VT Netzwelt

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP DTC/B2B of Petmate

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Petmate is a Manufacturer and supplier of non-food pet products designed for cats, dogs and other small birds. The company's variety of pet products, including:

• carriers
• shelters
• collars and leashes
• feeding and watering systems
• toys and pet beds

enabling the pet owners to find pet items and thereby enhancing their experience of being a pet parent more enjoyable by creating a healthy and happy life for pets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire VT Netzwelt to accomplish?

• Petmate served both B2B and B2C customers. Although we had successfully transitioned our B2C operations online with a separate platform, the B2B segment required a dedicated portal to handle their needs. Our B2B customers didn’t have a dedicated user interface to place bulk orders and instead submitted order details to the Petmate team, who manually managed these orders through their Oracle ERP system.
• This offline approach presented significant scalability challenges, demanded considerable manual effort, and was prone to human errors. Consequently, customers experienced dissatisfaction due to the absence of real-time updates. By addressing these issues, Petmate had the opportunity to redefine their business landscape and expand their online capabilities in the B2B segment.
• We hired VT Netzwelt to design and develop a solution to automate the complete B2B Segment with our specific business needs e.g. Seamless integration with the Oracle ERP system. Real-time synchronisation for companies, customers, customer addresses, orders, products, inventory, and price lists. The ability to configure different price lists for each company by creating and assigning shared catalog. 
• The creation of multiple company users under a single company, each assigned specific roles. Bulk order capabilities through CSV uploads. Cart splitting functionality based on the warehouse associated with the products. Empowerment of sales representative users to place zero-amount orders. Real-time order status updates for customers, including shipping and tracking information.
• In essence, the goal was to bring their B2B operations online and empower both customers and sales representatives to access the complete catalog. This would enable them to select products, view pricing based on the company's associated price list, determine quantities based on case pack/inner pack configurations, utilise specific payment and shipping terms, place orders, and receive real-time updates on order processing.

SOLUTION

How did you find VT Netzwelt?

Referral

Why did you select VT Netzwelt over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from VT Netzwelt were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Seamless integration with the Oracle ERP system.
• Real-time synchronisation for companies, customers, customer addresses, orders, products, inventory, and price lists.
• The ability to configure different price lists for each company by creating and assigning shared catalog.
• The creation of multiple company users under a single company, each assigned specific roles.
• Bulk order capabilities through CSV uploads. Cart splitting functionality based on the warehouse associated with the products.
• Empowerment of sales representative users to place zero-amount orders.
• Real-time order status updates for customers, including shipping and tracking information.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Launch of site and immediate revenue impact

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They always delivered projects on time and responded to our needs

What was your primary form of communication with VT Netzwelt?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Business and technical accumen

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

None Known

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Living Well Stores, Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Living Well Stores is an international online retailer of home healthcare products intended to help seniors and those with disabilities be more active.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire VT Netzwelt to accomplish?

• Ongoing development and maintenance of a Magento ecommerce website
• Provision of sysadmin services across several of the technology platforms we use.

SOLUTION

How did you find VT Netzwelt?

Referral

Why did you select VT Netzwelt over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from VT Netzwelt were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

To date we utilize VTNetzwelt in three areas:

1. Magento website maintanance and customization/development to suit our needs including product presentation, website optimization and back end communications with other apps that we use.
2. Amazon product advertising analysis and campaign development including delivery of measurable results.
3. Social media campaign dev and execution, search engine optimization.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Measurable success on campaigns plus accomplishments of specific objectives we assigned. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

We find Vtnetzwelt team members to be very responsive- so much so that we don't really consider bringing any of the services that the provide in-house. They employ a process of regular communication via Teams and project management tools. Projects are delivered on time >80 pct of the time

What was your primary form of communication with VT Netzwelt?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their client commitment is impressive. They understand that there's implicit risk in outsourcing critical/near critical tasks. They take that responsibility seriously. 

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive of So Dialed Racetech

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We build apps to support the RC car racing community.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire VT Netzwelt to accomplish?

