Tiny Frog Technologies

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of Skillset Group, a staffing, recruiting, HR, and payroll company specializing in recruiting individuals in the technology, engineering, and manufacturing space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tiny Frog Technologies?

Our business challenges were monetizing the information on our website, monetizing information of customers or candidates coming to our website, and having that information back-ended into our ATS [applicant tracking system] and CRM [customer relationship management] system that would tie in through our website’s APIs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They first set up a wiring of the website, a diagram of how we wanted the website to work. From there, we worked with design and project management, development, finalization of beta testing, and then a live launch.

How did you come to work with Tiny Frog Technologies?

I did my due diligence and research and received quotes from other companies, but we were referred to Tiny Frog through their CEO, Mikel Bruce, who has a long-standing reputation of taking care of people in the technology space. They also came in with the best quote and process of getting the project done.

How much have you invested with Tiny Frog Technologies?

More than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in June 2016 and ended in August 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have seen a significant increase in candidate interaction and users on applying to different job ads on our website. We saw an increase of 1,000% in candidate applications and a 100-200% increase in customer inquiries into utilizing our services. Integration onto our backend works very smoothly, and it updates the recruiter on our end that someone applied for a position with all the applicant’s information and database already in our backend. The recruiter does not have to go in and fill that information out. The website also has been a useful resource for candidates to be able to access and download their time cards, I-9, W-2, or other needed forms. Overall, we have not had any hiccups or non-working features on the website, making it an entirely smooth transition.

How did Tiny Frog Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They did well on their project management, in their communication, and passing of projects from one department to the next. They have smooth transitions from taking a good wireframe of a website, moving into the design section, uploading the content, and then into development. It was an excellent execution on all ends on the project management side. They were very fast in performing their duties, and they let us work at our pace with the project. They were also good at maintaining a good, healthy rhythm to the project and not losing that rhythm while getting the project pushed along into the next development section. Finally, the platforms they used were user-friendly and made the whole process a lot easier.

What did you most impressive about Tiny Frog Technologies?

Their project management and design are top-notch in my opinion. The way they structured the whole process caters to the customer, which is really important, and their designer, Ben, is fantastic.

Are there any areas Tiny Frog Technologies could improve?

No. I am 100% happy with what we got and how it turned out.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of an executive development and executive coaching consulting company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tiny Frog Technologies?

I’ve had websites since about 2000. The business challenge was to create a digital storefront that would reflect our values and our contribution while being attractive to both existing and prospective clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tiny Frog worked to update, revamp, and modernize our old websites for efficiency and marketing purposes. Tiny Frog made them more functional, dynamic, and responsive so they would work on different devices. Tiny Frog has done 3 of our websites over the years. I think the current site is built on WordPress. They’re a one-stop shop that provides everything from the strategic setup—for how we want to formulate our content—to the wireframing, design, execution, and maintenance of the website.

How did you come to work with Tiny Frog Technologies?

A number of folks had recommended Tiny Frog. I think recommendations are always really powerful when I'm looking for services. I also found it really attractive that they could do the strategic, visual, and code development as well as the maintenance. I wanted to minimize the number of contacts I have to get all of those things done, so it was nice to have a complete solution.

How much have you invested with Tiny Frog Technologies?

We have invested somewhere in the $10,000 to $50,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with Tiny Frog since at least 2010. We don't have a retainer agreement with them, but they do perform maintenance and do continuous upgrades and changes for us. We ask them to redesign pages, change the look and feel of the website, and add functionality.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can’t speak to the analytics but I can provide some anecdotal evidence. I regularly get positive comments from prospective clients about the website being helpful, modern, and representing us well. I know people are going to check out the website. I’m not contracting with Tiny Frog for SEO or pay-per-click or anything like that, but I do know that when you search “executive coaching San Diego” on Google, our site comes up number 1. That is pretty cool and I like that, but I’m not sure how much of that I should attribute to Tiny Frog’s work.

How did Tiny Frog Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall, they perform rather well from a project management standpoint. I personally communicate regularly with 3 of their employees, but one of the members of my team does far more interfacing with them than I do. One of the things I like about them is that they are pretty good with their project management and expectation setting, and their turnaround is quick. In all fairness, most of the holdups come from our side. There have been only a few times when we’ve thought, “Hey, we haven't heard back yet.” I don't think there was ever a situation that they were tardy in terms of getting their part to us.

