Optimum Consultancy Services

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Verger Development Solutions performs IT training and consulting, project management, and business analysis training. I am the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Optimum?

Optimum developed an Android mobile application for one of our sister companies, PowerToManage.com.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app pulls energy usage data from the city managed side. It goes to different sites and performs several API calls. It was a complicated app because they had to interface with those different sites and it had to be done on-demand, as opposed to a scheduled pull.

How did you come to work with Optimum?

I think I met Tina at a project management conference. We had a couple of conference calls and face-to-face meetings. I looked at the work they’ve done and talked to Tina, and saw she was committed to making sure we got what we needed. She really listened and didn’t treat us like every other client. Any concerns were addressed right away and the feedback was timely. If there was something Tina didn’t understand, she asked questions until she understood what we needed. We also had the opportunity to speak directly to the developers.

How much have you invested with Optimum?

We’ve spent $12,000 in total with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Optimum in Spring of 2015 and we launched the project in September of 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has been downloaded by several companies. We’ve had to tweak the app based on feedback from users. Most people think it’s pretty intuitive and flows pretty well. It sends a notice to users when their bill is due. One of the energy companies' sites went down and Tina researched to find the problem and worked with us to solve the issue.

How did Optimum perform from a project management standpoint?

Tina was the project manager and when we met, she gave me a tentative timeline and we worked together on milestones. As we found additional features we needed, we negotiated the price by taking away functionality in order to stay on budget. We communicated via email bi-weekly and if we needed to, we would have conference calls.

What did you find most impressive about Optimum?

They’re great at getting feedback from us and communicating about how everything is working. When I contact them, they respond in a timely manner.

Are there any areas Optimum could improve?

I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am an attorney practicing in the field of criminal defense. Most of my work is in the white-collar healthcare defense field.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Optimum?

I wanted to increase my profile among potential consumers making searches, while also providing an informative, sophisticated, and appealing web product for my prospective client base.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Optimum has developed my website from start to finish, and provided SEO [search engine optimization] and pay-per-click services.

How did you come to work with Optimum?

I found Optimum through word-of-mouth from someone who was connected with the company.

How much have you invested with Optimum?

Optimum had a higher upfront expenditure when they were getting my site up and running. I spend around $500 per year on Optimum's services, for additions to the site. I was spending up to $2,000 per month for online marketing, but I stopped it after my business became more substantial.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with Optimum in the beginning of 2013, and continue to do so.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we were working on SEO and other marketing campaigns, I regularly received calls from prospective clients who fit the profile of my target. Optimum was effective in getting accurate traffic for my business.

How did Optimum perform from a project management standpoint?

If I have a new project or design which we haven't tried before, I can meet Optimum's team in person. They are geared towards inter-personal relationships. Using gesturing and body language when communicating an idea helps people better understand what is being communicated. For things which didn't require groundbreaking discussions, we made quotes via email, I put a check in the mail, and the work got done right away.

What did you find most impressive about Optimum?

I've been satisfied with everything that Optimum has done, but their client service is above and beyond what I would normally expect. Compared to a number of different companies which offer the same service, even though they may all do a great job, Optimum's level of service is higher.

Are there any areas Optimum could improve?

I never felt dissatisfied with anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

FIVESEED is a digital marketing agency focused on nonprofit and membership organizations. I am the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Optimum?

We needed to implement digital campaigns, so we partnered with Optimum for project management services, creative work, and digital strategy work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The main area they've supported us in is project management including client communication, timeline development, deliverables, and final reporting and analysis of campaigns. They've provided landing page design and development, some e-commerce work, email marketing strategy, analytics reporting, and HTML support. They've also provided creative design and implementation for online advertising and Facebook campaigns.

How did you come to work with Optimum?

We searched Google for landing page designers because that was our initial need. In time, we found out about the wide range of capabilities they had, so we expanded our partnership to include different strategy and creative services.

How much have you invested with Optimum?

We spend $40,000 to $50,000 per year with Optimum, and that continues to increase.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been with them since December 2014, and we continue to work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Partnering with them has allowed us to scale our business because we've had flexible resources and because of the cost-effectiveness. Our campaigns have been successful on ROI [return on investment] and client satisfaction, which leads to return business from our clients and allows us to demonstrate our capabilities and grown our business.

How did Optimum perform from a project management standpoint?

They were exceptional in terms of project management. The one person who works with me on project management communicates by email, phone calls, and a project management software program.

What did you find most impressive about Optimum?

They're one of the best partners I've ever worked with in terms of their responsiveness and professionalism. They are very committed to the quality of their work.

Are there any areas Optimum could improve?

They're always adapting, so if we identify areas that need improvement, we work work together to solve those issues.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and owner of a small company that makes vitamins.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Optimum?

I had a WordPress site that I made myself as a complete novice. That’s why I was looking for someone to truly optimize my website. I want to make it user-friendly, appealing to the viewer, and easy to navigate.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Optimum was able to listen, take my vision, and improve the site. I already had my domain and an outline of what I thought I wanted, but they came in and revamped the whole site.

They added and optimized WooCommerce to the site. It’s mobile-responsive and also works well for desktop.

How did you come to work with Optimum?

I did a search and Optimum came up, along with a couple others. I sent out my information asking for a quote and also for a callback, and they were quite responsive. Their price range, too, was pretty good. I decided to go with Optimum due to how quickly they responded to me.

How much have you invested with Optimum?

I’ve paid $1,500 for their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

It was a one-off engagment; the project ended 10 months ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My site has been up for 10 to 11 months now. The site has a really nice slider when you land on the page, calling for action right away. Those were the things that really added a good touch. They helped get the images without it being too expensive and got me to pick different things I wanted for the slider on the site.

At every step of the way, Tina sent me multiple choices for what she thought would be good to see if it fit what I wanted. She was very easy to work with and very responsive. As a matter of fact, even before the site went live, we actually met up in person and went over everything. Their door is still open as well. If I have any problems at all that need to be solved, their door is open. They showed me how to do different things on the backend when it could’ve been easy for them to charge me more money. I thought that was really nice.

How did Optimum perform from a project management standpoint?

It was a very good experience. Tina was very easy to reach.

What did you find most impressive about Optimum?

It’s not just one thing; it was the whole experience. At every step of the way, I felt my job was a priority. I believe it could have been the same thing if I called them off the bat and said, “Hey, I have this idea.” That’s exactly how it felt. We were doing everything over again. I think it was the whole experience in guiding me through it all. They made sure I paid for the right type of security site because it’s an HTTPS site.

It would’ve been perfect if I’d gone to them first without having to do anything at all. That way, I wouldn’t have had to work. Everything could have been created from scratch without me lifting a finger. That’s the way it felt. They just literally revamped everything. That would’ve been easier for me. Maybe it meant something for my own education, but I will not be doing it again in that if I want to build another site. I’m just going to call her from the get-go.