• Build an app for our customers
• Build accompanying online functions and web pages
• Be available for emergency maintenance
• Continue to support and build out all features over time

SOLUTION

How did you find VT Netzwelt?

Upwork

Why did you select VT Netzwelt over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Breadth of services available

How many teammates from VT Netzwelt were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

VT is the team solely responsible for our flagship app. We provided mockups and basic product documentation, and they did all of the front- and backend work to create our apps on both iOS and Android (in Flutter/Firebase.) 

Because our users may be out of cell range when they are racing, the app allows users to create and modify their data offline, and it automatically syncs when they are back online, and VT engineered that entire system.

They have also been instrumental in providing backend services and APIs that allow us to connect our production website to the data coming in from our users, helping the site feel dynamic and fresh.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Delivery of technical project plan
• Delivery of finished apps
• Regular delivery of app updates per request
• Consistent site uptime
• Responsive to emergency situations

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

For the initial project particularly, the project management involved frequent communication, meetings, and updates from their team. They were always on the ball and responsive. 

As time went on, our time pressures were lessened, so we required less immediate communication, and we were able to manage most projects over email and in our online project management system.

What was your primary form of communication with VT Netzwelt?

Virtual Meeting

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

It has to be the dedication. The VT team has been working on my project for 3 years now and have always been very responsive and eager to tackle new projects. The field of interest for my app is pretty niche, but they have done a remarkable job in understanding the user's needs and building apps that meet them well. They turn out quality work every time, with very little need for revisions.

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

Considering the budget (and the resulting hours they can spend on our project), I think they have done an excellent job.  My company cannot afford to hire them full-time, so they still need to switch between projects for other clients, which is not easy for developers to do often, but they manage it well. I can't say I can think of anything they really need to improve on.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I'm an executive at Great Dwellings

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Short Term Rental property management

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire VT Netzwelt to accomplish?

• Business Analysis
• Automation

SOLUTION

How did you find VT Netzwelt?

Online Search

Why did you select VT Netzwelt over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Attention to Detail

How many teammates from VT Netzwelt were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Their team of highly skilled professionals analyzed our processes and developed a custom IT system that automated key aspects of our operations, leading to increased efficiency and client satisfaction. VT Netzwelt's scope of work included process analysis, bespoke solution design, development, seamless integration, rigorous testing, and comprehensive training and support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Time Savings: The automation of key processes resulted in a significant reduction in time spent on manual tasks. This allowed our team to allocate more time to high-value activities, such as building relationships with clients and improving our service offerings. 
• Error Reduction: By automating various aspects of our operations, we saw a notable decrease in manual errors. This led to increased accuracy in tasks such as booking management, invoicing, and reporting, ultimately enhancing our overall service quality. 
• Increased Productivity: With the new IT system streamlining our daily operations, our team's productivity increased substantially. The efficiency gains enabled us to handle a larger volume of clients without compromising on the quality of service. 
• Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: The improvements in our operational efficiency and accuracy, as well as our ability to focus on customer service, translated into higher customer satisfaction rates. This resulted in positive reviews, increased customer retention, and a stronger reputation in the short-term rental market. 
• Scalability: The custom IT system designed by VT Netzwelt was built with scalability in mind, allowing us to easily accommodate our business growth. As our client base expanded, the system was able to handle the increased workload without any performance issues.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

VT Netzwelt's project management was truly top-notch! From the get-go, they were organized, efficient, and super attentive to our needs. They consistently delivered items on time and made sure that every aspect of the project was well-coordinated and executed. One of the best things about working with VT was their flexibility and responsiveness. 

Whenever we had questions or needed any adjustments, they were always quick to address our concerns and make necessary changes, ensuring that everything was tailored to our specific requirements. Their open and regular communication was key to the project's success. We had frequent progress updates and check-ins, which made us feel very involved in the process. This collaborative approach not only built trust but also ensured that our vision was perfectly aligned with their work. 

So, in a nutshell, VT Netzwelt's project management was outstanding. They were always on top of things, timely with their deliverables, and incredibly attentive to our needs. They truly made the entire experience a breeze for us!

