Curotec

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for myfreedomsmokes.com, an online electronic cigarette retailer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Curotec?

We had a different developer previously but had trouble finishing work with them. We'd go back and forth with them about site upgrades we wanted to make, and they told us those changes would take a couple of months. We wanted a partner that was more communicative and could work more quickly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After we transitioned to working with Curotec, our first project for them was upgrading the site. They installed the new security patch for Magento, minimized JavaScript, and made PHP upgrades to get the site running faster. At that point, we got the CDN in place with CloudFlare so our assets could be delivered more quickly to the customer. Their work was mainly security- and speed-based.

We also had them redesign our checkouts to make sure that all of the relevant information was displayed clearly. When customers finalize their purchases now, they don’t have to scroll down to see their total or to find a place for a coupon code. They also built a custom brand header for some categories on our site, where we can now input a description and video. The brand landing pages help us rank better for those brands in terms of SEO. We have a partner we work with specifically for SEO, but the Curotec team implements a lot of the ideas and plans that arise from that partnership.

Currently, we’re working on moving from Magento 1 to Magento 2. We’re only in the planning stages right now, but it will be an entire overhaul of the site.

What is the team composition?

I've always worked directly with three people, including the CEO and other main developers.

How did you come to work with Curotec?

While we were still working with our previous developer, our SEO partner suggested I approach Curotec to get a second opinion on the timeline we’d been given. I met with their CEO, and he told me it seemed like the developer didn’t have a dedicated individual or team working on our site; if we had that, we’d finish a lot faster.

We looked at a few other companies before we decided to work with Curotec. We’re agiler than a lot of larger companies—we make decisions and like to get them implemented quickly—and we found some firms, especially large ones, weren’t able to accommodate that. Curotec provided the flexibility and development expertise we wanted.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000 and $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since December 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We can definitely tell a difference in how the site functions—it runs more smoothly and there are fewer errors, particularly with JavaScript. Overall, the UI provides a better experience for our customers.

How did Curotec perform from a project management standpoint?

They exceed my expectations. Whenever we give them a new project, they create a timeline, work schedule, and tell us the expected expense. They’re more organized than we could have asked, and their estimates are accurate.

I speak with one of my contacts at least twice a week, but I can always reach someone via email, or even a text message or phone call.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm able to contact them at any time of the day and have them answer immediately and get an issue fixed. For example, the order function on the site recently stopped working, so we had to get that fixed as possible. I emailed them when I realized orders weren’t going through and got a response within five minutes. In another 10 minutes, they’d fixed the problem.

Furthermore, many of their developers work outside the country in different time zones, which allows for 24-hour available. If we have an urgent problem, like we did with the order function, we’re able to resolve the problem almost immediately.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re receptive to feedback and always return work in a timely manner.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The more specific the guidance you give them for design, the better. When I asked for the custom branded pages, I described my idea to them, they made a schedule for the work, and I approved it. The work they came back with wasn't what I'd envisioned, so I had to go back to them and explain what I was looking for in more detail. We haven’t had any problems since then, now that I know how to describe what I’m looking for.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a psychologist at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. I direct a seven-week group Positive Psychology program called A Happier You that helps people achieve a greater sense of well-being and life satisfaction.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Curotec?

We wanted to create a companion mobile app for our group program. We have a printed manual and wanted to make that content mobile accessible.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We told Curotec what we wanted, and they sketched out a plan based on the budget we had. From there, they developed a wireframe for the app and a brand new logo. They sent their work to me, and we had a feedback process to make sure everything was where we wanted it to be.

Curotec created a backend WordPress feature so we can easily add content to the app. We’re able to manage that all by ourselves as well as register people for the app. They essentially gave us a tutorial on how to navigate the backend to add content.

The app is pretty simple; people can view each week of our program and see an introduction, guide, and activities for that week’s topic. It has PDFs of different worksheets they can print, and we’re working on audio and video tabs that are currently still in development. The app is essentially a mirror of our printed manual—it requires no data from the user except to register.

