Trellis

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of an online auction marketplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Trellis?

We needed to rebuild our platform and our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an existing website, but Trellis rebuilt everything from scratch. They came up with the designs, implemented using React, and did QA testing. Their team also managed the release and is now helping us monitor and maintain the website.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 6–7 folks, but their project manager has been our go-to developer.  

How did you come to work with Trellis?

We searched for agencies on Google and through the Shopify BigCommerce partner program.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any key metrics yet, but the biggest success so far is Trellis completing the development earlier than expected. 

How did Trellis perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent at meeting deadlines and sticking to the budget. We primarily use Slack and Jira.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Trellis team is super professional, and their project management is excellent. I’ve never had problems with the development. I’ve worked with different agencies, and they are by far the best.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have any constructive feedback. Everything has gone really well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You have to be prepared because their team can only do so much. Be sure to put together a strategy or a plan even before you engage with Trellis. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Sr Marketing Manager at Slate. We offer high protein chocolate milks and lattes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We brought on Trellis to develop an updated Shopify store for our e-commerce business. We wanted to not only improve site UI/UX, but also increase site speed. We had additional requirements that included customizations to our subscription offerings.

SOLUTION

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

We were brought to Trellis as they partnered with our site designers. But this worked out amazingly and continue to work with them far past this initial development as they continue to build out new site features.

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

Once site design was locked, we moved over to Trellis beginning the actual development of the site. The process was made easy and consistent progress updates ensured we were checking every box. Even as some unseen functionality issues arose during development, Trellis was able to update the deliverables to get us the final functionality we were imagining.

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

A project manager was our main point of contact. We had one main developer with assistance from the tech lead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received immediate positive feedback about the new functionality offered by our updated site.

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

Weekly calls combined with all tasks noted in Jira and instant communication through Slack make oversight simple. Any issues that arise are quickly responded to and looked into.

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

We were impressed with their ability to get any job done. As new requirements arise, Trellis never makes excuses as to why or how something is not possible - they just make it happen. This is the main reason why we continue to partner with them.

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

There were some early issues with our initial project manager - however, my comments were quickly taken into account and addressed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior web developer at an apparel company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Trellis?

We hired them to help us run our Magento-based website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve done a lot of things for us since we have them on retainer. They’ve helped us with everything from designing new sites, bug fixes, to implementing new functionality with existing sites.

What is the team composition?

I’m in regular contact with three members of their team and they sometimes bring in others, depending on the scope. There’s the CEO, a project manager, and a lead developer.

How did you come to work with Trellis?

They were hired before I came on board. We had two previous vendors that I know were unsatisfactory.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in August 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Whenever we assign them problems they always find solutions. They’ve definitely saved us a lot of time because we haven’t had to hire as many internal developers. I like how flexible they are, and we can scale up and down as needed with a development team assigned to our websites.

How did Trellis perform from a project management standpoint?

They do well. We have weekly check-ins, and they never disappear. I’m always kept up to date with what they’re working on, and they give pretty good estimates for how long things will take. We’ll rarely go over budget. We communicate through conference calls, Slack, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like that they’re very accessible and responsive. They have a pretty wide variety of talents from their team they can draw from. They’ve got backend developers, frontend developers, and Magento cloud experts. There are very few problems that they wouldn’t be able to consult another member of their team on.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind. There have been difficult bugs, but we’ve been able to work together to figure them out because of their strong sense of communication and project management resources.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to understand what you want before contacting them. Once you’re able to communicate your needs to Trellis, you’ll be in good shape.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the e-commerce manager of a luxury manufacturer and importer of Italian handmade home goods, flatware, dishes, and linens.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Trellis?

We moved from a Magento to Shopify and rebuilt the entire website and e-commerce platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We contacted them about migrating data and building an entirely new site on Shopify. They onboarded by asking us about what we needed, putting together assets, and designing the product. We decided on a timeline and provided wireframes.

