Wakefly, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Shaw Sports Turf is the leader among synthetic turf companies and is the largest American-owned and American-made synthetic turf company in the world. Shaw Sports Turf has demonstrated industry leadership in both quality and innovation for more than two decades with over 3,000 successful installations, and an impressive list of high-profile installations, including the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Tampa Bay Rays and many others.

Engineered for performance and safety, Shaw Sports Turf features a product line designed specifically to meet the needs of athletes and sports programs. I am our Marketing Manager handling everything advertising/promotional, brand related, web/social, collateral and more.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Wakefly, Inc.?

We've hired Wakefly for several project including web design/development, but also our digital marketing campaigns

What were your goals for this project?

Increase brand awareness

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had already worked with them on our website and felt like they were a good fit. Personality wise, ease of contact and price were all factors that led us to select them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The scope included digital marketing strategy, creating the ads, placing the ads and overall management of the progress. They set up monthly meetings to keep us abreast of the results and any new developments.

What was the team composition?

There were about 3 team members involved, a developer, project manager and account manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Traffic to the website has improved and our web presence has improved

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective, they are extremely responsive

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The quality of their work and their responsiveness set them apart.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of strategic market support for Ottawa University. We are a private, four-year university for liberal arts studies, and we’re headquartered just outside of Ottawa, Kansas. We have additional campuses in Milwaukee, Louisville, Kansas City, and Phoenix. My responsibilities include restructuring and revamping our website as needed.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wakefly, Inc.?

I inherited the webmaster duties about five years ago, and the previous webmaster had made the decision to implement Kentico software because of how comprehensive it was. I brought on Wakefly because I felt that we weren’t getting the full usage out of it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve been using Wakefly for various development projects over the years. I’m hoping to start using them for content marketing, SEO, and other related services if I can get approval from our CMO.

What is the team composition?

Mark (Web Project Manager, Wakefly, Inc.) has been working on our account for the last ten years, and Greg (Web Developer, Wakefly, Inc.) is our leading developer. I’ve spoken with a few other developers about specific features and projects.

How did you come to work with Wakefly, Inc.?

The previous webmaster came across Wakefly while looking for firms that were familiar with Kentico. That set them apart from most of the other providers that we knew of in our area. Finding a team that understood Kentico was our main priority at the time because we had just purchased it.

How much have you invested in them?

We’re currently paying a $4,000 per month retainer fee, and we’ve been doing that for the past three years. Before that, we were spending about $3,000 per month. We started out pricing everything based on one-off projects, but by the second year, we’d set up a payment schedule for maintenance activities, and that turned into a retainer contract during the third year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with them since 2009, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There was a situation where an agency we hired didn’t pan out, and Mark was able to bail us out. We handed him a set of designs through our maintenance contract, and he completely redid our site without charging us for a separate project. We’ve also seen higher form completion rates year over year. This past year, we jumped from 20% to 25%. 

I think the synergy that comes from our leadership team knowing that the website is designed well—and that we are getting more out of it from a business point of view as far as maximizing the number of inquiries—is exciting. I’m excited about it because we’ve never had a coordinated approach; our digital strategy used to be fragmented among different companies.

How did Wakefly, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

I feel spoiled because Mark gets back to me so quickly. I don’t know that I could work with anyone else at this point. He has set such a high standard and functions like an internal employee.

Mark knows our account so well that he can handle the day to day tasks on his own. He’s been working on the account longer than most of our team members have. He and Greg bring in other programmers on occasion, but they’re my main points of contact.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate the fact that Wakefly brings experience from other industries to the table. I also like how receptive they’ve been to the idea of taking on our digital marketing efforts. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. They’ve done everything that we’ve asked them to do. I’m sure they’ve been frustrated with us at times because of how our internal struggles have hindered them. I do foresee that changing soon, with us moving towards a point where they'll be doing more work for us, which is what they want.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The key to having a good relationship is to maintain open communication with your point person. Make sure that you’re comfortable with whoever is managing the project because they’re the one that you’ll have to go to when you’re dealing with issues.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Sunrise Labs is a medical product development and engineering services company located in Bedford, NH. I am the Director of Marketing and handle all the digital marketing and website strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Wakefly, Inc.?

Sunrise Labs hired Wakefly initially to host our Kentico based website and then engaged in ongoing support which lead to a total redesign.