Curotec fixes any minor glitches that pop up and makes sure we also know how to solve those smaller issues. They manage all the requirements for uploading the app to the Apple Store and Google Play, although we haven’t launched yet. We’re waiting for the developer access for the Apple Store and are still troubleshooting a few things in the Android app.

What is the team composition?

Our primary interaction is with the project manager.

How did you come to work with Curotec?

I wanted someone local who had experience in the health care field. I looked into a few other vendors, but when I saw samples of Curotec’s work, I knew they’d be a good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $15,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together for about a year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We haven’t launched yet, but we have a trial app. It’s been well-received by colleagues and looks clean and simple.

How did Curotec perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate as often as necessary. During active development, we talk about once a week. At other times, we could go a few weeks without contact. Curotec is responsive and quickly addresses any concerns we have. Our project manager is excellent and takes good care of us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Curotec’s customer service is great. They’re client-centered and willing to adjust to your needs. For example, we decided we wanted a survey component to the app that gave instant results, and Curotec was willing to expand the project, even though that wasn’t in our initial scope. It’s been easy to work with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It took them a while to figure out the best way to implement the survey in our app. That’s fairly specific to our project, though, and they eventually found a solution.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

The more specific your idea, the easier it will be for them to outline a plan and project budget.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of MedWorker. I’m a physician. MedWorker was going to be a review site for medical workers to review the hospitals they work in. It would be a rating by hospital workers and not patients. When you go to work in a hospital, they give you a story about how awesome it is to work there, which may be the case, but it may not be. Once you’ve moved your whole life and signed on the dotted line, a lot of things can change. This was a way for people getting an inside scoop before they started working so they could have an idea of what to expect.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Curotec?

We needed a website built from the ground up.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The goals were for the website to be built in a certain timeframe, to make sure it had all specifications, make sure that the website worked, and to make sure that they were responsive to changes needed. They used social media to see what kind of momentum they could get going.

A business consultant helped me develop the details as to what our website should accomplish. I had a wireframe built, and then I had a digital expert create the pages for it. I presented it to Curotec. Once we got it to a point it was functioning the way I wanted it to function, then we came up with a plan for the social media marketing part of it.

The website was WordPress and Ruby on Rails. They put the WordPress in for me and didn’t charge for that. The social media campaigns were done on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. They also managed Google Analytics. SEO was one of the main focal points. They let me know up front that SEO takes a long time. They also gave me ideas about what to say and how to say it. They did all the ads. Their ads worked and mine didn’t.

There’s a diversity of doctors, nurses, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners, and everyone has their own perspective. I was trying to figure out the basic denominator for all these people and how to present it on the website so that it looked safe and valuable. We worked on that for months. I had colleagues saying they’d love to have a website like that and they’d definitely put some reviews on it. When push came to shove, they were all afraid even though it was as anonymous as we could make it.

I went into this by myself and financed the whole thing. It became too expensive for me. I couldn’t sustain it financially. The basic premise was off, but that’s my fault. I shut the site down a couple of months ago.

What is the team composition?

There were at least 5 people on the team. The project manager, Tom, is awesome. There were 1–2 guys doing the programming. I believe they were in another country, but they were really responsive despite the time difference. Brian, one of the CEOs, was awesome too. He was also very responsive. There were 2–3 social media experts. The team changed once the website was running and only needing minor changes and our focus was on SEO and social marketing.

How did you come to work with Curotec?

I had a website designer in the past for another website, and Curotec bought that company. I chose them specifically because of their experience with Ruby on Rails. I had done some research on PHP versus Django and Ruby on Rails for the type of database that I needed. I also liked the way they presented themselves.

How much have you invested with them?

I invested $90,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2016–March 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

There were a couple thousand likes on Facebook within a short period of time. The SEO was working well. They delivered on the functionality of the website and the marketing. The marketing campaign was expensive, although they gave me a break on the pricing. They built it successfully. The problem with the SEO and marketing is it takes a long time to get them up and running. I stopped them prematurely and that was my issue and not theirs. The momentum was building. When they were in charge of it, the traffic was there. We were getting almost 500 visits per day. From their part, everything from building the website to making the changes to the social media was spot on. They executed without any problems.

