Cyber-Duck

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the head of propositions at James Hay Partnership, a retirement wealth management firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

We contracted with Cyber-Duck to update our website to improve the online experience for our customers. We wanted to make it easier to navigate while adding functionalities consumers needed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The website in question for this project was a logged-in section of our site, where people can choose and track their policies online. We relied on Cyber-Duck to redesign that section of our site. Within that task, they built a number of wireframes for customer journeys specific to that portion of the website.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, a UX staffer, and a few developers.

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

We selected Cyber-Duck following an RFI process.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our initial engagement spanned June–October 2018, but we have since agreed to another collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Following the website’s completion, Cyber-Duck conducted consumer research and interviewed members of our internal staff. They also performed usability testing with the same groups, and the feedback about the website has been tremendous.

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

They kept to our budget and kept me informed through the entire engagement. I had daily check-ins with them so that I never felt in the dark about our progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are professional in everything they do, and everything they produce looks brilliant. They don’t feel like a corporate organization that is bound by rigid rules. There is a lot of flexibility. They feel like a small business with very high standards. Their output and professionalism are both impressive, and they maintain an intimate dynamic.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Because we were working in two-week cycles, we had a lot of flexibility to decide what we were doing next. We weren’t tied to a schedule, and we worked very collaboratively. We managed to create a strong working relationship that was beneficial for both of us, so I don’t think they could have improved in any way.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager for a manufacturer of premium retail and professional car care products. I focus on a specific range of products used by dealerships, as well as vehicle manufacturers within the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

The dealerships need to obtain a guarantee from consumers when they sell one of our products. We provide a portal for dealerships to register that guarantee. However, our solution was 10 years old and out of date. The portal wasn’t robust; it was falling over and the UX didn’t meet our expectations. We wanted a reliable and functional solution to represent our brand better.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we had a meeting with Cyber-Duck and other portal stakeholders to explain the solution’s purpose and desired functionalities. We facilitated a workshop; their team then built out the scope and content document. We then went through a strategy phase and Cyber-Duck delivered wireframes during the subsequent design phase. Next, they did backend and frontend development, and then executed testing.

Although we had an existing portal, Cyber-Duck rebuilt the solution from scratch on Magento—as the new platform. The team created a landing page, a dashboard, an FAQ page, and an admin side to support users.

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

I had worked with them at a previous job. We did contact our current web development agency because we wanted to consider a few different companies. We hired Cyber-Duck because they had considerable experience and a wide range of technical abilities.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around £50,000 ($63,942 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Initial discussions started in June 2017 and we began work in September. The project ended in May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Cyber-Duck successfully created a more robust system that reduced the number of calls into our customer care team. The portal received positive user feedback for its intuitive navigation. Overall, we had a positive post-launch experience.

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

The team’s performance was consistent. We spoke constantly and I provided regular feedback. We had weekly conference calls and tracked progress with Teamwork and Jira.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were a quality agency with a thorough and structured approach. The team’s experience enabled them to make numerous suggestions and recommendations. My colleagues and I appreciated that level of expertise; it’s why we hired them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. There were a few bugs in the first weeks after launch, but nothing is perfect.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make the most of their frontline services and strategy prior to implementation. The initial research phase is important. Ask questions and feel empowered to alter the statement of work based on feedback. Cyber-Duck is invested in their customers’ success. They are more knowledgeable than most clients anticipate. The team capably balances creativity and practicality; they are not pushy in any sense. Keep asking questions to get the best out of them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m head of digital engagement for a dispute resolution service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

We have an old, legacy website with outdated content and no CMS technology. We needed help building a business case internally to get the funding to rebuild our site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cyber-Duck provided research in a couple of areas. The first was to get a better understanding of what our users want from our digital channels. Second was to compare what people were expecting when they came to our site with what the site actually provides. They did a number of focus groups and surveys, as well as looking at our website analytics. Lastly, they did a UX audit in order to provide suggestions for how we could better develop our digital strategy.

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with a core team of four. They brought other people onto parts of the project as needed.