What did you find most impressive about Tiny Frog Technologies?

I think one of the great standouts for me is how remarkably personable their CEO is. You would think everything would be about technology, but there’s still a big people component to it. I think he’s knowledgeable, professional, responsive, and relatable. My interaction with all of his staff has been the same way. They’re conscientious and pleasant to engage and interact with, and that makes a difference.

Are there any areas Tiny Frog Technologies could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of Cross-Cultural Communications. Our company provides services to corporations in the area of diversity inclusion and unconscious bias. We hold workshops and keynote addresses on those topics, providing the necessary skills for companies to reduce biases in the workplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tiny Frog Technologies?

We were trying to continue our growth and refine our ability to find the right clients. However, our website was dated and didn't reflect the quality of our services. The core function of our site is to communicate our depth of expertise and knowledge to potential customers. At the same time, we wanted to let them know that our presentations are accessible, involving and motivating. We had been working with an organization that was completely uncommunicative when it came to making edits and providing help with technology.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tiny Frog Technologies initially designed the artwork and page layouts for our site, taking into account what would be best for our business. The site was developed using the WordPress platform and the content was provided by our own writers to Tiny Frog Technologies' team. I also worked with a consultant who handled the site's optimization. Since that time, I've been able to contact Tiny Frog Technologies readily for any enhancements. They were also good at training me and my assistant, allowing us to make edits ourselves.

How did you come to work with Tiny Frog Technologies?

I researched and interviewed at least 12 companies in the San Diego area. It was important to find a local agency that we could visit in person. I met Tiny Frog Technologies' team and found them to be outstanding in terms of communication skills and willingness to listen to what we wanted. It was important that the team communicated with me in a language that I understood. Since I didn't have in-house staff, they would have to become my IT people. Tiny Frog Technologies understood this and adjusted their communication frequency and style accordingly.

How much have you invested with Tiny Frog Technologies?

The cost of Tiny Frog Technologies' work was between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Tiny Frog Technologies several years ago, around August 2012. The project was timely, longer than I expected, but I couldn't estimate how much time it took. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I have a strong academic background and have done a lot of writing, so I had a challenge in clarifying that my presentations aren't academic in focus. Tiny Frog Technologies was able to overcome that challenge through the use of graphics and the general look of the site. They were able to do this while still integrating a lot of my writing and articles. I know that it's not a current trend to feature a lot of content on a site, but we needed it if we were to build our expertise. Through Tiny Frog Technologies' work, people are now seeing the image we want to present.

Many people have commented on how much they like the site, how much they wanted to keep browsing it, and that they shared its link with their friends. People were surprised with how slick, professional, and involving the site was. In the months after the site was launched, I received more attention and inquiries. This was to be expected because I was presenting myself better through the website. I couldn't be more satisfied with Tiny Frog Technologies and I expect to stay with them for many more years.

How did Tiny Frog Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Tiny Frog Technologies' team was timely and thorough. I kept providing a lot of material for them to include on the site, which could be a reason for our project taking longer. The work was laid out for me when we first started, letting me know what to expect and when. If I didn't understand a certain step, Tiny Frog Technologies explained it to me carefully.

What did you find most impressive about Tiny Frog Technologies?

I've appreciated Tiny Frog Technologies' responsiveness, willingness to communicate, and warmth. The team has become a part of my office. I see them as human beings, rather than strangers on the phone. The general experience was positive and I never got the sense that I wasn't a large enough client for them.

Are there any areas Tiny Frog Technologies could improve?

I don't think so. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of the International Protocol Institute of California. We conduct international training programs for protocol specialists. We do quite a bit of work in Dubai and here in San Diego. One of our programs is a Masterclass in Protocol & International Relations for business professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TinyFrog Technologies?

Our website was designed by somebody else, and I asked TinyFrog to host it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

TinyFrog is hosting my website, and they take care of security issues. They make sure everything is backed up and everything is taken care of. I had chosen the original theme and design, but when we uploaded the website, TinyFrog changed it to a more updated theme. If I ask them to make any changes, they can go in and do that. That's about it. I have not asked them to do any promotion or anything else for my website. I do all of that myself, so there's no statistics to show from their end. 

