Focusteck

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director of a vacation property rental company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Focusteck?

We wanted to build a website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Focusteck took a website we already had and rebuilt it with a new theme using WordPress. Additionally, they helped us link Escapia to our site by tracking up the API for that.

What is the team composition?

We mainly worked with one person, but he had a team of developers working with him on our project.

How did you come to work with Focusteck?

We found them at Upwork; we read other people’s reviews about the work they’ve done and decided to give them a chance.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $1,350 with them. They charge us $15 an hour, and we’ve been working together for 90 hours so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

They’re making our website interact the way we want it to interact. There’s a lot of custom coding that has to link with the API track on our website, and the calendars have to be custom coded to match and respond. Several things needed to be done, and they’re doing them.

How did Focusteck perform from a project management standpoint?

We chat through our own application.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their responsiveness is the most impressive for me. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think they should work on their ability to follow directions. There’s been sometimes where I have to reiterate what I need.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be direct and exact with what you want. In addition to that, be able to supply designs to show them what you want — that can make things go easier for the engagement.

Please describe your company and your position there.

faremakers is one of the leading online travel sites that enables travelers to buy air tickets, hotels, and tours. I'm the owner of the company. We have more than 45 employees.

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

Our website was created over 2 years ago and had become outdated. Since we didn't have in-house developers to invest in a new website, We hired this team to design and develop a web app for us. By doing this, we were hoping to increase our traffic substantially by the end of the year.

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

We searched online for web developers in our area and shortlisted 5. After interviewing them, We chose this vendor based on their past projects, design skills, and cost estimate.

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

We had a kick-off meeting to discuss our goals and objectives. From there, the team delivered mock-ups and wireframes for our site. After a few iterations, their team designed and developed an informational web app. They updated the content to reflect our company's services and created a landing page with a contact form.

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

A project manager was our main point of contact throughout the process. There were also 2 full-stack developers and a designer working behind the scenes.

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

After launching our app, we saw a 50% increase in traffic, and our incoming leads doubled month over month.

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

We had daily stand-ups with their project manager, who communicated with the rest of the team. if there were any delays, they let us know ahead of time so that we could prepare. We used slack, Jira, and GitHub. They coordinated and worked well with our team.

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

They gave us a professional web app that's easy to update. My team had never worked with web app before, so they took the time to teach us how to update the content ourselves.

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

Nope!

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO & Founder, Drbeen

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

Focusteck built an web app that helps DrBeen to help medical students become great professionals by using DrBeen's one of the best medical lectures in the world.

How did you select Focusteck and what were the deciding factors?

We searched online for web developers on LinkedIn, Twitter and Google. We shortlisted 3. After interviewing them, our team choose focusteck based on their past projects, Remotely skilled developers and cost estimate.

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

We had kick-off meetings to discuss our goals and objectives. From there, the team delivered mock-ups and wireframes for our site. After a few iterations, their team designed and developed a healthcare informational web app. Their teams updated the content to reflect our company services.

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

Our main contact person was the project manager throughout the process. There also a team of full-stack developers and designer working behind the scenes

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

After launching our web app, we saw an 80% increase in leads, and our incoming leads doubled month over month

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

We had 24/7 stands-up with their project manager and team. if there were any delays they let us know ahead of time. They worked well with our team and we used Jira, Slack, and GitHub to coordinate throughout the project.

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

They develop a customized web app that's easy to update for us. Our team was not familiar with tech but they took the time to teach us how to update the content, Users, etc. ourselves.

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

The beta version of the web app was successfully launched, receiving positive responses from the specific user group being tested. Focusteck establishes an effective workflow through clear and open communication. The team is certified, experienced, skilled, and professional.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of a business optimization software company. I run sales and operations for the company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Foucsteck?

We needed help with software development for various pieces of our product as well as to help with sales.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I worked closely with Focusteck in terms of putting together drip campaigns and reaching out to a select part of the market that we’re targeting. The campaign focused on outreach via email and cold calling as well as some social media outreach. They came up with language for the drip and scripts for cold calls. We provided them with collateral and from that, they reached out to prospects and set up discover calls. Every week, they sent us a list of who they’re targeting and if they received any responses. We stopped the marketing campaign after four months because we were headed into the fall season, which our target market is primarily retailers and a lot of them shut down in terms of new development and working with vendors. We’re currently working with Focusteck from a development standpoint. We just signed them up to redo our website.

What is the team composition?

There’s one main point of contact that I work with, but that person has their own team they’re in contact with. I also interface with the head of Focusteck.

