WebTek

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your organization?

We’re a provider of yacht charters for people in search of unique venues for their personal or business events. Anything that you could normally do on land, we can do on the water. We predominately serve New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Florida.

What is your position?                                                                             

I’m the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were attempting to address when you initiated the relationship with WebTek?

We had a Web designer up in Coventry, R.I., that wasn’t able to deliver. We’re based in Pennsylvania, and I felt like a part of the problem was working remotely. I could rarely speak with someone when I needed to, which became frustrating. After a few months, we decided to search for a vendor that could replace our designer.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of the work delivered by WebTek?

They built two separate website for me. They built our replacement site and even more recently updated that, too. We re-launched our revamped site about three months ago. They’ve been responsible for designing the layout and overall look of the site as well as actually building the functional components. We provided some creative guidance and incorporated all of the content into the site. They continue to provide ongoing support when things come up.

How did you select WebTek Web Design as your solution partner?

I searched online for Web designers with locations near us. WebTek was one of a few companies to receive a contact form from us. We invited them to come down to our office and demonstrate some of their previous work and propose some ideas for our site. They made a very good case and offered some fresh ideas about directions we could go with the site. They seemed to know what they were doing, and we felt confident in their ability to create a site to our liking.

Can you provide a sense of the size of these initiatives in monetary terms?

Between the two sites they’ve created for us, I’d say we’ve spent somewhere in the ballpark of $15,000 to $25,000. And as I mentioned, we still have them for ongoing support and minor enhancements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work delivered?

I don’t have any figures to share with you. We really don’t track those things. As far as the website goes, we’ve been very pleased with its design and operation. I’ve definitely received some positive feedback from friends and business associates. Overall, the site is far more accessible to its users. It’s very easy to navigate now, and it has a greater range of functionality, too. For instance, we could, if we wanted to, really track and monitor our site usage. We didn’t have that capability when our first site was created back in the ‘90s. It’s also far easier for us to update and change things on the site.

When working with WebTek, is there anything you’d consider unique about their approach or development methodology that distinguishes them from other vendors?

I haven’t had a need for other vendors, so I don’t even entertain other vendors. They’ve made us extremely happy. We've been very impressed with their work, which is why they continue to win all of our projects. We don’t always agree on what I think we need, but then again, it’s not my field. My job is to sell the product. Their job is to create that product. All in all, they’ve done a fantastic job. 

In retrospect, are there areas you think they could improve on as a service provider?

Yes, there are certainly some areas that they could improve on. Their team needs to listen more to the client from time to time. They’re often going by technology, but I don’t care about the technology. At certain points, the business priorities have to supersede the technological things. A little bit of give and take is normal in a business relationship, but the key is to know how to negotiate and balance the client’s needs.

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your company?

I work for Oregon Dairy. We are an independent grocery store that also includes a restaurant, ice cream shop, and we specialize in “agritainment.”

What is your position?

I’m the marketing manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were attempting to address when you initiated the relationship with WebTek Web Design?

We wanted to have more control of our website; to be able to make updates on our own and not have to rely on someone technical in order to make changes or input new content. We wanted a new system that would allow us to do that, to expand the range of operations we could undertake, without increasing the  complexity of our tasks.

SOLUTION

How did you select WebTek Web Design as your solution partner for this endeavor?

It was through a contact with our business owner who happens to know Kornel [Kurtz, president and CEO of WebTek Web Design]. We decided to bring their team in and discuss our project goals. We described our basic requirements and plans moving forward with our brand, and they offered a number of valuable recommendations. We felt confident that they’d be able to deliver our solutions.

Could you describe the scope of this project?

They built our new website from scratch. They took it from conception to implementation and ongoing enhancements. We began with solidifying our requirements, goals, and milestones. Then, they began with the wireframing and conceptual architecting. Once we’d agreed on a design theme, they went to work on building the site backend. There was a considerable amount of custom programming involved with the actual build phase. Once that was complete, they went ahead and integrated our e-commerce functionality with the backend and our database. They configured the entire system and ran all of the testing for us, and they also provided detailed documentation and tutorials for our staff.

Had you selected WordPress prior to approaching WebTek Web Design, or were they a part of the selection process?

We hadn’t made any concrete decisions before the engagement. They were the ones to recommend WordPress as our CMS backend while discussing our long-term goals. They made a very compelling case and, since WordPress is their specialty, it only made sense to go with their suggestion.

