Sheer Digital

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Inesta, a waste management service.

What challenge were you trying to address with Sheer Digital?

We needed someone to develop our website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sheer Digital adjusts and updates our website. They are doing ongoing development while, at the same time, we are coming out with new products. When we started, there were about 20 products and now there are 100. They’re using two languages, and they’re also using WordPress. They do SEO as well.

What is the team composition?

I’m only in contact with David (Founder & Director). 

How did you come to work with Sheer Digital?

I met David when I worked at a previous company because he was working on their website. When I started my own business, it made sense to contact him because I already liked him and what he did.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2017, and our engagement is ongoing.

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

We are more than happy with how they support us. They made our website exactly according to our customers’ needs. If I start a new company, I would go to David because I get extremely good value for money. 

I’m very happy with the SEO work that they do as well. We’re getting business through our website. What we’ve invested is paying back many times. Someone contacts us at least 10 times per week through our website. The website is working perfectly.

How did Sheer Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

Sheer Digital takes care of everything. There have been no problems at all.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They react quickly to our requests.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’ve seen a lot of the work David has done, so I would recommend them to anyone.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the head of digital marketing at a professional services marketing agency.

What challenge were you trying to address with Sheer Digital?

We work with a few technology partners, including Sheer Digital, to build out our clients’ sites.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Throughout the engagement, they’ve supported us on a variety of web projects for our clients’ WordPress sites. We typically handle the design and compile a set of functionality specs. Their team then interprets our instructions to produce the actual programming.

One of our recent projects involved creating a holiday game to send to our clients. It was a Christmas present on the admin side of the site. They responded quickly to our request, creating a functional mock-up and providing a prototype that we could use.

What is the team composition?

David (Founder & Director, Sheer Digital) manages our account, but we’ve also had direct access to three of their developers in Latvia.

How did you come to work with Sheer Digital?

We started working with them before I joined the company, so I’m not sure how we found them.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work started in late 2015, and the relationship is ongoing.

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

Sheer Digital’s support has helped us decrease our response time to clients, and we've been able to get our products to market faster. So far, we haven’t had any problems with the functionality of their work. If there are any technical issues, they’re quick to handle them without charging extra. The fact that we’ve been collaborating for over three years is reflective of how much we value their work.

How did Sheer Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

We coordinate the project over Skype and Slack, and they’re great at sticking to timelines. Often, they’ll deliver ahead of schedule.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Although our clients are typically within professional services (e.g., accountants, lawyers), Sheer Digital brings a new, technical perspective that helps our sites stand out. The team boasts strong development skills, and they’re very capable of executing our ideas.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of. If there were any issues, we’d be more than happy to address it with them because they’re so approachable.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to their advice because they’re full of good ideas. When we send over our functionality specs, David often comes back with additional, well-received insights.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and director of Green World Group. We manufacture waste care products.

For what projects/services did your company hire Sheer Digital?

Our website evolved organically over four years, giving rise to inconsistencies in layout and design. Additionally, we conceived it in the R&D phase of our product lifecycle, but we’d since matured and required a more commercial approach to product and service promotion.

What were your goals for this project?

The new site had to convey our organization as dynamic, innovative, growth-focused, competitive, and global. It also had to describe our range of products/services and act as a brochure for prospective and existing distributors, end-customers, and partners. Finally, we wanted to provide users with a consistent experience that allowed them to easily access information on any device.

How did you select this vendor?

Sheer approached our CEO at the right time, as our previous website development had been unsatisfactory. The clear, well-defined approach communicated by David (Director, Sheer Digital), combined with Sheer Digital's strong references, led us to award them the contract. We didn’t consider any other vendors, aside from our incumbent vendor.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Sheer designed and built a WordPress site with CMS capabilities. They shared prototype designs with us via a software tool that allowed us to leave feedback and comment on our preferences. We generated the site content internally, with suggestions from Sheer about how to best marry it with our new design. They recommended we group our products in categories to better showcase our entire range of products and generate leads. This would allow prospective customers to easily find what they need and contact us for more info. 

What was the team composition? 

We worked directly with David, who handled all communication, and his team. They kept the project on time and budget.

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

The original site didn’t generate much traffic, but the new site produces 6–10 inbound leads every week.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it

Given our continued growth, internal resources were often diverted to other efforts, but David did a great job of keeping the project on track. He always followed up and kept us moving through stages to launch.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They had a tight grasp of our business and the challenge it faced and were able to make quick progress despite our inexperience with web development. Above all, they kept us informed of what needed to be done and retained ownership of the project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We’d like to introduce more programming languages. This was removed from the initial scope because of delays on our side.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the digital account manager of rhc creative strategy. We sell personalized gifts with custom monogram options.

For what projects/services did your company hire Sheer Digital?

