Series Eight

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of e-commerce for a sexual wellness company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Series Eight?

We were trying to scale our direct-to-consumer (DTC) business on WooCommerce and needed a design and development partner to help us migrate from WooCommerce to Shopify. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team is providing design, development, and copywriting services. Series Eight was initially hired to develop our tone of voice for the DTC website and supply copywriting for key calls and home pages, but we’ve expanded the engagement to take care of all of our copywriting needs. 

What is the team composition?

We work with three designers, three developers, a project manager, and Mario (Founder & CEO). 

How did you come to work with Series Eight?

Series Eight was a recommendation through an e-commerce company. We had three other agencies we were talking to, and when we sent out an RFP, Series Eight provided various services that would fit our project. They showed us a presentation, and we thought their design skills were strong, so we decided to move forward with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $50,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2022, and the engagement is ongoing because we are keeping them on retainer for development. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t seen any tangible results because we’re still in the early phases, but from a user perspective, the website looks fantastic. We’re confident that we will see improvements in conversion rates and sales further down the line. 

How did Series Eight perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve had a few delays, but almost everything has been delivered on time and, more importantly, has stayed within our budget. Our project manager has been highly responsive and will respond quickly if we have any questions. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a lot of design knowledge and experience that has proven helpful throughout the engagement and set their business apart from other providers. Their price is very fair for the quality they provide. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Theoretically, they could have different plans for their services because everything is priced the same. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We would recommend working with them. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Run Payments, a financial services platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Series Eight?

We needed someone to provide us with web development and branding services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Series Eight helped us design a new logo, create our brand identity, and develop our website. They accomplished all of their tasks, but we’re still looking to expand on what we currently have in place.

The team also created a pitch deck for us to present our services in an engaging way.

What is the team composition?

We mainly interfaced with the CEO, project manager, copywriter, designer, and illustrator.

How did you come to work with Series Eight?

They created the website of my previous company.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested somewhere between $15,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on the majority of this project from May–September 2022, and we’re currently talking about the steps of our next engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Internally speaking, everybody on my team loves the website that Series Eight delivered — we’ve gained nothing but positive responses for our branding so far.

How did Series Eight perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great from a project management perspective, because the team kept us on track with the progress and utilized different tools to stay organized.

They used Trello and Figma as their primary management, communication, and design tools.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed with their nimbleness, adaptability, team dynamic, and quality of deliverables.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they need to improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise you to follow their lead because their expertise can help guide you throughout the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of customer marketing at BPP Professional Education Group. We’re a subscription-based professional qualification training website; we provide course content for students to self-study ahead of special qualification exams and assessments. Our new brand is StaySharp.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Series Eight?

We launched StaySharp in January 2022, but the initial website and UX weren’t great. We had to do something quickly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Almost immediately after going live with the first iteration of the website, we sat with Series Eight to discuss what the new and improved site would be like. We had meetings to explain our challenges and what we were trying to achieve. They took that away and completed a UX/UI review to improve the customer experience. Then, they came back with a brief that described what they suggested from a development perspective.

They built the site on Shopify and the theme from scratch. We didn’t provide wireframes; they developed the UX/UI based on what we’d given them.

What is the team composition?

Our conversations were with Mario (CEO & Founder). We also had a dedicated project manager and direct contact with a UX/UI designer, a developer, and a copywriter.

How did you come to work with Series Eight?

A freelancer that worked with us recommended them. He’d worked with Series Eight in other roles for other clients. However, we mainly decided to go ahead with them because they had solid experience in Shopify.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around £40,000 (approximately $46,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2022, and they delivered the initial scope of work in May 2022. However, we continue to work with them on enhancements to the journey.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is worlds apart from what we had before. Even from a UI experience, it’s visually better and more professional. Also, we’ve seen an increase in conversions, although it’s hard to attribute it to the new website. However, we’re only in month seven, and all of our key metrics across the sales funnel have improved since May.

How did Series Eight perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was brilliant; we didn’t have problems. We had a dedicated project manager who was great at ensuring everything was solved quickly. They delivered before the deadlines that they committed to upfront. Overall, the experience was really positive.