How did Curotec perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. I spoke with Tom at least 3 times a week and we emailed every day. They communicated well. They were very responsive. They responded every time I emailed them; I really appreciated that. They were always transparent about what they could and couldn’t do. They always had alternatives for me. It was as good of an experience as it could be given the circumstances.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their teamwork is most impressive. It was a very collaborative process between them and me, but also between them.

They built the website quickly. They were very responsive in making it work the right way. I’m a perfectionist and made changes almost every day, but they made them and didn’t ask questions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You have to ask yourself if the idea is really solving a problem in reality and not just what people are telling you. Use focus groups first. Really vet your idea. Once you do that, come up with a really solid business plan. Then get other people that love the idea to go in with you on it. Get the digital part of it and the wireframing done. Then go to Curotec and tell them what you want to do. If you do that, you’ll be successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and CEO of Coast to Coast Radio Networks. We’re a broadcast company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Curotec?

We send out programs to radio stations all over the country. Radio stations will come to our site, download the products that they need, and fill out affidavits at the end of every month to prove that they’ve used the programs. What I was trying to do with Curotec was to develop a better and faster website. The site that we had was old and falling apart.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I gave Curotec a vision and they delivered more than I thought they would. They have a good eye for design. Originally, I came to Curotec and told them what I wanted to do. They said, "I hear you and that makes sense, but let us try to do what we think you need and what you want." What they came back with was so much nicer than what I even thought I could do. They built a brand new site for us using WordPress. The various web designs over the years have helped us with our visibility. Brian [CEO, Curotec] also helped me with search engine optimization and search engine marketing and when I needed it. He was very good with that.

How did you come to work with Curotec?

We were considering about six or seven different companies, but somebody had recommended that I speak with Curotec. They definitely came in as the most aggressive in wanting our business. They were the most attentive, and Brian listened to everything I was saying. What I really liked about Brian was that he understood business. A lot of the other companies understood design, as Brian did, but Brian also understood the business model that I was trying to accomplish, and that is more than I can tell you about the other companies. That's why I picked Curotec.

How much have you invested with Curotec?

We have invested around $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November or December 2013, as we were trying to figure out what we were going to do at the beginning of 2014. It took over a year to really build out the website, which I fully expected. They're still doing work for me now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

As far as the metrics are concerned, we measure ours by a number of radio stations that take our products. The number of stations that took our product almost more than doubled. For me, it was so much more than I expected. The quality of work was phenomenal to the point where there were a couple of things that needed attention at the end, and Brian brought in really top-rated experts and didn't charge us for it. He just wanted to make sure that the product was running correctly and he had us get in touch with the technicians that could fix the problem. He did this for us for free. He didn't have to do that, but he did.

I love Brian. I really do. He's a great guy and he's been terrific. Some of the other companies will tell you that they can put you in the number one slot on Google (they really can't), but he was realistic about it and I really appreciated his honesty. To this day, he'll call me out of the blue and just check up and make sure everything is okay. I grew up in a time where service was the most important thing, and people are not as attentive to service as they used to be. He's from the old world; that's how I look at him. He's very good with that.

How did Curotec perform from a project management standpoint?

Every week, sometimes every two weeks, Brian would have a discussion with me just to let me know how everything was going. We finished the project ahead of schedule, which was a big surprise for me. That was good because it was such a big project for us. He thought it was going to take a little more than a year to develop, and it took less than a year. We originally thought this could get as high as $80,000 –$85,000, but it ended up around $60,000. Curotec saved me a lot of money.

What did you find most impressive about Curotec?

Brian is completely accessible. He gets back immediately 24 hours a day. If I have a problem in the middle of the night and send him a quick email, I always expect him to get back to me in the morning or even in the middle of the night, or he'll have somebody else get back to me in the middle of the night. I never had an issue with Brian if I needed him right away. He was always there for me. A lot of companies will give you a different technician or somebody you have to deal with, but Brian always contacted me directly. I don't know how he did it, but he always did.

Are there any areas Curotec could improve?