What was your primary form of communication with VT Netzwelt?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What truly stood out and impressed me the most about VT Netzwelt was their exceptional project management skills combined with their unwavering commitment to keeping us in the loop at all times. They genuinely valued our input and made sure we were informed and engaged throughout the entire process. The regular updates on project status and progress were invaluable, ensuring that we always knew exactly where things stood. 

Their transparency and open communication not only instilled confidence in their work but also allowed us to provide feedback, which they were always eager to incorporate. It was this emphasis on collaboration and partnership that really set VT Netzwelt apart from other companies. Their proactive approach to addressing our needs, along with their incredible adaptability, made the entire experience feel like we were working with an extension of our own team. 

VT Netzwelt's unique blend of top-notch project management, excellent communication, and genuine investment in our success left a lasting impression and made the whole collaboration a truly remarkable experience.

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

Honestly, it's tough to pinpoint any areas for improvement, as our experience with VT Netzwelt was nothing short of fantastic. Their dedication, expertise, and outstanding project management really exceeded our expectations. They were proactive in addressing our needs, and their level of communication was exceptional. It felt like they genuinely cared about our project's success, and that made all the difference. So, I'd say there's nothing I can think of that they could have done differently – they truly knocked it out of the park!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am founder / CEO. We are building a web application to help companies access the capital and expertise needed to avert distress and grow.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire VT Netzwelt?

We hired VT Netzwelt to add a bunch of features to an initial product we had built.

What were your goals for this project?

Our aim was to achieve a much more robust product within a tight time frame and budget.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them online and ran a competitive bid with several other agencies. VT Netzwelt did the most thorough job up front to understand our project and estimate the hours it may incur to complete. They offered several current clients for us to speak with as referrals, which we did. Each referral had exceedingly positive things to say about VT Netzwelt. VT Netzwelt's professional manner interacting with us, thorough homework ahead of their bid, strong referrals, and competitive pricing made it an easy decision to engage VT Netzwelt.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We began with a recorded kickoff call on which we walked through the current application and discussed the new features in greater depth. We together then prioritized the features and began work. They offered up a weekly call to discuss what was accomplished in the prior week and on deck for the next week. In addition to regular communication over the phone/Skype, Slack and email, these calls helped us stay in sync and adjust the project plan as we went. They significantly enhanced our application beyond just the features requested, which we appreciated.

What was the team composition?

They provided a project manager, a lead full stack developer, a technical architecture developer (2nd set of eyes), and a QA individual. This whole team was engaged from start to finish, and we were pleased with their talent. Management seems to have been intentional about allowing staff to find roles they enjoy and are well-suited for, and in providing training for staff to grow in those roles or take on new responsibilities as each so desires. It seems like a healthy culture (we visited them in India), which made for a strong team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered a more robust product than we expected within the time and budget we had laid out. They allowed us to achieve our goals for that season.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

At the start, they laid out a spreadsheet detailing tasks and expected hours for each. We moved this detail onto Asana once we got started, and built on it from there. They maintained the Asana project to allow me and team to provide updates regarding upcoming tasks and priorities. On their side though, they maintain a homegrown internal project management system, which seems to work great for their team. Their project manager was effective orchestrating the project, and periodically we would engage directly with others on the team as needed. All seemed seamless. We used Skype, Asana, Slack, and email for communication. There was no issue with language barrier as all was done in English.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The quality of the team, the quality of the processes, and thereby the quality of the work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of an online meal planning system.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with VT Netzwelt?

We worked with a different company to initially develop our iOS and Android applications and create a new design for them, but we engaged VT Netzwelt to execute that design and maintain our applications.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hoped to make our applications more accessible, so we needed an improved UX. Once we received a satisfactory design from another vendor, we called on VT Netzwelt to implement it. The redesign allowed users of different technical skill levels to use the apps how they’d like. The apps are customizable so that they can be used very simply or have added complexity. VT Netzwelt also maintains our apps, which sometimes involves writing new native code for Android and iOS.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager and various developers. We sometimes work with a small team of designers, as well.

How did you come to work with VT Netzwelt?

