responsible for the technical programming of the back-end of the site, as well as incorporating visual designs. They helped train me to use the WordPress CMS [content management system]. One such example, that I had no knowledge of, is useful plug-ins. So, they were able to offer advice and suggestions. They demonstrated the benefits of any particular plug-in and, if required, they would install it for me, and make sure it was calibrated perfectly, and dealt with any unintended consequences of installing a plug-in. They always try to find the most cost-effective solution as well. I knew next to nothing about how a site was put together, and the previous developer suggested WordPress.

How did you come to select Raison Online as your partner?

I searched through WordPress itself to see if there were a couple of WordPress experts that could be recommended, and I received three. One wasn’t relevant, and then I contacted two others, one of those being Raison. They were the only ones who had the courtesy to respond. I had a project, but the wheels were coming off, and it was facing abandonment.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

Between £5,000 and £10,000 [approximately $7,400 and $14,800].

Is this an ongoing project, or has the site been launched?

The site has been launched, but the relationship with Raison is still ongoing for additions and updates to the site. They’re also assisting us with some SEO [search engine optimization] work. I expect to retain them for some Google Analytics work as well.

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the quality of their performance?

The fact that we were able to launch at all is an achievement in itself. We are now selling products from our site, and we are gaining considerable traction. We only first started trading, so we only launched in December of last year [2014], so we’re a couple months old.

It seems to be well laid out. Our graphics work and graphics banner seem to be getting good feedback. I’ve had friends and family look through things, and they seem to be impressed.

Now and again, there can be small delays before they can get things done. When it does happen, they try to find a solution, and they make sure to let me know. The communication is excellent. They’re almost too good because word has spread about how good they are, and they’ve got a lot to work on.

In retrospect, are there areas in which you think they could improve as a service provider?

Only that slight area. Other than that, it’s been first rate.

What advice, if any, would you give to a future client of theirs?

I think they’re well suited to cater to people of all levels of technical ability. If someone is a complete novice, then I would recommend that he or she get in touch because Raison will be able to deliver the project from the ground up. Even for someone who is a little more advanced and can do some coding, I’m sure they’d still get excellent value from Raison as well.

Please describe your company.

We do marketing and data collection for arts and cultural companies in London.

What is your position?

I’m the founder.

Could you describe the business challenge you were trying to address when you first approached Raison Online?

I needed a brand new website built for my company. I think the site was built using WordPress.

Could you describe the actual scope of work assigned to them?

They were responsible for the technical elements of the website as well as the visual components. They trained my staff, and they have some tutorials inserted into the website, so people can look at them.

How did you come to choose Raison Online as your partner?

I knew Tamsin [Urquhart], who is one of the founders, from before. I spoke to her about what I needed, and she recommended her boyfriend, Elliot [Taylor].

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

It was about $20,000.

Is the project concluded or ongoing?

They still service the website, and they’re still in charge of keeping the contents updated. They draft three blogs for us each week.

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the quality of their performance?

I think my website is used at least 10 times a day, and on the weekends, it’s more. We use the website also in here to authorize what the users are doing every day. It’s easy to use. We haven’t had any problems at all.

From a project management perspective, I definitely feel like they’ve demonstrated high-quality service. They were able to deliver assigned work on time, within the predetermined scope and to my requested specifications.

When working with Raison Online, is there anything that you would consider unique about their strategic approach or development methodology that distinguish them from other vendors?

I think they took the time to learn the requirements of my company, to understand what I was asking for. They were quick to respond when they saw any problems or anything. They’re a small company, so it’s easy to get in touch with them directly, instead of getting passed around to different departments.

In retrospect, are there any areas in which you think they could improve as a service provider?

No. Not really. I’m quite happy with them.

What advice, if any, would you give a future client of theirs?

Have a plan of what your company does, so they can prepare and learn from it. It’s important to come to the table with a clear vision and idea of what you want.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Development finance broker, owner.

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

Total UI control to build from end platform and back end management software.

How did you select Raison and what were the deciding factors?

Recommendation from trusted source.

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

Bespoke development from Figma designs in Javascript/VUE/PHP

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

1 - sole owner.

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

Superb agility to understand and create solutions for our goals - and always rapid to identify and bug fix.

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

Good - always in touch, mostly through Slack and Trello.

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

We're quite impressed with their communication and problem-solving abilities.

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

Help with understanding the project complexities from the start to a layman.