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

We found them through a U.K. government procurement framework. We asked a number of agencies to tender. Cyber-Duck responded to our requirements, and then presented to us in person.

How much have you invested with them?

This first research phase cost £150,000 (approximately $195,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project took place between October 2017–March 2018. We plan to start the second phase of the project with them soon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The bottom line is they delivered what we wanted them to deliver. The research gives us a much richer understanding of who our users are, what they expect from us, and how we can best meet those needs. My team can make better decisions in managing our current site because we know exactly what’s failing and where we can make improvements. Using all the evidence to build our business case, we got internal sign-off to move ahead to rebuild our site.

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team was very strong. They used Teamwork project management tool, and we had a dedicated project manager throughout. He was always available, and kept on top of us (as well as his own team). They delivered everything on time. If any deadline slipped, it’s because we held up the process. They were adaptable and helpful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They got to know us very quickly. We're an unusual organization in terms of what we do and how we operate. Usually when we work with external suppliers, we have to spend a lot of time having to redo things. They made it clear from their first pitch that they'd done their research and understood us. We were able to move a lot quicker because they got exactly what challenges we were facing. In addition, it’s clear that they’re passionate about UX design and it comes through in everything they do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of marketing for an internet service provider. We offer broadband services to residential customers as well as complex connectivity solutions for large corporate businesses. I’m responsible for our brand and how it’s communicated to audiences.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

We’re a service-led company in an industry that’s dominated by price-based customer propositions. Therefore, it’s imperative that we provide a great experience for our customers. It became clear that our website wasn’t good enough to achieve the level of customer satisfaction we needed to deliver. As a result, we searched for a digital agency to redesign our customer-facing website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cyber-Duck considered our brand identity when first designing a new UI/UX for the website. They analyzed our company culture and brand voice to inform their design decisions. After delivering several wireframes, they worked with the existing architecture and code to complete the redesign. The backend was built by our internal developers using a CMS called Sitefinity.

Analytics and SEO are a significant part of the engagement as well. Cyber-Duck provides SEO services to maximize our web presence. They also help us track customer analytics to refine the site’s UX and increase the conversion rate.

What is the team composition?

Siji (Growth Director, Cyber-Duck) and Craig (Design Director, Cyber-Duck) are our primary points of contact. We had additional contacts for creative design, website architecture, and wireframing. We interfaced with Cyber-Duck’s developers as needed.

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

My predecessor found them. I was brought on to help manage the brand, the website delivery project, and other initiatives. My understanding is that our internal team reached out to many agencies and conducted interviews to create a list of candidates. Cyber-Duck came out of that process as the best option.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was just under £100,000 (approximately $130,000).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Cyber-Duck in February 2017. They completed the majority of their contributions in November of that year. As I mentioned, the SEO work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were given a brand position and personality that we could articulate for the first time. That’s our current basis for thinking about how we communicate ourselves externally. Internal and external feedback to the redesign is positive. Cyber-Duck’s work helped position us as a modern and dynamic brand.

The site’s only been live for 4–5 weeks and it’s considerably different from the previous one. We’re still learning its dynamics and what information it can give us. We expect to get a sense of how it’s working within the next couple of months.

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

They were accessible to us at any given time. We used a tracking tool for much of the communication and documentation. Project milestones were captured using this software. Having access to all that information was useful for us as a client.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re down to earth and position themselves well in terms of working with our senior management team. The feedback we got from our management staff is that they fit in really well. The brand and the website were big changes for our company, but Cyber-Duck did an excellent job of listening and understanding our needs. We’d never been through this sort of project, but Cyber-Duck had a good approach.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were a lot of moving parts in this project, so we found it challenging to keep track of everything. There was some room for improvement in this area, but not a lot. Also, building the backend ourselves lengthened the project. We’d have been better off procuring an integrated design and CMS from Cyber-Duck. But that has to do more with us as a business than the quality of their work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Myerson Solicitors, LLP is a law firm based in Manchester, UK. I'm the marketing manager and specifically focus on the digital facets of our engagements.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

Cyber-Duck’s research-focused design services were of particular interest to us because our website was getting a bit stale. It was 3-5 years dated and we had concerns that both our local and national competition had caught up to us. 

