Wesrom Corporation

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director and founder of City Spare Space. We’re a booking website that travelers can use to reserve luggage storage in local businesses. This could be a post office, a convenience store, or something that’s a secure space in a major city center.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wesrom Corporation?

It was primarily two things: web development and marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had an MVP going in produced by someone else. It was a very basic WordPress website. Wesrom helped me drastically improve that website. We had some issues early on with the website because I bootstrapped early on. A lot of things needed a massive overhaul.

For marketing, they did SEO and Google Ads. One of the things they did quite extensively was that they’ve researched our competitors and potential users in terms of SEO and what terms they’re using and searching. They track our performance month to month.

The marketing was productive early on, but we weren’t able to reliably track exactly how things were going in the early months. The website was simply having too many problems. Those were all ironed out by December, so we’ve established benchmarks since then.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 10 people. Towards the latter end, I started working with their leadership team, in addition to their director, who I spoke with throughout the engagement

How did you come to work with Wesrom Corporation?

Effectively, I got into a business relationship with their director. Being a startup you’re always hungry for resources to get to the next stage. Robert was a great fit in terms of being switched on and very intelligent, ambitious, and reasonable – down to earth, you could say. He was as good as a culture fit as I was going to get.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around £80,000 ($100,000 USD) without our ad-spend.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since August 2019. They’re providing ongoing support, but everything is on hold right now, with the Coronavirus pandemic. The majority of our original agreement is complete.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Particularly for marketing, there’s no question that my organic search results have improved. As a pretty driven individual and one that, just as much as the next person, likes to read blog articles and can understand what needs to be done to rank organically, I can see they actually possess the expertise to make it happen. It’s been an encouraging process, because this brings more profitable customers to my business, as I’m not paying for Google Ads to get organic business.

When it comes to web development, they’re extremely competent and hardworking. When the website was broken, there were a lot of pretty late nights. They worked diligently on something they didn’t design or build, which highlights their capabilities to handle difficult things.

How did Wesrom Corporation perform from a project management standpoint?

I was assigned a project manager whose sole purpose was just to manage everyone on the team. They did a smashing job in terms of keeping me informed about what’s happened and what’s on the slate. There was never a time when I thought something was unclear or not being communicated. Any time I emailed them directly, it wasn’t long before I had a response. That response might that they were looking into something and didn’t have an answer yet, but they still responded.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I don’t know there’s one single thing, but they’re really hardworking, and that work ethic is matched by a competence. In my experience, organizations have one or the other.

Anytime you operate internationally, there are all sorts of customs and cultures, but there’s never been an issue in communication. They were extremely professional.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s not a major thing, and they’ve already started implanting the fix, but their developers didn’t have the greatest communication skills. They could be locked-in and not respond to my questions – and even though they were looking into an answer, I just wanted a response so I could know they heard my question and were trying to solve it. That was months ago, though, and they’re doing much better now. It’s almost a moot point.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Working with any web development company it’s good to have a clear picture of what you want. Don’t make assumptions in terms of what you think you know about designing a website. It’s never as simple as you think. You have to clarify things much more specifically than you expect.

Additionally, you have to ask the right questions. Coming into a web development company knowing what you want is one thing, but you have to ask them if there’s a better way to do it. Use their expertise.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of a recruitment business that supports recruitment and HR professionals. Our goal to support the hiring process.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wesrom Corporation?

Over the course of our seven years as a business, we’ve generated leads organically, mostly through referrals. We figured that it was time to get our name out there and become more visible. Our team decided to bring in Wesrom Corporation to examine our digital marketing and social media strategy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They made significant impacts in terms of marketing and messaging. We market to clients to offer our services, and our team also markets to candidates with the intention of matching them to a role.

From a recruitment point of view, we have two distinct audiences. With Wesrom Corporation, we started with a client approach. That involved revamping our sales material. For instance, we rewrote our automated email campaigns and iterated our social media presence. They were much more engaging with the ideation and content on those platforms than we’ve been in the past. 

Our work with them is definitely ongoing, but they’ve already contributed a good amount to our business. We’re now moving toward our franchise business to develop it from a marketing perspective.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked primarily with Robert (Chairman, Wesrom Corporation), but I know that Raluca (Marketing Manager, Wesrom Corporation) and Malina (Digital Marketing Specialist, Wesrom Corporation) handled much of the technical marketing behind the scenes. 

How did you come to work with Wesrom Corporation?

When we met with them, Robert and his team sounded very knowledgeable. They understood our challenges very early on, showcasing critical thinking and integrity. It also seemed like they had a very personal approach, so we felt that they would be a perfect match for our company. 

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested between $4,000–$5,000 in their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in May 2018, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen a strong ROI, brining in our operating costs from the partnership back into our company this year. At this point, we’re on track to double our turnover next year, which partly has to do with the marketing work that’s been implemented. 

How did Wesrom Corporation perform from a project management standpoint?