To tell you the truth, no. I don’t have any constructive criticism for them right now. Everything that I asked them to do, they did beyond that. They've been terrific. My fear is, that with companies like these, I hope they never get so big that they forget all that got them to where they are.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Curotec?

Get prices and listen to what other companies are doing, but always give Curotec a chance to present because it's going to be worth it in the end. They should always have a chance to pitch their business.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Building Industry Credit Association is an association that works with construction companies nationwide. We sell a group of products related to construction clerical services. I'm the president of the association.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Curotec?

We've been wanting to redo our two websites. We have a public website and a member portal in which members go into the website and use services right on the web. The first part of the product, which we've just completed, is the public website product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We completely redesigned a new website for the company. We never looked to the old website. I was heavily involved in the design process in what we wanted to see and how we wanted it to be presented. They provided the wireframes because I remember in the infancy of the project getting wireframe instructions from Curotec.

They used a couple different products and technologies, and I don't recall exactly what they were called. We've also are working on them now on the SEO side of that. We've hired them to do another piece of the puzzle on the public website where they're going to manage and make sure that we're getting seen in the public eye. We have a lot of competitors, so we made sure that we're making our way to the top of those pages when they're searching.

How did you come to work with Curotec?

We started this process a couple of years ago. It has entertained more than one company and we’ve even been to the point where we were involved and had time to contract with another company, and ended up not being pleased with the progress. We started the process again and ended up choosing Curotec as the number one potential website creator to work with, out of many options that we were looking at. We've now completed the first process, which is the public website, and we're extremely pleased with how that's been handled and the look of it.

We have an IT manager here that went through the selection process. I'm not the one that landed on the top five. Our IT manager provided a list of 14 companies that could handle our needs. After looking at the 14, he determined that there were five at the top of the list. We looked at the top four. And through talking with the top four, where I would get involved in vetting those top four companies, I felt strongly, along with my board of directors (nine board members), that Curotec seemed to be the most understanding of our needs, and the company that was most willing to do whatever we needed them to do. There seemed to be a synergy among the people that were involved on Curotec’s end and how we received them on our end. We decided it was a good match.

How much have you invested with Curotec?

It's a three-piece product. The first one was the public website, next one was the member portal, which we are working on. And from what I understand, they're hoping we’ll get it launched by the end of the summer. That piece is the bigger piece of the product. We've committed to $250,000 of investment between these three products.

What is the status of this engagement?

We signed an agreement in August 2016. This doesn’t actually mean that we started on that date. We started on the project sometime in October or November 2016. The work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We just finished the website last week. We’re now taking the time to look at every word, so we’re in a final edit. We launched it on April 6th, because I had an event that I wanted to show it at. We put it out there, but I've not made an announcement even to our membership yet. Aside from the board and a few of us here, no one actually knows there’s a new website out yet.

There’s feedback on liking the new redesign. In fact, one website member happened to look for our website because he wanted to start promoting his website and start doing some cross-referencing. He emailed me and said, without any prompting because we haven't let anyone know that the website is out there, “This website is stunning. I saw your website, and it is top-notch and first-class. I look forward to working with you.” It was a very nice compliment. He said it had a lot of information in it, and he used the word stunning.

How did Curotec perform from a project management standpoint?

In fact, it reaffirmed our reason for going with them. There were four companies that were all top-notch. But from the discussions that we had with Curotec before we signed the contract with them, I felt that this was a company that not only got what we did, but understood that our needs might change along the way. They were always telling us “Whatever you need from us” or “Whatever is going to work for you.” And that's the way the whole timeline panned out.

We got to the point where we were having monthly conference calls. There was always work that was sent to Google Docs, and then we would have knowledge that a new piece was there and go look at it. This was not daily. Several times a week, we had emails from Curotec letting us know what changes had been made, where to go find the changes, or questions about what we had asked for. It was constant communication.

They were always extremely professional and always understood what we needed. They were great at making suggestions that, if we had an idea, why that might not be the perfect way to have something out there on the web. For instance, if we wanted to put up some type of page, it was always stressed that people don't spend a lot of time on each individual page. It was really a learning process for us of what was going to work and what was not. But they were always very professional, very willing to listen to what we needed, and figuring out a way to make it work for us.

