True North Technologies

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Organize by Design. We’re an organization and interior design business. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with True North Technologies?

True North Technologies developed my website. We had an existing website, but it wasn’t mobile-friendly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

True North Technologies redesigned and -developed my website and then hosted it on GoDaddy. I’m a designer so I wanted the site to look good and function well. It needed a professional, trendy design with great colors. 

The team added a lot of details. I wanted visitors to be able to go back and forth between our two services: organization and interior design. True North Technologies made different tabs for that. I also have a business with holiday decorating that I didn’t want to promote until the holiday season. True North Technologies made it so I can always change it and do different promotions. 

What is the team composition?

I work with Renee (Owner and App Developer) and Dylan (Former Intern), the web designer. Renee facilitates it and comes up with ideas and directions. 

How did you come to work with True North Technologies?

I knew I wanted to use someone local, so I went to a referral group and ran into Renee. It was a good fit; I liked her personality and felt like we could work together.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $1,000–$1,500. I think I was one of her first clients.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in August 2019 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I wanted the website up and ready in a certain amount of time, and True North Technologies exceeded that. We’re now seeing 20 visits per month, which is great for me because I expected at most five. The team sends me statistics on how the site is doing. I didn’t even know that was part of the service. It’s just one page and very easy to understand, listing the activity of each page and how many contacts and emails we’ve received. It’s great to know that people are visiting the website, and the graphs and data are very helpful. 

Renee’s relationship with the referral group has helped; she promotes her work on our website and we piggyback off each other. Because of her personality and who she is, we’re able to continue our relationship. I would always, always recommend True North Technologies if someone asks for web design services.

How did True North Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They always exceed. They’re very good at responding to me right away. Lots of times, they didn’t always get a quick reply from me, so I was responsible for any delays. Dylan in particular is available nights and weekends because of his schedule, which I appreciate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very serious and meet deadlines. The outcome of the product is better than I expected. We have no issues at all.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The first time the website came out, I honestly didn’t like it. It didn’t have much design. However, True North Technologies took it upon themselves to recreate it page by page. I think our expectations were misaligned, but it was their first time, and they did better than people who have been doing it for 20 years.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be involved and take time to help them out. The more information you can give True North Technologies at the beginning, the better the project will be in the long run.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a personal training company. We also do some nutrition counseling. My wife and I run the business in addition to having full-time jobs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address True North Technologies?   

I wanted a better website, and I wanted to help drive business from Google and Google Maps.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had a website I built myself. They used some of the information from that site, but they built it essentially from scratch. I sat down with Renee (Owner), and we went through my business and what sets me apart from competitors. 

The website includes an intake form, a popup window with current deals, and connected my Instagram account. 

What is the team composition?

Renee was my main point of contact, but I also worked with Dylan. 

How did you come to work with True North Technologies?   

I met Renee at a Chamber of Commerce event. Initially, I thought I wanted to develop a mobile application for my business. However, after talking to Renee, I realized that a new website would be a better plan. 

How much have you invested in them?

The website cost about $2,000. Since March, I’ve been paying $29 each month for hosting. 

What is the status of this engagement?

 We first started talking in December 2019. The project got started in January 2020, and we wrapped everything up in March. However, they’re still providing some updates and tweaks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from friends, family, and clients. It hasn’t driven as much business at this point, but I can’t fault them for that because of the COVID-19 restrictions. I’ve gotten more clicks and views on the website though. 

How did True North Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They set realistic expectations with their timelines. The team was very responsive to texts, phone calls, and emails. Tasks were also executed quickly. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The way that they got to know my company and goals was impressive. I like to work with vendors who are excited about my company. It was also helpful that they’re located in the same area as I am. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t really think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Knowing what you want before you go into the project is helpful. I didn’t have a good idea of what I was looking for. However, Renee was helpful and came up with a lot of great ideas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director at a full-service body shop. We do auto repair, collision repair, and auto detailing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with True North Technologies?

We were opening up a new location and needed a new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created our website. Initially, we had a friend create our site, but soon found there was no way to create any changes or edits. True North came in, and made the new site easy and user-friendly, so now we can create our own edits.

I did the majority of the content, including photos, editing, and writing. They helped with the visuals and local SEO.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Renee (Owner) and Dylan (Intern).

How did you come to work with True North Technologies?