How did you come to work with Focusteck?

My co-founder found them through references from former colleagues. We heard they were easy to work with and had fair pricing, which was important with us being an early-stage startup.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a little less than $10,000 for the marketing campaign and now we pay them $3,000 per month on a retainer. The website project is a one-off and we’re spending $2,000 for that.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in March 2019 and the relationship is currently ongoing.

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

Overall, everyone is really happy with their work, especially from a development standpoint. They got us ten discovery calls, one of which is interested in becoming a customer and if that happens, it will pay for itself.

How did Focusteck perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re really great. They communicate mostly through email and we have a standing weekly call. We’re included in their messaging systems and they’re also very active on that as well, so they’re very good with communicating.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re really responsive to whatever question or feedback comments we have. They’re also really flexible. We’ve dealt with some development shops and outsourcing sales shops in the past and the lines of communication were always below what we expected. Always understanding of the situation, Focusteck has been above and beyond. They also make really great suggestions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be helpful is they provided a little more detail in proposals and scope of work, so we have something to reference whenever we need to.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you’re in sync with Focusteck on what’s being asked for and that those things are put in writing and agreed to both in the proposal and in the scope of work. Also, don’t hesitate to reach out to them if you have any questions; it’s not like they’re going to bill you for that.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and managing member of a web-based platform that connects employers and recruiters with qualified job seekers.

What challenge were you trying to address with Focusteck?

We were seeking to create a dependable platform with unique features. Since our old platform couldn’t withstand our anticipated traffic, we were looking for a vendor who could redevelop and enhance our previous product to make it more reliable. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

I consulted with Focusteck before they launched into development. They’re currently working on the platform’s proprietary features.

What is the team composition?

I’m working with a lead developer, but he has a team of two behind him. I’m also in contact with Muhammad (CEO, Focusteck).

How did you come to work with Focusteck?

They happened to reach out to me just when I was in need of a development partner. Their timing was perfect. I did a little research on them and decided to give it a shot.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in February 2019, and the project is ongoing.

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

The product that they’re giving us is excellent. Everything is going fine, so we have no complaints.

How did Focusteck perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great. We have weekly Skype conferences where we discuss project progress. We also communicate using Asana, and we’ve had no issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s been very easy working with them. The lead developer, who oversees a larger team, is very responsive. We really don’t have any complaints.

Are there any areas they could improve?

A development project with an overseas partner can take some getting used to. It can be challenging at first, but they’ve managed to circumvent potential issues.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do your homework before reaching out to them. See if your project is within their scope of expertise. For us, it’s been working out just fine.  

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Proxwexx, a startup based in London. We are a marketplace that connects small international suppliers with UK buyers. We’ve put together an online platform that allows suppliers to showcase their products and buyers to discover those products. Buyers can then make more queries with the producers, and eventually make business. It’s a B2B platform focused on the UK market.

What challenge were you trying to address with Focusteck?

When we started working with Focusteck, we wanted to build an MVP. We had nothing in terms of technology, so they provided the first effective development we’d done, apart from the website. The MVP showcased our functionalities and presented them to our client base. We started doing that with Focusteck, and that was the very first challenge. Then, we moved from an MVP to a full-fledged technology platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Focusteck implemented all the technologies we wanted in the first phase. The website is based on PHP with a MySQL database. We have a platform that allows us to make queries on the database and send results to the website. We’re also working on a standard e-commerce website that will work as a pilot project. Focusteck is helping us with that as well as some aspects of digital marketing (social media, SEO).

What is the team composition?

They had a team of remote developers.

How did you come to work with Focusteck?

Initially, it was a tough decision. We wanted to hire remotely because it was very hard to find something that would work with our budget locally. This was one of the first things we did, so we needed to get it right. We conducted many interviews over the web with different candidates.

We had a call with Focusteck’s CEO over Skype, and they were very convincing in terms of their awareness, technical skill, and business perspective. They weren’t just a bunch of tech people; they could also think about it from the business perspective straight away and make recommendations. Focusteck spoke to us as though they’d been part of the business for a long time, from the very first call. Obviously, we looked at their past work, website, and references. Those all corresponded to what we were doing.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Focusteck around June 2019 and the project is ongoing. The second phase is finished and we’re preparing the ground for a smaller project.

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

In terms of software development, the feedback we have isn’t quantified, but it’s been generally good. We’ve had positive feedback on their software’s speed, quickness, and reliability.