They built the platform from scratch, implementing the tech stack and site framework. Their team used Ruby and JavaScript to create the site. Now, they continue to support and further implementation.

What is the team composition?

I worked with 8–10 people from their team.

How did you come to work with Trellis?

They were recommended by Shopify Plus as a partner. We liked their previous work, their willingness to accommodate our needs, and their understanding of our company. Other candidates didn’t give us all that.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $100,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2019, and their work with us is ongoing. The site launched in August 2019, though.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Year-over-year, we’ve had a 20% increase in sales. Our traffic has increased tenfold. 

How did Trellis perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been on budget every time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a flexible team, understanding how to meet our needs on time and on budget. Their agility in shifting tasks as needs change throughout the project was important to us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, it was a great experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be transparent and open at the start of the project. They weren’t afraid of providing their opinion to improve the overall quality of work. Even if it was at their expense, they let us know where we could save money.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of digital marketing and e-commerce for a consumer goods company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Trellis?

We needed to build a website. Our old, legacy NetSuite site had pain points for us. We’re switching to Shopify Plus for its user-friendly platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They run the whole project’s creative, UX, and integration with the NetSuite ERP system. They help with animations and graphics, all the web building, and some copywriting and proofreading. They’re a full-solution partner.

The new site is user-friendly, slick, and modern, exactly what you would expect for a cutting-edge company. The pictures, language, and calls to action are crisp, and we’ve solved cart issues. They’ve done a good job sticking with our existing brand. We provided a huge array of visual assets that they used in the wireframes and designs they built.

What is the team composition?

We have a team of at least four on this project. Kyle (Director of Client Services, Trellis) is one of the best project managers I’ve ever worked with. I’ve also worked with their designer, Steve (Senior UX Engineer, Trellis) firsthand, while Isaiah (CEO, Trellis) initiated the project. I communicated briefly with John (CTO, Trellis) on technical points. All are great to work with.

How did you come to work with Trellis?

They were recommended to us by another e-commerce platform and were one of six companies that completed our RFP for the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2017 and are on track to meet our launch date in April 2018, as agreed upon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results are fabulous and I couldn’t be happier. We still have things to fix and tweak before we launch, but I’m confident we’ll meet our timeline. We’re waiting on a NetSuite connector from a third party, but could otherwise launch now. Kyle is managing all of our third-party relationships related to this website and has been wonderful.

How did Trellis perform from a project management standpoint?

I’d give them 11 out of 10. They go above and beyond to make the process easier. They make recommendations and provide instructions for new apps and downloads. We communicate mainly via Slack, weekly calls, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re in expansion mode, and their offerings continue to improve. I would work with them again and have recommended them to other people. They’re a great team and can handle anything.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Theoretically, they could have done more with copywriting, but they provided everything in the RFP. I should have expanded that in the proposal, so that’s more a fault on my side.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be shy. Be frank and tell them what you want; they won’t be offended if you don’t like something. If you want to stick to your timeline, be quick to follow through with their requests. We work well together because we respond to each other and think similarly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m with All-Star Sporting Goods, a niche company that specializes in baseball equipment and works with major league athletes. In my role, I do everything from player development to coordinating with retailers to overseeing the creation of our website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Trellis?

Our previous online retail site was hosted by Shopatron. We found the platform too expensive, so we wanted to shift to Magento and needed developers to build the new site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our main priority was to have an online store that includes images and videos to highlight our products while making it easy for customers to shop and make purchases. Trellis made our entire website.

They started with a Magento template and then made modifications to meet our needs. While we provided graphics and content, Trellis designed the frontend. They created the backend systems to coordinate our order processing. They’ve also installed a few add-ons to improve our invoicing and organization of various shipping components.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Jeff (Project Manager, Trellis) and John (CTO, Trellis). Toward launch, I also worked with Isaiah (CEO, Trellis), who did a lot of the behind-the-scenes work.

How did you come to work with Trellis?