Our e-commerce platform had outdated systems that were difficult to patch and maintain. We engaged Sheer Digital to build us a more reliable solution.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted an easy-to-manage e-commerce platform that provides detailed sales analytics and specific functionalities.

How did you select this vendor?

We’ve worked with Sheer Digital for many years before this project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Sheer Digital recommended that we use Shopify as our e-commerce platform. They have a proven track record of developing high-quality custom tools in Shopify, so we took their advice. Our in-house designer created the site’s layout that we then forwarded to Sheer Digital. Their team walked us through what they could and couldn’t do. They then built the site and integrated bespoke applications. One key feature was a custom monogramming tool. It allows users to customize their monogram, including its font and thread color, and view a preview on their selected product before adding it to their cart.

What was the team composition?

We had a project manager who served as our direct point of contact from beginning to end.

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

Since the new site’s launch, our total sales grew by 410% and our total orders increased by 331%. We’ve received positive feedback from internal stakeholders on the end product.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project ran smoothly from start to finish. Sheer Digital met every deadline and always informed us of potential delays well in advance. At our request, they completed work using an agile development approach which let us quickly build and test different versions of the desired solution. We collaborated mainly via Skype—our preferred communication tool.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We appreciated their direct communication and their in-depth knowledge of Shopify.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I have nothing but good things to say about them. We set extraordinarily difficult requirements for this project, and Sheer Digital rose to the occasion.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the director of Shoreline Brokers, an international financial planning consultancy that operates mainly in the Commonwealth of Independent States.

For what projects/services did your company hire Sheer Digital?

We wanted to provide valuable information and marketing material to prospective customers. We hired Sheer Digital to update our website and improve the company’s image.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the engagement to be cost-effective.

How did you select this vendor?

We found them on an online quoting platform and then reviewed their past work.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Sheer Digital developed and designed the updated site. We provided textual content and corrected the design as needed; they sourced the images. The team also created a set of animated videos.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, the lead designer, a programmer, and a graphic designer.

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

We were satisfied with the website and confident that it represented our company well. Since face-to-face communication takes primacy over websites in our industry, we intend to leverage the site as a supplement to in-person meetings.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project manager communicated regularly via email and Skype.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their personable approach, quick work, and professionalism stood out.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of International Consulting and Transformation Network (ICTN). We have a core team of five full-time staff members with a larger network of associates from different professional backgrounds. Our resources contribute to the coaching, learning, and development programs that we offer in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. We offer programs in Arabic, French, and English.

For what projects/services did your company hire Sheer Digital?

We’ve been providing management consulting and training services to corporate bodies for over 25 years, and wanted to expand our target market to include young people in the MENA region. In general, our main website needs to be updated and redesigned, so we decided to launch an experimental design on a microsite focused on the needs of youth and young professionals.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the site to appeal to our target audience specifically in the MENA region. It needed to be manageable, accessible, and integrated with our social media and payment platforms.

How did you select this vendor?

We’ve had a had a number of really disappointing experiences with past website providers. A trusted friend recommended Sheer Digital, and we looked at some of their completed projects. We ultimately decided to partner with them.

Describe the project in detail.

Sheer Digital asked a series of questions to get a better understanding of the look and feel we wanted in the site. We also showed them several examples of websites we liked. We were going for a very clear and informative landing page. Once everything was finalized, they built the website within six weeks.

What was the team composition?

Our project manager was our main point of contact. There was also a background team involved.

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

We’ve received positive feedback from website visitors. We expect to see more results in early 2019 when we launch the full program.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was smooth and efficient. Their team anticipated delays and difficulties before they hindered our progress. We had a courteous and professional relationship. They helped us with whatever we needed. Communication was easy and transparent.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re reliable, delivering on all of their commitments.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I have no recommendations for improvement.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a retail coffee shop and I wanted to expand into selling speciality tea online.

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

Our objective was to create a custom ecommerce platform, which allowed us to retail tea online with ease. We had already researched which software we wanted to use and instructed Sheer to build with Wordpress and Woocomerce. We also wanted ways for the site to integrate with various other tools such as analytics, marketing and security etc.

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

We reasearched a few companies that specialised in Wordpress and also one company who specialised in their own software platform. The reason we went with Sheer is because of 2 reasons, one the follow up was very professional with sound advice and a detailed proposal of the work which would be carried out. And the second being they were priced very competatively.

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

I think my brief to David and the team was fairly clear. I wanted a clean / minimal looking site. I provided some examples of sites which I thought worked well. I also provided a site map and a short project brief to clarify. David then worked with me to clarify the brief, provided other ideas and options to improve on it and he built that into his proposal so it was clear the scope of work Sheer Digital were carrying out.

