Webspace

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principle at GrabTheBox.

What challenge were you trying to address with Webspace?

We needed web development and a CRM.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed and designed the website using Shopify. They came up with the entire design too, including color scheme and logo.

We gave them all the information necessary for the CRM. They built it with standard functionalities, such as tracking and email/marketing campaigns but there are also some custom functionalities that provide specific services. There is an automatic support feature, as well.

What is the team composition?

The project manager was my main contact. There was at least one developer, Aleksey (Backend Developer), and three UX/UI designers.

How did you come to work with Webspace?

I had worked with them previously. I really like their visual style and design.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly $40,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2018 – September 2020.

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

The website functions even better than we anticipated and has had very positive feedback. They did a really great job, and I plan to work with them on marketing in the near future.

How did Webspace perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager was very helpful, patient, and communicative. There were no issues with the time difference since they’re offshore. They were always available to us and responded quickly when we called or emailed them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were flexible. We requested an additional feature toward the end of the project and they gladly did it, still meeting our deadline. They have great ideas and are very experienced.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I think most companies could learn from them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your requirements and expectations. Share all your data with them so they can analyze it properly. It will save time.

Please describe your company and your position there.

SNYPUR is an academic platform that creates supplemental research products for college students across the United States. Our products dramatically increases students' academic productivity. I'm the Founder & CEO

For what projects/services did your company hire Webspace?

To build a beautifully organized portal that would streamline SNYPUR's order management process, payments, writer management, and incoming assignment delegation.

What were your goals for this project?

To have the portal be the one-stop-shop for our internal record keeping. The portal would keep track of how many orders were coming in, how much to pay the writers, file exchange, and instantaneous payment processing with SNYPUR's pricing algorithm. The biggest goal was that the portal would be an autonomous system that will operate without their needing direct oversight by one of our managers into the minutiae of each order going in and out of SNYPUR. With an incredibly high volume business like ours, it would be unsustainable and unbearable to do so.

How did you select this vendor?

Found Webspace on Clutch, ironically enough. They had a decent budget range that was around our budget at the time. After interviewing well over 30 different web development teams from The United States, South Africa, Ukraine, and India, SNYPUR found itself with a development team from Belarus.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Before Webspace, everything was done manually. Clients would come to our website and fill in our archaic request form that would be forwarded to our company email. From there, we would have to assess each and every request form to calculate, by hand, the price of the product for the client. Afterwards, we would send a PayPal invoice to our client. In this span of time between the client first making contact with the portal (which could be anytime of the day-- we received most of our assignments between 11pm-4am) to SNYPUR getting an invoice to them-- there could be a time lapse of 30 mins to several hours. Coupled with the exhaustive task of finding the best writer to complete the client's request which alone could take hours to do: our process before Webspace was a total nightmare. It lead to many sleepless nights for our small team during the early stages of our business. I knew that SNYPUR needed a portal that could streamline our payment process (no more calculations by hand and autonomous payments by clients), order management (tracking orders in progress and past ones), order delegation (writers would pick their own desired work orders as they come in, without involvement from our managers), and record keeping. The portal is accessed by four different user types that the portal grants varying levels of permission to: administrators, managers, writers, and clients. Webspace built everything we needed and neatly compacted all of the components into our multi-use portal. Webspace integrated a Stripe Payment checkout page into our request form after clients click submit which automatically calculates the price of the order in real-time according to our algorithm. The portal enables SNYPUR's internal team to manage the writers, orders, and payments. It allows our team to track our platform usage by clients along with our marketing efforts through promo code tracking.

What was the team composition?

