Years ago, in my experience, IT professionals were not a particularly sociable bunch. I recall once attending an work IT event  in London and remarking to a female colleague friend that we should have done a degree in Marketing as I’m sure it would have been a lot more fun!

But things change, geek is the new cool, and luckily in the Magento Community there are a truly diverse set of individuals, not just programmers, but marketing, sales, managers, social media types, devops, entrepreneurs, merchants, etc etc.  Which is really what makes Magento Imagine a great event.  It’s not yet been totally taken over by the corporates, the high rollers and the VC guys, its still got some soul. I think a lot of us in the ‘old’ community can see this soul getting lost more and more each year, but as with any event you find your group, and luckily with 1500+ people there should be enough variety to keep you amused! And hey things change, time to move on!

What Makes Imagine Special?

I attend a lot of different events, including IRCE, Shop.org and dev events such as RailsConf.  My personal take on what makes Imagine special is that it’s small enough to be intimate, but large enough to be interesting.  The money is available, nothing is skimped on, nice lunches, great evening events, and in the past great keynote speakers (though I note there are not so many external ones in 2015, but maybe they haven’t yet announced).

This intimacy allows several things to happen:

1. You can find like-minded people who have similar stories/histories to you
2. People are open and friendly – you get a good dose of american hospitality and its infectious
3. Time to relax and rewind – many of us work extremely hard at our companies, the event really allows you to sit back and consume
4. You don’t feel harassed – It will be interesting to see if this changes this year, but in previous years even though there is an exhibition hall it doesn’t feel like you need to avoid all eye contact when walking around!

In my mind all of this is invaluable as you get this rather unique opportunity to meet new people, make new associations and connections. Some of them may be direct leads, but many will be people that I’ve found have become friends, people I can turn to when I need a listening ear, or just guys to have a chat with on twitter or the forums.  When you are back in your little office it makes you feel like you belong to something bigger, and thats a good feeling.

What are Your Goals?

Before you attend any conference you should understand what you want out of the event. They are expensive, its not just an excuse to party, and your company will want you to get the most out of it.  It’s extremely important to be prepared, in particular set up meetings in advance, make sure you know the agenda if you have a lot to cram in, otherwise it turns to chaos.

We bring along my PA Jane who manages the whole team and their schedule throughout the event, thats how crazy it gets for us (after 6pm she is allowed to party tho!!).

When we first started doing the events we had little competitions on how many business cards we could pick up. Now we will schedule time for networking, time to be together as a team, time to switch off, etc. We do set our aims out in advance, what we want to achieve, what people we want to speak to, what we want to understand about the product, the roadmap, etc.  This drives our schedule.

My Advice for Newbies

I’ve been attending Imagine since the first in 2011. In the previous 3 years we were Gold exhibitors, this year we decided to just go along and enjoy ourselves more, as we have a good deal of saturation in the Magento space already.  I think if you are attending Imagine for the first time it can be a little daunting, especially now as a lot of people know each other, I can see that it can be hard, especially if you are more of a shy kind of person.  So here are some tips:

1. If you are bringing a team make sure you get some ‘team time’ – I always take the team on a team building exercise, last year we went buggy riding before Imagine and then after spent 3 days in Zion National Park – and it was great to just say thanks to the guys and also allow a 3-continent team to spend time ‘bonding’
2. Don’t be afraid to walk up to people – I think of it a little like speed-dating, and a lot of people at the conference will do it. But its not all about work, use it as an opportunity to learn off others and listen to their stories, you never know who you will meet! And if you find no similarity then just shake hands, swap cards and move on. I’m sure neither side will be offended
3. Keep the booze under control – Remember its still a work event and anything you do will be noted and remembered and shared – especially with the advent of live streaming I’d say just be aware of your actions
4. Attend the events around the edges of the conference – Pre-Imagine is a great one as its a community run event, also Nucleus Commerce are holding an event on the Monday evening which I’m sure will be epic.  You often find little parties going on here and there away from the main event, and even a few after-after-parties
5. Sleep well in advance – Its a very hectic few days, if you plan to make the absolute most of it then be prepared to be up at 8am, to bed at 2am
6. Find the quiet times – Sometimes during the day I just escape to a place in the hotel away from the noise and chill for a bit. Personally I love it after 12am – most people have gone off and you can wander down to the tables and have some fun with the die hard crew
7. Forget Email – You just need to put on the out of office, have faith in your team and forget about outside life. Trying to juggle is nigh on impossible and you will miss out on a valuable experience. Just immerse yourself, and trust your colleagues to hold the fort

If you are a Merchant

For Merchants attending Imagine I’d encourage you to do a few things:

1. Try to speak to as many merchants as possible – attend the Merchant To Merchant sessions and try to connect. The snippets you can share with each other will be invaluable, and its my experience that many merchants go thro exactly the same experiences, highs and lows, so connect up!
2. Be open to new experiences, new ideas, new ways of thinking – let go of your day-2-day work for a few days and open up to the possibilities. Yes there is a reality bump at the end but its okay to think outside the box for a few days, it won’t harm you
3. Have some key things you wish to achieve and then search for those people to help you – Whether that be you know you need help with shipping, payment, marketing, a design agency etc
   
