Stone Hut Designs

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of a travel company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Stone Hut Designs?

We hired them for website development. We wanted a website where clients could make bookings for our trips and inquiries.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Stone Hut Designs has done a lot for us. The main thing is that they've designed and developed a comprehensive website. We required some functionality for our customers to be able to book trips online. We initially had an idea for the site, and the team has done exactly that. Currently, Stone Hut Designs also provides website maintenance, and when we have any issues, we go back to them.

What is the team composition?

I communicate a lot with Gill, and there's also a teammate who does the design and technical work.

How did you come to work with Stone Hut Designs?

They were referred to me by a friend who had used their services in the past.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent just under $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2023, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Before the website, we were doing a lot of our bookings manually. Now, we’ve come to a point where 70% of the bookings are done online, which is good.

How did Stone Hut Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

Stone Hut Designs has been able to deliver on time. We set up meetings for certain deadlines, and everything has been handled accordingly and properly. We mostly communicate through emails and video calls on Microsoft Teams.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Both Gill and the designer have stood out. They respond in a timely manner and are quick to do their work. It’s a great team; they both work well together, and we work well with both of them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Stone Hut Designs is efficient, fast, and delivers quality work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be great if they could present a few options for plug-ins during the initial stages.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend them to any client looking for a professional and functional website.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of an educational institute.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Stone Hut Designs?

We redesigned our website five years ago, and we needed a fresh design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Stone Hut Designs has designed two websites for us. The first one was on Joomla, and the second one was on WordPress. We had an existing website on which Stone Hut Designs based the new one, and we gave them ideas and specifications for the new website. The team currently provides amendments, additions, and upgrades to the website. 

What is the team composition?

We work with Gill and a designer.

How did you come to work with Stone Hut Designs?

They were based close to us, and we received good references from other companies that had used them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $3,000 for the initial website and between $1,000–$1,500 for the subsequent one. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2019, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our main measure of success for Stone Hut Designs is the timeframes in which they accomplish the tasks we need them to. We also take into account user training. Stone Hut Designs gives good advice on the best way to accomplish something.

How did Stone Hut Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

They have good time management. We communicate via email, and they’re quite responsive.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Both Gill and the designer are very hands-on when it comes to the design process and recommendations for upgrades. Gill is very knowledgeable when it comes to the technical aspects and implementation of the design.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Stone Hut Designs is very knowledgeable in the latest technology, and they've had no delays in the timeframe.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their communication to be faster.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend them. Stone Hut Designs provides good service if you need a modern website that can grow with your company.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a travel agency. Our business is based on a mobile app that people can use to book trips throughout South Africa.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Stone Hut Designs?

We needed help with e-commerce development. We were having issues using a payment gateway on our site, so we hired Stone Hut Designs to do that integration for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had already worked on our e-commerce website ourselves using WordPress, but we couldn't integrate iKhokha, the payment gateway we wanted. Therefore, we asked Stone Hut Designs to work on that.

Stone Hut Designs delivered the website in January 2024. However, we hadn't presented it to the industry yet. After we did, we had to accommodate our customers' concerns. Thus, Stone Hut Designs has also integrated Twilio because our audience wanted an SMS and WhatsApp alert system for when a booking is being done on the website. They were not happy with the email alert system we had. Therefore, Stone Hut Designs has had to do that integration for us as well.

What is the team composition?

We work with Gill and a developer.

How did you come to work with Stone Hut Designs?

Our payment gateway company, iKhokha, recommended Stone Hut Designs.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about 32,000 rands.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around September 2023, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Stone Hut Designs has exceeded our expectations. We've just launched the mobile app version of our website, so our main feedback is only based on the testing we've done. The integrations are working very well; users are getting notifications about their bookings, and I haven't picked up any bugs.

How did Stone Hut Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

Stone Hut Designs delivers everything on time. In most cases, we're the ones who delay things. The time it took Stone Hut Designs to deliver the main project had to do more with us. Otherwise, they could have easily delivered the project earlier. We communicate via email, Google Meet, and WhatsApp.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Both Gill and the developer at Stone Hut Designs have been quite helpful, especially when I was developing the website into a mobile app. Whenever I need technical information, I can just communicate with the developer, and he gives me what I need.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Stone Hut Designs' humility is outstanding. Achieving success in a company is not just a matter of technical expertise. It's also important to make customers feel appreciated, and Stone Hut Designs does that. They're always available to give advice. For example, we didn't know about the failure with our notifications, but they did the research and recommended the SMS and WhatsApp integration into our website. Overall, I'm happy with the way we interact with each other on a personal level.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We still need to engage with them in terms of handing over the project and empowering our internal development team. I’d like for my team to be able to manage things like updating the site and changing prices.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re good. Honesty is very important in any business transaction. They trust me, and I trust them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Creative Music Theory (Pty) Ltd.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Creative Music Theory offer private piano and music theory lessons online.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Stone Hut Designs to accomplish?

