At Zoey, we’re proud of the tools we’ve created to empower our merchants to easily run their own stores. Everything we build revolves around reducing the time our merchants spend managing their online stores, so you can spend more time running your business.

Even with these improvements, some of our merchants would prefer to have someone tackle this work for them. That’s why we have an active and talented partner ecosystem that can step in. Examples of ways they can help include:

• Design
• Product management
• Search engine optimization
• Online marketing

We recently interviewed Mary Pham, a freelancer based in Seattle, Washington. Mary partnered with Zoey only a few short months ago but has already proven to be an expert in creating beautiful, customized, and unique sites for her clients in record time. We asked Mary about her experiences so far using Zoey and being a partner. 

 Tell us about your background – how did you get started with Ecommerce?

In 2013, I was one of the very first site merchandisers hired for the Los Angeles based Charming Charlie Ecommerce team. There, I swiftly learned Magento Enterprise, a production cycle, and online marketing.

Why did you decide to partner with Zoey?

Last year I started to freelance while working full-time. I quickly learned that Magento wasn’t always going to be a good fit for my clients, especially the small businesses who couldn’t afford to hire a team of experts to build, execute and maintain their store. So while searching for a new platform, I came across Zoey and was very excited to learn it’s built on Magento’s core, code free and offers free responsive themes. Perfect for entrepreneurs and small business owners who don’t want to hire a developer for every site update.

What do you think makes your services unique?

I focus only on Zoey and Magento stores, because of that I’m an expert and offer more than the generalist who builds stores on every ecommerce platform.

What are some Ecommerce trends that you are seeing with your clients?

“Mobile First” thinking – like how can my clients better connect with their customers. Others are dipping their toes in creating an omni-channel experience like offering same-day pickup in stores.

So far you have about 10 clients on Zoey. Which has been your favorite project and why?

My favorite project to date is Lady Bug Boutique. This site is a great example of leveraging Zoey’s attractive template designs and full-integration with Posim’s powerful POS software EVO.

What are your favorite Zoey features? 

Zoey’s easy to use drag & drop design editor – I love seeing my changes occur in real-time. And how the Zoey team modified & enhanced the core Magento design to be modern and user-friendly.

Do you work with any apps? 

Yes! Recently I’ve been working more with POSIM, MailChimp, Shipper HQ, and Taxjar

Tell us about your design process from start to finish. What do you use as inspiration? 

I like to start by researching my potential new client’s industry, target audience and message. Then we get on a call and discuss their site requirements, design, and inspiration. I take all this information and I brainstorm design solutions and sketch out several quick ideas into a demo. I share this demo with the client and get feedback on which design is most successful for their needs. At this point the project is practically finished. I circle back for more feedback and use that last round of feedback to polish up the front-end design into the finished product.

What are some challenges that you often have to overcome when working with a new client?

You have to wear many hats as a freelancer. Because every client will require something different in order to achieve their goals, which means that you have to quickly adapt to different situations and constraints. As a Zoey partner, I get quick responses to questions around function, capabilities and other technical information via chat, phone or email. Which allows me to continue to give my clients the best possible customer service.

Why do you love being a Zoey partner? 

The Zoey partner program provides me with the tools, resources and benefits to help me build, run and grow my freelance business.