There was a timeframe, which clearly mapped out the key deliverables and David was very good at keeping us updated. The key technologies included Wordpress, Woocommerce, MailChimp, Google Analytics. Through the project David used various other tools online so that I was able to approve various design options along the way.

There was lots of stages were i was able to review and add my feedback. David was always accomodating where possible, but was also good advising me against changes that would not work. The site was optimised for SEO and Sheer also set it up and did live testing on my chosen server platform.

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

I was working mainly with David who is very professional and friendly. I also provided some feedback to one of David developer who was making the design changes,

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

The finsihed site is exactly like my design brief and over and above expecation. The pages load fast and works well on mobile and various browsers. The feedback I have had from users has been fantastic.

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

David managed the whole project to agreed timeframes outlined in the proposal. There was various tools used so I could see the design stage of the build and also the development testing as it was first built in the testing environment.

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

The professionalism and level of detail the team would go to to deliver a great project. Also the price is very competative compared to oher companies.

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

I could not ask them to do anything differently. Just great work!

Please describe your company and your position there.

Cubbies Ltd makes personalised soft toys for children. I am the MD

For what projects/services did your company hire Sheer Digital?

Sheer Digital was recommended by Wilcom as they were skilled in applying Wilcom API (embroidery software) into a online customised software tool.

What were your goals for this project?

Create the best UX for consumers when customising pre made personalised templates. Once complete the design will be pre digitised therefore no additional work would be required.

How did you select this vendor?

Recommend by WIlcom in configuring their complicated API software.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Apply Wilcom API software into an online customised software tool with little to no downtime or faults.

What was the team composition?

Not sure - David is the head of a small technical team.

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

Since installing the new customiser sales on the website have increased 250%

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Sheer Digital prefer to manage most of the creative and UX and do not wish to be micro managed. That's what I prefer as I don't want to be hiring experts and doing all the work myself.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They spent many hours in after sales support after the project was finished, which we appreciated.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Some correspondence can be a little intense. David miss read the tone in one of my email replies and got rather upset.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of an embroidery specialist company for the agricultural sector called Farm Wardrobe.

For what projects/services did your company hire Sheer Digital?

We hired them to design and develop a product customizer for embroidering clothing.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to offer an easy-to-use UI that enables customers to preview the designs they want to purchase. We also needed it to send production-ready files in-house to ensure that all custom order details are received by the customer and the store administrator.

How did you select this vendor?

Another supplier recommended them to us.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project consisted of designing and developing a Magento-based extension for previewing custom designs. It kicked off with the design stage, where they provided a wireframe of the UI, which was reviewed and approved.

They then proceeded to build in the interface in a staging environment which they shared with us. The customization tool was tested by both sides, and further refinements were made. When we were happy with how everything was working, the extension was installed in the Magento store and made live.

What was the team composition?

The team was comprised of a team/project manager, a designer, a developer, and a tester.

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

Sheer Digital produced an enhanced customer experience. Users can now see a true preview of how their design will look on their chosen garment, whereas previously, this wasn’t possible. While the solution was recently launched, it’s a substantial improvement to our store’s experience. We look forward to seeing further growth this year.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They handled project management well. Their founder kept me informed of every step of the process. Immediate action was taken throughout, and they delivered on time and within budget.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Honestly, I'm impressed with every aspect of their service. Their rapid response times, timely fixes, clearly defined project management process, open lines of communication, and out-of-hours service all stood out.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can't name anything.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the development manager at SALEM Ecuador, a children, youth, and community center in the town of Mindo on the western side of the Ecuadorian Andes. At our center, children can enjoy their childhood, learn, play, and be accepted in a loving community. We're passionate about providing excellent childcare, education, and social services!

For what projects/services did your company hire Sheer Digital?

We needed to port an existing design, content structure, and backend workflow onto a multi-language WordPress platform.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to finish the work quickly and stay within a tight budget. We also needed a partner who could implement change and support requests quickly.

How did you select this vendor?

I've worked with Sheer Digital on similar projects over the last two or three years. Their level of professionalism and expertise made them my first choice.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Sheer Digital provided all the web development expertise we needed. They ported existing legacy HTML and CSS into a custom WordPress template, improved the code, added all the necessary plugins, and created custom admin and workflow functions on the backend. They did all the technical work and got us online before Christmas. 

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of myself, three employees, and two freelancers. 

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

Working with Sheer Digital is always a pleasure. They deliver exactly what they say they will, on time and within the budget. It was great to "plan the work and work the plan" with no surprises or deviations! The fact that we launched on time and executed our Christmas fundraising campaign was critical. 

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

As always, Sheer Digital's project management was excellent. Their dedicated project manager was always available to answer our questions. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I loved their professionalism, expertise, and efficiency. They delivered everything at a great price!

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can't fault their approach! They teach me something new during every project.