It’s still early days on the digital marketing side. We’re monitoring progress in terms of Google Analytics, traffic, and all other SEO metrics. There’s a lot of progress that’s been made.

How did Focusteck perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Trello for project management as well as emails and conference calls. In terms of communication, they’re constantly present. We reach out to them through Skype and they reply instantly. We have a 4–5–hour time zone difference, but it doesn’t show. Their CEO is always reachable.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive aspect of their work is how well they understood the project. The very first communication put them on the right track and put us in a very reassuring position. On top of that, their dedication and presence are spectacular. They’re always there—I don’t have to wait or become frustrated. Sometimes, they even raise issues I wasn’t aware of. Once, my website got hacked, but they notified me and fixed it, even though it wasn’t their job. They are passionate and dedicated to the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always something to improve. Something they could improve is the project management. They could use some more task delegation. If they had a crisp and clear structure in terms of project management, regardless of the technology used and the people, it would make their CEO’s life easier and allow them to expand themselves. It’s a piece of advice rather than a criticism.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I’d advise them to set up a plan that’s as clear as possible and have a conversation with Muhammad (CEO, Focusteck) to see how they can help and how they understand the business. You can’t just go on websites and use email to select a provider; you need to have conversations. That will give clients a lot of comfort and encourage them to choose Focusteck.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO and Founder of vCandidates.com. We're a new, alternative, career platform that connects job seekers with vetted recruiters.

What challenge were you trying to address with Focusteck?

We were looking for a very strong and talented web development company to complete our website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created our website from scratch. It has a dual CRM system and job seekers no longer have to create an Excel spreadsheet in order to track where they've placed or where they've provided their application, as well as track their interview schedule.

They created a dynamic process with us that consumers will enjoy with ease. In terms of SEO, they laid out a thorough plan, geared towards driving leads to our site and helping us convert those leads and engaging them while they're on the site. It has a tracking system that automatically tracks the job seeker and shows things from the user's side.

We found that we not only received great development, but we also have a full-service agency partner that they're helping us with our SEO, social media, and our business development sales call.

What is the team composition?

We currently have a team of five, with marketing and SEO we have a team of 3-4, and with sales we plan on having a team of 4-5.

How did you come to work with Focusteck?

I was not comfortable with working offshore, I wanted someone who was in town, preferably someone in the Phoenix area. I noticed the same sales tactics they'd used on me are the same ones they're implementing on our team. I know their strategy works, and their cadence is effective. I was able to check them out on Crunchbase, talk to some of their previous clients, and I felt comfortable that we were developing a relationship with like-minded partners. I knew they sought to bring our goals to fruition.

How much have you invested with them?  

That's proprietary, but I can say that the cost was over six figures, and it'll continue to grow since we've signed new contracts for SEO and sales.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in April 2015, and our partnership is ongoing.

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

We have a database of 47,000 people, and we've been slowly gearing up for our main launch. What we've seen from marketing to actual beta testing is that the site is user-friendly, and helps them to work in a self-learning scenario. Although we have the staff to help them if they need it, we wanted to create a platform that anyone can use by themselves at all hours of the day.

How did Focusteck perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Trello and Jira for project management, Slack for immediate communication, and have weekly standup meetings. We're very communicative. I don't see them as an extension of their team but as my partners and team members. When it comes to development, marketing, and sales, I know I have specific people I can go to and it's a very smooth process.

They're very on top of everything, and they think like we do. They've got a great grasp of what our product is and how it works. They make the best suggestions and brought this platform to a place that exceeded where I thought it should be.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their management is amazing. They're able to ask the right questions, are very communicative, and took the time to learn my industry. I've managed and placed many developers in my career, and I know they tend to be very linear in their thinking. To find a development team that's very creative, and able to voice that opinion, and that's trustworthy, has been invaluable. They're always able to articulate what they feel and why they think it'll be the best route to go. It's been very helpful for us to think about our product in the long run along those lines.

Are there any areas they could improve?

My biggest wish would be to have them travel here a little more. I really want to be able to connect with them in person. For me, it's all about making sure that my team is fully coordinated. We deliberately put a project manager on our end to streamline the process, and we didn't want to overwhelm our development team. Having them look at us as a partner instead of a client made our collaboration run that much more smoothly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We had to learn to be very mindful of their time. They made themselves so accessible that we forgot about the twelve-hour time difference. They would get out of bed at 2-3 o'clock in the morning to answer our questions, which was great, but it's important for any American firms that want to work with them to be mindful of their work-life balance.