We used Trello as the main form of communication. On the other hand, all the designs were on Figma. We also did Zoom calls when we needed in-depth conversations and emails if there was anything outside the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

BPP Professional Education Group is a large education provider, so we’ve worked with many agencies in the past. However, what really impressed us was their ability to provide solid initial concepts that immediately fit the brief. We had little back and forth around challenging areas, such as design or copywriting. Every first draft they sent was brilliant.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Giving constructive feedback is always good, but we don’t have any complaints. It was nice to work with them. We were under pressure to deliver quickly, so the turnaround times were tight. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to complete the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them the goal or what you want to achieve in the end, but let the team have some creative freedom. Let them come to you with their suggestions and ideas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder a lifestyle brand that sells apparel, home, and beauty products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Series Eight?

We needed to rebrand our existing website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The new site stayed on Shopify, but Series eight made it look a lot different. They added sophisticated filters, story pages that allow us to dive deep into certain products, and other development tasks. They now do maintenance for us.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, a day-to-day developer, and the owner, although the owner was mostly involved in the beginning and stepped in occasionally throughout.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost was around $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2021–March 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The economy went into a recession right after we launched, so any metric losses are not on them. Everything is slowing down. They did remain true to their bid, in terms of the budget, though the timeline got pushed about 3–4 weeks because of some changes we introduced.

Qualitatively, Series Eight was awesome to work with. They were very knowledgeable and open to our ideas and feedback. Their team did a great job on our site. It looks exactly how we want it to.

How did Series Eight perform from a project management standpoint?

They used Trello to track the project, and we communicated through email and sporadic phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their organization stands out, as do their communication abilities. There were no barriers between us, and they were great problem solvers. Their attitude was also top-notch.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing that made it a bit difficult was the time difference. If we didn’t get back to them first thing in the morning, then they would be asleep and we would lose time. I don’t really know what they could do about it, though. It just would have been beneficial to have someone closer.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We already had the site designed in Figma; I don’t know if it would have been as smooth if we didn’t have that ready.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the co-founders of a small chain of skin clinics. We have six clinics around London, three in the north and three in the southwest.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Parallel 9?

We launched the business with their support. Our challenge was to build awareness of our brand and get customers to book and visit the clinics.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Parallel has built our digital marketing strategy from scratch, including social media and Google. They’ve helped us understand the industry, our competitors, and our brand. The team focuses on how to best build awareness across all locations and maintain the audience as we ramp up the clinics. We’ve opened six new locations throughout the year, and they’ve been our main partners on the digital marketing side.

Initially, we gave them a lot of information about the market. We had some keywords that worked well and provided a brief. Moreover, we had many discussions about the type of business we were launching and the consumers we were going after so they could decide on the granular strategy to meet those targets.

Also, they did an SEO exercise and created a bit of content in the beginning because we didn’t have it ready. However, we now provide all the copy, and they just optimize our campaigns online.

What is the team composition?

The founder has been our main contact since the beginning of our engagement. In January, he brought another team member into the account.

How did you come to work with Parallel 9?

We worked with a branding agency, and they recommended them. We took their recommendation and had a meeting with Parallel 9. Afterward, we didn’t speak to other industry players; we were happy with their proposal, so we decided to give them a shot.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent £25,000 (approximately $32,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We engaged with them before we even opened the clinics, in March 2021. Our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything is going well; we’re happy with the partnership so far. We track our ROI and the campaigns on a biweekly basis, and the numbers are strong.