What did you find most impressive about Curotec?

They know what they're doing. In a nutshell, I have complete confidence that what we've produced is going to get the results, which is we're going to be able to get our word out there better than we ever had before. We're going to be able to show why we're better at certain products or services that we offer than our competition. I think, more than anything, that's what the website accomplished. That was Curotec because obviously we don't know how to design a website. They're just extremely good at what they do. We're looking forward to the member portal. Our member portal is so antiquated that some of our members don't even want to use it. So we also think this will be a bump for us as far as usage by our members.

Are there any areas Curotec could improve?

Honestly, I can't think of any criticisms. I would tell you if I did, but I can't think of something that bothered us. There were three of us that worked consistently with Curotec. I don't think there was a time that any one of us felt that they weren't listening to us. They were always conscious of our timeline and when we wanted things to get done. I really don't have any complaints.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Curotec?

There are other companies out there that can certainly do what we wanted them to do. But more than anything, it was the relationship that sold us. With the other companies we talked to, a lot of them had a very beautiful product, but there was not so much of a give and take of ideas. If you're looking for someone that's really going to listen to you and not sort of tell you what you should be doing, I think Curotec would be the right decision.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The company is Coast to Coast Radio Networks. I’m the managing director. I handle working with radio stations and I’m the one who manages the products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Curotec?

We needed to put together a new delivery system for our radio stations. Our previous provider was unable to support our system any longer. We send out short programming, production music libraries, and radio prep information. We needed a mechanism to get that to them in a timely fashion, either once a week, once a month, or once every two weeks. There are many moving parts in our system. It was a complex project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Curotec built the whole system. I gave them the parameters of what we needed, and how it works, and explained our whole system to them so that our radio stations receive their programming in the format that they need is which, in this case, is just MP3s for them or PDF if it's worded. We do short programming and then we also have our production music library. Besides the fact that we had to have a delivery system, our radio stations also needed a way of inputting their affidavits, which are legal documents that are given to our advertiser to show the adverting was run and at what specific time. We had to have a two-way dialogue here between the radio stations and us, and us to them. That was what we needed and what they provided very nicely. Unfortunately, because of the radio stations that we deal with from the biggest ones down to very small radio station, it had to be simple and straightforward in how it worked and the way it had to work.

How did you come to work with Curotec?

My boss, Joel Adler, [President and CEO of Coast to Coast Radio Networks] found Brian [Dainis, CEO at Curotec]. I’m not really sure how they met to begin with, but it was a beautiful find, to say the least. We had to rebuild the whole system from the bottom up. Our system was 10 years old, it worked very well mostly, but unfortunately, the language it was written in was no longer supported by anybody. We had no one to fix it if it crashed. We were living on a very thin thread and the system was starting to do some weird things. Joel found someone who would take what we had before, streamline it, but still produce the same results, Curotec did. The price was good and the timeline was good so we went with them. I was not involved in the selection process but I’m sure Joel would’ve gotten recommendations from other companies who had worked with Curotec.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2015 on this project, and the work was completed in October 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The application had its bumps in the beginning, but that’s to be expected. What I loved about Curotec was, if I called, or emailed, or got on Skype and needed something done, they were right on the mark. They had the people I needed if I found a glitch. Our work has to be done within a certain time frame as our advertising schedule starts the each Monday. If I don’t get the programming or music there, then I get radio stations making my phone ring off the hook. Stations sometimes just hire one person, one day a week, to do the uploading. Time is of the essence. Another example would be the affidavits which must be filled out at least once a month, some stations do it daily, once a week, or twice a month. I thought I had a counter in there that would show stations their completion progress in percentages but I realized there was a glitch. It wasn’t changing from incomplete affidavits to complete affidavits. I called Curotec to let them know it wasn’t working and they took care of it within five or 10 minutes. They're very responsive to my phone calls because they know of my time crunch.