We’d been disappointed by past agencies who instantly started designing without the due diligence. They often used the same generic templates instead of specially catering the website to our needs. By finding ways to take our website to the next level, we hoped to create a platform with at least a five-year shelf life.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cyber-Duck came up from London for a two-day intensive workshop in our offices. We clarified our business goals and the types of clients we wanted to attract. Once our teams were aligned, they went back to their location to create a client persona document and conduct substantial research. They presented a series of designs based on those findings. Of their three options, we chose a middle ground between a “safe” design and one that pushed boundaries. 

All the assets Cyber-Duck created aim to achieve our vision for an innovative brand. Along with a new homepage layout, they offered several options for how the service pages could look. Upon our approval, they progressed to the development phase and conducted basic technical tasks like keeping the signup up-to-date. They built our website on SilverStripe. It's predominantly written in PHP. 

From a digital marketing perspective, they used SEO best practices to ensure our site is listed in every directory. They conducted extensive research for top-level keywords on the service pages. After titling the site, they added some of the descriptions. Putting the redirects in place improved the internal linking structure and made it more suitable for rankings.

What is the team composition? 

I interfaced with about 4-5 teammates.  We worked most closely with David (Project Manager, Cyber-Duck). Tom (Account Manager, Cyber-Duck) engaged in the development facet. I met one developer who came into our offices. The head of design got involved in the research phase, although I didn't speak to him personally. They had SEO resources behind the scenes, as well. 

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

Using a tender process, we considered many different local and national agencies. We looked at local vendors that are easy to find via Google search. In the U.K., we also have the Prolific North Awards listings which include significant agencies who charged hundreds of thousands of pounds for this type of project. 

Cyber-Duck was listed in these ranks and offered the perfect middle ground. They emphasized the research aspect of the process in their bid, which was one of our main criteria. We wanted a team who'd be very active in the research stage in every sense.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was around about 50,000 pounds ($65,762 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We first started working together in November around 2017 and wrapped up in May of this year. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the site Cyber-Duck built went live last month, we’ve had a massive increase in rankings. Traffic has fluctuated, but the overarching trend is noticeably positive. As Google tried to make sense of our site’s new structure, the redirects had to kick in. All the metrics for bounce rate and average user sessions have improved end-over-end. Based on Hotjar monitoring, our users are navigating across many more pages. They’ve been using the new search function Cyber-Duck implemented at the top quite a lot, which is an obvious benefit. 

The qualitative feedback we’ve gotten has been strongly positive. We’ve had no complaints from anyone we've spoken to. Users are spending much more time on the site’s numerous pages. Clearly, they find it aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate. Content we produce internally is the only thing that still needs improvement, which has nothing to do with Cyber-Duck's work. We should see more concrete results in a month or so when things settle down. 

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

We kept in constant contact and regularly gave them feedback on in-progress designs. We used BlueJeans, a conference call software, for our weekly calls and screen sharing as needed. Access to their Jira account made it easy to spot and discuss any issues I found. Their Teamwork.com software showed the status of tasks our account manager assigned to the rest of the team. This tool allowed me to raise any inquiries and add relevant people to the conversation. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I most appreciated their commitment to the research stage. It made them stand out from the competition. Evident and useful throughout the project, this effort mitigated every challenge and question that arose during the design and development. 

