Uptek

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Partner / Business Director of Backflip

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Backflip is a creative marketing studio. Video production and website design and development comprise the vast majority of revenues. Other marketing related services include branding, print and design, consulting, and digital marketing projects and campaigns.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Uptek to accomplish?

• Website Development, especially new websites
• Website Support

SOLUTION

How did you find Uptek?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select Uptek over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• High end ability

How many teammates from Uptek were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We utilize Uptek as our go to Web Developer and ongoing Web Support for new websites that we design or existing websites that we service. We have weekly check in meetings about the various projects and problem solve together. We feel that they are an extension or even a part of our creative company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Numerous projects, all successful! : )

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

They deliver on or ahead of time! Uptek is responsive and are eager "to get it right".

What was your primary form of communication with Uptek?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Many things, but one is how well the head of Uptek knows English so well, knows customers / their needs, and how to develop websites and perform web support at a high level of expertise. And he is creating a company around him to strive to do the same.

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

One of their developers that we work with is hard to understand. I can only imagine how hard it must be to learn English as a second language and try to keep up with us fast talking Americans.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an online ecommerce platform which sells plus-size women's clothing. I am the chief software architect.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Uptek, and what were your goals?

We had a Wordpress blog which had undergone a lot of different refactoring and updates, which ended up turning it into a mess of plugins and inconsistent designs. We hired Uptek to completely rewrite the blog using the new Gutenberg wordpress templates, as well as update the pages to our new look and feel.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We had previously worked with their principal developer who is amazingly talented. He was confident in the project and even provided us a demo proof of concept.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We initially worked with Uptek to review a proof-of-concept prototype using Wordpress Gutenberg. From there we scoped out the work to create the new pages using our new designs and typography, along with a new internal workflow in the Wordpress admin. Uptek was integrated with our company's JIRA ticketing system so all project work was tracked.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We had three people from the team. One was a project manager, another a developer, and another was a senior developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The end product was very high quality -- a completely new Wordpress system on the latest technology with really no bugs/issues that we could find. It greatly improved our creative team's ability to get out new posts and articles with less work.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Communication with the team was excellent - he was integrated into our company's Slack channel and was always available to answer questions. He also managed the JIRA tickets for our blog work so we could see how progress was being made.

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

They have some really unique and strong talent that you rarely find in an "offshore" development firm.

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

Overall we were very happy with the result. There were some times where certain team members were not as communicative but whenever we dealt with the principals they were always quick to respond and correct any issues.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a technical lead for a marketing company specializing in home services. We provide marketing, SEO, and PPC, and website creation services for small business owners, and have partnered with Uptek to provide website construction services when needed.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Uptek, and what were your goals?

Our company was in need of website development services from an influx of customers. The goal was to deliver a 50+ page website with a custom look using a standardized theme builder and they delivered the website on time to the end user's satisfaction.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Our business owner had worked with Uptek before and vouched for the quality of their work.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The project was an approximate 60 page website for a home improvement company. The website's end user company was able to provide us very basic information including some photography, and a link to their previous website. Uptek was able to reconstruct the website using Wordpress, and Elementor to deliver an outstanding replica of their original site that would allow for future modifications and changes in the future.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked directly with two members of the Uptek team at managerial levels. A majority of our communication was done via E-mail. The team was very communicative and easy to correspond with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

My company's end user was extremely satisfied with the work done and the site that was delivered. The end user has gone on to purchase additional services with our company and has seen a sizeable increase in sales that they attribute to the new website's ability to be better updated and adjusted for search engine optimization purposes.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

A majority of my communication has been done via E-mail, with occasional notes being exchanged via workflow programs such as Asana.

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

Uptek's work ethic, attention to detail, and ease of communication have made them a pleasure to work with.

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

With Uptek being a country located overseas, the time zone difference occasionally leads to communication gaps. With that in mind, the team regularly is available in the early mornings and evenings, and daily e-mail communication is possible and works well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the director of communications of a U.S.-based national association for Children's Advocacy Centers: the places where children can go to get investigative and treatment services after abuse.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Uptek, and what were your goals?

We hired Uptek to redevelop our main website, as well as to develop three other resource websites for various initiatives. The goals were to meet our new branding requirements and to promote new standalone initiatives.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Uptek was referred to us by trusted partners, a communications firm who had helped to develop a campaign for us. The deciding factors were responsiveness, willingness to resolve technical problems without expecting our staff to know how to solve them, personal touch, and affordability, and Uptek hit these points for us very successfully.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The sites were developed on a Wordpress backend, connected with a Google Maps API in the case of our main site. For each property compliance with brand standards and unique visual style were critical, and new block-editor style backend content management helped immensely.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

The owner had been our main point of contact, plus we worked with a designer who created wireframes and visual identity, a day-to-day project manager, and two other staff filling in as project lead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The sites met our branding standards and helped us spin off our members-only content onto another platform.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We connected with our partners using email, Slack, and even our Microsoft Teams platform when that became easier for us. Their project management style is very customer-oriented. They could use some additional stricture and firmer deadlines for us, but their flexibility is welcome also.

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

They created a very simple site that creatively used our brand guidelines to offer easy-to-use templated options to deliver a well-branded and unique experience to each user group.

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

A firm timeline with deliverables for the clients would go a long way toward getting the project wrapped up quickly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Director for Joovv inc. Joovv is the industry leader when it comes to manufacturing and selling at-home full-body red light therapy devices.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Uptek, and what were your goals?

