THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Managing Director of Fitlyzen. A sports and health supplement brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency, and what were your goals?

We were running into an issue with automated discounts from Shopify and required a custom setup which did not trigger an automatic discount, but injecting a regular discount if the cart triggerred the correct values.

SOLUTION

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

Thails has good online reviews and after talking to them I was confident that they were able to deliver a good solution.

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

There were several emails initially to explain the problem and how we wanted it to work. Afterwards the budget was transferred, and Thails started working. In this case, it only took 1.5 weeks of the estimated 2 weeks to complete the project. Once finished, our storefront was delivered and we could publish the changes.

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

I am not entirely sure. My points of contact were Mariya and Andre and both have been very helpful during the process from onboarding to the deliverables.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Yes, the custom discount code is being injected exactly how we had it in mind. In other words: the problem was solved.

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

My experience with Thails is friendly and professional.

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

We have worked with other partners in the past. What I like about Thails is that they are clear about the project and know what they are talking about, even suggesting possibilities that help the outcome. In our case; a custom interface where we can toggle settings concerning our custom discount code injection.

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

None at all!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was Brand Manager for Absolut Elyx, the luxury expression of the iconic Absolut vodka, managed by Pernod Ricard - one of the largest alcohol group in the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency, and what were your goals?

Absolut Elyx is a luxury vodka, for which we wanted to develop a lifestyle element. Seeing the success of our drinking vessels and bar tools during brand events, we decided to create a e-commerce platform to sell these direct to consumer. We hired Thails to develop and sustain the e-commerce platform. It started as a simple request of support on the platform and developed into a real business partner collaboration for more than 5 years now, having Thails involved not only on the platform but on the growth model and strategy.

SOLUTION

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

We were looking for a vendor and Thails approached us. We liked their approach on our business as well as their soft/collaborative skills.

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

The main piece of work was/is the development and continuous improvement of the Absolut Elyx Boutique platform, on Shopify, also making sure that the connections are smooth with our warehouses which was a great help. They also provide ongoing support with developments as well as involvement on the e-commerce strategy itself.

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

The manager André was our main point of contact.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

André was involved almost right from the beginning of this project, and our business has been constantly growing in both our markets (USA and EU).

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

We had weekly meetings with André and the rest of our internal team. Every time I had a question/request, he was able to support me very quickly. He also adapted very well to our company's means/style of communication which made it very smooth and enjoyable.

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

On top of the great experience in e-commerce, advices and support, I was very impressed by André, as a project manager and as a team player. We were. quite under staffed on this project and stressed, but André helped to maintain the motivation and consistency over the years, we developed a great relationship. It was a real pleasure to work with him and the business will not be were it is now without him.

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

I am very satisfied with their work, no comments.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of marketing and operations of a garment consumer company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thails · Shopify Agency?

We needed help to upgrade our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Thails · Shopify Agency has revamped our existing website by giving it a facelift and changing things on the frontend and the backend to make it faster. Their team has also helped us install a cart for customer checkout, redesign our menu to make it more user-friendly, and add widgets and apps that support performance.

In terms of the process, we had initial calls to talk about our main requirements, and they came up with mockups and suggestions of things they could do. After that, we had further discussions on what we wanted to implement, which is helpful because we don’t have an internal team that could’ve made something to present to them ahead of time.

They’re currently starting to work on moving our platform to HTML 5 and SEO efforts.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with three members of their team, including Andre (Owner) and Lilit (Project Manager).

How did you come to work with Thails · Shopify Agency?

They were referred to us by a friend, and we decided to try them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $25,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the most significant improvements is the website’s speed, which has doubled thanks to their work. Also, we’ve increased our revenue to $100,000 a month compared to the couple of thousands we were bringing in before. Additionally, they’ve changed the way we collect emails through our site. Overall, our site is moving in a direction that we’re much more pleased with.

How did Thails · Shopify Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been amazing; their team has met every deadline. In terms of communication, we use Asana, which is helpful for us, and they’re also available to jump into phone calls if there’s something urgent. In addition, they’ve been able to help us with specific tracking issues in our data layers, which they solved within a couple of hours.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

Their teamwork and how they’ve been able to help us with a wide range of services quickly are outstanding features of their work. They’re also fast to respond and understand the esthetic we’re after.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Get to know their team and help them understand what you’re looking for. Also, trust them and adopt their recommendations — that’ll ensure a great collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Love Is Project. We work with over 2,000 artisans in 10 countries to create different iterations of love bracelets inspired by the culture and craftsmanship of each place.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thails - Shopify Agency?

We needed to update and revamp our site in preparation for the holiday season. We also needed other things fixed before the television show Shark Tank aired in January and high season in February.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked on several different projects with Thails. They reorganized our website’s hierarchy and worked on optimizing the checkout experience. The team also optimized apps and deleted old ones. They previously worked on improving the site speed. They work on whatever the site needs.