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

The initial WordPress implementation was slightly less than $10,000, but we retain them for ongoing support and isolated enhancements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you have any statistics, metrics, or end-user feedback you’ve received that would demonstrate the effectiveness of their work?

I can’t really say because I don’t have access to analytics right now. I know that we’ve increased our page views and user traffic, but I can’t pinpoint any figures for you. In terms of feedback, our staff and internal stakeholders have been very impressed with the new site. We’ve received user feedback complementing the new visual design as well as the new e-commerce functionality. I would say that overall, our end-users have enjoyed the new site.

When working with WebTek Web Design, is there anything you’d consider unique about their approach or development methodology that distinguishes them from other vendors?

I would just say that they’re very easy to communicate with. There have been times where we’ve really bombarded them with emails, and they’ve been extremely responsive. If they do not have the answer, that particular person, they will get us in touch with the right person, whether it’s their Web support team, or the one that’s designing their e-commerce site. Their customer service is outstanding. While WebTek can’t prevent issues or malfunctions from occurring at all times, they certainly make it a point to ensure that their clients receive the best possible support.

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your organization?

I work for a private construction company. We specialize in building luxury decks, porches, and sunrooms, but we can design a number of custom outdoor spaces.

What is your position?

I’m one of the partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were attempting to address when you initiated the relationship with WebTek?

WebTek designed our original website almost seven or eight years ago. That’s done very well for us. We get a lot of leads through it. More than 50 percent of our leads come through our website. Last year, we decided we wanted to implement a responsive design into our site. That’s what they did for us, in addition to implementing the backend CMS [content management system], WordPress.

SOLUTION

Had you selected WordPress before approaching WebTek, or were they a part of the selection process?

It was actually a combination of both. I was already familiar with WordPress. I had designed a WordPress site of my own for something else I’m involved with. I also knew that some of our staff was familiar with WordPress already. When we began discussing the project requirements and goals, WebTek reaffirmed our position and recommended that we rebuild our site on WordPress.  

How did you select WebTek as your solution partner?

I met Kornel Kurtz [the founder of WebTek] at a networking event. I think it was a business leaders’ breakfast or something like that. It was right around the time that we were searching for a vendor for our first website. We had a brief chat, and he quoted a basic estimate for me, which seemed quite reasonable. When the time came for a redesign and rebuild, it only made sense to approach WebTek again. I sent over our project description to Kornel and a few other vendors. WebTek had the most convincing proposal, and since we’d already had a great experience with them, we decided to give them the project.

Could you describe the scope of the project?

It was a complete redesign and rebuild. They came in and helped us with discovery and requirements gathering and then we scoped out the project. Once we agreed on the concept and the design layout, they went ahead and began building the site from scratch. Once the backend was mostly build out, they prepped our data and content for migration. We did some basic usability and performance testing before relaunching the site and had only a few go-live issues, mostly on the backend.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this project in monetary terms?

The implementation cost us between $10,000 and $15,000.

When was the website launched?

It was completed two months ago in February, but we have them on retainer for ongoing support and case-by-case enhancements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback you’ve received that would demonstrate the effectiveness of their work?

We’ve gotten nothing but positive commentary from our customers about how great the website looks and functions. The new contact forms and quote requests that we have on the site have been extremely helpful for us in terms of both capturing lead information, but also managing and organizing that data. We’ve been getting a lot of responses through that channel. That function didn’t exist with our previous site. Since that wasn’t there before, they would’ve picked up the phone and called. We can’t necessarily compare apples to oranges, but collecting potentially valuable prospect information has never been easier. Tracking it and analyzing is also something we can do now that we couldn’t before.

When working with WebTek, is there anything you’d consider special or unique about their approach or their development methodology that distinguishes them from other vendors?

For me, we had a long-standing relationship with the company. I know Kornel personally. Working with him, and working with his team has always been a great experience. That’s what made me WebTek rather than other vendors. WebTek is very professional, and his team knows all of the ins and outs of WordPress.

In retrospect, are there areas you think they could improve on as a service provider?

I really don’t have any complaints about the work that they’ve done or their customer service. When we email them with changes or requests, the changes are usually completed quickly. They’re very responsive and time oriented. They’ve just done a great job.