ENGAGENCY

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your company?

I work for U.S. Xpress. We’re the third-largest privately held transportation company in the United States, and I run the .NET development department for applications for them.

What is your title?

It’s .NET development manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were attempting to address when you initiated the relationship with ENGAGENCY?

We wanted to build a flexible corporate presence on the Internet. The problem was it was with old technology, obsolete Web software, that required programmers to manage and change content on a regular basis. It was highly inefficient and unnecessarily complicated.

On what platform does your website operate?

It's got a Sitecore backend. We were originally considering SharePoint and Sitecore as potential solutions, but we eventually decided that Sitecore would be a better fit for our business than SharePoint. 

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of the project? For instance, did it involve custom visual design, backend development, training, or support?

We contracted ENGAGENCY on a monthly support contract. Any changes we needed or software upgrades that we go through, we contact them to manage and implement. 

What was the rationale behind your selection of Sitecore instead of SharePoint?

We chose Sitecore as opposed to SharePoint because it was much easier to work with. SharePoint is basically designed as an intranet, not an Internet-type application. We were looking for a content management system that was customer-centric, and that’s what Sitecore is.

How did you select ENGAGENCY as your solution partner?

We were looking for local, reasonably priced vendors with in-house talent because, obviously, like SharePoint or Sitecore, they both require specific types of skill sets to work with. ENGAGENCY had a staff that could do that and we felt confident in their ability to deliver value to us. They've supported us for nearly three years now. 

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in monetary terms?

No. I can't disclose that information. 

This partnership remains ongoing?

Correct. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work they’ve delivered?

It’s been great having a local company that I can make a phone call to. If it’s an immediate issue, [they have a] very quick turnaround time on correcting a problem, typically within 24 to 48 hours. When I have a long-term larger module schedule to be done, they’re very quick at working them in and getting them out the door. They’ve never gone over budget.

When working with ENGAGENCY, is there anything you would consider unique or special about them compared to other vendors with which you’ve worked?

No. They’re a friendly company to work with. They get the job done. They’re easy to talk to. They hold fast to their quotes and everything they’ve done for me is pretty much error free and bug free. If there is an issue at all, they get it fixed immediately.

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your company?

I work for the South Carolina Federal Credit Union.

What is your position?

I’m the marketing segment manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were attempting to address when you initiated the relationship with ENGAGENCY?

We have a number of different websites and we need to be nimble with our changes. We make changes and perform updates quite frequently. We needed to identify a partner able to help us in a way that would be very responsive, attractive, and at a reasonable price. ENGAGENCY has proven to be an excellent partner in that regard.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of the project? For example, did it involve custom design, backend development, training, or support?

They originally handled the complete Sitecore implementation from conception to deployment. They’ve since delivered training, and excellent customer service platform for addressing issues, helping us with the ability to make updates ourselves as well as these things that are beyond our capabilities in a timely manner. They also handle some of our recurring design work.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in monetary terms?

We can’t disclose financial information, but I can tell you that there’s a very large-scale website and a handful of microsites. 

When was the most recent project completed?

Projects remain ongoing for them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics or metrics that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work ENGAGENCY has delivered?

I don’t have any metrics or figures to share with you, other than the fact that I would wholeheartedly recommend ENGAGENCY to anyone looking for a partner to help with their digital marketing efforts, and in keeping their websites updated, attractive, and running efficiently in a timely manner.

When working with ENGAGENCY, is there anything you would consider unique or special about them compared to other vendors you’ve worked with?

The standout things to me are that the people are a pleasure to work with and that their response time is tremendous. I have worked with many similar agencies throughout the years, but I haven’t found anyone to be as responsive as this group is. Having a responsive and accessible vendor is crucial for us.

In retrospect, are there areas that you think they could improve upon, or are there things you might do differently as the client before approaching this type of project?

I don’t have any areas for improvement. We’ve been entirely satisfied with the work delivered by ENGAGENCY thus far.

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your company?

I work for Vail Resorts. I work in the hospitality division as an online marketing and digital experience manager. I oversee the websites focused on lodging and Iconic Weddings, which is our own brand. We have resorts in California, Colorado, Utah, and Jamaica as well as some properties in the Grand Teton National Park.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenge(s) you were attempting to address when you initiated the relationship with Engagency?

