Saffron Edge

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our foundation focuses on environment change and sustainable development. I am an Assistant Manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saffron Tech?

We were working on developing a PHP [Hypertext Preprocessor] imaging database for the Indian market, which we wanted to publish as a public-domain platform. It is meant to host data gathered for India and the United States, for the period between 2007 and 2012. It's a very large database, including infographics, charts, and other elements, making it easy for people to visualize the data.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Saffron Tech developed our platform using PHP. We developed the database ourselves, and Saffron Tech developed the software around it and published it on our website. We worked with more than 5 people from their team, including a project manager.

How did you come to work with Saffron Tech?

We made a Google search and found Saffron Tech's name among the top developers in and around Delhi. We asked for some sample work, and Saffron Tech's examples were better than other ones.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Saffron Tech in March 2016. The first phase of our project has been completed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're quite satisfied with Saffron Tech's work. Since I don't come from a software engineering background, I appreciated the fact that Saffron Tech also provided us with training on how to use the website, and make changes ourselves. We were given a detailed manual for the backend and user processes. Whenever we called them, Saffron Tech answered our requests quickly and fixed any issues within the hour.  We're satisfied with their work and plan to renew our contract with Saffron Tech.

How did Saffron Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

Saffron Tech provided more work than was included in our contract, and always delivered on time. We were kept up-to-date with the progress of the work, and Saffron Tech was willing to work with us until 11 or 12 at night when we were nearing the website launch.

What did you find most impressive about Saffron Tech?

Saffron Tech is an interactive team, and they were able to understand our non-technical requirements. Saffron Tech was available to us whenever we called and updated our team on the status of the website.

Are there any areas Saffron Tech could improve?

There were a few technical glitches with our website, but they were fixed quickly.

Do you have any recommendations for others considering working with Saffron Tech?

Saffron Tech is good in its field, and I highly recommend them, but I don't have any specific advice.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Kenney Legal Defense Corporation is based in Costa Mesa, California. I am the owner and founding attorney of the firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saffron Tech?

I have a criminal defense firm, which operates in an extremely competitive market in our county.

I've worked with several other companies in the past, which were not transparent at all. They never provided status reports or anything of the sort, and I was paying up to 4 times the amount that Saffron Tech charges me. I couldn't be happier with the change, especially in terms of cost.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Saffron Tech initially designed my WordPress website. I was having problems with the other marketing agencies I was using, so I started using Saffron Tech for organic SEO and social media marketing services for our firm. We don't use pay-per-click at this point. I've tried this using a few other companies, and it wasn't worth the money within our area.

How did you come to work with Saffron Tech?

I found them through online research and was really impressed by their team and their attitude. I liked the service that I received after the pitch, so I went with them.

How much have you invested with Saffron Tech?

The total annual cost of Saffron Tech's services is under $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with Saffron Tech one year ago. We have an ongoing relationship. Whenever I need content changes on my site, Saffron Tech is more than willing to do it for me.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Given that I'm a solo practitioner, I don't have time to evaluate metrics. All I can say is that my traffic has improved over the last few months, which has had an impact on my bottom line.

How did Saffron Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

I work directly with one person from Saffron Tech. He sends me weekly emails of the work done by them, including site listings, social media marketing stats, keyword performance, and so on. I've never had such a level of service with another company.

What did you find most impressive about Saffron Tech?

Even though they operate out of the US and India, and some people may criticize outsourcing, I've received the best customer service by far from Saffron Tech, compared to US-based SEO companies, which are very expensive and not very transparent.

Are there any areas anything Saffron Tech could improve?

I don't have any criticisms at this point.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Saffron Tech?

If any prospecting customer is having doubts about Saffron Tech, they should at least try them out. They will be surprised at the level of customer service that Saffron Tech can offer.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an online marketing firm. I am the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saffron Tech?

Saffron Tech acts as an extension of our company, helping us with different projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the most part, we have used Saffron Tech for web design, SEO [search engine optimization], pay-per-click, and reputation management.

How did you come to work with Saffron Tech?

I was initially working with a few different companies, but I came to choose Saffron Tech because I liked their communication. They deliver on time and have very good work ethic.

How much have you invested with Saffron Tech?

