Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the VP of marketing at ProGrade Digital.

What challenge were you trying to address with Inventive?

We wanted to build a website that would increase awareness for our brand and new company. We also wanted to incorporate an e-commerce platform onto the site where we could sell our products. Because our products are distributed through Amazon and B&H in New York, and in our own store, it was important for us to have a professional-looking website that told our story.

We had previously worked with one developer to get the site up and running for the launch in February 2018. She made the framework but it had a lot of problems.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Inventive fixed all of those problems by rebuilding everything to get the website and the product pages in good shape. The website runs on WordPress and they integrated Shopify to set up the e-commerce platform.

Before they developed the platform, I had a few design elements in my mind which I suggested to them. They understood what worked best and were able to provide recommendations on the design, flow, and functionality of the website. They also helped us with the blog and social media integration. Recently, we started working with a Google Analytics specialist to track our numbers and to better understand the data points which has been beneficial.

What is the team composition?

At first, we had one main point of contact. They then brought on a project manager which I was skeptical about due to the added cost, but I later saw the benefit of having someone to oversee everything. In addition to the designer, there were also other people who joined the team as needed, including the main developer.

How did you come to work with Inventive?

We were referred to them by someone I worked with a long time ago.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $2,000-$3,000 per month. We were initially spending more but I’ve managed to work with a smaller budget based on our needs.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Inventive in January 2018. Though we already launched the website, we’re still working with them to fix any problems and evolve the website.

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

Their deliverables are of high quality. I’m very happy with the functionality of the website and the other work that they’ve done for us. They’ve provided direction for us based on their experience with other companies on what does and doesn’t work well. We’ve been able to continue evolving based on their expertise.

How did Inventive perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager kept track of the main developer and made sure that my timelines were met. Inventive manages all of the tasks on Trello and even though I had never used Trello before, they made it very easy to work with on a daily basis. I’m able to input new tasks and they see them right away and start working. The tool also allows us to upload feedback, questions, and documents. It’s important for me to stay on top of the schedule and they’ve managed to do that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I am impressed by the depth of their team and the ability to bring on the right person needed for each task. They worked hard to understand our vision and help us meet our objectives. They also decided who to put on the team based on the hours that we could fit into our budget. Overall, they’ve been a key strategic partner as we continue to build our brand and sell our products online.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there are no areas of improvement. I’ve been very happy working with them over the course of this whole project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

No matter how small or big your project is, consult with them on your needs. Make sure you’re also working with a person of the right level to help distribute work to the teams and bring the right person onto the project to meet your goals.