Cyber-Duck willingly spent the time getting to know us as a client and properly identify our goals. Starting off on the right foot avoided delays down the line from having to fix designs. We could always refer back to their research to regroup around our original intentions.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

After passing the research and designs over to the development team, they might have given us access to the site too early. I found several minor software bugs I wasn't expecting. The site wasn't live at this point, though; we were just putting in content. Maybe they should have the design and software teams hold discussions to ensure that the final product is ready before giving their client access. They fixed all the bugs before launching the site. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you plan to work with a designer like Cyber-Duck, make sure to embrace the research phase. Listen properly to the questions they ask you. Engage with the team, and you'll find how invested they are in the digital side of things. Their company's stakeholders get involved, which helps both parties align with goals. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project manager for a mechanical and electrical manufacturing business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

Our previous website was poorly designed, frustrating to users, and lacked appropriately targeted content. The design was imposed upon us by the developer rather than being user-focused. We wanted to streamline the content to make it more relevant and eliminate unnecessary text.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They performed a complete site redesign. They did a content audit throughout the process to determine which of our previous content was worth keeping or revising. They also created a flexible bespoke CMS for our in-house marketing team, a new customer login system, and generally enhanced the whole functionality of the site.

What is the team composition?

I worked with our project manager, two UX designers, the design director, and their technical director.

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

They’d already been working with us for a couple of years on other projects, so their name was put forward as one of our options. We ended up choosing them not only because of our pre-existing relationship but also because they had the best proposal.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from September 2017–May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s only been a month since the new site went live, but we’ve already seen an increase in the number of page views. Our goal was to improve the customer experience, so it’s a good sign that we’re seeing them spend more time on the site with fewer people bouncing away immediately. The redesign also received a lot of positive feedback internally thanks to our move to a more modern, minimalist design.

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re easy to work with and good at keeping us up to date. They used Teamwork and Jira to help facilitate our communication. All their work was delivered to a high standard, on time, and on budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their technical abilities were better than anyone else’s we considered and they adapted well to changing requirements throughout the project. We ran into occasional barriers along the way, but they were always flexible and came up with creative solutions to keep us moving forward.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They put the needs of your business first and they balance creativity with practicality well. They don’t try to push you in any particular direction if it’s not what’s best for your needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Bond Bryan Digital is a branch of Bond Brian Architects, listed as one of AJ’s top 100 architecture firms in the UK. In my role as director, I work with our company’s systems and technology, specifically relating to quality assurance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

With a changing business climate, we wanted to improve the efficiency of our internal technology systems and make any necessary upgrades. We also needed to bring our systems up to the latest ISO 9000 standards.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our firm relies on a number of programs, ranging from manual systems like Word documents that are stored on internal servers to web-based Internet systems. The organization of these systems can be fractured and difficult to comprehend.

Cyber-Duck has provided a series of consultations for modernizing our existing systems and incorporating new technologies. They met with key stakeholders within our business, including finance, marketing, health and safety, along with our own staff of architects and technicians, in order to gain feedback about how our systems function.

Based on these interviews, Cyber-Duck presented us with a detailed map for moving forward. This includes suggestions for structural changes and a number of technology solutions that we're currently reviewing.

What is the team dynamic?

We initially worked with Danny Bluestone [CEO, Cyber-Duck] on the high-level stuff, and he then introduced us to other members of his team, including Gareth [Drew, Technical Director, Cyber-Duck] and Sylvain [Reiter, Client Services, Cyber-Duck].

They also invited me to look at their own systems in their head office, where I met a number of their colleagues. They have a real team approach and engaged with us on a personal level.

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

Our managing director met Danny at a business social and suggested I contact him. We were considering a few companies at the time, but Cyber-Duck impressed us with their broad skill range. They also took the trouble to learn about our company and offered more than generic software suggestions.

How much have you invested with them?

Between £5,000–10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began consultations in December, 2016 and our relationship is ongoing.

To be honest, our end has taken a long time to approve next steps, but Cyber-Duck has remained committed to us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They've certainly opened our eyes to the wide range of available options. We're still in the process of making final choices, but we have settled on core pieces of software based on Cyber-Duck’s recommendations. We’ve also chosen a business database including financial planning tools, and we’ll be building systems around those in the coming months.

We have every confidence that we're heading in the right direction.

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very responsive. It's been difficult to arrange meetings at times, but our end is partially responsible. They're a good company, meaning they’re understandably busy, and the process has always moved at a reasonable pace.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re professional and stay up-to-date with the latest technologies. While we deal with architectural software on a regular basis, we don’t always keep up with general business or social media tools. Cyber-Duck stays abreast of those industry developments and is always keen to share that knowledge with us.