I do a lot of networking through the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce. I met Renee there and we hit it off. The fact that I could make easy edits to the site had me hooked.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $2,500 – $3,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in September 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

What’s really nice about the site is that it gives me monthly stats and emails me directly. My previous website wasn’t tracking anything. From March of 2019 to April 2019, our traffic increased by 267%, our paid views by 401%, and our click-to-call metrics by 933%. In just a month, the difference was really significant.

How did True North Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They were awesome. Dylan was really technical and Renee understood what we needed from a business perspective. Together, they gave me a perfect, well-rounded experience.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re extremely affordable. They’re good for small businesses that want a visually appealing, customizable site.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to think about what your vision is and explaining it verbally. Be as detailed and descriptive as you can get. Everyone has the right to get what they want for a paid service, and True North did a great job of hearing my opinion and edits on things.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln. We’re a nonprofit home-builder and affordable mortgage lender.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with True North Technologies?

We decided to create a mobile app version of our retail store. We wanted to increase customer engagement by granting them easier access to our offerings, like our loyalty program.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built iOS and Android apps that allow our customers and donors to interact with us in whatever way fits them best. The platform is integrated with our new loyalty program that replaced our legacy punch-card system.

Additionally, the app has three main aspects: donations, shopping, and volunteering. It allows users to schedule donation pickups and sign up to be a volunteer. They built an administrative backend where we can make updates and adjustments.

What is the team composition?

Renee (Owner) was my primary point of contact. I believe another designer was involved.

How did you come to work with True North Technologies?

I know the owner of True North Technologies from a networking group. We started discussing our needs, and it quickly became apparent that the product they offer — a mobile app — would be a good fit for our store. They came at a competitive price point, and we knew that they’d deliver a solid solution.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent less than $5,000. There may be additional fees as provide maintenance.

What is the status of this engagement?

App development began in March 2019, and it’s an ongoing partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t launched the app yet, but the product looks very promising. I think it’ll be just what we need. The interface they designed is very intuitive from an administrative standpoint, which I appreciate.

True North Technologies have been great to work with. In communicating with Apple to register our app as that of a nonprofit, Renee was extremely helpful in navigating all the correspondence. She created a great step-by-step process and even called Apple directly on my behalf.

How did True North Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication has been easy. We mostly talk via email, but Renee calls when its needed. They adhered to deadlines and kept us on track. My experience has been very positive on this front.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate the personal relationship we’ve built during our partnership. I can trust Renee and her company to do what’s best for us, as their client.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think their services are a good investment. This project has been positive for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of chiropractic, so I deal with all things chiropractic and health-related. I don’t have anyone working for me— it’s just me running the show.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with True North Technologies?

I started my business in February 2020 and needed a website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I don’t have experience with building websites, so I let their team lead the way on this project. They enabled online scheduling, creating a calendar that allowed people to schedule appointments through the site.

There’s also a map that shows where I’m located and a section for reviews and testimonials. It’s a no-frills website that showcases my beliefs and how I can help clients. At this point, the site is complete. She maintains it and has recently started helping me gain visibility online through local SEO.  

What is the team composition?

I worked with Renee (Owner) and another teammate.

How did you come to work with True North Technologies?

I ran into Renee several times at a networking event, and we started talking. When I started my business, I was planning on making my own website and quickly realized that I wouldn’t be able to devote the time and energy to it. I remembered meeting Renee, so I called her and asked for her help with this project. 

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent about $1,500 on her work. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2019, and she currently upkeeps our site and handles local SEO work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I love the final website. In the process of building my platform, I showed them several other chiropractic sites that I liked. They based the look and feel around that content and were spot-on with the completed product.

People often comment on how clean and streamlined the site is, indicating that they were able to create a brand storyline. Her company sends me statistics each month that detail the numbers of visitors and clicks to the site.   

How did True North Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

After our initial face-to-face meeting, she sent me a detailed timeline of their process for completing my site. It was clearly broken down into five weeks, with each week having different information they would need for me. It was nice to see that laid out. We were in constant communication throughout the development process as well. There was never a time that I had to wonder about the status of the site. 

I’ve also received information on how to edit the site as well. That will allow me to start up my blog in the future. I was super impressed with the organization and communication. They always got back to me within hours. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service really stands out. Anytime that I had questions or changes, they were diligent about helping me understand their process. I was always assured that they had my back. Their work is fabulous as well, but their customer service is where they really shine. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have any constructive feedback. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take time to expose yourself to their industry. It will benefit you to properly understand the metrics and take full advantage of their offerings.