Phillip Dews Freelance Web Developer

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of i-Secured Limited, a data privacy and information security consultancy company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with THE WEB ENGINEER?

My website was a little outdated and boring. To a lot of people, our industry is complex, dull, and uninteresting, so I needed to bring the site to life in order to get people to engage with it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The website was built from scratch using PHP. I had a clear picture in my mind in terms of the look and feel as well as the colors I wanted, which they brought to life for me. There were a couple of points where I had an idea and we talked it through, then they gave me suggestions that worked well.

I wanted the website to contain some information, but more importantly, to help the customer on their journey. Essentially, it’s a sales funnel to lead them to the various different solutions we offer.

What is the team composition?

Everything was done internally.

How did you come to work with THE WEB ENGINEER?

Phillip (Owner, THE WEB ENGINEER) was recommended to me by another business contact I’ve known for a few years. He’d shown me some of his previous work, and the costs involved. I looked at some competitors, but one of the things that stuck with me was the personal service I wouldn’t get anywhere else.

How much have you invested in them?

I spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October–December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I know that visitors to my new website have found it to be more engaging and easier to navigate.

How did THE WEB ENGINEER perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly communicated through email or telephone, plus I visited Philip every 10 days or so. They put up a temporary site so I could look at it whenever I wanted, which was helpful too.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The personal service really stood out, as nothing was too much trouble for them. They wanted to do the job properly and built thoroughly to make sure that the standard was met.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The detail is critical. There were a few things that they felt were done, but in my mind, they weren’t. When I pointed those out, they quickly took care of them. It was about what I wanted from my website and the level of detail I looked into.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you let them know what needs to be done and stay on top of it, they do a great job—trust them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the executive director of Customer Communications Management Services Ltd. We provide technical consultancy and support for OpenText products across a range of business sectors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire THE WEB ENGINEER?

THE WEB ENGINEER needed to redesign and build our fit-for-purpose web presence in very short timescales.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed an acceptable level of web presence ahead of an international conference, for which I planned to present and give interviews. Furthermore, the team needed to keep the site well-maintained.  

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I received a recommendation. Two of my consultants and I had several conversations with THE WEB ENGINEER and also considered three other web development firms, but those vendors proved unable to deliver.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project had a full Black Box solution requirement. THE WEB ENGINEER led the design, content, and presentation processes. Specifically, they conducted interviews and created wireframes. The team now maintains the site.

What was the team composition?

The team includes business analysis, design, and development resources.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team delivered on time and on budget. We’ve grown our network of consultants and generated new sales leads.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

This was by no means a large-scale project, but I'd say it was managed effectively and efficiently. We have gradually phased out feedback from daily to weekly and then monthly frequencies.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The Speed of delivery and the designers’ creativity stood out.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything.