TECKpert

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a real estate technology firm focused on commercial real estate nationwide in the United States. Our main deliverables are desktop software and mobile app that help owners, brokers, and other real estate professionals manage deal flow marketing, contact management software, and our enterprise software.

What challenge were you trying to address with TECKpert?

They were our single-source provider for the creation of the backend of our software, handling all the moving parts from start to finish. We’ve developed more than just a vendor-client relationship. They’re a true partner, bolstering our online presence with backend and mobile app development.

What was the scope of their involvement?

This was a holistic development project that’s grown in scope and scale over time. Their team functions as our single-source provider for the front- and backend development of our website. Our site had several individual components and ideas on the frontend. They listened to our team’s pain points and implemented a seamless integration that involved the integration of our CRM.

We created a deal builder system, which is a proprietary feature they created. For the mobile iOS app, they amended our desktop assets to work effectively in a simplified view. After they developed the individual parts, they put everything together to make the site work. 

What is the team composition?

Their owner functions as our main point of contact, and he has boots on the ground for each of their components. In total, there’s probably about 10 of their team members working on the project.

How did you come to work with TECKpert?

We met through a mutual friend in Florida who had a website created through them. We grew our relationship from there.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our relationship started with them in 2015, and their work with us is still ongoing. Over time, the partnership has become more stable and development-heavy. We’re always looking to add more features.

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

They’re responsible for over 80% of the features and functionalities that currently exist on our website. There are so many individual pieces of the project, and all of them impact the work that we do here. We’ve received very positive responses from users on the website, which is a function of the design and how everything functions.  

How did TECKpert perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered consistently on time and within budget. We had no issues with anticipating things from a cost standpoint because of that. If anything, we kept adding things to their workload midway through the project.

Even then, they were able to manage everything effectively. They understood that there were many moving parts to this project, and allowed things to grow with time. Usually, we communicated over the phone or using Slack. Although, their office was very close to ours, so we sat down with them several times to run through progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their designs and frontend strategy really stood out to us. From the beginning, they did an excellent job of preparing and laying out the deliverables as opposed to jumping in without proper planning. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re extremely good at what they do, but sometimes they can get busy. That’s not a fault on them, though. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Start the engagement with a well-defined scope of work to benefit the process. We didn’t quite know exactly what we wanted, which made the process harder for us. Again, that’s not a fault on their part. You just need to know exactly what you want.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're a wholesale distributor of low voltage electronics, mainly in the security space. I oversee operations.

What challenge were you trying to address with TECKpert?

We wanted to rebrand all phases of our marketing strategy. We hoped to update the ways we market our products, the ways we interact with customers, and the look and feel of our website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They completely redid our website from scratch, and they helped us redo our brand. They provided different templates, ideas, and designs for everything we put forward to our customer base. The site was built in WordPress, but I don't remember the other technical particulars.

They revamped our marketing menu and the different offerings we provide to vendors. They also worked closely with our in-house marketing team on key deliverables, and they really took the time to understand the ERP system that we use.

Additionally, they explored options for a more robust system that would open future doors in e-commerce, and we ultimately moved to the platform they recommended. They helped us bridge the gap between sales and marketing, and they provided a lot of guidance. They worked on the designs, deliverables, and the thought that went into everything.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a team of two to four, including their owner, who was more involved at various points in the development. We also worked closely with three individuals from their team. Two were very present, and the third worked behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with TECKpert?

We considered one other company, but we had a relationship with their owner already. He works in our industry, and we established a level of confidence in them. We decided to explore what they had to offer.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $100,000-$125,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement started in February 2018. The project finished around May 2019, but we've discussed other ventures and they still host our platform.

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

As a result of the digital and physical rebranding, we look much cleaner and nicer. The look and feel of the website are much more user-friendly, and our numbers are up at least 7–8%, but I'm not sure how much of that is attributable to them. I'm happy with everything they've done. They were an integral contributor to our forward movement.

How did TECKpert perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is very good, and we communicated through Slack and another platform. We tracked tasks from different projects, and they followed up about everything. They let us know about any potential overages, and working with them was an enjoyable process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very comfortable to work with, and there was never any time that we regretted our decision. We had a strong working relationship, and everything else fed off of that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Looking back, we could have done some things differently on both sides that were more driven by our industry specifically. That kind of focus stems from a knowledge of our industry, so they might have done a deeper dive at the beginning.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They lay everything out beforehand, and they follow a good model. Make sure they understand your industry and take time to help them meet with your internal members and your potential customers.

Please introduce your business and what you do there.

Dash Door & Closer Service is a 61-year-old specialty contractor in the Miami metro area. We perform, furnish, and install glass and glazing; door access control security; and contract door and hardware. We are also a commercial door service. I am the chief operating officer.

What challenge were you trying to address with TECKpert?

We needed a modest rebranding, so they did more than just web work for us. We wanted a social media presence combined with a new website and a new logo design. The rebranding was to tell our story, which is a difficult one to tell. Given our many different departments, we could be a number of different companies. With TECKpert's help, we wanted one image and one message, all in one turnkey solution.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our involvement with TECKpert developed through the years. We started working with them several years ago when we asked them to redesign our website. We'd had the old website for a long time, and we wanted it rebuilt from the ground up as a way of better promoting our products and services. 

After that, we added a social media component, so I had them completely manage our social media on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. They also did some of our press releases, then moved on to AdWords and a mobile site. After that, we had a new product we wanted to launch, so we had them develop a separate website for that product. They took on responsibility for that site, including social media. Finally, they did all the SEO [search engine optimization] for both sites.

How did you come to work with TECKpert?

It was a referral from a local IT [information technology] company. They had mentioned TECKpert, so I went and met with them. It was immediately obvious that they understood what they were doing. I didn't get a lot of fluff. I've spoken to many web developers, but I could tell right from the beginning they wanted to understand our business.

TECKpert is the only agency I interviewed that wanted to understand what we do and not just slap things up on a website. That took a while to accomplish, and even during the course of their work, they had a lot of break through moments where they actually understood our business. I liken them to a partner right now – like a lawyer or an accountant or an insurance agent. They pretty much get all of my business.

How much have you invested with TECKpert?

My yearly spend with that project is in the $50,000 to $60,000 range. That's without special projects. Projects like logos and certain other developments, you can throw another $5,000 to $10,000 on top of that – so probably between $50,000 and $65,000 a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with TECKpert in 2012, and the work is ongoing. They give me detailed monthly reports on social media and AdWords. I get a marketing report and a digital and social media marketing summary every month, which shows our SEO and our AdWords progress. This is an important and consistent deliverable.

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

I won a very large job merely because of optimizing of one particular search term that probably no one else did – it was a very large contract. I joke with them that one contract paid for probably 10 years of their services. It was a home run. I probably shouldn't have told them, but I did. I said it was just one thing – somebody saw us on the web. We focus on just a couple of little things that have a higher margin of work, and I get a couple of calls a year on them. I know it's from the website.

How did TECKpert perform from a project management standpoint?

TECKpert are very hands-on. They have a number of qualified project managers, and I like it that they assign one relationship manager – one person that will work with us throughout an entire project.

They use Basecamp, which I like. For example, right now we're working on totally revamping one of my sites, so all of the content I'm assigned comes on Basecamp. I can use it to upload copy quickly. Basecamp provides daily updates. It's really useful. 

What did you find most impressive about TECKpert?

The first thing is very much an intangible – the people at TECKpert are excited about what we do. Either they're good at pretending or they are interested – either way, it works for me. They understand our product. They understand what we do. They're really into it.

TECKpert is not just a web development company. They're truly an online marketing company. I didn't know anything about AdWords and how to spend my money wisely. I can pop into TECKpert's office anytime, sit down, and they'll explain those things to me. I'm definitely not tech-savvy, but I feel the money I'm spending is being spent wisely because I can see results.

I can see what's happening on our site. There's a lot of transparency. If something's up or down, I see it on their reporting, which is awesome. Their reporting is web-based so I can get on anytime and see live what's going on with my site. I guess they tag into Google Analytics, and then reformat it. It's much more useful than just looking at Google Analytics – it's pretty cool.

They're open to anything. Right now, I have a project where I have them doing a technical manual for me, which I wouldn't normally dream of having a web developer do. They've been doing this for years with me, actually helping me write a technical manual and formatting it to match the website, which would've been difficult for me to do. They'll get the manual to a certain point, then I'll be able to edit it, and we can go back and forth. They've been with us long enough that they know what I do. I don't think I would trust anybody else to do a technical manual for me, but I can utilize them as an out-of-office resource.

It's almost like bringing on a full-time employee with all the value of that kind of relationship. That's how I looked at it when I looked at my budget and said this is a big step for us. It's a decent expense, but it's completely justified when I look at what's happening with our brand and how I've been able to differentiate myself. We're well known because of the work of TECKpert. We are looked to by many people in the business as the standard. I go to various peer conventions and people ask who we use and what we're doing and how did you do that. They realize that it took a lot of work to do this right.

Their insistence on content is also very much appreciated. It's not just AdWords. They push me to make sure we're putting out more and more content. They understand how that relates to search and having a relevant site, so they help me with that content a lot. I'll provide the barebones, and they'll take it the rest of the way for me.

TECKpert's design is top-notch. Everything they've come up with on the sites I've never needed to tweak – and I'm picky. I might change minor things a little bit, but their design sense is very professional. They designed all my logos, colors, schemes, everything on the site, and I've never had to say I don't like this. I think we just mesh in that way.

Are there any areas TECKpert could improve?

No. Even during the process of writing the technical manual, they continued to learn about us and understand us even more. I don't have anything that I'd say they could improve. They're always accessible.