Still, they were quick to recognize any knowledge gaps. They listened to the needs of our architects, and if we suggested a system they were unfamiliar with, they conducted research to ensure they provided a full range of options.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. I can't think of anything.

Advice for potential customers?

It's important to work collaboratively and keep an open mind to solutions. Remember that you’re not just paying for the software, you’re paying to ensure you make the right long-term decisions for your business. I feel confident that Cyber-Duck is helping us make the correct choices.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the digital managing director for a newspaper business. We own two regional newspapers in the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

We originally built and designed our website in-house. We were looking to redesign our websites and move our CMS platform over to the Washington Post CMS platform. We don’t change the website that often, so this was an opportunity to take a fresh look at the website. We don’t have a large amount of design and UX resources in-house. Within the constraints of the platform we’re moving to, we wanted to work with an agency that would help us make the most of that opportunity from both the design and UX point of view, within the limitations of what we’re able to do from a workflow and CMS perspective.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They redesigned our website. We wanted them to do the frontend HTML and CSS so that then we could implement that with our own development team. They did the UX design and some audience research. They helped us develop personas for our audiences and helped with some of the analytics.

What is the team dynamic?

There were two members from Cyber-Duck present during the pitch process. We had a project manager throughout and Matt [Chief Production Officer, Cyber-Duck] was on our calls a lot. We have a core team of two or three and then other people came in when necessary.

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

We went through a process where we identified several agencies that we then contacted. We also asked for recommendations. We ended up having about four agencies come in to see us and give a pitch. The team members from Cyber-Duck were the most convincing with their pitch. We liked them and we thought we could work with them. We liked their approach and felt it was a good fit for what we were looking for.

How much have you invested with them?

Between $50,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2016 and the work ended in December 2016

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were really pleased with the way that Cyber-Duck worked with us. We were relatively challenging as a client given that there are a lot of stakeholders within our business. They had to take everything through quite a long process, and they were very good at that. They were very good at taking us through all the steps of the project and keeping us on track; we were pleased with the way they went about that. The output of the work was good. We maintained a good relationship with them throughout the process.

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

They were good at delivering against the project timelines. Like any project, there were challenges along the way, but they did a good job of keeping the project on track and on time. The overall project did run behind, but I wouldn’t catapult that at their door. They were quite disciplined in their approach.

They had a project management platform that they shared with us which helped us work through all the wireframes, the revisions, and we could leave comments. Their team was really responsive. They were very good at jumping on the phone and making themselves available when we needed them to in addition to our scheduled calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were really good to work with. They were responsive and they worked hard to understand our brief and deliver. I have not been through this process with another agency to compare it to; this is the first redesign I’ve worked on with an agency. Given the complexity of what we were trying to do and the timeframes, they did a great job.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The area we were least impressed with was the data and analytics. We were expecting more in that area with the data-driven decision-making side of things. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

At the time, I was on the marketing team of Mitsubishi Electric’s air conditioning division. We didn’t sell directly to consumers, but we still wanted to reach them. Our main clients were contractors such as air conditioning contractors, plumbers, mechanical and electrical engineers and building contractors.  I no longer work there.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

All the online platforms we had, which included tools for our users, were very difficult to maintain and were not responsive. The journey wasn't clear and we planned to improve our online presence. The idea was to make user channels more available, not just for our business customers, but for end-users and all stakeholders involved in the decision making process. We did this by improving our social media.

The problem then became that we didn't have anywhere to drive our new traffic to because the website was old and didn’t present our marketing activities well. This is where Cyber-Duck came in. They helped us create a new website that was less corporate. They might have done more work since I left, but at the time our budget was quite low. They took our idea of creating a new user-friendly website and made it better. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used a very interesting approach; they were involved in the entire process. They created the user experience, guided the user journey, and then ensured the site was user-friendly, visual, and easy-to-use. They also created a new site for us, a kind of ‘content hub.’ It’s a type of blog, but it has an algorithm in the back that allowed us to change the information on display depending on the type of visitor. That allowed us to reach multiple types of users while staying within our budget. They helped with content as well; it wasn't just website development. They did limited content marketing, coming up with new ideas, but I left before it was produced. 