How did Parallel 9 perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate only via telephone. They’re pretty responsive. When we have questions, we have a direct line with the founder.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re pragmatic; they’re happy to take tasks to speed things up rather than wasting time going back and forth with other parties, which we appreciate. Moreover, their technical abilities are demonstrated by the monthly ROI we see. Parallel 9 has good experience, and they’re willing to adapt their approach, listen to their clients, and address any issue that might be in the way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their general client management. Although they’re responsive, sometimes our calls could be more productive. My partner and I aren’t experts in digital marketing, so we have many basic questions and thoughts. Therefore, they can be more open, patient, and collaborative in our partnership because sometimes it feels that they’re a bit rushed or defensive. We could work a little bit better together.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend using them. They’re a strong partner; they know what they’re talking about. Since they respond well, I’m sure clients will be an improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the co-CEO of a DEI consulting firm. We provide DEI consulting, assessments, and training to industry-leading companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Series Eight?

We had outgrown our website and wanted fresh branding and design to highlight our expertise and growth in the market.

SOLUTION

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

I did a search through my network for high-quality design and branding firms. I spoke with 3 firms and received quotes. I was impressed with the ease of the sales process with S8, the quality of their portfolio and the reasonable pricing.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We had a few meetings to understand our needs and preferences. Jordan, our lead designer, came back with some mood boards. He then designed 3 branding options in Figma. We did a lot of deciding asynchronously via comments in Figma and Trello.

Once the branding was finalized, we moved on to wireframes for all pages. Jordan was fantastic at translating our Google Docs of written information into the page designs. We again made comments in Figma for any changes. Then the site went into development.

Once that was complete, our team was able to make change requests in Trello. We launched on schedule.

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

We worked with 3 people: a project manager, a designer, and a developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're really happy with our new website. S8 nailed the look we were going for: modern and human, while still conveying expertise and professionalism. We've received really positive feedback from clients and prospects.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

S8 was really easy to communicate with, even though we had a big time difference. I found the async communication extremely convenient, and they were always available for phone calls when needed. They made a complex process far less stressful than it could have been.

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

I really appreciated how easy they were to work with, how quickly they worked, and the quality of the design and branding. I don't know much about the technical side of things so I can't really speak to that, but everything works and is easy to use on our end.

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

I'm not sure there was a need for the PM. I was able to communicate easily with the designer and developer, so having a PM made it a little confusing about who I should contact.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Brand gatekeeper at Fat Tuesday - the leading U.S. brand of frozen specialty drinks. As part of a very lean Marketing team, we're spearheading a brand refresh to help improve and further the Company's brand image throughout its expansion.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Series Eight to redesign our two Brand websites - Fat Tuesday, and New Orleans Original Daiquiris.

SOLUTION

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

We used the help of an intermediary Agency and the deciding factors were: flexibility, responsiveness, affinity, and costs.

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

Both websites were very similar so the process was pretty much the same:

• Discovery Phase: Goals, Concepting, Timelines, Expectations, References
• Kickoff: Wireframes, Design, Approvals, Feedback, Desk, Mobile Version, Testing, Live Site

Key Deliverables were 2 sites that met ADA Standards - which they did a very good job at even according to the Organization that conducted our Audits. They are built for desk and mobile.

Technologies Used: Trello, Figma, CMS, Video Drops for Quick Explanations, Zoom, (perhaps others on a lesser scale which i can't recall now)

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

Most directly I had the Owner (Mario), Sam (Project Manager), Biel (Designer), and then 3 Programmers who would jump in depending on the specific need of the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

First and foremost, the result was noticeable as we went from 1989 to 2022 with our new sites. Those who new the before and saw the after were most impressed. Everyone likes the cup on the site and the numbers (visits, traffic) keep increasing - particularly for the larger brand Fat Tuesday.

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

It took me a bit to grasp working on Trello, but once I got into the flow it worked well. We had very aggressive timeline goals and I wish I was better onboarded on Trello from the get go to avoid some communication hiccups at the beginning, but the mostly digital project management is quite efficient and speeds up a lot of things.

They were always available for quick calls or questions when I needed. They’re very flexible, responsive, and friendly. It suck working with people with attitude, and they were the exact opposite. They did meet our timelines despite a few adjustments and reevaluations, and for that I appreciate how everything was handled and the transparency and communication along every step of the process.

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

They are very down to earth. No egos. No busy cards. No "we can't do this" attitude. A reasonable price for their service (helps being remote and lifting office costs). I guess that's what drew me to choose them. You want nice, capable people, who want to work on your project, and most importantly, can get the job done.