I actually didn’t begin the relationship, but I’ve been working with this to create a better experience for our users. We wanted a more engaging and interactive website that our users could derive some real value from. Our previous website had numerous design flaws, both aesthetic and functional. We wanted to streamline the entire experience and make it more memorable.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of the project? For example, did it involve custom visual design, backend development, training, and ongoing support?

We wanted to redesign the site to make it a simpler and easier to read, take out some extra content, and focused on guiding the experience for the bride. Engagency was responsible for the custom design work, which included wire framing, template creation, UI/UX testing, deployment and ongoing support.

How did you choose Engagency as your solution partner?

I wasn’t involved in the procurement process. I know that we decided to build on the Sitecore platform, but I have no idea what process initiated. I suspect they were at the very least chosen based on their Sitecore partner certification.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in monetary terms?

I believe the website redesign was somewhere between $20,000 and $22,000.

When was the most recent project completed with Engagency?

Our site was finished in August of 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics or user feedback that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work they’ve delivered?

I don’t have any figures for you. I can tell you that our redesigned site is a far cry from our previous version. We receive a good amount of positive feedback from our users, and we rarely have site malfunctions when compared to the previous version.

When working with Engagency, is there anything you would consider unique or special about them compared to other service providers you’ve worked with?

Engagency has been a great technology partner. They do a wonderful job of examining the business and then formulating valuable ideas. They then collaborate closely with you to hone the deployment and ensure everything stays within the project scope. They walk you through the process step by step, which is important to us.

In retrospect, are there any areas that you think they could improve upon, or are there things you might do differently as the client before approaching this type of project?

I couldn’t really pinpoint anything for you. We’ve been impressed by their performance and we’re definitely pleased with our new website.

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your company?

Legrand is a global company. We’re an electrical, data, and power systems manufacturer. Our products are installed in a variety of locations; especially places with wired power, lighting, or databases. We also have divisions that branch into the automation segments with home automation, typically high-end residential home automations.

What is your position?

I’m the interactive project manager. I work in the marketing department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were attempting to address when you initiated the relationship with ENGAGENCY?

I was actually brought on after the relationship was already established. However, I do have knowledge of it, if you want to hear that. Legrand is a business of acquisition. We have a lot of mergers and acquisitions, always looking to bolster and strengthen our portfolio of businesses that are synergistic.

About six years ago, there was an initiative to bring some of the older, traditional, 100-year plus companies under our corporate brand. There’s also some positioning involved. Some of these companies are what we refer to as autonomous brands, but these are our core product lines, if you will. Part of the effort was to consolidate them into a single platform under the Legrand name.  

SOLUTION

What platform did you select for the transition?

We chose the Sitecore CMS.

Could you describe the scope of the project? For instance, did it include custom visual design, backend development, training, or support?

We’ve worked with ENGAGENCY as our dedicated development partner. We usually delegate the design work to another vendor, or handle it in-house. We leverage ENGAGENCY exclusively for their technical expertise.

How did you select ENGAGENCY as your solution partner?

Again, that was prior to my being with Legrand. However, I believe it was a referral. They were also one of several Sitecore certified partners we’d discovered through Microsoft.

Could provide a sense of the size of this initiative in monetary terms?

I can tell you we’re a $1 billion company. We have an SLA [service level agreement] with them. However, a lot of the work is done in specific project scopes. I will say, between all of the work, at least in my three and a half years with Legrand, we’re probably talking more than half a million dollars in cumulative investments.

When was the most recent project completed?

We always have ongoing projects with ENGAGENCY because, as I’d mentioned, we’re really utilizing them as our development partner. We’re continually making upgrades and enhancements to our site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work they’ve delivered?

Yes, I can say that as far as our Web properties are concerned, we’ve seen our site visits and engagements increase well more than 400 percent in the time that I’ve been here. The quality of our site, both functional and aesthetic, has also increased dramatically. 

Do you remain confident that Sitecore was the correct platform for your expanding business needs?

I definitely think that Sitecore provides a number of valuable solutions for its users. I’ve been impressed with its broad range of capabilities and its customizability. I suspect we’ll be using it for some time in the future.

How do you think ENGAGENCY has performed on these various projects?

They’ve really been excellent. We continue our relationship with them on the basis of their exemplary work. They’re very thorough in their development procedures and consistent in their delivery.