What is the team dynamic?

They dealt with our marketing team, design team, legal department, and general management at the same time. The work with the marketing team was mostly through arranged meetings. Depending on which stage of the project we were on, it could have been with the design team and the marketing team at the same time. We would spend a few hours brainstorming together. They would direct all those workshops and meetings.

We had a project manager from their end who was always in touch with us. They made sure that we were happy with each decision made in the workshops. They defined the steps before starting the project, and each step was signed off by us. That was good because we could re-assess if we saw changes. 

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

We found them through a referral. Someone in our network was a client of theirs and recommended them to us. When we took them on board, we were looking at three different firms. We invited them to submit a proposal and did some research. We liked Cyber-Duck's proposal and approach the best.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2016, and the project ended in February 2017. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We defined a few KPIs that provided good analytics. It was a digital piece of work, so it's easier to measure now. We set up the analytics for a year into the future, so we still don’t have all the KPI results. We are tracking things like the number of visits, the number of people registering for our newsletter, and the amount of people contacting us to ask for more information.

Before this engagement, the platform we used always needed a third-party for any changes. They developed a CMS that’s easy to use for the internal team. They finished the project and handed over the reigns to our team, who hasn’t needed them.  The reassurance that the technology worked and that it was easy for the team to use was most important for us, not the quantity that we spent.

Any bugs that came up during the process were discovered prior to launch, which is part of every process. After that, the site was quick and easy to use, with no problems. It was simple and easy, so everybody was very happy with it.

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was good; they made it easy. They were using Teamwork.com for management. That platform allows for both calls and emails and is easy to use. It was a good approach. The budget was in line with what we expected and they were generally ahead of schedule. If there were delays, it was on our end, not theirs. They were always available for us and very professional overall.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I've worked with many different digital agencies, but Cyber-Duck made outstanding suggestions. They also knew when to listen to us on what we envisaged. They balanced that very well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a British bank.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

We required a new communication tool for the launch of a banknote in the UK. Specifically, we needed a microsite that could showcase all its features and designs before we hit the market. We needed to hit an awareness target of 60% of the general public.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cyber-Duck was engaged from the very beginning with the designs of our notes. They initiated workshops and brainstorming sessions with key stakeholders of the bank. These sessions helped Cyber-Duck identify content areas and determine how best to present them to the public. Cyber-Duck developed a static HTML5 and CSS website, with no backend development as such. It has a 360-degree rotation feature for the note. There are different sections for the website, including one designed specifically for retailers. They could download informational material like PDFs and brochures in order to prepare businesses for the new note. We involved another agency for designing the overall brand for promoting the note. Cyber-Duck was responsible for the site's design, including its font and color scheme. I don't know how many developers were assigned to our project.

How much have you invested with Cyber-Duck?

This is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Cyber-Duck in April 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Cyber-Duck worked incredibly quickly, delivering the website in only six weeks. This included our lengthy and convoluted sign-up process. The website has been a great success. We track analytics and use Ad Words to drive traffic to it. People have found it useful and resourceful. The site works beautifully on mobile as well.

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

Cyber-Duck delivered the work before our deadline. We used Teamwork as a project management tool. It worked well and allowed us to monitor tasks and communicate in a central, visible way. We could upload images, drafts, and documents whenever we needed to in one central place, rather than across multiple emails. We didn't use any other tools since most communication and file-sharing software is banned in our institution.

What did you find most impressive about Cyber-Duck?

Cyber-Duck accommodated any requests we had, including changes in copy or direction.

Are there any areas Cyber-Duck could improve?

None.

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

I simply recommend that clients go with Cyber-Duck. We've chosen them for the main design of our new website, which says something. I would trust Cyber-Duck's team to know what they were doing. They were on top of the communication, as were we, so there were no issues.