I cannot provide an exact figure. We have ongoing SEO projects with Saffron Tech, which have monthly costs. Web design work will take anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks, depending on how complex a site is.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Saffron Tech 3 years ago, and have no plans to stop. We've used Saffron Tech on over 30 projects over time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I'm very satisfied. Saffron Tech always delivered what they promised. Any issues will always be pointed out in time, so I haven't had any problems. My customers have been happy with what Saffron Tech provided.

How did Saffron Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

They are great in this aspect. I am impressed by their professionalism and organization.

What did you find most impressive about Saffron Tech?

Saffron Tech has great communication skills.

Are there any areas Saffron Tech could improve?

Saffron Tech's team is a little overworked, so they should hire more people.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Saffron Tech?

Any future clients should stay in communication and provide as much information as they can to Saffron Tech, in order to get the best results.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Complete Controller provides accounting services to small businesses and households across the nation. We have a twofold approach, providing a hosting platform for books and records as well as services in the form of a bookkeeper and controller team for each client. Our team has been fully trained and vetted. They're also monitored by our company and are subject to peer reviews, ensuring that our clients have a great experience.

What is your position?

I am the chief executive officer and founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Saffron Tech?

We wanted to modernize our website and make sure that we were maximizing its potential for SEO [search engine optimization], taking advantage of the tools that are available currently. It had been built on a very old version of Joomla. The first step was adopting a modern platform.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Saffron Tech reviewed our old site and made a proposal for what the new one should look like, developing a solution that would be congruent with our brand, not deviating too far from our old page. It had received some feedback but, at the same time, needed to be modernized. Saffron Tech brought our old designs over, making sure that they functioned properly, going over a series of reviews with me.

Saffron Tech did a lot of back-end research in terms of SEO. By the time the new site was completed, we were prepared to launch into the SEO efforts, which was great. Saffron Tech was great in terms of timing and coordination, which is usually difficult to find in a vendor. As a business owner, I often found myself working as the project manager, which wasn't the case with Saffron Tech. This was one of the main things that impressed me about Saffron Tech's work.

How did you come to work with Saffron Tech?

We researched various companies that had received awards for their work. I, my partner and our chief technical officer interviewed each of those companies, asked them for proposals, and graded them based on feedback, ability to communicate, depth of proposals, and what we could receive for our money, ultimately selecting Saffron Tech.

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

We expect to spend up to $10,000 this year for Saffron Tech's services, including our site build and monthly SEO and updates.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our site was completed eight weeks ago. The SEO portion of our project is ongoing. Saffron Tech also works with us on a monthly basis for site updates, which is very convenient because I haven't had to look for another company for upkeep tasks. I appreciate the continuity offered by Saffron Tech.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Our traffic has improved, although it hasn't reached our goals yet. Since it was completed recently, it will require a bit more time to get traction. We are very happy with the fact that several different avenues are being used in order to encourage more traffic to the site. Saffron Tech has kept us informed about how we could help, in terms of creating content or setting up avenues that could link back to the site. We're definitely headed in the right direction, which is promising.

Other SEO companies that we used didn't produce significant results, even after three to four months of work. With Saffron Tech, we're seeing some forward progress. 

Saffron Tech has sent us analytics reports, but this is not something that I can decipher easily. For me, one of the proofs of the pudding is new business. We received a call from Florida the other day, which is not our home state. The client told us that they found us easily, which is what we're looking for. We have proof that our site converts. We just need to have more people looking for accounting and bookkeeping services to visit it.

How did Saffron Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

At the beginning of our project, Saffron Tech had a conference call with everyone involved, letting us know what the point of accountability was in the event that we couldn't reach someone or needed a project status report. We were kept informed throughout.

What distinguishes Saffron Tech from other providers?

At the end of a project, everyone will usually disperse and cease communication, but Saffron Tech 's principal made a point of calling personally and finding out from us what our experience was, where they could improve, whether or not we were likely to do business with them again, and so on. I thought that this was important, especially coming from a small business owner. He is aware of the strengths and weaknesses within his own team, so he will be able to provide excellent service in the future.

Is there anything Saffron Tech could have improved or done differently?