They were recommended by Magento.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a little over $50,000 on the development. Our previous platform took 10% of every order, so this will be a very cost-effective change for us.

What is the status of this engagement?

The bulk of the project took place between December 2016–October 2017, though we still reach out to them for general maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our previous site had certain limitations. Individual items couldn’t be grouped together, and users shopping for a batting helmet, for instance, had to navigate multiple pages to view every option. Our new site has an improved layout and is much easier to manage, allowing us to conveniently modify prices and product descriptions.

Trellis also did a great job addressing a few Magento glitches we experienced soon after launch. Our site now runs very smoothly.

How did Trellis perform from a project management standpoint?

It was very easy to work with them. I conducted weekly calls with Jeff to touch base and make sure we were all on the same page. Any phone calls had to be scheduled ahead of time via email. This was a bit of an adjustment for me, but they were always very responsive, so it was never an issue. Additionally, Trellis could have completed the project sooner, but there were delays on our end.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They've been a reliable partner. If we have questions, comments, or concerns, they're available and work to find a solution. We sometimes reach out to them with things outside their area of expertise, but they still do their best to provide an opinion. I would definitely recommend them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would help if they had a deeper understanding of the platform, especially in terms of creating an online store. There was a lot that we had to figure out internally regarding order processing. Trellis works on a number of platforms and typically focuses on design, but knowing the ins and outs of Magento would allow them to better serve the specific needs of their clients.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president of sales and business development for an IT consultancy. We provide management and infrastructural support services—including helpdesk support and cybersecurity compliance—for small and medium-sized businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Trellis?

We wanted to grow the company and keep up with changing consumer behaviors we identified. We desperately needed to upgrade our website to take advantage of tools and capabilities we needed for business development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We discussed our strategy for long-term business development initiatives. They spearheaded the aesthetic architecture of the website and worked with our marketing director and me to make sure we had a strong foundation. We wanted to transition to services like HubSpot or Salesforce and needed their help to be in the best position to take advantage of the full functionality of those resources.

After we explained our company’s makeup, they accommodated our limited human resources and invested time and effort to make sure the project was successful. Previously, our entire web presence amounted to an online brochure, with no ongoing development or clear marketing objectives. They scrapped our old website and began again from scratch in WordPress. They cleaned it up and made it mobile-friendly. We’re incorporating chat features and a scoring system between HubSpot and our site to get a better understanding of the day-to-day client experience. We can use those metrics and analytics to have a more meaningful discussion about what’s important for our customers. Moving forward, we have a few projects and initiatives planned for the coming years, including marketing and content development efforts.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with three or four people on their side, maybe more indirectly. We have an open, collaborative environment. Whenever we work together, I can reach out to the developer. We never have issues with communication or experience any of the nightmares we’ve encountered with other outsourced teams.

How did you come to work with Trellis?

We first met about five or six years ago at a tradeshow. They weren’t the right fit for us at the time, but a couple of years ago we considered companies who could help with our website. Since the time we met, they checked in with us routinely to see if we needed their services. We set up a time and they convinced us that they were our best choice.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested close to $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around May 2016. Now, we work with them quarterly or on an as-needed basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, we’re very happy with the reception from perspective and existing clients. It’s encouraging to come to meetings with clients who have printed copies of your published content and are ready to talk about the services that interest them. They’ve really helped us get the next level in our business. Our new web presence reflects our professionalism and values and gives us more confidence. We’re trying to get our internal team to share the content and boost our sales and marketing methodology.

How did Trellis perform from a project management standpoint?

Setting and managing expectations is clearly important to engineers. Sometimes, we had to reiterate that functionality was more important than aesthetic. This was never a negative, but we occasionally had to realign and make sure our primary objectives matched what they envisioned.