I initially found them through their sales representative, who presented the company well. They have an active project manager who was able to communicate clearly what his team would be doing.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent more than $250,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in 2017 and remains ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Most importantly, the company has a robust mobile app presence. Last year, we were among the fastest growing private companies in the United States, so having functional and practical mobile applications is essential for us to continue our growth.

How did VT Netzwelt perform from a project management standpoint?

VT Netzwelt has no weak spots. They’re consistent, and they work hard to meet our internal deadlines. It’s evident that they care about the project and want to do a good job. I rest easy knowing that I have VT Netzwelt backing me up.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have been able to draw from their past experiences to find shortcuts and smart recommendations for how we should progress. Their foresight into all of our design decisions has saved us a lot of money and heartache.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’ve never had a cause for complaint.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It's important to keep in mind that what you initially describe is unlikely to be what you receive at the end. You might assume that the development team is going to magically transform your ideas into the product that you want, but that's rarely the case. It's vital to participate in the iterative process that is bound to unfold. You come to learn that ideal solution shifts and changes quite a bit, so it’s best to prepare for those turns.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Offerista Group GmbH, which operates multiple apps with a joint install base exceeding 25 million users. One of our easy-to-use applications helps customers obtain more information about a product by scanning the barcode printed on the product packaging. These details include nutritional information, the ecological carbon footprint, lowest prices, price fluctuations, aggregated ratings, and general background information about the manufacturer.

Our other app helps brick-and-mortar stores reap the benefits of digitalization. It publishes digital brochures and offers. Using location-based services, it attracts customers from relevant target groups. Expanding the customer base that visits stores increases sales.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire VT Netzwelt?

We needed to develop a variety of new spin-off apps that capitalize on the product information search technology that drives our existing products. Tight deadlines and an ever-growing story backlog kept prolonging our project schedules. To tackle this challenge, we commissioned VT Netzwelt to extend our IT team and help us launch the products faster.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal for the project was to develop five mobile apps that each connect to our product data backend. By commissioning VT Netzwelt to develop these products, we anticipated a significantly shorter time-to-market. We also needed to build new APIs following a stringent MVP development approach and adhering to the latest Android requirements.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We actively sought recommendations from our business network and shortlisted 8-10 vendors who came highly recommended for an initial review. VT Netzwelt was among the organizations on this list. Based on location, relevant experience, work portfolio, and company size, we narrowed the list to three options who we invited to our office for technical workshops. 

As each agency discussed how they would solve specific technical problems, it quickly emerged that VT Netzwelt showed the highest degree of client-orientation, strategic problem-solving skills, and technical capabilities to best fulfill our requirements. We especially valued their transparent, accessible, and highly Agile approach to software development. 

As the next step, we asked VT Netzwelt for three references from their existing clients and contacted each one to get a first-hand experience. Once this was also cleared, we signed an LOI and NDA, and we assessed their financial stability.

Describe the project in detail.

The project involved software design and software development for three Android and two iOS native mobile apps using an MVP design pattern. Our dedicated agency provided the UI design. VT Netwzelt also built the REST API web services for each Android app from scratch and refactored and enhanced two other API codebases for the storing of user-specific preferences.

The apps’ modularity allows us to add new functionality faster with less effort and conduct more thorough A/B testing to increase user interaction and gain more monthly active users. Combining automatic testing with the latest app development techniques should also reduce ongoing efforts for regression testing in the future.

What was the team composition?

The size of the team changes from time to time depending on the project requirement. On average, the team included a project manager, two iOS developers, three Android developers, two mobile app testers, and a database administrator. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our experience with VT Netzwelt over the past five years has exceeded our expectations. We managed to develop the applications in record time, even accounting for last-minute changes along the way. Similarly, the time-to-market for new feature additions (or occasional bug fixes) drastically improved. 

The new apps have an average rating of 4.34 in the Google Play store and 4.5 in the App Store. The products receive fewer customer support requests, which reduces overheads in our department and helps us enlarge our product management team.

Overall, we are more than happy with VT Netzwelt which why we’ve extended our relationship throughout the years. They have demonstrated excellent management and development capabilities while sticking to agreed timelines. They even go the extra mile by working on weekends or outside of office hours to meet time-sensitive deadlines. The team is highly responsive, committed, and above all communicative. They always provide prompt feedback on our inquiries. We hope they keep up this good work so our relationship will continue to benefit both of us.