• Develop a website to showcase the services that Creative Music Theory offer.
• Include a Student Registration page.
• Include a page where students find the link for their scheduled weekly lessons.

SOLUTION

How did you find Stone Hut Designs?

Online Search

Why did you select Stone Hut Designs over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from Stone Hut Designs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Project Title: Website Development for Creative Music Theory (Pty) Ltd.

Project Overview:
The aim of the project is to design and develop a user-friendly, responsive website that meets the needs of Creative Music Theory to enhance their online presence.

Key Deliverables:

1. Design Phase:

·       Create wireframes for key pages and sub-pages that include:

Home Page
About Page
Music Lessons Page
-       Piano Lessons

-       Music Theory

-       Fun Music Activities

Review Page
Get In Touch Page
Blog Page
Registration Page
-       Edit Registration

-       Lesson Schedule

Login Page
·       Develop a visual design concept that incorporates Creative Music Theory’s brand colours and typography, which is included in the proposed framework.

·      Deliver a design prototype for client feedback.

2. Development Phase:
·       Set up the website infrastructure (domain, hosting, CMS selection).

·       Develop the front-end and back-end (server-side programming, database).

·      Ensure mobile responsiveness and cross-browser and device compatibility.

3. Content Integration:
·      Migrate existing content or create new content as needed.

4. Testing:
·       Perform usability testing to ensure a smooth user experience.

·       Conduct thorough testing of functionality, performance, and security.

·      Address any identified issues.

5. Launch:
·      Deploy the website to the live environment.

6. Post-Launch Support:
·      Provide support for bug fixes and minor adjustments.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The website works well for the following reasons:

1.⁠ ⁠User-friendly: It’s easy to navigate and intuitive.
2.⁠ ⁠Responsive: It performs well on different devices and screen sizes.
3.⁠ ⁠Fast-loading: Pages load quickly, enhancing the user experience.
4.⁠ ⁠Reliable: It functions smoothly without errors or downtime.
5.⁠ ⁠Well-organized: Information is structured logically, making it easy to find what you need.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The website was completed within the allocated time-frame. This was achieved through weekly updates. Revisions were done timeously.

What was your primary form of communication with Stone Hut Designs?

Email or Messaging App

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

Stone Hut Designs promptly responded to our emails, requests or queries.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Stone Hut Designs could have done differently?

We are very pleased with the website revamp that was carried out by Stone Hut Designs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Oraco Group, a coaching and consulting firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Stone Hut Designs?

We needed to create a new website to slightly change our messaging for the customers we were serving.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Stone Hut Designs created our website from scratch using Wix. The design, concept, and text were created in cooperation with another marketing agency, so Stone Hut Designs was basically our tech partner in this project. The website was multilingual and available in English and German. The Stone Hut team also provided some creative ideas for the design. We also did some keyword and SEO work. I'm not aware of how much SEO work Stone Hut Designs did behind the scenes; they possibly did more work than I was aware of.

Before this project arose, Stone Hut Designs also developed a portion of a website for a business I had run before. For that website, they definitely did keyword research, SEO work, and Google Ads.

What is the team composition?

I only worked with Gill. I don't know how many teammates she had supporting our project, but my conversations were always with her.

How did you come to work with Stone Hut Designs?

As mentioned, my relationship with Stone Hut Designs started through a previous website. My business partner at that company connected with Gill, who was a Wix developer.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $1,000–$2,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together on this project in March 2024, and the project took about a month. Still, I continue to work with Stone Hut Designs for website updates. Essentially, I continue to use them as my website administrator.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's still too early to measure results. However, we've seen engagement, forms submitted, and people contacting us through the website. The results aligned with our expectations.

How did Stone Hut Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

Stone Hut Designs delivered the project quickly and within budget. Gill was easy to work with and responsive. If I asked for something and she saw that it might be a concern or wasn't possible, she quickly communicated it so that we could find a solution together. Their timeliness and quality were excellent. They were always on time, if not early, so I had no time concerns. I had a really positive experience with them.

