Uncap - Shopify Platinum Partner

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a t-shirt and e-commerce knick-knack shop.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a t-shirt and e-commerce knick-knack shop.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I spoke with Dennis (Owner), and he laid out a work order. They’re developing the UX/UI of our site and working on its design as well. the work is being done through InVision. The product offers a flow for purchasing goods.

What is the team composition?

I only know of Dennis and Mike (Director of Projects), and they’ve both been awesome.

How did you come to work with Pivofy?

I started searching online for Shopify migration firms.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $30,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since August 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered everything on time. Dennis COULD have overestimated, but he actually underestimated on the price, AND he stuck with it. They’ve been totally straightforward and honest. It’s wonderful.

The site came in on time, and they were candid about the complexities of the site. The site is ready, but I haven’t launched it yet due to delays on my side. I’m very satisfied. There have been minor issues, but they’ve fixed anything I’ve wanted.

How did Pivofy perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re spectacular with their project management. We communicate over Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication, honesty, and ability to deliver stand out as highlights.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, as they were great. I’m not trying to blow smoke at anyone. They were just great. Perhaps there could have been a better pre-evaluation of the site to see exactly what they were getting into, but once they learned it was a larger scope than they’d budgeted for, they didn’t complain once.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go for it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m CEO and founder of a direct-to-consumer luxury footwear company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pivofy?

We were migrating our Magento site to Shopify.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially spoke to Pivofy about what we were looking to do. We gave them some details about the migration, the type of applications we were running on our website, how many products we had on there, the site structure, and so on. Then, they came back with a quote and the scope of work. We agreed on the work and price, and they gave us a timeframe of two months to complete the work. Finally, we got started.

Throughout the process, Pivofy suggested some things. We had a lot of back and forth about features and things that could be helpful to us. We had a lot of custom features on the site, and they rebuilt them on Shopify.

What is the team composition?

We spoke to Mike (Director of Project Management) and Denis (Founder). The two were on our calls; Mike was always there, and Denis was there 95% of the time.

How did you come to work with Pivofy?

A few other company founders recommended them. They had good experiences with Pivofy, so we reached out. In the end, it was a combination of the recommendation, timeframe in which they could get the work done, and price. Moreover, we looked at their past work and felt they were the right fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $36,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We came to terms in early December 2021 and launched the new site in February 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The best metric was that everything was fully functional when we went live. There weren’t any major bugs; the worst thing to happen was that some content was across cells. It was an oversight on both parts, but it was a ten-minute fix.

Overall, everything looked exactly as expected, and we haven’t had issues with the customers using the website. In fact, it’s much faster than our old one, and the code is clean.

How did Pivofy perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. They kept their timeline, which was pretty impressive. Usually, we expect companies to take double the time they said they would on these projects. Also, they were very communicative all along the way. We had weekly meetings, and they always did what they said. Sometimes they would take 1–2 days more, but nothing was major.

Our CMO did most of the day-to-day communication. Pivofy had a Slack channel, and we also used Basecamp and Google Meets as project management tools.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They delivered on time and kept the price and timeline. Companies usually give optimistic ranges, but those are rarely met. Often, vendors give estimates, and throughout the project, they increase it 20%–50% more than the original. Pivofy kept their milestones and goals throughout the engagement. Everything was as clockwork in this project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We could be nitpicky and say they should’ve noticed some of the small details that we didn’t notice, but it wasn’t a big deal. Nothing major stood out, and they did an excellent job with everything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Stay on top of it. Our CMO was constantly reviewing what they were doing during the engagement, which helped keep us on schedule because he understood the language and corrected things when they weren’t 100% right. Ideally, you should have somebody on your side who understands what they’re looking at to oversee the project. Overall, having someone constantly engaging, responding to requests, and giving the needed information to do the project as fast as possible was helpful. The project probably wouldn’t have been as smooth if we didn't have that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director of a wholesale and family-run landscape plant grower. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pivofy?

We wanted to move our website from WordPress to Shopify. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pivofy migrated our WordPress website to Shopify. They built the site’s theme and some customization for our niche. They also integrated the site to third-party vendors and set up our Google Ads account. Lastly, they transferred all our data and pushed us to go live on the new servers.

