Miami, November 16th, 2021

Absolute Web is an award-winning full-service eCommerce agency, helping businesses achieve their digital goals since 1999, through professional services in UX/UI design, custom development, complex integrations, performance optimization and security. Its team includes digital strategists, project managers, developers, trend forecasters and designers.

Sergiu Tabaran started in the agency seven years ago as a UI/UX designer and is now the Chief Operating Officer. In an interview with TIA, he described the expansion of ecommerce platforms amid the pandemic and the way to ensure consistency in them. He listed the agency’s attributes and looked at the latest technological developments.

To kick things off, what do you love the most about your country and what’s one must-do experience in Miami in your opinion?

I love the United States for the opportunities it offers its people to succeed and to bring their ideas to life. A must-do experience in Miami: Indulge Wynwood life, culture and food, especially on a Friday evening.

Tell us about your personal journey. How did you find yourself being the Absolute Web’s COO?

I have been working in the digital space since age 15, by the time I got access to my first computer, and I have been building websites since then. I started my journey at Absolute Web 7 years ago as a UI/UX designer, and progressively I have been taking more responsibility within the agency as time passed. A few years back I thought to myself “do I want to go further to another top agency or make Absolute Web one of the best”. Being in my 8th year here, you probably can guess what I chose.

What attributes do you want people to associate Absolute Web with, and how do you align business decisions with your values every day?

Of course, as in most industries, the competition in the agency world is fierce, so your best strength has to be quality, and that’s what we are focusing on when growing our team. If I would describe Absolute Web in a few words, I would say if you are looking for a team of really passionate people, putting 110% effort into the projects they are a part of, while having a vast experience in the digital commerce space – you came to the right place.

Ecommerce platforms have grown in the last year, how you ensure consistency and user experience through international platforms?

One of our core qualities is being flexible and adaptive to the ever changing technology and eCommerce platforms. While being solid partners of Adobe (Magento), Shopify Plus and BigCommerce, we are investing time in new tech as well, a good example would the Progressive Web Applications (PWA), being one of the first agencies to dedicate time into becoming better at such implementations 3-4 years ago, and now we are proud to have quite a few big clients taking advantage of the new frontend approach to give users the fastest and best experience while browsing these online shops.

Please name some steps that you have put in place over the years to encourage innovation at the workplace.

Innovation is driven by innovative tools, so besides our agency philosophy that is anti-bureaucracy and super adaptive, we took advantage of modern tools like Slack, Atlassian products and various other product management tools that allow us to become better and more efficient with our time. We are not afraid of change.

In your opinion, what’s the most important factor that leads companies to create overseas experiences that engage at a global scale?

I would say – global customer demand. Once you reach a level where you have global customers that are going over difficulties to get your product, it makes sense to expand globally by creating website experiences for those regions and also open warehouse locations in strategic points around the globe for faster shipments and ultimately a better user experience.

Of all the recent projects your agency has produced, which one are you most proud of in terms of its UX/UI Design?

From a pure eCommerce perspective, I would say Spirited Gifts – as it follows best practices in user experience and conversion optimization. From a UI perspective, I would highlight MITA Eyewear.

When looking at the technological landscape today, what makes you think “wow”?

Definitely the ability to market and launch your product so easily. If you compare the tech landscape today to even only 5 years ago, to start a new brand, launch an eCommerce platform and market it would have been a more time-consuming process. Today we are at a level where we have tools and platforms that have a lot of functionality built-in that you mostly have to focus on marketing strategy. You almost don’t have an excuse for not getting your business online nowadays.

With shopper behavior changing, what impact do you believe machine learning and big data will have on the world of e-commerce? And, do you see clients implementing these technologies nowadays or there is some resistance from their side?

Absolutely. The only hesitance comes around implementation costs especially when the project is complex. However there are tools that already have pre-built integrations with the most popular eCommerce platforms that clients take advantage of, and we are there to help configure and customize using best practices in the industry.

Based on your experience, what are the most important roles in an e-commerce team and any third-party agencies engaged to deliver a project?

Definitely the Project Manager and the Software Architect roles are the most important in terms of delivery and ensuring project quality, however all the roles in the team are pivotal for the success of it.

In this industry or in life, have you had any particularly influential mentors?

Unfortunately I did not, however I am always following technology leaders, and also other industries to learn more from their experiences. I am a very curious person and most of what I have done in my career is self-driven and self-taught.

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

Probably the fact that I used to be in the music industry professionally, producing audio tracks and music videos. That experience has helped me in my professional life in terms of team organization and management, even though it wasn’t the most profitable business at the time to be quite honest.

Thanks Sergiu!

Learn more about Absolute Web

Follow Sergiu on social media:

LinkedIn

Follow Absolute Web on social media:

Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
Facebook

clientsInnovationUI / UX DesignUser Experience