 How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We mostly use Google Hangout, video chats, Skype, and email for communication methods. VT Netzwelt maintains the code in GitHub and Gitlab uses Confluence and Jira for documentation and the epics and stories.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I’m most impressed with VT Netzwelt’s problem-solving capability when confronted with difficult challenges. Their technical response and depth of thinking have completely amazed us multiple times. They continuously recommend better solutions than our own suggestions and have caught eventualities and conflicts in the requirements we didn’t notice. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The only possible improvement I could think of would be a quicker ramp-up time when adding resources to manage a sudden spike in the size of the backlog. However, we completely understand that this limitation comes from employees’ availability and long-term commitments with other clients, so it’s not really a “flaw.” From time to time, additional resources are already available when we need them temporarily. We’re thankful we can avail of this support on a priority basis.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a toy rental company called Spielzeugkiste, or My Toy Box in English. Using our online platform, families can receive and send back toys on a regular basis. In my role, I handle a lot of the IT components.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with VT Netzwelt?

Since our business runs on a subscription model, we needed resources to customize our platform from a Magento shop to a toy rental site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, VT Netzwelt customized our Magento site to match our subscription model by adding a new payment method. They built the module from scratch and integrated it with Amazon Pay (specifically Amazon Recurring Payment), which allows users to rent toys via subscription.

We’ve since expanded their role to include other tasks and customizations. Typically, our product team comes up with additional features, and we provide VT Netzwelt with the technical information for implementation. So far, they’ve developed over 10 backend modules, created customer profiles, and adjusted boxes on the site.

The team is currently working on a feature that allows customers to selectively purchase toys. In the first iteration, this allowed customers to keep certain toys when returning a box of rentals. We’re now adjusting the feature so that customers can buy used toys even if they’ve never rented them.

What is the team composition?

In general, I work with Nitin (VP of Projects, VT Netzwelt), but my in-house team also talks to their developers.

How did you come to work with VT Netzwelt?

I was looking for a Magento agency though my network before meeting one of their co-founders. After we got to know each other and completed a test phase, we expanded their involvement.

How much have you invested with them?

The average feature costs between €10,000–€20,000 (approximately $11,400–$22,800 USD), but the total project cost is more.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work started in January 2018 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although we had internal development resources before engaging VT Netzwelt, they were too slow and always exceeded their time estimates. Once we brought on Nitin and his team, we had more reliable developers on hand. They’ve provided us with an accurate product roadmap, allowing us to clearly plan future releases.

How did VT Netzwelt perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is one of their key strengths. I have a good relationship with Nitin and his team, and we communicate at least once a week via Slack and Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate how accurate their time and cost estimates are when planning out features. Since we have regular calls, I always feel up to date, and there are no negative surprises. Furthermore, we share a high level of trust. If they tell me something should be done a certain way, I follow their advice. Other IT colleagues have also confirmed the quality of their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind at the moment. This has been the best experience I’ve had with external developers.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Beyond trusting their team, it’s good to have weekly routines and a full pipeline for tasks and projects; this will relieve your daily workload. They’re also a great long-term partner. As they continue to work on your interior system, they’ll provide more and more value over time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Flexible Fit Equestrian. We’re an e-commerce site that specializes in manufacturing and sales for equestrian products through the B2C and B2B channels.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with VT Netzwelt?

I had commissioned a company to build the third iteration of my website. It took them much longer than it was supposed to take. They launched a malfunctioning website that caused sales to plummet and all sorts of disasters. We needed a different company to rectify our website’s issues, so we hired VT Netzwelt.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

VT Netzwelt had to fix so much that they basically started from scratch. In the end, it should have just been a new build considering how many issues we had to rectify that the initial web developers created.

Our website is extremely technical. We have a unique business since we mix and match our products. We sell both bundles of items and single products, so our e-commerce site has two different pricing structures. It required a very complicated build. VT Netwelt also helped us build an app within it to sell bridles. It had to be highly specialized, customized, and outside of the box. We built the platform on Magento 1.9. They had to rewrite a lot of the code and do many installs to get it functioning. 