4. Ask people for referrals – it’s all very well and good going around the exhibition hall, but referrals count for a lot. Ask around, there is a big community of people there, of which many are very familar with the Magento space – if you need a particular capability or want to know the best design agency that will fit your needs, budget then ask, I’m sure you will find people to advise you, or if they cant they will point in the right direction
5. Understand Magento – its path, where its going, what the roadmap is – This helps you in your decisions not just today but 12 months down the line when Imagine is long forgotten

And Lastly

If you can’t make it follow @WebShopApps on twitter and periscope, we will be keeping you informed whilst we are there.

If you are attending then have fun, enjoy this time. You are in Vegas, there is ‘free’ food and drink, you are with people that are like you. Enjoy the experience!

See you in Vegas!

Gentian is the CEO at Shero (@SheroCommerce). He is dedicated to making their Magento blog an important resource for Magento store owners and retailers researching Magento’s capabilities. He is also a firm believer of inbound marketing. In this blog, Gentian shares his expertise on  finding the right Magento agency and Magento developer.

In our previous post, How to Choose a Magneto Agency or Magento Developer – Part 1, Gentian explains the process of deciding what you want out of your Magento provider.

The next step is to choose a provider that best fits your needs. In order to make the best choice, it is important to know about the different types of providers that are available.

There are three main types of Magento providers:

1) Big Magento Agencies

These agencies have a minimum of 50 employees and are an official Magento partner. Usually they are a Gold Magento Partner. Some of the most popular agencies that fall in this category are Gorilla Group, Blue Acorn, Corra, etc.

The main characteristic of these agencies is that they have huge teams with a wide array of backgrounds and experiences. They usually have a pretty complex structure and systems in place, and work primarily with the Magento Enterprise platform. Their staff is comprised of a large sales teams, Magento certified developers, designers, account managers, project managers, front and back end developers, QA and A/B testing teams, marketing and analytics specialists, etc.

Having such a huge team in place means that your website will be coded with the latest standards, be thoroughly tested before launch, and will most probably be a great success. The downside of working with one of these big Magento agencies is that the price they usually charge per project is pretty high due to their overhead. They will have contractual obligations in place in order to maintain the level of their Solution Partner status with Magento (either Silver or Gold). Their minimum project price starts at around 120K and up. A common characteristic of the big agencies is that part of their team is located off-shore. Because of the size, the hierarchical nature of the organization, and location of the team members (e.g. different time-zone, cultural differences etc) it might take longer to get something done, and your vision might not be communicated exactly as you intended.

2) Medium-Sized Magento Agencies

These are agencies that have roughly between 5-50 people on staff. Most of the time, such agencies are a Magento Silver Partners or Magento Associates, but not always. Their teams are smaller than the teams of bigger agencies. They will have a mix of Magento certified and noncertified developers on staff, smaller sales teams (or individual salesperson), designers, account managers, and project managers. When working with a smaller agency, you should be able to get a quick turn around on support issues, and know specifically who you’re working with at any given time. Generally speaking, the whole team will be located in the same location or time-zone and you’ll receive more personalized service as the team becomes familiar with working with you. Usually their prices will be lower than those of big agencies.

The downside of working with a smaller agency is that their capabilities are more limited. Smaller agencies can become overrun if they take on too many projects, and that can slow down productivity. There is only so much that they can get accomplished in any given time frame, and the length of time it takes them to complete a project may be longer than an agency with more staff that can handle the workload.

3) Individual Magento Developers

Individual developers are people who are usually very skilled and talented programmers. Most of the time they work by themselves who usually work alone. A relationship like this is beneficial in certain ways because they usually have less clients so they focus on the ones they have and help you develop on a more personal level. This can also be less expensive because one person will not have the overhead of a full agency and the multi layers of management. All requests will go through that one individual.

They usually specialize in one aspect of Magento. It is rare to find an individual who has strength in design implementation, shipping configuration, and back end development. They usually have a focus, or major strength but can get by in other areas. Being versatile is critical for this person because they will be wearing many hats.

The downside is that you’ll have one person you will be relying on so if they are sick or go away while something major happens, you’ll get stuck. Note, this sole person will not have the capability and specialized skills of a full team of experts but they are pros in their own right and if you find a good individual who is reliable you should treat them as gold since it is rare.

Once you’ve decided to choose to go with, small/big agency or an individual developer, the discussions start. You’ll want to give your Magento provider as much information as possible from the get-go. Do your homework, and give them time to truly understand what your project is. They’ll be able to give you an accurate estimate based on the information you’ve provided.