The team structure is quite streamlined. We have an account manager, who’s able to handle much of the coordination for us. We use Teamwork, Google Hangouts, and email to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re keen on making sure that we’re met with tangible results. Sometimes, working with marketing agencies can seem like smoke and mirrors because of the nuances in the market. I get reports from them each week that detail exactly what work has been done and how that will affect our positioning. They want to make sure that we can see our ROI. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that I’d change about their services.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Get in touch with them. They’ve been able to take so much off my plate. We work closely together on briefs, outcomes, and goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was Head of Operations for a global health insurance provider. I oversaw operations, marketing, and technological development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wesrom Corporation?

When I started my role, the company didn’t do digital marketing. We needed a vendor to establish a strategy on deadline and additional resources to supplement our in-house technological development team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, their digital marketing strategy supported three e-books, social media management, and web development. They fixed issues in our not-yet-released CRM and accelerated our development project, which was already 18 months behind schedule. In addition, Wesrom Corporation made improvements on the sales side and supported our team on operations and customer service. Wesrom Corporation completed the app and CRM in anticipation of a major industry event. However, we had to cease content marketing because the company pulled my budget.

What is the team composition?

The team included a project manager and up to two developers at any given time.

How did you come to work with Wesrom Corporation?

Although we heard pitches from several international companies, Wesrom Corporation’s proposal stood out because it was clear, pragmatic, and reflected the team’s expertise. I had also known them from a previous engagement.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $106,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2016 and the project ended in September 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our Google rankings improved dramatically, from page 10 to page one. The CRM enabled us to produce quotes for hundreds of clients within a couple minutes. That improved efficiency—from up to two hours—was invaluable. In addition, their content creation positioned us as experts in our field and made our website look more reputable.

How did Wesrom Corporation perform from a project management standpoint?

They set realistic expectations and always went above and beyond to deliver on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were committed to success as if it was their own business. The team brought new ideas to the table and became part of the team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Their partnership was the best experience I’ve had.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be clear in what you want or expect from a project. Communicate regularly and let them help where they have more expertise. They are experts in their field and they are constantly developing new skills. As an organization, they are extremely efficient and systematized.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is a live streaming platform for chefs to communicate with their fans, share information about themselves, humanize what they do, and connect with people who are interested in food on a higher level. We’re also adding the ability for chefs to have people come and eat with them after they demonstrate their cooking prowess online.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wesrom Corporation?

I first connected with Wesrom for help with our marketing strategy, and they did a good and detailed job for us. After that, our relationship kind of grew. We were looking to build a prototype, and Robert, the CEO, let me know that Wesrom had a development team as well. We hired them for that project, and they did a great job.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our product manager did a little bit of the web work, but I'd say 99.9% of the work was outsourced to Wesrom Corporation. To use our service, you visit the website and click “Stream,” and then you can stream everything you're doing from your iPhone, iPad, or desktop. Wesrom first developed our prototype, and then they started to work on our minimum viable product, website, and iOS app. The iOS app includes live streaming and chat and is available in the App Store. Our other development projects are ongoing. Our company is changing its focus at the moment, but most of the core features that Wesrom has developed for us still make sense for the direction we’re heading.

How did you come to work with Wesrom Corporation?

We found Wesrom through VentureApp. I put in a request for marketing strategy, and I was presented with three companies, one of which was Wesrom. We had a great conversation, and I ended up picking them to work with.

How much have you invested with Wesrom Corporation?

Wesrom developed our web-based live streaming prototype for $10,000, which was a little lower than some of the other quotes I received. The marketing strategy they put together for us was around $3,000. So far we’ve invested around $25,000 with Wesrom, and we’re looking at investing $20,000 a month for continuous development, with the quote for the full iOS app being around $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I think we’ve worked with Wesrom for about a year. We did the marketing strategy first and then started working on the app development, which has been ongoing for about nine months. The marketing team still posts for us on Instagram and Facebook as well, and they produce a lot of the content, which is great.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I think the metrics we’re seeing right now would be unfair because we haven't gone for a full-scale launch yet. I can say that our Facebook page has grown from zero followers to around 400 followers within a few months, which I think is good since we haven't put a concerted effort into promoting it at this point. We’ve received positive feedback so far, and the app is functional and clean. There are technical issues here and there like with any app launch, but the overall look of the app and website is good.

How did Wesrom Corporation perform from a project management standpoint?

I think three or four developers ended up working on the website and app, and they performed well from a project management standpoint. When Robert says he’ll deliver on something that’s in his control, he delivers when he says he will, if not earlier.

What did you find most impressive about Wesrom Corporation?

I think the reason why I continue to work with Robert is that I know he’s listening to what I’m saying. Our work is not just a business transaction for him. He gives you his time and he makes sure that everything you want and need is accounted for. I’m sure most people have had meetings and calls where they feel like they’re being rushed so the person they’re meeting with can get to the next person. I’ve never gotten that feeling with Robert. Whenever I've wanted to get in touch with him, he’s made himself available. Their products and services have been great, but their customer service also has been top notch.

Are there any areas Wesrom Corporation could improve?

I can’t really think of any ways Wesrom could improve. I wish Wesrom had more of a local presence so we could meet face to face, but I know that’s out of his control. Our relationship is ongoing precisely because I can’t find too many areas for improvement.