Webspace has a decent sized team of brilliantly well-equipped developers, designers, and strategists. Aleksey was the point man for our project and I solely dealt with him throughout 98% of the project's lifespan. Towards the end of the project, Dmitry stepped up to the plate and seamlessly took over the project. Aleksey was on holiday in the US from Belarus during the final days of the completion of our portal and was still helping out with our project, responding to my emails, and even, texting me throughout his holiday with updates among other things. Words cannot adequately describe how thankful I am to Aleksey and Webspace's commitment to our project. Even with their team being 6-7 hours (daylights savings time) ahead of us, they promptly responded to any inquires our team would have, and there were plenty. They were patient and had an excellent understanding of English and could re-articulate any idea you could fathom. Aleksey was always available for a call whenever I was tired of sending emails. Him and the rest of the Webspace team spent a countless number of nights up between 1AM-3AM working on our project and ensuring that we met our strict September deadline. Their commitment is seriously second to none and that kind of loyalty to their clients affords one the peace of mind that so few ever experience with these kind of things. For us to have been so lucky to have picked such a perfect team for our project and also a perfect culture fit with us, I still can't believe that it worked out so well!

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

Their impact is immeasurable due to the opportunity they have created for us now that our time is completely freed up from the ridiculous tedium that we were locked into prior to developing our portal. The portal has enabled us to dramatically scale up our business. From 15 writers to 215 now just 90 days after starting the project with Webspace. Our portal will enable us to manage several thousands of writers easily once we get to the necessary demand of our product. Quite frankly, Webspace opened the flood gates for our business.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The Director of Webspace, Aleksey, lead our project and was the liaison between SNYPUR and the rest of his team. He would articulate any concerns, additions, or modifications that SNYPUR would want to the portal and make them happen immediately. It was extremely effective and I really enjoyed being able to form a relationship with Aleksey over the three month span of the project. Instead of me dealing with three or four different people, we'd only discuss with Aleksey and as a result, he'd always make time for us. My COO and I became very close with Aleksey throughout the process. Aleksey was very invested in SNYPUR's well-being and truly wanted to help us succeed from the very beginning. That energy was truly genuine and it really solidified the decision to want to work with Webspace. Aleksey offered us truly invaluable product strategy ideas and considerations for our long-term goals. His insight was incredibly salient, so much that we actually instated several of his suggestions into our system and internal processes for future growth.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their incredible skill, breadth of expertise, depth of knowledge, impressive portfolio, and genuinely interesting team members that make working with them effortless.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Absolutely none. There isn't a thing I could say that Webspace could improve on in the slightest. I mean that wholeheartedly. Their work and professionalism were immaculate.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CTO of Zinc Platform, a fintech startup in NYC. We have an in-house design and development team that sometimes require help for smaller tasks like landing page design.

For what projects/services did your company hire Webspace?

Our previous outsourced designer and developer did a poor job of building our landing page according to spec. We switched to Webspace to complete a few left-over designs, which jumpstarted a yearlong working relationship. Between our teams, we executed on many follow up projects.

What were your goals for this project?

Initially, we needed a few small tweaks on our landing page. Later on, we started using Webspace for one-off creative tasks like designs and animations. They also developed static pages and wrote blogs from time to time. Eventually, we start working together on full website redesigns and implementations.

How did you select this vendor?

We found Webspace through a referral from one of our employees. He had worked with them before.

Describe the project in detail.

For each task, we sent Webpage the description and mock up then communicated via Skype to answer any questions. We rapidly provided feedback on their proof-of-concept until everyone signed off on the specs. Once we were in agreement, they created the deliverables. Our engineers worked with Webspace to deploy the sites.

What was the team composition?

I work with Aleksey (CEO, Webspace) and Dimitry (UX/UI Designer, Webspace) on those projects. From my understanding is Aleksey does the development and Dmitry manages his team for designs.

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

Webspace delivered a beautiful website fast. They incorporated all aspects of our comments, worked around the clock, and created clean, reusable code.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We communicated through Skype primarily, starting new conversations for every additional project to maintain clarity. Webspace is a team of strong communicators who balance creativity and discipline. They worked late to minimize the time zone difference between us.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Webspace delivers high quality quickly and affordably. Our communication was great overall. They were accommodating about rapidly changing requirements.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really.

Please describe your company and your position there.

iGen is a learning center that focuses on English language arts, literacy, and mathematics. I'm the principal.