We’ve met a few times in person. Since we do intimate IT work, we typically meet on-site. It’s important that our customers know who they’re working with. Most of our everyday correspondence is by phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re experts in e-commerce and focus on that side of things. I’m not the most aesthetically oriented, but have high expectations for speed and effectiveness. They’re a great team to work with and very enthusiastic about the work they do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything negative to say about them. I would encourage them to tighten up their sales and business development to focus more on clients that fall within their core wheelhouse of competencies and abilities. We’re a small business, and they offer a higher-level product than we really need.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re designed to handle big opportunities with larger companies. They provide deluxe solutions and might not be the most appropriate option for startups or small firms with limited resources.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the e-commerce director. I headed up any new initiatives for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Trellis?

We wanted to switch from Magento to Shopify, but didn’t have the in-house capabilities. Our developers were overseas and didn’t communicate very well, likely due to the language barrier. As a result, we hired Trellis to execute the transition.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our main contact helped us compare the benefits of Shopify and Magento 2 before we chose the former. We provided documentation from our previous electronic data interchange (EDI) integration with Magento. They developed our backend to connect our website and enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Trellis also integrated our EDI, which automated order transmissions and tracking to the customer.

The entire process lasted two weeks. Our team did most of the design work. My previous e-commerce experience helped keep the scope standard.

What is the team composition?

There were three-to-four team members. I communicated with developers in addition to the project managers.

How did you come to work with Trellis?

I did a Google search and vetted a couple different candidates for the position. Trellis stood out because they were very attentive, which is what I needed at the time.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent no more than $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We signed with them in November 2017; there was a gap before work started in January 2018. The engagement ended in February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The process flowed perfectly; we were all happy with it. After having many issues with Magento, Trellis made the Shopify setup feel seamless.

How did Trellis perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated primarily via email. Someone always responded within a couple of hours, if not quicker. That responsiveness was great because I didn’t want to wait for a developer to get back to me. There were also a few in-person meetings that gave the project a personal touch.

What did you find most impressive about them?

From the start, they were very helpful with quotes and customer service. Trellis listened to me, but also gave me useful options to consider. They were a responsive and efficient team. I enjoyed working with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I can’t see any flaws in comparison to other developers I’ve engaged.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s preferable to have concrete ideas, but Trellis does a great job making the client aware of their options. They help the client make informed choices.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of customer operations for August Home. We’re a smart home company that manufactures hardware and develops software. I oversee customer support, marketing operations, web development, and e-commerce.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Trellis?

We needed developers to complete our e-commerce platform when the previous development team opted to stop using Magento.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They've done quite a bit for us at this point. They developed and updated our Magento platform. Once that was completed we researched moving to another platform to facilitate quicker development cycles. We decided to move to Shopify and had Trellis develop that platform from the ground up. They added preorder functionality that allows customers to place orders that wouldn’t ship for an extended period of time.

Then, I began to oversee web development and wasn’t happy with the firm we had in place for that. Now, Trellis enhances and adds new functionalities to our WordPress site. They’ve also done some development for our Desk.com knowledge base site.

What is the team composition?

There’s a lead developer that I communicate with directly, and a project manager that gets copied to those emails. I’ve only interacted with four or five of their team members, but I know they have a larger team working on the site.

How did you come to work with Trellis?

We found them by researching Magento developers. We cycled through three teams before interviewing Trellis. Considering the negative experiences we’ve had with other companies, we decided to give them a try and stayed with them ever since.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent roughly $50,000, maybe a bit more.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2016 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our overall conversion rate more than doubled after the moving from Magento to Shopify. A lot of that came from Trellis’s feedback and site speed enchantments. We discussed all of the options available to us, and they were able to develop something that works for our business. Based on results, it’s definitely been a worthwhile investment.

How did Trellis perform from a project management standpoint?

They're outstanding considering I’ve given them some super aggressive deadlines. They do their best to meet those deadlines and let me know when it’s not possible. We use Slack as our day-to-day communication channel.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The biggest difference between them and all of the other agencies we've used over the years is their ability to communicate.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I’ve been super happy with our work with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d say over communicate. They do well with super clear expectations.