How did you come to work with TinyFrog Technologies?

TinyFrog was a referral. I was introduced to the company owner a long time ago. I spoke to Mikel Bruce [CEO and founder of TinyFrog Technologies] and built a relationship with the company. Mikel was very easy to talk to and he explained everything very well. He has a lot of credibility, so we chose TinyFrog.

How much have you invested with TinyFrog Technologies?

We have spent less than $10,000 with TinyFrog.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with TinyFrog in 2011, and they continue to host our website. I'm perfectly happy with their services for now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did TinyFrog Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

I haven't given TinyFrog any projects. When I do reach out to TinyFrog, they get right on it and in a timely manner. They get back to me, and they do what I ask them to do. TinyFrog is very timely, thorough, and does a very nice job. I like the fact that they took care of business and took care of it well.

What did you find most impressive about TinyFrog Technologies?

I found TinyFrog very easy to work with because I could call them at any time for an update. I could call Mikel even during weekends or at night. They also keep me updated about the website and respond quickly to issues. It's more like a boutique company where you have a good relationship. Unlike working with a big company, where you're just one of 100 or 1,000 clients, TinyFrog is all about the relationship. They're very personable, and they don't mind if you don't know much about the industry. They walk you through it patiently and get the job done. I feel very secure that they are taking care of my website.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

The company is called Skyriver IT. We help small and medium-sized businesses with their outsourced IT [information technology] needs.

What is your position?

I'm the president.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with TinyFrog Technologies?

We wanted to strengthen our online presence and increase leads. We also wanted to improve the image of our company.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

TinyFrog helped us design and develop the websites. They also came up with the messaging for some of our site and optimized it to be ICO-friendly. My best guess is that they used WordPress.

How did you come to work with TinyFrog Technologies?

My marketing consultant had recommended them. We looked at a few other firms, and we looked at the work that they had done. Based on their portfolio and the quality of design and development work that they produced at their cost, we decided to go with them. We would have had to spend three times as much to hire another agency.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was about $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in May or June [of 2015] and was completed in September or October of 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I don't have any statistics. I know that when people go to the site, they get the sense that we are very professional. We have gotten a few leads from the site that have converted. In our business, we don't get a ton of leads online. There have been other people who have told me that they've recommended us based on the site that we have. It's a good image.

How did TinyFrog Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They did excellent, which is usually rare in this space. I know companies that charge three, four, or five times the price, and they can't do what TinyFrog Technologies did for us. These guys were on the ball. They followed up and they delivered. It was very impressive because creative companies are not usually good at project management.

What distinguishes TinyFrog Technologies from other providers?

The first thing is their project management – being on top of things and getting them done. At the same time, they have the combination of project management skills, creativity, and creative thinking, which is uncommon from my experience. Also, they're very cost-effective for having being so good at those components.

Is there anything TinyFrog Technologies could have improved or done differently?

I don't think there was anything specific that comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I am the manager of strategic implementation at Sycuan Casino. I deal with digital strategy with a heavy emphasis on our mobile.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with TinyFrog Technologies?

My department was tasked with redesigning and developing a new website. I have some agency background and my superior also had some background with web, but we needed a third party to help us with the UX [user experience] and development of the website. That's why we hired TinyFrog as a third party to come in and take the lead.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We brought them on as a full-service website developer. That started with a discovery phase where they did a site map of our current site. Then, they did the user experience mapping and created wireframes with input from our creative department. Some of the designs that TinyFrog did ended up not being used because our creative department had to go a different direction. I think that some off their designs were actually better than what we ended up going with. They also did some development work for us on WordPress.

How did you come to work with TinyFrog Technologies?

I have been working with them for the last four years or so. I worked in a digital agency in San Diego prior to my current position. I came across them in my previous position. They would handle the WordPress development where my agency was more of the heavy lifting behind the scenes.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We have invested between $10,000 and $50,000

What is the status of this engagement?

We started late spring of 2015 and ended in the fall on good terms. We went live with the website a couple months after our engagement with them. The website is up and running and everything is going well. We have a maintenance agreement with them where if we have any questions or back-end problems with WordPress, we can call them and they will help us out.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Our bounce rate has gone down and length of time on site has gone up. That is totally attributable to our website design. The key to this project was getting our website into 2016 and mobile responsive. That has helped us quite a bit because now we have many of our guests who can actually view the website on their mobile phone where before it was a very poor experience. The website is also organized a lot better.