One Magento agency may charge more because they have more experience, more qualified staff, and do a better job. Another agency may come lower because they have more experience with the theme you’ve chosen or have built a website similar to your industry in the past. Price shouldn’t always be the final determining factor. Instead, look at their past work and ask for references. Talk to their existing customers at length. This my seem blunt, but make sure they are in the same time zone as you. Do they ship all of their work overseas? What is their workload? How do they handle post-launch support? Learn more about their team.

When it comes down to that final decision, it should be one you’re comfortable with. If their vision for your brand doesn’t match what you want, if their experience isn’t what you’re looking for, and if they’re not professional enough for you – don’t choose the smaller price tag.

You’re going to spend more in the long run trying to make up for past mistakes. Choose the agency or developer that expresses themselves clearly, concisely, and reasonably. Most importantly, choose the one that can see your vision and help you achieve it.

Read more from Gentian and the Shero team on their Magento Blog.

Gentian Shero, CEO of Shero Designs

Gentian is the CEO of Shero (@SheroCommerce). He is dedicated to making their Magento blog an important resource for Magento store owners and retailers researching Magento’s capabilities and is a firm believer in inbound marketing. In this guest post, Gentian shares his advice for merchants on finding the right Magento agency and Magento developer.

As Magento gains popularity more and more web design companies and individual developers are focusing on Magento as their area of specialty. Magento’s open source nature and active community members have encouraged this gradual transition. With such a wide variety of providers, the question that comes to mind is: How does one go about finding the right Magento provider that will meet and hopefully exceed expectations?

In order to choose the best developer to suit your needs, make sure you spend some time working out exactly what you want out of your website to begin with.

1) Have a project scope

Before contacting somebody, and asking them for a quote, you need to know what you’re asking for. Not all websites are created equal. Some are very simplified, and others are far more complex. It’s not always inherent which side your website may fall on when you look at it. A website that you think shouldn’t take long, may have a great deal of specific custom work that makes it quite massive. Spend the time to write out exactly what you want. You don’t need to have a design already made, and you don’t need to have the website already created in your head. But, by identifying known constraints, explaining assumptions, addressing key success factors, and knowing exactly how much time and resources you have to devote to your project, you’ll be in a better position to negotiate. Setting this groundwork will help you to understand your project, and help your partner identify your desired functionality.

2) Have the right team in place

During the development of your project, whoever you chose to create your website will need to discuss the particulars of your website with either you or one of your staff members. While it may seem obvious, it’s imperative that you choose a project manager who understands how eCommerce works, as well as the systems and procedures that are in place to implement it. If your project manager doesn’t understand how to navigate, operate, or make routine adjustments on your website, a great deal of time will be spent on both sides trying to fix the problem. Unexpected training time can increase your overall project costs, and it can heavily stall or delay your timeline for launch.

Your project manager must be involved in the process early on and have a really good understanding of your goals and aspirations with the eCommerce side of the business. Furthermore, they should be the only one handling communication between your company and the Magento provider. Too many cooks in the kitchen can make end with massive confusion and chaos on both sides. Delegating one person to handle all communication ensures that nothing is lost in translation or overlooked.

The project manager should always be involved with the project early on when crafting the project scope and that time is allocated for them to provide approvals, artwork, content, product information. They should attend any daily/weekly meetings that are set up, and they should have a thorough understanding of your goals for your website. One of the worst things you could do, is to assign the wrong person to this task and realize that in the middle of the project. Choose carefully.

3) Have a rough budget in mind

A Magento website is a large financial commitment. While you’re creating your project scope, keep in mind how the desired functionality will affect your budget. Like buying a car, the more extravagant you make it, the more expensive it will be. Decide which features are imperative, which would be nice, and which can be pushed off to a later date. Early on, you need to choose which type of website you’d like. Do you want the Ferrari, or are you happy with a Lincoln? How much money are you willing, and able, to spend? Can you afford a monthly payment for maintenance, hosting, and licensing fees? Once you’ve done your research, have an idea of how much money you are able to spend in order to bring your idea to life, you’ll be in a good place to contact a Magento agency.

Many new customers don’t disclose their budget right away because they are concerned that they will be locked into that amount. While that concern is reasonable, it can also cause a lot of trouble with creating your estimate. If you have a budget of $10,000.00 and you’d like a Magento Enterprise website built for you, by not explaining that to your developer early on, they can’t tell you Enterprise has a minimum licensing fee of $17,900.00/year. Extensions can easily cost between $100.00-$2,000.00 depending on what you’re choosing. If you have a plan for your website, you may not know how feasible it is to build that website for a specific cost.

As a general rule of thumb: You should spend around 5% of your annual revenue to build the website initially and then spend 2-4% of your annual revenue in ongoing support and maintenance.

Once you’ve determined your project scope, arranged for a project manager to take control of the project on your end, and have a budget in mind, you are ready to start looking for your Magento provider.

In the part two of this post, Gentian will explain the different types of Magento providers and what to expect once you start working with your provider. Read more from Gentian and the Shero team on their Magento blog.