The site is already live, and Pivofy is currently providing us with their 30-day maintenance. They are still available to train us or implement any cleanups on the site. 

What is the team composition?

I primarily work with Dennis (Founder), a project manager, and two senior engineers.

How did you come to work with Pivofy?

I found them through Clutch. We went through a three-month diligence process. Pivofy was included in our shortlist, and we ended up giving them the project. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $37,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2021, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Pivofy has delivered our website on time and followed their 12-week schedule. All of our site redirects come through, and we don’t get any 404 errors. Google Site Search is also indexing our site. They’ve eased my fears about site migration by paying attention to details and ensuring we wouldn’t have post-migration issues. 

Additionally, we’ve noticed a decrease in bounce rate and an increase in mobile page load times. Even though we’ve only launched the site, we already see a move in the right direction. 

How did Pivofy perform from a project management standpoint?

Pivofy is responsive and prompt in any inquiry or question that we have. We collaborate through Basecamp. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Pivofy’s responsiveness and ability to understand optimization from a UX standpoint are both impressive. Additionally, they have an intuitive approach to e-commerce optimization — they’ve given us recommendations we never thought of.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. They’ve been excellent. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have as much detail about your goals and expectations upfront. Communicate with them closely, and make sure they understand everything your requirements.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of e-commerce and marketing at a construction supplies distributor. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pivofy?

We were migrating our website from Magento One to Shopify Plus. Our team wanted to leverage Shopify to build a quality and scalable frontend that also met our business requirements.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially had a discovery session where we discussed our requirements with Pivofy. From there, we went into the development process. We had an existing site, so they had to keep the UX as close to the existing design as possible. However, we also relied on their knowledge for website areas that needed updates, such as the mobile checkout and cart functionality. 

In other words, we wanted the site to be as close to what it was as possible unless best practices dictated the need to make changes. In terms of documentation, we had a significant amount of product field mapping. Apart from Shopify Plus, we also used supplementary apps like Accentuate.io, Algolia, and Stamped.io.

What is the team composition?

Pivofy had a large team, but we primarily worked with Denis (Founder) and their CTO.  

How did you come to work with Pivofy?

We were a repeat client of Pivofy. When it was time to do this project, we reached out to three other well-known and prominent implementation vendors. Due to a combination of price, familiarity, and reputation, we selected Pivofy. 

What is the status of this engagement?

This project lasted from February–April 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From a qualitative perspective, the website had a significantly improved UX design. In other words, Pivofy did an excellent job in meeting our business requirements. The team also maintained their flexibility; they were willing to accommodate our needs in terms of delivering ideas or concepts that may not have been explicitly documented. On top of that, our Google-related scores went up. 

How did Pivofy perform from a project management standpoint?

Pivofy’s project management was excellent. Denis was hands-on, and he worked well with his CTO in terms of taking direction from us and producing a quality website — we had great rapport with them. Moreover, I met them weekly to discuss issues and go over everything; they had no problems meeting timelines. To communicate, we had plenty of emails several times a week on top of our weekly standups. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility and transparency distinguished them from other providers. We leaned on their knowledge when it came to areas where we didn’t have explicit deliverables. They had an abundant amount of experience in implementations, and they used that to help us get where we needed to be. Simply put, they worked well in terms of leveraging best practices and previous experience. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any — everything went smoothly. If anything, most of the issues that came up were on our side since we did changes at the last minute. If Pivofy seemed to miss the mark in some areas, it was because we didn’t provide explicit documentation and requirements. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The more time you put in for requirements and discovery sessions, the better product you’re going to get in the end. Pivofy has a tremendous amount of knowledge — they know what to do — but if your expectations aren’t documented explicitly, it will be difficult for them to read your mind. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of ENA Solution, a technology startup that helps small- and medium-sized businesses with their HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) system, specifically with their thermostats. We manufacture, design, and develop industrial smart thermostats, and we try to offer building-management systems at a much lower cost.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pivofy?

We were focusing on B2B e-commerce, and we had a website done by ourselves that needed to be revamped.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pivofy revamped our Shopify website, and they were in charge of both its design and development. Additionally, they brought in their expertise to manage our content assets and the copywriting done by another company.

