Grizzlyware are digital transformation experts, who create secure, reliable and efficient software tailored exactly to their clients needs. They work with companies who are tired of squeezing into off the shelf software, who are limited by poor communication and who are willing to improve how things are done. As an agency, they love helping companies streamline their workplace with their software, and use their expertise to improve efficiency and performance by providing businesses with the optimal tools for the job.
We caught up with the Grizzlyware team to get their thoughts on what it's like working with Aero Commerce...
What made you decide to partner with Aero Commerce?
We decided to partner with Aero Commerce for several reasons.
First and foremost, the Aero platform is built on Laravel, a technology that we were already actively using for nearly all our projects. This, coupled with the availability of their unencrypted code meant we knew we’d get good flexibility and customisation, and enjoy building on the platform. The platform is a better alternative to existing ecommerce platforms, it’s modern and not riddled with technical debt, giving us the confidence to produce high quality, efficient sites for our clients.
Another key factor was that we found that Aero Commerce's company values and ethos were in alignment with ours, making the partnership feel like a good fit for our business.
Lastly, the impressive speed at which Aero Commerce allowed us to deliver an MVP site for a client really solidified our decision to team up with them.
What were the main challenges your agency faced when building online stores for ecommerce retailers before using the Aero platform?
Before adopting the Aero platform, our agency encountered challenges while building online stores for e-commerce retailers on both WooCommerce and Magento.
With WooCommerce, the main hurdles stemmed from its dated, procedural PHP codebase, especially after the introduction of Gutenberg. The emphasis on user-friendliness seemed to neglect the developer experience, making it challenging for our team to work efficiently.
Similarly, with Magento, we faced difficulties due to the high effort required to add even simple features to websites. The unconventional architecture and complexity of the platform made it hard to understand and onboard new developers into projects. Moreover, both WooCommerce and Magento suffered from slow performance, hindering the development process.
In both cases, we observed a surplus of unnecessary code, which added complexity and made implementing changes more time-consuming than necessary. These challenges prompted us to seek a better alternative, leading us to embrace the Aero platform, which has proven to be a modern, streamlined solution for our e-commerce projects.
How has Aero Commerce improved your agency's web development process and efficiency?
Aero Commerce has helped improve our agency's web development process and efficiency in various ways.
As the majority of our apps, including Aero, are built on Laravel, it has become much easier to train and onboard developers. The consistent adherence to coding standards across applications allows for seamless knowledge transfer among team members.
Setting up local environments has also been made simpler and more efficient with Aero, and the platform's licensing model has contributed to a smoother development experience, enhancing overall productivity and collaboration within our agency.
Can you share some specific features or functionalities of the Aero platform that your agency finds most valuable for creating online stores?
We really enjoy building on the platform. Some specific features of the Aero platform that we find most valuable are:
Transparency in code: The platform allows us to access and understand all the code, making it easier to work with and customize.
Checkout customization: Aero enables us to modify the checkout process without altering or replacing core code, ensuring that future updates and fixes can be seamlessly implemented.
Request builder: The request builder tool is highly beneficial, as it empowers us to easily manipulate pages to fit specific requirements.
Feed builder package: This popular and useful package simplifies the process of creating and managing product feeds for online stores.
Server-side rendering (SSR) of Vue Files: Aero supports SSR for Vue files, optimizing performance and providing a smoother user experience.
Wishlist package: The built-in wishlist package proves to be a valuable asset, enhancing the overall functionality and user engagement of online stores.
These features collectively contribute to the efficiency and flexibility of our web development projects, enabling us to create robust and tailored online stores for our clients.
In what ways has Aero Commerce helped your agency deliver better results to your ecommerce clients?
The flexibility and robustness of Aero has helped us propose and deliver websites with confidence knowing that we can meet virtually any client requirement, either with Aero’s support or with adaptation using the Laravel framework.
Additionally, the reliability of Aero means we can ensure timely delivery of Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) to our clients, meeting their needs efficiently and effectively.
How does Aero Commerce support your agency?
Aero Commerce supports our agency by providing direct access to knowledgeable developers instead of first-line support agents, ensuring quick responses to questions and efficient bug fixes and feature updates. Additionally, they offer valuable business support and advice, empowering us to handle retail clients effectively and confidently.
Have you experienced any significant time or cost savings as a result of using the Aero platform? If so, could you provide examples?
As an agency, the amount of hours we spend on support for Aero is significantly less than Magento sites. We can say the same for WooCommerce as the client is unable to install plugins and break the sites.
How does the Aero platform assist your agency in addressing common ecommerce challenges?
The availability of pre-built packages makes it effortless for us to install and implement solutions for our clients. Also, Aero's early consideration of potential issues, such as "live" stock levels to prevent overselling during sales, impresses our clients, as it demonstrates foresight and addresses problems that were prevalent with other solutions. These advantages contribute to a more seamless and efficient e-commerce experience for our clients and reinforce the platform's value in meeting their needs.
What feedback have you received from your clients regarding the online stores built using the Aero platform?
The feedback we have received from our clients regarding the online stores built using the Aero platform has been really positive. They find their websites are fast and intuitive to use, which enhances the overall user experience for their customers.
Clients have also loved the timed blocks and content, and appreciate the flexibility and dynamic nature it brings to their sites. They’re also impressed with the platform's efficiency in resolving bugs, as well as our team's ability to quickly reproduce and identify the root causes of issues.
Overall, what do you love most about partnering with Aero Commerce, and how has it positively impacted your agency's success?
We’re really proud to be able to offer a modern solution backed by a dedicated UK team, which we have direct access to support for should we need it. We can confidently sell a product we understand and believe in, which translates into successful projects we have built on Aero.
We also love that Aero really values agency feedback, granting us some influence in package development, making us feel appreciated as developers, not just agencies. It’s rare to have this kind of relationship / interaction with an ecommerce platform, and it’s one of the things we really love about our partnership.