When our site first came out, the page clicks were slow, for example. We counted a few seconds before a page would turn. When I mentioned this to Saffron Tech, it was resolved. Anything that came up and created a frustration for us was fixed, which says a lot. Creating a great website is one thing, but hearing a client's problems and responding accordingly is also important. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a travel website based in Germany. We specialize in the Southeast Asian market. I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saffron Tech?

We were looking for a company to build our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Saffron Tech was responsible for building our site from scratch. I had a large impact on the design, of course, but they did everything to get the site running.

How did you come to work with Saffron Tech?

I looked at multiple companies both in Europe and the United States, and all of their quotes were outrageously expensive. I found Saffron Tech through the internet.

How much have you invested with Saffron Tech?

The total cost of our project was between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The timeline was about 6 months from 2015 into 2016. We plan to continue working with Saffron Tech for various search engine optimization and development services in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site is still very new, and we have not begun extensive marketing, so our traffic is still low. However, I feel very confident in the quality of the work Saffron Tech did for us.

What did you find most impressive about Saffron Tech?

Saffron Tech performed very well from a quality perspective, and I always felt like I knew what was going on and where the project was in terms of meeting our deadlines.

Are there any areas Saffron Tech could improve?

I think whenever you hire an offshore provider there are always going to be small things that get missed, or you have to do yourself. But that’s what you’re paying for by saving so much money.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a full-service digital media company offering web development, search engine optimization, pay-per-click management, social media marketing, full blending, and so on. Our clients are based in the US and the UK.

What is your position?

I am the owner of the company. Some of my responsibilities are looking after clients on a day-to-day basis, taking care of graphic design and web development jobs. I oversee everything that goes on within the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with IT Chimes?

I needed resources for client web development jobs.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

We outsource coding and web development to IT Chimes.

How did you come to work with IT Chimes?

I use multiple developers in India. I was looking for a new company and researched candidates which offered web development. I went through a Skype interview with IT Chimes and started using them.

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

This is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with IT Chimes 6 months ago. We have an ongoing relationship with no plans to stop.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

IT Chimes is good at what they do and they offer a good service. They're fast, reliable, and respond in time.

How did IT Chimes perform from a project management standpoint?

They are able to manage projects from major clients in the US and UK. There are many offshore teams that we work with that cannot satisfy our demands. We work with probably three really strong teams that are elite partners like IT Chimes.

What distinguishes IT Chimes from other providers?

IT Chimes is very responsive, compared to other offshore teams.

Is there anything IT Chimes could have improved or done differently?

They could offer cheaper pricing because it’s higher than a lot of comparable companies. However, I stick with them because they also offer above average quality compared to others.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a digital marketing and development agency.

What is your position?

I am the owner and operator of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with IT Chimes?

IT Chimes act as one of our developers and Internet marketing services providers. They're our primary partner in many projects. I am able to leverage my business resources well through their ability to hire multiple people for the price of a single local resource. There is a tradeoff in terms of working remotely and with a time difference, but I've found that the gains offset the losses.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

On the development side, IT Chimes work on more advanced PHP programming and WordPress theme customizations. They have abilities on the design side, but their strength lies in development. We also work with clients that are focused on search engine marketing. I run several accounts through IT Chimes.

How did you come to work with IT Chimes?

At the time, I was working with several other overseas providers, some of whom I still collaborate with. IT Chimes found me, which is unusual. Usually, when looking for an overseas partner, contact is mostly done through email, which doesn't give a very trusting impression. In 2011, I received a call from one of their business development managers. I initially thought it would be just another cold call that wouldn't lead to anything, but they described their company, and I sent them some project material. Their work was good, and they proposed a meeting with their chief executive officer, who would be traveling to the United States. I set up a meeting with him and I liked his approach. We then started working with one another.

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

I use each of their three divisions and each one of our client has different needs, so it's hard to estimate. The development had a cost of less than $10,000 within the first year. We spent closer to $25,000 in the second year and, in the last year, we engaged in a big project that will have a cost of more than $50,000.

With regard to Internet marketing, I'd used IT Chimes on a retainer basis until this year. In 2016, this service is expected to cost anywhere between $12,000 and $20,000. We haven't had very big mobile development projects so far. An average figure per year is $50,000. I wouldn't trust many overseas companies with projects going to the six-figure range, but I would trust IT Chimes.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2012. The work is ongoing. I have no plans of ending the collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

My clients never get to see the internal clockwork of the work we produce. They've been satisfied for the most part. There was one instance of someone on the Internet marketing side who wasn't satisfied with the services. It wasn't specifically my fault or that of IT Chimes – the client had very high expectations. In general, though, satisfaction levels have been good.