Initially, Pivofy did extensive research and discovery for one month. After that, they came up with the first templates and set up multiple meetings to get everyone on the same page and have our approval. During that process, we gave them our feedback, which they took into consideration.

Our most important requirement was to have a website that could attract the right leads so that we could convert those leads into business. Thus, we requested a cohesive website that matched our brand guidelines, and they did that perfectly.

Pivofy demonstrated their expertise by explaining to us the customers’ journey on our website. They also implemented certain calls to action on specific parts of the website to improve the users’ engagement.

Additionally, they introduced us to other people who had different areas of expertise, and we developed a small community around this project. For example, they introduced us to a marketer, who became the liaison between Pivofy and us and helped us with our website's content.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 3–4 people from Pivofy. Their team included a project manager, someone who helped with implementation, and a person who did the initial research.

How did you come to work with Pivofy?

I found Pivofy searching online. When we talked to them, we found out that they had done B2C e-commerce very successfully. After interviewing a few companies, we noticed that they were the right team for us; they had the right synergy.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–September 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s still very early to see the impact of Pivofy’s work, but we’ve received great feedback about our site from friends and customers. Now, we’re going to run some ads to attract traffic to our website and see its performance.

Overall, we had a good collaboration, and I’m happy with the result. We’re definitely going to work with them again as our business grows.

How did Pivofy perform from a project management standpoint?

Pivofy’s project management was very good, and our communication was smooth. They always thought about our needs, and they never had excuses. Working with them was great. We communicated via Google Meet, WhatsApp, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Pivofy knew exactly what their expertise was, and they exceeded our expectations. They had a good network, and they worked together towards our goal.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes, Pivofy’s schedule was not convenient for us because we had a two-hour difference. However, that wasn’t an issue, and they worked after hours to accommodate our needs.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a team dedicated to the project because Pivofy works very fast, and they need you to be available. If you’re not on top of your project, you might not get the results that you expect.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m am the founder and CEO of fluidfreeride, the leading speciality retailer of electric scooter in the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I had originally created our website myself. Over time it could not keep up with business growth. More and more scooters, accessories and parts. Especially scooters had to be reorganized to be more shop able for customers.

SOLUTION

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

Pivofy offered a good balance of experience and value. In my discussions prior to signing the contract, the company engaged on potential solutions for the challenges and convinced me that they would be the right fit.

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

Before signing, Pivofy recommended we go with a design agency they had worked with before in order to properly design the new site before Pivofy would start development. At first I was a little confused by this approach but it turned out this was a brilliant move. The design agency clarified a lot of things we had to decide regarding part to purchase so that pivofy could focus on development. Once the design was done, pivofy spent 6 weeks developing. Then we spent another 8-10 weeks adding content and requesting adjustments before going live.

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

2: lead developer and owner of the company (also partially developing)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site is much faster and feels great to use.we just launched today so no results, yet. I am expecting conversion to increase substantially just by site speed alone.

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

Very clear management of expectations. Commitments were held up. The project would have completed much faster if our side had been faster with restricting and adding the content.

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

They have a direct style and ability to propose multiple concise options to solve a problem or address a need.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the director of Wellness & Sports Nutrition at Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We had an outdated website that was custom coded requiring IT for any changes. Our goal was to update the look and functionality of the website, while at the same time making it easily editable by my staff, without support from IT.

SOLUTION

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

We talked with multiple vendors, but ultimately chose Pivofy based on the recommendation of another group within our company.

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

We completed a complete web redesign with a design firm recommended by Pivofy. They then transitioned this design to Pivofy for the development work. Pivofy built the new website then when ready to launch, replaced our existing Shopify site with the newly redesigned site.

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

We worked directly with Denis and one of his team members on the project, including weekly calls to discuss progress and work through any outstanding issues.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Just launched, so limited results thus far, but already benefiting from the ease of use and ability to quickly make changes to the site without involving IT.

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

They used Basecamp for ongoing communication and weekly calls for overall updates.

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

They were easy to work with and very responsive to questions and concerns. When issues arose, they quickly addressed and resolved them.