The largest part, after the new build, was migrating all of the information from the old system to the new one. That system had been up for ten years so there was a lot of history. I have 500 or 600 stations that report every month. They handled it without a problem even though it was not formatted as well as it should’ve been and had patches and glitches. The system was in a language that no one uses anymore. Curotec found the guys to do it.

How did Curotec perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated through email and if there was something urgent, I called the team directly on their cell phones. Since some of the team was spread globally, I also was able to talk to them on Skype. They would answer immediately. I never waited more than half a day to get a response.

What did you find most impressive about Curotec?

They listen well and that’s really important. When we were putting this together, they brought a business analyst to document the requirements. They could hear what I was saying, they asked the right questions so that I got what I wanted. They listen to what the client is saying. Now that the system is up and running, they’re still there to support us. Actually, that was one of the criteria that I said when we hired them. I needed to have access to the developers indefinitely which has not been a problem. They also get the right people to do the job.

Are there any areas Curotec could improve?

We started with one programmer from the team that was a middle-level guy but they realized he was over his head on some of the more advanced features and they got someone else from the team with more senior experience to step in and help. That was the only glitch in the whole process. They quickly got someone else that picked up the gauntlet and kept on running. Because I’ve been a programmer, I understand that there are problems. And in my brain, it takes at least a year of running the whole thing to see if you’ve found 95% of the problems. I guess maybe my expectations were more realistic, and they fulfilled them perfectly for me.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Curotec?

They’re a good company and they listen. They write good programs using good code. Our project is running smoothly and it does what it’s supposed to do. You can't ask more than that. I would recommend them highly as a company to go with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a baby gear brand, based in the United Kingdom, developing and distributing products such as pushchairs, child safety seats, and in home baby care items. I'm the director of marketing services and all-around marketing consultant for several brands within our group and our office is based in eastern Pennsylvania.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Curotec?

One of our brands had an outdated website that had been cobbled together years ago using in-house resources and an out-of-house programming resource. The website became dated probably within a year or two of its launch. We have a pretty complex global business model where we distribute our products in nearly 40 countries, but only a select number of those are reflected on our current website. Each country has its own support system and marketing segment that maintains their website. Several years ago, a few of our regions started to develop their own websites, which in no way reflected the identity, vision, and message of our brand. We wanted all of the infrastructure, development, and branding to align with the Joie Children’s Products global brand, and we wanted all of the countries in which we distribute to be reflected on the new website that Curotec was developing for us. We wanted to develop a CMS [content management system] website where every word would be translatable among the different countries, and we wanted all of it to be manageable either by the local offices or our office when the local offices needed our support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The design was a collaborative effort. Some portions of the website were designed by our in-house group and another group, but Curotec advised heavily and helped in many areas of the design. The infrastructure on the programming side was entirely Curotec’s work. Curotec used a WordPress-based CMS, along with custom or plug-in development. They really pushed WordPress to its limits and maybe a little bit beyond. Curotec built the website to be ready for a more robust SEO [search engine optimization] program in the future. They haven't done any marketing or SEO for us yet, though we hope to change that eventually. 

How did you come to work with Curotec?

We had a hard time working with the company we selected for our website before Curotec. This time, we knew the type of group we needed, and in our case, we were leaning toward picking a company nearby so we could meet in person somewhat easily. We knew that proximity could help streamline the process. We had a handful of meetings in person, which was important. We then did extensive Google research. We had sister groups that worked with other groups. We talked to them, got proposals from them, and then narrowed down those companies based on geography, their portfolios, and case studies. Curotec had done multilingual websites before, and they could show us their examples. In our initial meetings, anytime we mentioned certain challenges to the Curotec team, they had solutions for them. They just delivered solution after solution. They were undaunted. We didn't necessarily understand the intricacies of what they were recommending, but it reassured us that they could handle the complexity of what we had to develop.

We had our in-house design team and another group work on the design of the website. We were going through a bit of a rebrand at the time, so it overlapped with Curotec’s efforts on the design of the website, which was probably a little bit of a challenge for them. Curotec did all the development related to how the website worked and how it was built.

How much have you invested with Curotec?

The original quote for the project was under $100,000. We uncovered new needs and Curotec found new solutions that we opted into after we set the original quote. I think we ended up a little over $100,000 in the end. 