What were your goals for this project?

The update our Kentico software and rebrand our templates and look of the site

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Kentico Partner

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Wakelfy helped immensely with the graphics, template architecture, training, and ongoing support of our website. They also recomended an outside resource for help in content creation.

What was the team composition?

The team consists of an account manager, a project leader, a digital marketing strategist, a design strategist, and SEO strategist.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched our new site in June 2019, and engaged in PPC and LinkedIn advertising in September. we already have twice the amount of qualified leads compared to our old site.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We met in person a few times at the onset of the project and then had weekly calls throughout the duration and well into post-launch. We continually hold bi-monthly sync calls. This proved to be very effective in communication and keeping us all on track

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The Wakefly, Inc. teams was and continues to be very responsive and helpful with very little lead time.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The one area that was sometimes challenging was the assumption that the Sunrise team had a better knowledge of website backend then they have and that led to some double efforts to redo mistakes and bugs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the marketing manager for a manufacturing company working in the packaging industry, serving as a one-person-shop for marketing needs in the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Wakefly, Inc.?

PPC Consulting

What were your goals for this project?

Lead Generation via Paid Search

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were working with a vendor who I felt was performing substandard work at an inflated cost. I had a previous relationship with a member of the Wakefly team and reached out to them for help. Their approach was spot on for our needs.

Describe the project in detail.

We started off looking at past keyword strategies and ad copy, and used those, as well as suggestions from both sides, to update the ad copy to modern best practices and try to optimize for a better mix of terms.

What was the team composition?

Our team is led by two people - one digital strategist and one account manager - who have remained in place throughout the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our campaigns have mainly performed well, with the search terms complementing some product verticals where we haven't really pushed heavily before. We have one underperforming campaign, and we're working to identify ways to fix it.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have generally communicated via email (which has worked well) and a monthly check-in call. Met all my expectations (given that I know I'm a small-ish account)

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Strong approach from the get-go, and a cost structure which really worked well for our needs as we switched vendors.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We have one underperforming campaign, but I can't think of any way we'd have approached it differently to this point. I have no concrete "this should have been better" thoughts at this time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Thrive Support & Advocacy empowers children and adults with developmental disabilities to lead rich, active and self-directed lives. We offer services and social, recreational and educational experiences for participants and their families. My position is communications specialist for the organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wakefly, Inc.?

We originally hired Wakefly, Inc. to design and implement our website as part of our rebranding project. Since then, we’ve done several different projects with them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Wakefly, Inc. built our original website in WordPress about two and a half years ago. We’ve worked with them to add new pages, implement SEO, and create a more user-friendly interface for the site’s frontend.

When updating the frontend, we set up a collaboration with Wakefly, Inc.’s technical people and project manager. They gave us ideas on creating a layout that’s both visually attractive and user friendly. For example, Wakefly, Inc. helped us build a carousel photo feature on the front page that allows users to access information about related events with just a click.  

Wakefly, Inc has also shared their expertise in other areas of marketing. In addition to SEO and design for our website, they suggest ways to improve content and post scheduling on social media platforms. Following their suggestions, we have increased our social media reach on all platforms.

What is the team composition?

The primary point of contact for our organization is our Wakefly project manager. We have a weekly call, where I speak with our Wakefly team made up of a project manager, social media/SEO person, programming person, and marketing person. Having that expertise on the phone with us every week ensures that we are all on the same page and are putting forth cohesive content, branding, and messaging.

How did you come to work with Wakefly, Inc.?

Wakefly, Inc. built the website for Thrive Support & Advocacy pro bono before I joined the organization. We learned about Wakefly, Inc. through our local chamber of commerce.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The relationship started before I began my role at Thrive Support & Advocacy—which was April 2017—and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When corporate partners and like-minded organizations look at our website, they are amazed at the professional look and feel of our website for such a small organization. As far as the impact on a statistical level, Wakefly runs performance reports on a monthly basis. This allows us to see firsthand that the work we are doing is having an impact. These reports have been an important tool for us to use within the organization and with our Board of Directors. In just the past year our organic users visiting the site increased by 34% because of the work we have been doing.

For me personally, working with Wakefly, Inc. has been very educational. Designing and maintaining a website is new to me, and their team has been patient in teaching me what I need to know. The Wakefly team is also highly supportive of our mission and do a great job conveying that mission through our website.