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

There we some minor fixes needed after launch, but they quickly resolved those. Otherwise, the launch has been very successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the SVP of marketing at a beauty startup in the natural space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pivofy?

We needed help overhauling our website theme. We wanted to implement our custom design to the theme and increase average order values.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pivofy helped us revamp our theme on Shopify Plus. First, we built the scope of work together. They brought on the required number of developers at each phase of the project. They worked with my e-commerce manager for front-and backend development. We had another firm do the design portion.

What is the team composition?

I directly interfaced with Denis (Founder & CEO). We also worked with a few developers.

How did you come to work with Pivofy?

We searched for quite a while. We had a lot of lessons learned with other website development firms. We failed to bring our vision to life until we worked with Pivofy.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2020, and we wrapped up in March 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve gotten rave reviews on the site’s design and development. It’s much easier to navigate. We have portions of the website that were built for education so our CEO is happy that we can continue to populate those areas. Everybody was very happy.

We’ve only been running for a month and a half. Everything looks great. The team could not be more responsive. They offer constant communication with my team. I couldn’t be happier. They delivered everything on time.

How did Pivofy perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was A-plus. The team kept us on track using Basecamp. It kept everyone informed and on task. We also had regular check-in calls and milestones. Outside of Basecamp, we mainly communicated via email.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with the best practices that Denis brought to the table. He showed confidence in everything he was suggesting.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind. Pivofy was a refreshing change after dealing with a few agency partners that didn’t work out. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have a good scope of work that’s all-encompassing. Additionally, you should think through testing and QA time. Ensure you’re communicating about key launch dates and deliverable dates, too.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of a startup that provides PPE products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pivofy?

As a startup, we needed an e-commerce website. We initially chose Shopify Plus because we wanted wholesale and D2C (direct-to-consumer) sales options.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pivofy started from scratch, handling the design and the development. They wanted to know what we needed and worked with us on the design to cater it to our specific needs. Once their team completed the design, they developed the site and integrated it with apps, such as QuickBooks. After they finished the development, we started to put information on it. Through working on the site, we decided to make a few changes that Pivofy’s implementing.

We wanted the wholesale functionality and wanted to have videos on the website. Our team still has to create the videos and upload pictures to the platform.

What is the team composition?

Denis (Founder & CEO) is our main contact at Pivofy.

How did you come to work with Pivofy?

We interviewed a couple of different Shopify Plus partners and chose Pivofy because we liked their approach.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $23,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership began in December 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re pleased with them thus far and feel that we made the right choice for a service provider. They gave us their expert advice in a number of instances because neither my partners nor I had e-commerce experience. Their team’s also well organized.

How did Pivofy perform from a project management standpoint?

Pivofy uses Basecamp in which we put to-dos that their team addresses. We always know where the project stands, and we’re in constant communication through Basecamp. We also have weekly calls that we’ll reduce because that frequency isn’t necessary anymore. They’re extremely accommodating with any changes that we want to make.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their knowledge of Shopify and willingness to listen most impress me. They also offer advice and follow best practices. Their team understands e-commerce and integrations, so they’re helpful in all areas of the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not to my knowledge.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared with ideas because they like to collaborate. Know what you want but also know that  Pivofy offers excellent suggestions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of More than Gourmet, a food manufacturer. We make classic stocks and sauces and sell to a variety of markets throughout the US: food service, industrial, retail, and private brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pivofy?

We were converting our e-commerce site from nopCommerce to Shopify Plus.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pivofy carried out the complete e-commerce migration. There was some UI design involved in the process, though it was somewhat limited as the team was more or less mirroring the existing site. 

What is the team composition?

The only person we had direct interaction with was Denis (Founder & CEO).

How did you come to work with Pivofy?

They were recommended to us by Shopify.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since November 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Pivofy did very well. They delivered the conversion successfully on time and on budget. Overall, we’re very pleased.

How did Pivofy perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. They were prompt and met our expectations. In terms of tools, they used Basecamp. We had weekly status meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re most impressed with their efficiency and attention to detail. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. We’re pleased with the outcome and don’t have any particular criticism at this point.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would definitely recommend working with Pivofy.