Curotec held the project to their orignal quotation for all of the items we had discussed up front, and they only charged more when it was reasonable and fair to do so, like when we changed our project scope and they had to present a new solution or opportunity, or when we brought a new challenge to the table.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking to Curotec in January 2015, and we started active development in March of the same year. We had to pause for a couple of months in the summer because our rebranding efforts conflicted with the website development. Curotec moved everything forward seamlessly despite our delays. They move at an incredible pace, and they never caused a delay. We launched the website in February 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The response and increase in traffic on the new website have been far beyond our projections. Our web traffic has increased substantially, and we have had incredible success, even within the organization. We’ve only heard positive feedback from subsidiaries and our internal entities, all the way up to corporate. The Joie company is based in the UK, so we’re a little bit dependent on feedback from the other regions because we can’t actively conduct research in those areas at this time. I think the number of countries that are embracing the site and rolling their sites over to the joiebaby.com site speaks volumes to the reception the project has received in every region.

We are not an e-commerce site, which is quite a challenge for us, and it’s one reason we haven't launched a robust SEO program. However, Curotec was able to develop a one-click system where you can purchase a product from our country specific retailers. Curotec built in a lot of complexity for each region, which was pretty intense.

How did Curotec perform from a project management standpoint?

I cannot rave enough about Curotec’s project management. I’ve worked with developers on both simple sites and complex sites, but I’ve never experienced a problem-solving team that was so optimistic about everything. I don't know that I've ever worked with a team that has handled a project so seamlessly and professionally, especially considering the size of the project. Their management and organization was impressive. We were looking for a company that would be hands-on with us and make us feel like a priority, and we got that with Curotec. Pam was our bridge, our mother hen, our patient mentor, our everything, between the development side, the marketing side, and the technical side. She handled everything so smoothly and hit everything according to timeline and spec. She would help us slow down and think through what we were saying we needed to get as much clarity as possible for each complex piece of the project scope. I don't know how she did it or how she made it look so easy, but it took a huge load off of us.

What did you find most impressive about Curotec?

We were most impressed by Curotec’s ability to provide solutions to complex challenges. They thought of everything, from having the smallest word in the smallest corner of the site translatable to building a huge backend infrastructure that would be able to manage multiple countries and languages, to getting us closer to impacting conversions on a non-e-commerce site. The infrastructure development was robust and complex, but it ran smoothly. The finished deliverable was a home run for us.

Are there any areas Curotec could improve?

We had such a great experience that it’s hard to think of how Curotec could improve. I know they’re growing quickly, which may provide some interesting challenges for them, but I think they have the ability to grow while keeping their personal touch. I think the only things they may not have offered at the time are things we couldn't have taken advantage of anyway, like in-depth consumer and user experience research. They might even offer those features now.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Curotec?

My recommendations would depend on the level of complexity of a future client’s needs. If a client’s needs are as complex as ours, I would tell them to make sure they have in-depth conversations and make sure everything is understood upfront. Talk through the scope of the project, and then when Curotec has a clear understanding of the true need behind a request, they’ll design accordingly and it will work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Eigen X, a management and technology consulting firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Curotec?

We’ve worked with Curotec on numerous projects, both internally and on client sites. We first engaged with Curotec when we were working with a client in the pharmaceutical industry, but Curotec also has done the web development and hosting for our own website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Curotec team recommended the use of WordPress for our website, and they trained our team on how to use it so we could make our own updates and changes right on the platform. Our old website was not as tech-oriented as we wanted it to be, so Curotec designed and created a banner for our new site, made it more user friendly, and included scrolling and hovering features that take the look of the website to a whole other level, which will bring us in line with the competition. Other subtleties they added include the black and white logos of our partners which appear in color when you hover over them. The new page load speed is great, and the website is mobile friendly.

How did you come to work with Curotec?