How did TinyFrog Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

One of the things they're very good at is transparency. They have a very tight team that always knows what's going on. They're not a huge agency where you're getting passed around to different people all the time. You know who your lead development person and who your lead design person is, and you have a project manager. There's also an account executive for billing. It's very organized. 

They use a software that allows you to review their wireframes online and add notes. You can be your own QA [quality assurance]. They get back to you in a timely manner, which saves a lot of time so you're not having a lot of face-to-face meetings and conference calls.

What distinguishes TinyFrog Technologies from other providers?

They're very transparent, and they tell you how it is. There are no hidden costs. They're not going to say we thought the scope was this. They'll do everything in their power to make sure the client gets what they expected.

That have a sweet spot where they can do websites anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000. Many bigger agencies won't take anything less than $50,000, so that's where TinyFrog comes in. They're good at working with small businesses and determining what they need.

Is there anything TinyFrog Technologies could have improved or done differently?

I'd say they're doing great. They're on top of the latest trends. They're getting better at focusing on the mobile design earlier on in the process, which is becoming more important since people use their phones more than their desktop.

BACKGROUND

Please provide a description of your organization. 

We’re a vocational school, part of a national university, which has 28 campuses in the states of California and Nevada. Our school is located in San Diego, and the two programs that we currently offer are commercial diving and emergency medical technician training.

What are your role and responsibilities?

I’m the general manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal in working with TinyFrog Technologies?

The program was in a bit of disarray when I came on board three years ago. We had just moved the campus from Wilmington, California, down to San Diego, and we kind of lost our sense of identity. We had changed our name and didn’t rebrand ourselves. All of the people in the industry who would normally send students to the school thought we had closed. So, when I first came onboard, one of the first things I looked at was how we could get our name back out there and climb back up in the ranks of commercial dive schools and EMT [emergency medical technician] programs, so we could be a player in the market again.

We had a Web page, if you would even call it that, and the landing page was very bland. Anyone interested in the school would have easily ignored us. We needed to build a professional image for the school. We’re an amazing facility. We’re really state of the art, we’re head and shoulders above all of our competitors, but we didn’t have our mark out there on the Internet to prove that.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

TinyFrog Technologies did everything: design, development, testing, frontend and backend – just everything. The only thing I provided was the content and a little bit of creative input. 

They trained my team [and I] how to work with the site, and we learned a lot from them. We're now able to go in, do my own tagging on pages, and really build the SEO [search engine optimization].

What was your process in selecting TinyFrog Technologies with which to work?

We wanted to find a local company that was able to give us what we needed to get back out there. I did some generic search on Google, and TinyFrog popped up. I contacted them and was immediately put in touch with the owner and CEO. We set up a meeting with them, which included me, a couple of key stakeholders, and one of our marketing representatives. We showed them examples of other community colleges who had pretty decent sites, and they pretty much laughed at those and said they could build a site that would be better than any of our competitors.  

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

We’ve spent right around $10,000 working with TinyFrog.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics, metrics, or general feedback to show the success of the project?

Before the new site, we had about 750 sessions a month. Yesterday, we were at 3,300 sessions per month, and that’s just through Google Analytics. It wasn’t long before we moved from the fourth page on Google to the first, second, third, and fourth spots on the first page, so I was happy with how the SEO went.

Is there anything unique about TinyFrog Technologies that really makes them stand out compared to other companies?

I felt like I was their only customer. They gave me a lot of close attention. I felt very comfortable working with them. They provided me with a link to an offline Web page so I could watch the formation of our site as it was being created. I had good interactions with every one of the players on their team. I was pleased with the way they worked with me. I worked with the designer individually. I liked how they let me put in content and just hand it back to them. They’d wave their magic wand over it and turn my content into something wonderful.

We restarted the project after a hold for six months, and they got right back on top of it. Anytime I ever had any questions, I knew exactly whom to contact. They worked with me tirelessly through the transition of CRM [customer relationship management] platforms.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

No. Everything was spot on.