What is the team composition? 

I interface with Nitin (Vice President, VT Netzwelt), who acts as project manager. He has several developers who work underneath him.

How did you come to work with VT Netzwelt?

I found VT Netzwelt in a Google search for a specialized company who could work with our custom-built website. It’s extremely difficult to find a vendor who has that experience.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $30,000 AUD (approximately $21,200 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We finally managed to stabilize the website about six months into the project in June. Once it was up and running, our sales essentially doubled compared to when the broken website was live the previous July 2017.

How did VT Netzwelt perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very hands-on and easy to get a hold of. They’re exceptionally good at project management. We used Asana.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Having dealt with a multitude of web companies over the 10 years of my business, I appreciate that they give us answers right away. VT Netzwelt follows through on their work and is very reasonably priced. They not only listen to what you require but also provide invaluable input into things you might not have considered. Their advice helped us make the website better.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their timeframes can lag a bit sometimes.  Having said that, our project is a very complicated build. The nature of this type of website is time intensive.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I advise you to have a plan in your head and know what you want to get out of the engagement. Have an in-depth discussion with the team and tell them about your goals. Explain your business in detail. They can come up with useful ideas for your e-commerce site.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of a website called collegescholarships.com. It is a financial aid service that provides pre-scholarship information for students and parents.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with VT Netzwelt?

The company who originally designed the website was only able to take it so far. Our platform had become outdated. It was neither getting enough organic searches nor as highly ranked on Google as it could be. I was looking for a company that could take it to the next level and hired VT Netzwelt.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Our site includes a large database of colleges and scholarships. The backend allows me to enter or modify college profiles when they win an award. At the time, though, it wasn’t sufficiently functional. I tasked VT Netzwelt with changing the entire look and feel. They changed the way it works so students can find better-suited and more applicable scholarship options. In addition, they modified the admin backend so I can easily manage and maintain the entire website. Before, the lack of usability had wasted a lot of time. 

VT Netzwelt changed the overall appearance of not only the homepage but also all of the subpages. Technologies they used included CodeIgniter, PHP, Google Analytics, and Bootstrap. They set up spots on each page where I could place Google Ads, which is the only source of income from the website. I needed these ads to be appropriately positioned and wanted the option to change them at will. 

What is the team composition?

I was in contact with Surender (Founder, VT Netzwelt).

How did you come to work with VT Netzwelt?

I knew and trusted the developer who had initially designed the frontend and backend, but he went on to work in a different field. I felt on the fence about who I could trust. Upon visiting a couple of sites, I came across an online platform. I posted our project and received responses from about 12 interested companies.  After having phone calls with each of them, VT Netzwelt struck me as the most honest and detail-oriented option. Right from the start, I felt safe working with VT Netzwelt. They have access to everything, and I never have to worry.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent under $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2013, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we launched the site VT Netzwelt redesigned, we’ve been switching between the first and second result for multiple keywords on Google. Sometimes our rank drops to three, but it’s number one or two almost all the time. We’ve experienced a substantial increase in revenue from Google AdSense and increased traffic. Users both spend more amount of time on the site, and visit more pages during each visit.

How did VT Netzwelt perform from a project management standpoint?

I couldn’t be happier. We used Skype, and we had online meetings for the first year to ensure they understood what I was expecting and wanted. We also used TeamViewer for desktop sharing. Eventually, we got to know each other so well that we only use email now.

What did you find most impressive about them?

VT Netzwelt’s ability to convey honesty through web design is impressive. To complete a profile on our website, students have to put in a lot of personal information about themselves and parents. It gives users a warm and fuzzy feeling that we aren’t doing anything with their data besides building the site.

VT Netzwelt can quickly change directions in response to my ever-changing ideas. They are committed to making the site how I want. The team is always open to making changes and very friendly to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

After 5–6 years, it is very challenging to keep a website in the top five keywords that a lot of students search for. We are still performing well in that regard. I can’t think of any areas where I expected them to be better.