We hired Uptek to develop several important web pages. Our main goals were to create new web pages that highlighted our product and its features.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We chose Uptek based on their years of experience developing web pages and their extensive knowledge with Shopify.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We developed several new web pages including a technology page, shop page, and financing page. All we needed to do was show Uptek a mockup of what we wanted and they were able to bring our vision to life. After the web page was developed Uptek allowed for extensive QA to make sure everything was operating smoothly. Once we completed the QA the pages went live!

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked directly with Junaid. I believe he is the founder.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Since launching those pages we have had several compliments on how they look as well as how they functionally perform.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Communication was primarily done through Slack and any questions or concerns I had were always answered in a timely manner.

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

How fast they worked and easy-going they were. They were always concerned with getting it right and making sure I was happy.

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

No. They were great! Can't recommend enough.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the CMO of an organic skincare retailer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Uptek?

We needed someone to enhance our website security and develop our e-commerce platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Uptek migrated our WordPress website to Shopify and provided us with a website audit to determine our security vulnerabilities. They also bolstered our website’s security, implemented various software plugins, upgraded our themes and functionalities, and applied custom codes for display services.

They also integrated some cookie consent software and customized it so we can acquire a thorough data protection policy for our Shopify store. Other than that, they managed a range of our apps, provided JavaScript backend development, and maintained the performance of our platform.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with the CEO, Jon (Senior Software Developer), an HR specialist, an operations manager, and several developers.

How did you come to work with Uptek?

Uptek was recommended to us by a colleague who had previously worked with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $7,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May–December 2021, as I had left the company by that time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Uptek, we were able to grow our revenue by 30%. They gave us a clear idea of what to expect and executed the project to our satisfaction — we definitely got what we paid for.

How did Uptek perform from a project management standpoint?

Their responsiveness to our needs was second to none, so we were very happy with their performance from a project management perspective.

We typically communicated through Slack and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were very impressed with their integrity. We’ve encountered agencies who promised big things and failed to deliver what was expected of them, but Uptek accomplished everything in a timely manner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing they need to improve on as were completely satisfied with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clarity is key, so make sure you work out exactly what you want in terms of scope and statement of work. The more specific you are with your expectations, the better they can deliver the results you’re looking for.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Amazon Blue Experts

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Amazon advertising 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Uptek to accomplish?

• Company website creation

SOLUTION

How did you find Uptek?

Referral

Why did you select Uptek over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Uptek were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Creation of company website from scratch. 
• Domain acquisition, server setup, etc.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Web page creation
• Design development 
• SEO optimization 

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

• The task was completed before the deadline. 
• Very cooperative staff. 
• They updated me at regular intervals on each step as they developed my website. 
• There were few issues at the end which were solved promptly. 

What was your primary form of communication with Uptek?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Uptek was highly efficient and reliable. They delivered what was promised on time and without any excuses and are willing to modify pages as you see fit. You don't need to worry about the stuff that are working. A stress free project from start to finish.

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

I am happy with thier services. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Website Operations Director of the company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Digital Marketing & Web Deisgn and Development

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Uptek to accomplish?

• Shopify Development
• Website Development

SOLUTION

How did you find Uptek?

Referral

Why did you select Uptek over others?

• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Quality of Work

How many teammates from Uptek were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We've had full e-commerce website builds that require custom coding, dynamic shipping & checkout, 3rd party app integration & editing, and design & development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From complete website builds to technical edits on existing sites, UpTek consistently delivers quickly and accurately. We continuously have requests for UpTek, and they continue to deliver a quick turnaround time with strong communication around deliverables and timelines.

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

The project managers at UpTek are fantastic to work with. Strong communicators who are professional and timely in their responses. They provide accurate timelines and feedback when requested. They typically communicate with us daily; rarely, a question goes longer than 24 hours without a reply. We enjoy the consistency that they provide.

What was your primary form of communication with Uptek?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their communication and consistency. It's wonderful not chasing down information and holding up projects waiting for feedback.

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

Some attention to detail could be improved, but I'm confident that both UpTek and our company will continue to improve at this (on both ends) the more we work together.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work as a consultant for various clients in local as well as freelance market. In my 10+ years of experience, I have worked with many agencies to bridge the gap between business owners and design& development agencies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Uptek, and what were your goals?

I hired Uptek as a service providing agency specifically for WordPress based projects. The engagement was not for a specific project or a specific client. Over the years, they developed various projects including WooCommerce stores and websites with fully-customisable themes. Goals which were achieved successfully were to find a team who is reliable and technically sound enough to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I have previously worked with Junaid on some projects in individual capacity. The experience was exactly what I needed for my clients. I was happy to upscale the volume of my work when he began his startup. Uptek is everything that Junaid stands for i.e. professionalism, punctuality and no compromise on quality. I had never faced a single delay or below-average quality in the deliverables.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Scope of work varied from project to project. Some projects were simple upgrades, some were complex enough to require custom solutions. Like one of our project was a solution to build a one-for-all kind of solution for notifications including bulk emails, mass text messaging and automated calls.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Their management system is well organised. I only had to communicate to the assigned project manager. I have been in touch with 3 of the managers for various projects. I rarely had to communicate with a front-end developer for some last minute changes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The fact that I worked with them on 8-10 projects, speaks for itself. Deliverables were always on-time and exceeded the expectations. Reliability with which Uptek delivers is highly commendable. We were able to finalize newer versions for the websites we developed originally, and for some websites, we were able to secure the management contracts as well.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Management style is relax as can be in any new startup. The team has a collaborative style of management which enables them to provide multiple solutions for roadblocks.

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

The collaborative approach to find the solution was the most impressive factor why I liked to work with them for an extended period of time. Every step was pre-planned, which saved lots of time and precious resources.

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

No I think the only improvement I could wish for is that they expand their team further with the same kind of work ethics they have been following so far.