IT Link Solutions

BACKGROUND

Can you give a brief description of what your company does?

My company is an advertising and networking website for small businesses.

What is your position in the company?

I’m the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your business objectives going into this project?

To help small businesses able to build and advertise the small business making a level playing field so everybody could have the advantages of big companies.

Do you remember what the process was for you discovering IT Link Solutions and how you found out about them?

We both came out from the chamber of commerce. I met the owner there. We joined about the same time. I think I joined a little before she did, and we all give presentations as to who we were and what we do. She gave hers, and I liked it. I liked what she said, so we met, and it’s kind of history from there.

SOLUTION

Do you think you could tell me a little bit more about the project itself?

Honestly, I’m not a computer guy. I do the management, but I know that what we had was nothing. Out of nothing, she created this website with the vision that she had was what we needed for the future. I know what I wanted but, not knowing computers or anything, I didn’t know what I’d ask for. Well, she took it, and she ran with it and set me up more than I asked for because she saw what I was going for. To date, it’s been more than what we’ve actually planned on, and she continues to work with us. She continues to have more stuff with us because we’re growing.

It sounds like you came to her with an initial idea of what you needed, and then she did a bit more brainstorming before doing of the design and the development of it?

That’s exactly what happened. Like I said, you can talk to me about text stuff, and I’ll tell you I don’t know, but I can see the screen, I can see what I want, I can tell what I want, and then she understands because she understands the big part about it.

How long ago was the website completed?

We started in this business actually one year ago, so probably about March or April.

Can you say a general cost for the project?

For mine, it was under $5,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How happy are you with the results of the website?

To be honest with you, we’re ecstatic because, with IT Link Solutions, you don’t get just the website. You get the support, too. Anytime you need anything, you call her, she’s there. She answers the phone. She’s like a partner to us now, and is getting paid. She follows her work whereas, with others, you get a website, then here you go. Well, she’s doing far beyond that.

Is there anything special or unique about working with IT Link Solutions compared to other developers you may have worked with?

It’s the honesty and, for me, it was the follow up. She follows up with everything she has and, whatever she says, she does. I know that I have other customers that had websites built by somebody else, and they can’t even get a hold of them to get it even fixed. So, when I ask can you do this? It’s like – absolutely.

Do you think there’s anything that maybe IT Link Solutions could improve a little bit or do slightly better?

No. Not that I’m aware. I’m happy with everything they’ve done. I think they’re the best.

BACKGROUND

Could you give me a brief overview of what your company does?

We are actually an insurance management software specialist. We specialize in insurance management systems, and we deal with a lot of insurance companies.

What is your role within the company?

I’m the head of marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your business goal or objective going into this project?

Since the insurance industry is booming, and it’s going to boom even more in a couple of years, we just wanted to compete with all of the insurance management systems, which are already there for the past 10 to 20 years.

What was your process for selecting IT Link Solutions?

We liked their background. We like the work that they’ve done, and somebody referred them to us. Once we saw their work, we liked it, and their price is better than the other companies, so we kind of went along with them.

SOLUTION

Do you think you could tell me a little bit more about the project they developed for you guys?

They created the website for us, and they did the SEO for us, too. The product that we have, they helped us with that a lot because it is a software that we came up with, and we got their help with that, too. They helped us create that.

How long ago was the website completed?

We are always on and off because this is a new business. We are still making changes, but they finished it for us last year in September. After that, we just made some changes here and there, but the website is done.

Can you share the general cost range for the project?

Actually, I can’t share that and to be very honest, I don’t really have that much information about that.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How happy are you with the results of the website and SEO work?

We’re very content. We don’t have any complaints. They’re always available.

When you were working with IT Link Solutions, is there anything that stood out as being unique or special compared to other developers you may have worked with in the past?

Yes. I think they were very cooperative. They were always available, it doesn’t matter what time. Whenever we tried to reach them or told them we were having some problems with the website, they were always fast to answer.