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

I believe the onboarding process and explaining better how they work mostly with technology, and also assessing the level of familiarity of the side who hired their services in using such technologies. Really that was the only point that caused a hiccup at the beginning but we identified and were able to discuss and move forward smoothly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our brands are in the Health & Wellness space and are focused on digestive health and fertility + pregnancy. I am the Head of Marketing across both brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Series Eight to create two brand new eCommerce sites with better branding and focus on customer experience. We wanted to modernise the sites for both brands and make sure customers felt comfortable navigating from Discovery to Conversion. We wanted to improve usability and speed of our sites as well.

SOLUTION

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

We got in touch and reviewed their previous work. The methodology and process-orientated project management style made us confident that they would deliver on time and to specification.

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

We had a kick-off meeting to discuss our brand history, direction, product range and brand story so that the Designers & team understood where the brand was coming from and where they wanted to go. We then had a objective setting meetings as well as back and forth on styles, inspirations and functionality.

Series8 ensured what we were after was followed and met from a design perspective. Series8 used a number of different tech solutions to make it easy to monitor and comment on different aspects of the Site Builds. Once agreed, Series8 got to work on the dev side of the work once mock-ups and wireframes were approved for our sites.

After this consultation period & a few iterations/amendments, their team designed and developed the Shopify Sites.We then underwent a similar process of review/feedback reporting any bugs and changes we needed to be fixed. Once complete we signed off the project.

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

We had a project manager as a main point of contact. A designer, direct contact with the business owner as well as several developers throughout the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching we saw strong improvements in site speed and also conversion rate which almost doubled. We have a higher AOV and better time on site as well.

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

We had regular catch ups and the team were available whenever we needed them. All members were very responsive and quick to action any new changes/amendments. Primary tools were email & Trello and these worked well.

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

Speed of execution and quality of communication and explanation of processes as well as willingness to help when necessary.

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

During bug testing some things were missed but later picked up and quickly resolved.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I oversee digital product, marketing and operations at ASYSTEM - an advanced supplements brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Series Eight is our dedicated development partner. We've worked them since just after launching the brand in late 2019. They help with site updates and new functionality.

SOLUTION

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

Series 8 was highly recommended from a previous Shopify employee.

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

The most current project was a site update in conjunction with the launch of our new product. We updated the homepage, updated the product listing pages to make them more shopping-friendly and updated product pages with blog link outs, new upsell modules and new call-to-actions for purchasing.

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

Two - there's mainly a project manager and our dedicated developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The launch of the new site has been great! Customers are converting well and now have more options to purchase the same product e.g. subscription, pre-pay, one time purchase.

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

The Series 8 team was great at communication. They responded in a timely manner either through Slack. They handled our development requests on Trello.

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

We work entirely digitally with them, we rarely have phone calls. Their systems are set up well to be efficient and communicate well without the need for lengthily calls.

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

Sometimes scheduling in development times can take longer than we'd like. But in priority scenarios the team helps get our tasks prioritized to hit our deadlines.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Head of Marketing for a Hospitality company which offers food delivery and in-venue dining

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Series Eight?

We needed to redesign our website to be able to communicate clearly to our three core audiences (venues, chefs and consumers)

SOLUTION

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

We looked for website designers based on previous work, and were impressed by Series 8 portfolio

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After a series of discovery calls, they set up a design board on Figma, where we were able to comment on our preferred design. We then had multiple project stages where we fed back on design, functionality, copywriting, and illustration before we had the final website.

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

In total we worked with four people, the project manager, designer, copywriter and illustrator

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're very happy with the final website, which we believe effectively communicates our company mission to all of our audiences.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was very effective. They stuck to the outlined project plan, scheduled regular meetings and responded quickly to feedback.

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

We appreciated how they worked hard to ensure that we were happy with the final result, going so far as to suggest using different font etc to deliver a better website.

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

We would have liked the project to be completed faster, but we were happy with the result and understood the time needed.