What advice would you have for future clients of TinyFrog Technologies?

Be clear about what you want before you contract with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We lease commercial buildings and investments. We’ve been in business for 35 years. We started out in California, and we now have about 52 offices nationwide.

What are your role and responsibilities?

I’m the chief operating officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal in working with TinyFrog Technologies?

We needed a company to handle all of our website needs. Our previous vendor couldn’t work with the APIs [application programming interfaces] that were provided. So, our entire Web – technical, hosting, maintenance, everything – needed to be turned over to a new vendor.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

We started out seeing if they could handle creating microsites for our individual offices. We had them create the sites, and we’re now working with them on agent sites and specialty group sites. We just signed contracts with them to make our national site and all other corresponding sites this year.

They’re also taking all the pages from the software program that created some of the problems with the previous vendor. They’ve also taken on controlling, servicing, and updating our very large blog, which we use as our intranet and what services all types of communication across the whole organization. So, they are our one stop for everything technical with regard to our website and internal communication.

What was your process for selecting TinyFrog Technologies with which to work?

They were suggested to me by a group of our top retail investment agents out of our San Diego office. They had created a website for that team and were working with them at that time. We had a few phone calls with them and reviewed their work for previous clients.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

The contract we just signed is around $60,000. Their prices are extremely reasonable.

When did you start working with them? Is the work ongoing?

Our relationship with TinyFrog Technologies started in April 2014. We’ll be working with them on a full-time basis all through this year [2015].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics, metrics, or feedback from the project?

We’ve had 100 percent satisfaction and that’s not easy with a firm that is 35 years old and that has grown from a single office in California to a nationwide organization. It’s been hard to get the understanding across to all of our offices as to why we need to have a similar look and feel. TinyFrog Technologies was able to offer positive templates and solutions that caused my life to be much easier when facing the lack of wanting to conform. Everyone is extremely happy.

Is there anything unique about TinyFrog Technologies that really makes them stand out compared to other companies?

The ability to have contact with the owner and the project manager is very important. We can understand how they’re adding people to the team just to help us along the way. Also, their solutions and understanding of the client and the client’s needs are outstanding. They listen really well, which is hard to find in vendors, who often have their own ideas. We’re a tough firm to work with, but they don’t flinch. They’ve been a joy to work with.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

At this moment, I have no complaints. TinyFrog Technologies is far superior to the other firms I’ve worked with in the past.

What advice would you give a future client of theirs?

Make sure they understand exactly what it is that you are asking them to do, make sure that they understand your needs, and then start slowly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Financial Planner of AVID Planning

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Financial Planning

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Tiny Frog Technologies to accomplish?

• Website Redesign

SOLUTION

How did you find Tiny Frog Technologies?

Referral

Why did you select Tiny Frog Technologies over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Tiny Frog Technologies were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Redesign of website, including design and copywriting

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Website is live, too early to tell if conversions of visitors to customers is any better yet

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

Quick to respond and seemed very well-organized. Always on time, and if anything they had to wait on us. 

What was your primary form of communication with Tiny Frog Technologies?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Tiny Frog Technologies' organization and communication stood out.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Tiny Frog Technologies could have done differently?

Better copywriting. Better than we have had in the past, but it was still more or less taking our words and applying them to the webpage. Hard to find a really good copywriter that's not expensive, but it's worth the cost for sure. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Specialist of CNECT GPO

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

CNECT is a group purchasing organization that negotiates lower pricing on supplies and services for several classes of trade like community health centers, ambulatory surgery centers, physician clinics, and commercial businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Tiny Frog Technologies to accomplish?

• Build and maintain our family of company's websites.

SOLUTION

How did you find Tiny Frog Technologies?

Referral

Why did you select Tiny Frog Technologies over others?

Referred to me

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

Developing our four websites and creating new custom pages and landing pages the last few years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have beautiful websites that can be easily navigated.

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

Project management was excellent. They were able to develop four new websites in a short period of time. They are quick to respond and follow up when we reach out to them.

What was your primary form of communication with Tiny Frog Technologies?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They are prompt and willing to discuss updates, changes, or troubleshoot anytime!

Are there any areas for improvement or something Tiny Frog Technologies could have done differently?

No suggestions for improvements.