Do you think there’s anything that you would have done differently or any ways that IT Link Solutions could’ve slightly improve what they do?

No, not really. They pretty much did what we asked them to do.

BACKGROUND

Can you give a brief description of what your company does?

We’re insurance brokers. We have an online enrollment system for the financial services industry. We provide them with insurance. That’s our base as a financial industry. Where [IT Link Solutions] came into play is we set up an online enrollment system, and then we have a backend reporting system that the enrollment system feeds to. That’s where we manage the company from.

What is your role in the company?

I am everything. I’m one of the tech guys, not that I’m the IT guy. We have IT guys, and we have Web design guys. I’m the president, so I just wear all the hats basically, and then dabbling everything.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your company’s goal going into this project?

To be able to process these enrollments more efficiently on a national basis because we’re a national broker. We’re in all 50 states, so we had to have a bigger, faster management system. One side of it would be how you set up a technology base that you can actually get people into the system, which is the online enrollment stuff. On the other end is what do you do with it once you get it, so now you’ve got to manage it – that’s the backend stuff.

What was the process for selecting IT Link Solutions?

They actually worked for a company that my partners used once before.

Was that one of the reasons that you went with them because they’re partially an outsourcing solution?

Yes. My partner worked for a bigger firm before, and they used them. That’s how she knew. I think it was just a comfort level, and they were already involved in the industry. So, we just had a unique set of needs that I wasn’t sure about. That’s probably the problem with the other company in Tennessee. It was very hard for them to wrap their brain around what we were doing.

IT Link Solutions was able to understand it better?

Yes. They were already involved in that industry I think. On top of that, we’re doing something uniquely different.

SOLUTION

What stages in the project was IT Link Solutions involved in?

They designed and built the home system. They acted more like our partners, and definitely provide the technology solutions to our business. How it works was, because we’re the insurance people, is we designed what we wanted and the functions that it had to do. Then, we worked with their programmers on building the system to make it do what we wanted to do.

What would you say is a general cost range for the project?

Well, mine has been less than $100,000. I’m not saying that’s true for everybody else out there. I don’t know.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How successful is the final product?

We’re just now finishing it up, and it’s really on target. Now, we went to do some spells while we were still trying to figure out the best way to do things, but we’ve got all of that done in the program now. We just have a couple more loose ends. We’ve been using it for more than a year. We’ll probably develop it forever. We will never stop developing it because it changes every day.

When you were working with IT Link Solutions, was there anything that stood out to you as being unique or special compared to other developers that you’ve worked with in the past?

We haven’t been exposed to any others. One other developer we use is a company in Tennessee, and I think they are a little more experienced in programming.

IT Link Solutions was more competent than the developers in Tennessee?

Yes. I don’t have a wide range of working with tons of developers, so I really wouldn’t know. But, the ones I have worked with, they’re nice people. Don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think they have the experience to program because we wanted some pretty technical stuff.

Is there anything that you might’ve done differently or think that IT Link Solutions could improve a bit in what they’re doing?

We’ve actually changed our form of communication a little bit, and I think that’s improved in time in how we communicate. There are so many people in our process. There’s three of us just on my end with different ideas and how we wanted to get stuff built. Then, later on, we would change how we were going to build it. We changed up something else, and it would create an issue about the things that we already built and programmed. I would say that the communication process upfront is what everybody has learned. Things are more flexible that they can be changed easily instead of reinventing the wheel.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Director of Marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire IT Link Solutions?

Web Development.

What were your goals for this project?

Content Solutions for Web Platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Mutual connection on LinkedIn.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Web Development Project. 

What was the team composition?

CEO was the point of contact, and his wife was involved too.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

I have suffered a significant loss as a result of dealing with IT Link Solutions.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project was managed by the CEO and he was evasive and kept postponing meetings, assignments, and conversations. I don't recommend this company to anyone.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Nothing at all.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

They can work on professionalism, integrity, business-sense, and knowledge.