My company and Curotec are members of i2n, a council in Chester County, Pennsylvania, that provides small companies and entrepreneurs the ability to network together. We were introduced to Brian, CEO of Curotec, through the council, and our relationship has expanded since then. We definitely work closely with Curotec. Because our own company is small, our goal was to work with another small, local firm where we could get a personal touch, because that’s what we enjoy about our business. We originally weren’t even looking to revamp our website; it just happened to come up in a conversation, and we realized we needed to. We didn't consider hiring another company.

How much have you invested with Curotec?

I would say we have probably invested around $10,000 to $20,000 with Curotec. I’m not positive on the figure, though, since I don't work on that side of things.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Curotec on the website in July 2015, and it was completed by August 2015. Since then, we have been able to conduct ongoing updates, thanks to Curotec’s training. We don't really rely on them anymore, but they still host our website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I can give you a perfect example of how Curotec’s work benefitted our company’s website. Two days ago, our company website was put on display during a speech we gave at Drexel University. After the presentation, we received positive feedback from audience members who said they liked our client testimonials, and that they liked seeing what other companies think about our team and the work we’ve done. The audience also enjoyed our website’s graphics and hover features.

How did Curotec perform from a project management standpoint?

Two of Curotec’s team members, Brian and Pam, worked with us throughout our project. I liked that their company is small enough that the person you're dealing with in the beginning will be your contact throughout. They were reliable, and they trained us in WordPress when they didn't really have to. They also didn't set us loose on WordPress until we were fully trained and ready to go. We were confident in using WordPress because we knew we had their backing if anything went wrong.

Their project management was wonderful. Everything was done on time, we didn't have to ask twice for anything, and they were constantly providing us with the updates and the SEO reports we requested. We didn't even worry about SEO on our original website, but Brian taught us all about it—how it works and why it’s necessary. We’re such a small company that good SEO makes a big difference. If somebody searches “technology consulting Philadelphia,” we want to be at the top of that list. Brian was able to provide us ways to do that. He gave me a six-page report breaking down everything important, from SEO to the user experience, which I thought was helpful. He showed us how to get our keyword descriptors based on research instead of our own instincts. After using the report, we could see where our thin content pages were and that we needed them to rank higher in Google. Brian also went into engagement, overall page layout, how the website flows, and how social media is important for long-term SEO. We found the reports to be super helpful. We could see where we were lacking, and after Curotec made some changes, those problems disappeared. Some of the descriptions might have needed to be updated, but for the most part, we could go in and make all of the changes that we needed to do to improve our SEO. We have seen more of a drive to our website since doing that.

What did you find most impressive about Curotec?

What I enjoy most about Curotec is knowing that it’s Brian and his team, which is filled with amazing people who work endlessly to get a project completed. Not only are they there to complete the project, but their ongoing support and reliability are amazing as well. Brian is somebody who I consider to be more of a friend than a colleague at this point. He’s somebody who puts his love into his work, and his entire team follows his example. You can tell that they care, and they’re not just doing the work.

Are there any areas Curotec could improve?

Honestly, no; I can’t think of any ways Curotec could improve. I've had nothing but positive experiences with them.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Curotec?

I would recommend that prospective clients of Curotec remember that Curotec’s team members are the experts and that they know what they’re talking about. It was hard for us to take their advice and hear their criticisms at first because we are also a technology company, but we recommend taking their advice and running with it. They’re looking out for you and for your project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of an advertising & marketing company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a provider of custom online insights communities

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Curotec to accomplish?

• Finish development of our platform
• Maintain/enhance platform once developed

SOLUTION

How did you find Curotec?

Online Search

Why did you select Curotec over others?

• High ratings
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Curotec were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Our previous developer suddenly decided to retire in the middle of developing our platform and left us in a troubling situation. Curotec was able to quickly step in and take over this major project. They finished the MVP delivery and have been tweaking and maintaining since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Successful completion of the MVP. No down time in maintenance phase.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They were able to quickly grasp the intent of the application and typically delivered on time. Very responsive to emergency requests.

What was your primary form of communication with Curotec?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Matthew (CTO) is incredibly intelligent and a top-notch developer. He's able to understand our vision and interpret it to other team members.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Curotec could have done differently?

There were some issues with employee turnover but this was during a time where most everyone was struggling with that issue.