We’re in the process of updating our product landing pages but we’re waiting for our copywriter to get back at us with that. They’re organizing the color variants so we can combine our products. Those tasks will hopefully be done by the end of April 2021.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Andre (Founder) for the majority of the project, and he has been wonderful. He just brought in a new assistant from the Philippines in the last month.

How did you come to work with Thails - Shopify Agency?

Someone referred us to a website for freelance web developers. We looked at it and got matched up with Andre. We hadn’t had a full-time web developer since the very beginning, so it was good to have someone that actually knew all of that.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Thails around August 2020, and the relationship is ongoing. We’re probably going to wrap up by the end of April or the beginning of May 2021, and after that, we may get someone cheaper just because we’re trying to save costs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our business is definitely doing better than it was last year. Our conversion is slow right now, but that isn’t Thails’ fault; a separate site speed person is working on the site.

Also, we had good sales when we were on Shark Tank. We’re sure there are things to improve, but everything has been working for us. The website is looking pretty good, and it's definitely on the right track.

How did Thails - Shopify Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

For the most part, they get things done in a timely manner, but sometimes we don’t have transparency when it comes to time management. It’s hard to know currency-wise how many hours they’re spending and what those hours entail. They’ve been good at supporting us and getting ready for the holidays or Shark Tank. However, we sometimes have urgent things to get sorted out, and they’re out on the weekends.

We communicate with them on Asana. We exchange messages, and once in a while, we have a call. When we first started, we had more calls because there were more things to do, but now we just tag them on the platform and have them work on it. When they finish with implementation, we may have a call just to make sure everything is fine.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re knowledgeable about backend coding apps and anything that might work well with our store. They’re organized, and they make sure they can deliver on whatever they’re working on.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The price is too high for us going forward.

Any advice for potential customers?

I’ve already referred them to two people, and I wouldn’t do so if I didn’t think they could do the job. However, to get the best use of their time, you should make sure that you know what you want and are clear on what you need.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of Muses & Rebels. My brand sells women's and men's handmade jewelry and second-hand/ vintage clothing. We sell all of our products through our e-commerce site musesandrebels.com.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our website was migrated to Shopify from Magento in 2019. The migration was completed but there were issues with the shop functions and user experience that needed to be fixed. I hired Thails to upgrade our Shopify custom-built shop. Our goals were to fix the many issues causing us to lose possible sales, improve the custom-built design for an overall enhanced site, add a side cart for increased sales conversions, and create a better user experience on mobile devices.

SOLUTION

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

Thails was recommended to me by a close friend. My friend hired Thails for ongoing e-commerce support and I value her opinion since she has a robust retail business. After discussing the scope of work with Thails and my budget, we came to a realistic agreement to achieve the needed improvements to my site. Thails' previous project examples looked great and my direct contact with the company (Andre) was very professional at the onset of our communications.

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

We had a kick-off meeting to discuss the scope of work. In addition to the items I knew needed to be improved, Thails identified many key additional problems that should be fixed. Thails provided a recap of the kick-off meeting outlining the next steps and project details to be completed within the initial hours of work agreed upon. Thails suggested additional apps to implement into our Shopify site to improve the conversion rates and shopper experience. I created a mock-up and submitted examples of what I wanted the new site design to look like. 

Thails was able to customize the current design to be exactly what I wanted for the updated site on mobile & desktop. Thails provided clear thumbnails and instructional videos on how to use the new apps added to the backend of the site. After the updates, I was asked to review the demo theme and report on any issues I noticed. We had a follow-up meeting to discuss the new design and functions of the site. Thails immediately corrected any issues I noticed and clearly walked me through the functions of the new apps and changes to the site. The new theme was published once I gave my approval.

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

I worked with Andre (the owner of Thails). Andre then delegated the work to developers on his team. My communications and meetings were only with Andre. Andre is very professional, responds to emails promptly, recaps all meetings, provides clear instructions, and outlines the next steps. Andre is also friendly and a pleasure to work with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Customers love the updated design of the site. The shop is easier to navigate and the ease of viewing the products is drastically improved. The changes just went live last week and I am hopeful we will increase our conversion rates. We are still growing our customer base and the updates made by Thails are helping with this.

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

Most communication was done via email directly with Andre. We had meetings via Google Meet for kick-off, project review, and next steps.

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

Thails has a lot of experience with e-commerce and knows the best apps to implement for a better shopper experience. I was very impressed with the execution of the scope of work. I wanted the site to function and look great on mobile & desktop without sacrificing the design. Thails was able to optimize the shop on both devices. The addition of the side cart, upsell products, free shipping incentive, email pop-up, and email flows were done expertly. I also appreciate that Thails showed me how to use the new apps and made the site so I can easily do updates on my own.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I experienced.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Customer and Client Experience of The Everset

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Furniture Rental and Professional Staging Services

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency to accomplish?

