TechArk Solutions

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of digital media at a marketing and advertising agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TechArk Solutions?

We needed someone to develop some creative landing pages for our campaign.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

TechArk Solutions designed and developed a couple of new landing pages to help us with a campaign we were working on for a credit union. We gave them the client’s brand guidelines to help them.

What is the team composition?

We only worked with one teammate, who handled all the creative work.

How did you come to work with TechArk Solutions?

The client we were doing the campaign for recommended TechArk Solutions to us, so it made sense to hire them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent below $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from April–June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The pages were all fast, and the designs were clean. They got everything right from a technical standpoint.

How did TechArk Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a good job. We only used email to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

TechArk Solutions was already familiar with the client’s brand guidelines, and they knew what technology to use.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing they could’ve improved.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend sending them an email.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Owner and CEO of a new family friendly coffee house and cafe - Persnickety Crane Cafe. We have 10 employees, and are located in the Yorktown Virgina area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TechArk Solutions?

Website design and development and hosting.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted a beautiful marketing storefront for our customers (something eye catching and unique) and an employee portal for our staff.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I looked online for a local company that I could sit down and access. I looked for reviews of customers. I reviewed their portfolio and liked the samples of sites that I saw. I met them in person and felt comfortable working with them based on my project scope and their pricing.

Describe the project in detail.

Build a website with about 8 pages plus password employee portal, using content, vision and photos provided by me. We went through about 400 edits throughout - mainly because this was my first attempt at building a site and I'm a perfectionist. They worked with me to meet my many needs and wants.

What was the team composition?

I worked alone with the TechArk team to cast vision, review the site work. Once draft was complete, I solicited feedback from friends and family and then we asked TechArk for edits to the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Many have said that our website is beautiful, eye catching and makes them want to visit.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Somewhat effective. End result was great. The process involved a lot of back and forth and took a bit of time. But they were willing to dedicate additional time to meet my needs.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their flexibility to adjust to meet my needs and wants. Their willingness to do what was required to meet my expectations was great.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would have liked to have had them do some of the creative design of the page, present unique ideas for what would make a page custom, special. As it was, they carried out my vision but didn't have much in the way of original design, due to my budget and their price point.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Armed Forces Reunions organizes and plans offsite reunions and meetings for retired and active-duty military nationwide. We secure the hotel contracts as well as coordinate tours and meals for groups ranging in size from 20 people to 1500 people.

I currently hold the position of reunion coordinator and registrations manager. I create every database for every event and am responsible for every registration received whether through the mail or online, therefore I am the most familiar with the system and have been the most present since the creation. I have been with Armed Forces Reunions for 14 years and have been a strong proponent to incorporating technology into our registration process.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TechArk Solutions?

We hired TechArk Solutions to maintain and update our custom-built registration database software and our company's websites.

What were your goals for this project?

To make some minor adjustments to the functionality of the site and to update some of the verbiage and to update the credit card processing section.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our previous web hosting provider, ID Web, recommended them when we parted ways last year.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We wanted to update the registration database software the include the following:

• Attendee receipt to include new fragment text information and include all events whether paid or unpaid options
• Login information would be visible to admin
• CVV number to be included and operational on credit card processing page
• Verbiage on credit card processing page updated
• Admin login year updated and will be updated for future years
• Admin time out extended

What was the team composition?