For what projects/services did your company hire Webspace?

We needed to create a website and mobile app, not only to store our contacts but also to show clients what we do and how it will help their children. We needed to build a parent and student portal to improve communication and speed up progress.

We had no logo, company colors, or designs since we focused on curriculum and training. We needed a partner who could handle all the branding work, including marketing brochures, flyers, and print products.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a multi-functional parent and student portal, design a modern and user-friendly website and mobile app, develop our branding, and create marketing materials.

How did you select this vendor?

A referral spoke highly of them as development experts. I asked them for the references and spoke to their previous clients to understand their style and performance. The portfolio looked impressive, too. We first met with the Webspace team, they were able to give us their professional advice and spoke honestly to us , as we wanted to create it all for the clients, not ourselves.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They developed our website and mobile app, along with our parent and student portals. They also designed our company branding, which includes a logo, color palette, and graphics. Using these, they developed brochures, flyers, posters, stands, and educational materials.

What was the team composition?

I mainly contacted a few team members: the CEO, a main backend developer,  and a frontend designer. They had a few more designers and developers on their team, but I didn't deal with them. 


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

The portals are our main selling point and a huge differentiator for us. Besides, according to the demographics of the Bay Area, clients pay close attention to your website structure and design. Ours impresses them and gives them confidence in us. A lot of clients tell us that our website draws their attention. Plus, our marketing products were hugely successful. Their conversion rate of our flyer distribution doubled from 5% to 10%. 

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We met to set objectives, describe details, and set deadlines. They sent us the scope of work for approval, then set up weekly meetings to make sure that everything went as planned. We could always reach out to them to add details or get advice. We both tested the work and fixed bugs before release
. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I loved how professional, creative, and friendly they were. They always came up with exactly what we needed, even when we couldn't explain exactly what we wanted.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It would be valuable for them to have a local office for face-to-face meetings and brainstorming sessions. Other than that, it's hard to find any areas for improvement. They took the time to develop a functional system, so their work process was already polished.


Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the director of a creative agency that delivers marketing solutions, many of which are digital marketing strategies.

For what projects/services did your company hire Webspace?

Webspace brought a design to life for a client who desperately needed a new website. We had designs and a structure in mind, but needed expert support to build the site's advanced custom functionality.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to build a powerhouse website to bring the brand to life, promote the client's service offerings, and generate leads. The team needed to base the project on our designs and the client's requests while working within tight budgets and deadlines.

How did you select this vendor?

We performed a thorough screening to select the right partner. We used various online resources to brief contractors and freelancers, then conducted interviews and tests. Webspace was a shining light amongst a field of qualified applicants.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

The took our design concepts and created a detailed development outline. We stayed in contact throughout the process and regularly reviewed staging sites and demos. They built the entire WordPress website and developed advanced custom themes. They also edited images, optimized content, and cleaned code.

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

The client was absolutely over the moon and the staff were proud of their online identity. The website is already bringing in more traffic and leads than ever. It's now a solid base for growth, and the quality of the development is future-proof. Plus, we now have a trusted web design and development partner.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We regularly stayed in contact through Skype. They were open to our method of using Google Docs, which we appreciated. We directly communicated with the team that was dedicated to our project. They went over and above to accommodate us, scheduling catch-ups and documenting all support requests.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I appreciated their relentless drive to complete the project. They never complained when the scope shifted or moved. They approached requests with an open mind and offered honest, valuable feedback. They were always polite, understanding, and professional, and they definitely delivered what they promised.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

Having more time to scope out the project together, rather than just sending them the scope, would be more efficient. They are highly skilled and trustworthy. We were probably too prescriptive in the beginning, but we can both improve in the future.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of a legal technology company that provides AI solutions for entrepreneurs and consumers in the U.S.

For what projects/services did your company hire Webspace?

We needed to develop an app and website for a personal injury calculator called InjuryEstimate.com. We also needed to design the whole look for the website, including its layout, graphical elements, etc.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the website to display a calculator on the home page that estimates potential personal injury settlements/awards based on 50,000 cases from all 50 states in the U.S.

