Miami, January 20th, 2021

Based in Miami and Los Angeles, Absolute Web is a digital commerce and creative marketing agency with a talented group of professionals.

The agency has been around for 21 years and has worked with a wide array of clients since then, helping them with brand strategy, digital marketing, content production and user experience design.

Roman Yoffe started Absolute Web with not much prior experience and has now become a digital commerce expert.

In an interview with TIA, he described his personal journey and the expansion seen by the agency.

He looked at some of the agency’s recent work and reflected on the future of the retail sector, anticipating a big digital trend.

To kick things off, what do you love the most about Miami?

There’s a huge variety of restaurants and cuisine here, and lately it’s become more of a technology hub and a nice location for business strategically.

What’s one must-do experience in your city?

Novikov Miami, a restaurant in downtown Miami.

Tell us about your personal journey and how the idea of creating Absolute Web started in 1999. What was the toughest challenge you faced when growing a business?

When I was 19 I wanted to get into technology, but since I wasn’t drawn to the hardware side of it, I decided to focus on software. I was actually playing tennis with someone, and that someone was a business owner who needed a website. So I decided to start Absolute Web Services.

I had no prior experience and it took me almost one month to finish a one-page website that I only received $100 for.

I had to learn through trial and error and find answers to problems on my own. I didn’t have a partner or mentor, so every challenge was an obstacle I had to overcome independently.

Could you explain to us briefly what’s your role as CEO?

While I try to be involved in most aspects of the business, a true passion of mine is to continually enhance the flow of communication internally, to see how we can better push ourselves to improve as a team and a company.

I also enjoy working with employees to remove obstacles they might have, and place them in the right environment to help them grow toward their full potential.

Could you describe Absolute Web in a few words?

We’re a team of talented digital professionals working together to provide solutions and value to our clients to help them grow.

COVID-19 is a first-of-its-kind disruption, one that leaves no community, government, or business untouched. What challenges were you facing before the pandemic and how are you dealing with them right now?

One of the challenges we had before was finding great talent to add to our team. When the pandemic hit, we became open to hiring remotely, which increased our scope of talent allowing us to hire anyone, anywhere. It’s working out well.

Tell us about a recent project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of. What particularly brought out the best in you?

BHFO is a project that first comes to mind. The initial challenge was to create a great user experience and user journey for a retailer that had over 2000 SKUs.

Simplifying the search for such a large product catalogue pushed our team to grow our user experience knowledge and improve our presentation skills on desktop and mobile.

What are the main advantages of being a partner of big e-commerce platforms such as Magento, Shopify Plus, and BigCommerce?

It’s great being a partner of all three because we’re able to see the capabilities and limitations of each platform. The advantage is that we have better access to information, and have an open line of communication with each.

Most of the time we’ll reach out to the engineering team at either Magento, Shopify Plus, or BigCommerce to make sure their platform is capable and has a solution for our client. It’s helpful being able to confidently suggest the best fit for each merchant.

Where do you see retail going in the next five years and how will e-commerce influence the way we do business?

Retail is going more and more digital, and commerce will continue to evolve to being a more in person experience online. Ecommerce will also emerge as a hybrid experience as technology continues to advance, especially with VR. Picking the right product, for example, will become easier as virtual reality and digital try-ons improve.

How do you know that you are leading, and leading well?

At Absolute Web, seeing our team continually improve, have motivation, and grow with passion is an indication of good morale, and good leadership.

Where do you go if you want to get inspired?

The mountains, specifically Half Moon Bay in California.

Is there a question you wish people would ask you more often?

After a project is complete, “What’s next?” And after that, “What’s for dessert?”

Can you name a fun-fact people would be surprised to learn about you?

I truly love dessert, and have around six chocolate chip cookies a day.

Thanks Roman!

Learn more about Absolute Web

Follow Roman Yoffe on social media:
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