The team was mainly comprised of Akruti Doshi. Akruti communicated with me to find out what changes we needed to the registration site and throughout the process provided updates and asked for feedback. The size of the team did not change and did not need to, Akruti was able to handle this project the entirety of the project length.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project has helped so I do not have to spend additional time trying to create these changes each time an attendee required them. Now the site can create the correct receipt or I can send the correct username and password to a chairman and not have to recreate these items each time for each attendee. This helps to me manage my time and ensure that I am able to succeed in my current job and any future tasks put before me. And everyone at TechArk Solutions was understanding of this need and were more than willing to ensure these changes got done quickly and without a pause in my day to day business.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project Management was arranged through myself and Akruti Doshi directly. It was so great to be able to work directly with Akruti and to be able to go with any questions or concerns I may have had. The process was painless and easy and was the most effective for my situation and our business. We had no downtime for our customers which makes it much easier for us since our age demographic is very hard to reach and we have at least 100 databases we would have to go through for all their information. I am thankful for Akruti's understanding of this and constant communication with me through the entirety of the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I really found their customer service to be their most impressive quality. It is really hard to find a computer company that has that personal touch and understands how other companies work. TechArk Solutions is understanding that computers do contribute a lot to everyone's business—big or small—it doesn't matter anymore, and they know that but still make sure you feel like your business matters and your time matters.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I really feel there were no areas for improvement. Communication was great. Time was great—did not take any longer than expected and there was no downtime in payments. Price was comparable to other companies in the area.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the product manager for Waterway Guide. We are a boater's cruising guide, a resource that lets people know where to go and things to do along the waterways. We cover the Great Lakes all the way down the Eastern Seaboard and the Gulf Coast. We also have guides to the Bahamas and Cuba.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TechArk Solutions?

Our app was initially designed by a freelancer who had come up with the architecture and managed it for a short period. When we parted ways with him, we were looking for a new vendor that could help us manage our app and perform periodic updates.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Through the app, we provide a list-based and map-based rundown of marinas that are near a boater's current location. Through GPS technology, it identifies where users are and finds marinas within a 100-mile radius or smaller. It gives contact information and an overview of the amenities each of the marinas offer, like fuel or repair services. The app also features links to our websites where people can purchase our publications. 

Every quarter with TechArk Solutions, we update the necessary information about the marinas. Marinas can pay to have photos included that show approaches to their facilities via the waterways, in addition to providing detailed descriptions of their amenities. We update their contact information, and we add new facilities that have opened and remove those that may have closed. We package all of that data into a CSV file and rely on TechArk Solutions to update the app accordingly. Once they work their magic, they send us new Android and iOS versions for us to review. Once we give our approval, TechArk Solutions pushes the apps to their respective online stores.

About a year ago, we made changes to the Android app to include a clustering feature, which groups marinas together based on location. As users zoom in, there is more granularity in where pins drop to identify facilities. We didn’t have this feature at first, and the app had a long loading time as a result. Since TechArk Solutions took over the management of the app, it looks fantastic and works much faster. Additionally, they will soon help us update our iOS app to be more aligned with newer Apple standards.

What is the team composition?

I only communicate with our project manager.

How did you come to work with TechArk Solutions?

I'm not sure of how the selection process played out. Our general manager found them, and they are relatively local, so I imagine that played a part in the decision. 

How much have you invested with them?

Each quarterly update is less than $1,000, so we spend approximately $3,000–$4,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in August 2015 and remains ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our clientele in the boating world has long been reliant on print products, but over the last five years, in particular, boaters tend to be shifting their preferences to digital resources. We have a website for people that want to find our information, but for those who need a quick snapshot of facilities that are available on a particular waterway, our app provides a fast and convenient way for them to get the information they need.

How did TechArk Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager is quick to respond, and she understands exactly what we're looking for. She asks good clarifying questions, and she was also proactive in alerting us to the possible iOS updates because of changing Apple regulations.

Once we had the process in place of how we transfer the data to their team, it all worked smoothly. Our project is pretty straightforward, so Dropbox and email suited us well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Early on, they spent a lot of time getting to know our business and our market. They understand what the boaters are looking for and, as a result, what we need from them. They've been very easy to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’ve worked well together.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be willing to share the details about your business because they're happy to learn, and they want to be able to provide you with the best possible product. There's a good chance they'll have suggestions on how to improve it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Director of Marketing

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TechArk Solutions?

Website

What were your goals for this project?

New Website

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

RFP process

Describe the project in detail.

It was a web redesign

What was the team composition?

Me and TechArk

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Growth in Ad words conversions. They brought organic traffic to the site.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

excellent

What did you find most impressive about this company?

speed. knowledge

Are there any areas for improvement?

They are great - will use them again and again