How did you select this vendor?

We selected them after interviewing about 35 designers through many different services and reference networks. We found Aleksey (CEO, Webspace) and his talented team through Upwork.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

The first milestone consisted of the main page’s design. The second involved designing additional variants and mockups as well as the about and terms pages, focusing on making it all mobile friendly. The third milestone was the actual development, using HTML, CSS, etc.

What was the team composition?

Aleksey and their UI/UX designer did most of the work. Our team supported and directed their efforts, which consists of an ex-Googler, an Ivy League lawyer, and ex-Nokia software engineer, a web developer, and a data scientist freelancer.

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

The team at Webspace did a great job and went the extra mile, both with the design and the coding! We’re very pleased with everything and would be happy to recommend them to people we know!

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Communication was excellent despite being in different time zones.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Overall, these guys possess great attention to detail and work ethic. They must love what they do, and it shows.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company is Trimed. We provide marketing strategy to our clients and then recruit service providers to execute on the strategy.

For what projects/services did your company hire Webspace?

We’ve hired them primarily for web development. They have been doing this for a while, so it was a no brainer to go with them.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed them to develop a very clean and intuitive design for our investment client’s website.

How did you select this vendor?

I had talked to Webspace few years back when I had a problem with another website. They fixed it promptly at an affordable price point, so I’ve felt like I owed them since.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They designed a website for my client.

What was the team composition?

They assigned a designer and a developer.

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

At this point, it is too early to assess the value the new website will bring, but we believe that it will be a cornerstone of our two-year strategy to bring more investments to our client.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was very straightforward. At first, we engaged with their designer for about four meetings, going over five different variations of our vision. Once we settled on the design, the developer took over, and then the QA team made sure it operated as intended.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed with their communication and honesty.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It would be nice if we had weekly updates during the development phase, but that’s about it.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of Teamwork Family, which operates www.teamworkfamily.com. We reduce conflicts for divorcees.

For what projects/services did your company hire Webspace?

I hired Webspace to develop a WordPress site from the bottom up.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted to have a website.

How did you select this vendor?

I found them via Upwork. 

Describe the project in detail. 

Originally, I intended for Webspace to create a WordPress site based on my own design. However, they proved to have strong competencies in design, so they led the project. They delivered the final site as specified. 

What was the team composition? 

Their team consisted of coders, designers, and UX/UI specialists.

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

Once I found out that Webspace had strong design skills, I let them guide the project as they saw fit. They kept a professional attitude throughout and were always conscious of my time and money. The entire project only took about 200 hours across a one-month period. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs? 

Their workflow was very good. They had a tight focus on project management and advised me to take shortcuts when appropriate. In terms of communication, we had Skype calls in English. 

What did you find most impressive about this company? 

For a job well done, I’d recommend Webspace any day. Their project management skills and sheer attitude are impeccable. Not to mention, they’re very friendly and professional, too. 

Are there any areas for improvement? 

Their estimations could have been more accurate. We went a bit over budget, but that might have been because we changed the specs over time.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a managing member of Mickey, a marketplace platform that brings together brands and licensees.

For what projects/services did your company hire Webspace?

We needed a website.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a way for licensees to shop for brands, communicate with each other, and close deals. Our challenge was finding a way to do this without being bypassed by our customers.

How did you select this vendor?

Their creative solutions to our problems were better than any other company's methods.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

They developed a two-panel chat solution that allowed us to work with both sides of the marketplace without being left out of their communication.

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

We haven't yet gone live, but we are confident in what they created.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

One of their team members oversaw administration and costs, while another acted as CTO.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They learned full industries, languages, and motivations extremely quickly and independently. They essentially became our development and tech team.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

Contract work is difficult. Much of their work won't receive any feedback until it goes live, which is after the contract. I would prefer to keep them on retainer so they could fix issues for three months after ending the contract.