Migration from ReCharge Checkout to Shopify Checkout

SOLUTION

How did you find THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency?

Referral

Why did you select THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost

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

Transition us due to the required migration outlined by Shopify to have us change from ReCharge checkout and Shopify checkout. This included standard work as well as ensuring proper migration due to our backend customization

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Successful migration that has allowed for us to meet the Shopify imposed deadline to migrate, successful new order submission and inventory sync

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

On time each step of the project

What was your primary form of communication with THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their proactive communication and ability to highlight issues with solutions upfront were outstanding.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the PM of an ecommerce company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Designer-made, affordable waterproof jewelry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency to accomplish?

Shopify Theme Customization

SOLUTION

How did you find THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency over others?

• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Re-design PDP, collection pages. 
• Checkout customisation and improvements. 
• Express checkout option.
• Customize Shopify Theme so it could be used like a CMS.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Always met dead-lines and developed code with very good quality

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

• Code quality
•  Dead-lines 
• CVR impact
•  Ownership

However, they need to improve on communication and project estimates.

What was your primary form of communication with THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They provided high-quality work and great ownership of the project from tech lead and management team.

Are there any areas for improvement or something THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency could have done differently?

Communication and estimates

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Department Manager of Underdogs Gallery

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Underdogs is a cultural platform based in Lisbon, Portugal that encompasses a gallery with two exhibition areas, a public art programme, the production of artist editions, and the development of commissioned art projects.

Established in 2010 and consolidated in its present form in 2013, Underdogs works with a diversified roster of Portuguese and international artists connected with the urban-inspired contemporary art universe, fostering the development of close relationships between creators, the public, and the city.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency to accomplish?

• Side cart
• Google Shopping

SOLUTION

How did you find THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency?

Referral

Why did you select THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Other

What was the size of THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

• Google Shopping linked with Shopify Plus
• Side cart app set up

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Conversion rate

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

Everything was delivered on time, and they followed up to adjust the plans and meetings. They always tried to understand our needs and present solutions to overcome the goals.

What was your primary form of communication with THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency?

Virtual Meeting

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

Shopify expertise and client follow-up, always share and suggest new features that make for our business.

Are there any areas for improvement or something THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency could have done differently?

no

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the director of a growing online retail business with a large range of products and ecommerce website built over the past 8 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire THAILS | Shopify Plus Agency, and what were your goals?

I was looking for a friendly approachable and knowledgeable team who would already have the expertise and insight into "apps, code, systems etc" that would take me too much time to research, integrate and deliver on my own ( while still managing my team and day to day ). I wanted help with all the work I knew needed doing, with advice and some insights along the way. This was delivered and some.

SOLUTION

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

I selected this vender after having a few online zoom meetings with other developers who did not have the skill set i required ( as they were predominately new to this and learning - not far off my own abilities ). Andre impressed me and dealt with the issues I had with ease and gave me the confidence to proceed with Thails on a larger contract/job.

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

A clear and concise deliverable time line was presented after an audit of the website. I was kept updated along the way and particularly like their attitude to problems they encountered ( got on and fixed them as a priority ).

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

3 or 4.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All changes that have currently been implemented have had a significant impact and I am seeing results straight away ( after 3 weeks )

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

Professional, friendly and relaxed. Happy to explain with a smile rather than confuse with technical speak. Clear timelines - all delivered and more.

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

The skill and expertise of the team. Feel confident they will/would resolve any issue I threw at them.

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

Took time to get used to Asana ( communication app ) - but once teething issues out the way makes sense and is straight forward.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of a digestive health startup in Switzerland.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Thails Shopify Agency, and what were your goals?

Thails agency was hired to rebuild our website, and to build a custom quiz plug in.

SOLUTION

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

Excellent early meetings, and very clear development timeline. These guys seemed to have brilliant technical know-how and communication.

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

Shopify built website and custom quiz build. We spent 2 months wire framing everything with great detail, then the Thails team executed brilliantly well on the build and delivered and excellent website and quiz, on time, and in budget.

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

3 - 2 project managers and 1 developer - all brilliant.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's early days yet, but our site is converting better, is faster, and looks amazing. The team is continuing on with me to further optimise things like CRO, emails, speed and UX.

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

Asana and look communication with plenty of zoom meetings when required. All timelines were managed very well.

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

They delivered exactly what they said they would, on time. Absolute pleasure doing business with them - they also offered so many top ideas to improve my lousy ideas: this is important!

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

No.