One thing that I find amazing about IT Chimes is that they go outside of the normal barriers of offshore IT work. With U.S. companies, everything comes down to what's written on the contract. This might be due to the relationship I've built with IT Chimes through the years, but they've been very flexible and understanding with me. They don't treat us as a client, but as a partner.

How did IT Chimes perform from a project management standpoint?

One of the challenges when working on big development projects is respecting the timeline. An overseas company, whether in India or Europe, will have a cultural difference in this sense. I've learned how to operate within this context, and IT Chimes has learned what our expectations are. On some development projects, we may go over time and scope, but this can't be entirely attributed to the quality of work done by them. Scopes could have been better developed on our side at times, too. Their work is by no means perfect, but it wouldn't necessarily be better had I been working with a local developer, at five times the cost.

What distinguishes IT Chimes from other providers?

They offer staff presence during U.S. hours for their Internet marketing services. Not a lot of overseas companies do that. I'm a night owl, so having the flexibility of working with the developers late at night and picking up the rest of the work early in the morning makes things quite easier.

Is there anything IT Chimes could have improved or done differently?

They could work faster. Speed is not always their fault – it's simply the nature of the beast. Maybe I've been spoiled by their offerings on the Internet marketing side, but having development teams during our local 9 to 5 timespan would be beneficial. Generally speaking, from my experience with other Indian companies, IT Chimes is proficient in English, but they could improve by adding a few more project managers. To be honest, I'm nitpicking. Our only major concern is to do with timelines, increasing delivery speed.

BACKGROUND

I work for a small bank lender that focuses on church ministries. We provide financing to churches. I am a Senior Vice President and lender.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

I needed a new commercial website and online portal back-end. We wanted to focus on offshore firms that were less expensive. I also like how the large Indian firms can provide design, development, and many other technology competencies in one package.

SOLUTION

IT Chimes was selected from an internet search. They provide web design and development plus back-end portal development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

They are fast, cheap, and very strong with communication. I have worked with IT Chimes for almost four months and have no problems with their service. I recommend them to others and am completely satisfied.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the COO of Filament

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

we help brands run safe youtube campaigns, removing waste and driving performance with contextual targeting

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Saffron Edge to accomplish?

• Increase organic site visitors
• improve and optimize the website

SOLUTION

How did you find Saffron Edge?

Online Search

Why did you select Saffron Edge over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• fit our needs

How many teammates from Saffron Edge were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

SEO, content production, and website optimization

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

generate monthly web traffic, monthly production of content, backlinks and domain authority

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

the project management team is good. there were sometimes some errors, which the account team was embarassed about and quickly corrected. The work was generaly good quality, we are in a niche so there's some specialized konwledge that we needed to provide. once or twice there was AI generated work, which is not inherently bad, but also lacked some of the nuance needed

What was your primary form of communication with Saffron Edge?

Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

they work quickly, have good processes, and the work was of good quality

Are there any areas for improvement or something Saffron Edge could have done differently?

check the work before delivery, especially revisions

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the executive of Making the Grade Project

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

At Making the Grade, we deliver practical, brain-based executive function solutions—through coaching, training, and tools—that help educators, individuals and organizations across industries manage their time, energy, and goals more effectively for lasting success.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Saffron Edge to accomplish?

• Search engine optimization of our website
• Refresh content on 10 of our website pages

SOLUTION

How did you find Saffron Edge?

Online Search

Why did you select Saffron Edge over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Saffron Edge were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Provide backend SEO of our current website to raise visibility and sales.

Provide support with the structure, content, and keywords of our main pages of our website to assist with SEO.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Website and SEO audit.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The team was so personable and responsive via email and Basecamp, and very helpful and supportive on our weekly calls. They were transparent about timing and goals of the project.

What was your primary form of communication with Saffron Edge?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The weekly check in calls were so helpful and went above and beyond the support we'd expect in a project like this.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Saffron Edge could have done differently?

Not that I can think of!