We communicated primarily through an Excel spreadsheet of requirements and a shared drive of photos and files.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Stone Hut Designs' reliability was impressive. I could trust that when I had something that needed to be done, Stone Hut Designs would do it correctly and in a timely manner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was nothing they could have improved on, they did a fantastic job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take time at the start to be clear on requirements.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a sales exec at Aljos All & More which is a stationery and office equipment reseller

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Stone Hut Designs?

Stone Hut was tasked with creating a website for us

SOLUTION

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

I found them on the internet and looking at their previous works we decoded to go with them

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

After the initial call and setting out the requirements, we sent the designer the photos and descriptions for the design. We received sample pages and agter a few tweaks we gave the go ahead

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

I worked woth the ownet of the company

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I have only positive and good things to say about this company. The guidance and advice were always respectful of our vision and only contributed yo a better product in the end.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was perfect, on time.

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

My biggest takeaway from this company was the way they guided us to a better result. Always respectfully pointing put how to maximise the effects of what we wanted.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an artist and the owner of my own art studio.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Stone Hut Designs?

I wanted my website to have a facelift, and I also wanted a shop built in it so that people could buy art directly from my website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Stone Hut helped me redesign my website and added more visuals of my art. They also built a shop on it, where people can make payments to purchase art through there.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with Gill (Owner & Founder), and she has a team working with her.

How did you come to work with Stone Hut Designs?

I had a Wix website, so I applied on Wix to get assistance with creating a webshop. I got a lot of recommendations, but I went with Gill because of her friendly introduction letter and because she was located in the same country as me; I thought it would be easier to be in the same time zone.

How much have you invested in them?

I’ve spent around $800. Currently, they charge me an hourly rate for additional help, which is great.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with Stone Hut in March 2021. They took around a month to complete the webshop, but I’m still requesting help with a few more additional items.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This has been a successful project. I made seven sales during the first two weeks after the shop was opened. That also showed me some improvements that I needed to make on my end, which was good.

I’m happy with the site because it is easy to use from both my side and the customer’s side. Stone Hut did exactly what I asked them to do. It's very easy to work with them because they do research, and they help with additional things.

How did Stone Hut Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

Stone Hut does a great job, and they are very available and easy to talk to. They’re available on WhatsApp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Working with them is great. I would recommend them to other people, and I would definitely work with them again. Gill is very professional and easy to get a hold of, and her approach and ability to discussing things are also great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they could improve on — their work is great, and I have no complaints.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know exactly what you want to achieve, and be able to explain that clearly to them. The clearer the customer’s idea is, the easier it is for the company to fulfill it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of an IT company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Stone Hut Designs?

We needed their development team to build our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Stone Hut Designs developed a single-page website for us. We had six lines of solutions that we wanted to feature on the platform, and we provided them with all the content they needed for those departments and technologies before they condensed everything into an optimized and accessible webpage.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Gill (Co-Founder), but there were other resources in charge of developing our website.

How did you come to work with Stone Hut Designs?

Their team profile appeared as a recommendation on Wix.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about 20,000 South African rands (approximately $1,400 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project with Stone Hut Designs ran from May–June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Stone Hut initially generated a test website that passed our standards.  The final product was not only user-friendly and appealing, but all the information condensed there seemed digestible as well. Additionally, they successfully built the site to be both mobile- and desktop-friendly, and that was one of our main metrics for success.

Given that this website functions as our company's foundation, we're confident to say that Stone Hut Designs built a platform that clearly promoted everything we could provide to our customers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We're most impressed with their development expertise that allows them to create seamless and functional websites.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their overall performance was great, so I don't think there's an area that needs further improvement.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to have all the content and required structure available before engaging them. If you're well equipped with both, Stone Hut Designs will deliver the rest.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Cyanessence Wellness

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Cyanessence Wellness is a nature-based holistic wellness company rooted in foundational values, offering thoughtfully crafted, sustainable products that inspire authentic paths to wellbeing.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Stone Hut Designs to accomplish?

• Register and secure our company domain Nationally and Internationally and create company email addresses
• Create a professional website
• Upgrade the website to an E-commerce website

SOLUTION

How did you find Stone Hut Designs?

Online Search

Why did you select Stone Hut Designs over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Design style

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Register our Company name

Create email addresses

Create E-commerce website

Keep website up to date

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Too early to give actual figures but the compliments to our company about our website have been pouring in.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They are extremely efficient when it comes to timing. And they are always available when we need them and always deliver faster than we expect.

What was your primary form of communication with Stone Hut Designs?

Email or Messaging App

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

Their efficiency combined with their amazing nature. We have a very professional relationship yet are able to have a good laugh from time to time.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Stone Hut Designs could have done differently?

Absolutely none that I can think of.