How did Wakefly, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

The management of our various projects has been seamless. The main reason for that is both, the coordination by our project manager, and our weekly “touch base” calls. Those calls are used to review tasks completed and discuss the coordination and implementation of future goals. To ensure that the website is always current and performing well, we continually look forward three months in setting and initiating new goals.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their consistency, quality of work, and communication are what stand out the most about our relationship with Wakefly, Inc.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. We're in a good place. I have a sound support system; Wakefly, Inc. follows up reliably to make sure I do what I need to do. 

Any advice for potential customers?

When we start a new project, everything’s in writing: requirements, timeline, goals, and more. That way we’re always on the same page in terms of our expectations. We regularly look back on this document throughout the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Space Coast Credit Union, a financial institution with about $4.5 billion in assets. We have about 425,000 members across the state of Florida, primarily the southeast coast of Florida. I’m the senior vice president of marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wakefly?

We needed them to redesign our website, which serves both members and prospects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did a complete redesign of our company website, a mobile-responsive site which gets about a million visits a month. The site is a tool for people who are searching for autos, mortgages, checking accounts, and other financial services, as well as a resource for existing members who are looking for self-service assistance. It was basically a start from scratch. We implemented a Spanish translation because we serve a predominantly Hispanic market.

Wakefly did a thorough job of vetting our specifications. We clearly drove what we were looking for in terms of the overall design and feel and usability. Our main requirements were user-friendly and mobile-first contemporary design with a journey involving minimal clicks, along with the Spanish translation and scalable development for Kentico, our CMS platform. We wanted it to be interactive, ADA-compliant, and optimized for search engines. We have some third parties we work with. All of those specifications were provided to them and they came back with recommendations.

We provided the content, but they assisted us ad hoc and created some content we needed. They did all the code development and built it within Kentico for us. We used a lot of out-of-the-box functionality, but they built a custom mortgage estimator for us, which I believe was done in jQuery. For the mortgage estimator, they loaded basically all the details from our pricing engine so it can recommend products with an estimated rate and payment. They introduced several enhancements, such as centralizing all of our disclosures in our footnotes throughout the site and automating how we report rates.

We implemented workflow management because in our we're a heavily regulated industry, so having a separation of responsibilities between who can create approved content and push the content live into the production environment is critical to us. They built a workflow on the backend that would manage that, which was quite efficient. They also helped us quite a bit through consultation. We hosted our own site, but they helped us set up our environments to make sure that we had installed everything properly on our end. They did that at no additional cost.

What is the team composition?

I had a primary project manager, Corey (Lead Project Manager, Wakefly). She did a fabulous job and she was our main point of contact. Steve (Web Developer) attended all of our weekly project calls, but I think he had other people he was coordinating with. Dean (CEO and Co-Founder) was also a point of contact and participated almost as the executive stakeholder. It was those three people that I interfaced with. But I know that there were others involved. There was probably an army of people working on our site that I wasn't exposed to.

How did you come to work with Wakefly?

We went through an extensive RFP process. That process alone probably took six months. But we vigorously vetted several different providers, with the requirement that they all had to be experienced with Kentico. We started out with a list of 10, narrowed it down to six after some preliminary phone calls, and then after a phone interview, narrowed it down to the top three. We did in-person interviews based on their RFP and then chose Wakefly.

Because we’re so regulated, and based on prior experiences, we required US-based developers. We have an environment where people were having to VPN, and we restrict access through a VPN, so everybody on the team was based in the US.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $150,000–200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from January 2018 through July 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the first week since launch, we've seen a 235% increase in our lead generation through the new site. We have seen a 40% increase in conversions, which we measure as a click to apply. Mobile traffic to our site has increased by 30%. Launching a new site, you might expect some of that stuff to actually decrease, so we're quite pleased with the result.

They did a great job of creating clean code, optimizing site speed, and designing the UX. Their quality of work was exceptional.

How did Wakefly perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management was exceptional and the professionalism and friendliness of their team were exceptional. They actually were quite flexible and worked with our tools.

We have a protocol for projects with meeting minutes, meeting agendas, and action items. I believe we used a smart sheet to track our project timeline, which they maintained, but there was 100 percent transparency. All the dates were hit. If anything had to shift or if they had concerns that we were going to be going over the scope of what the project initially was, the conversations were proactive.

There were no surprises along the way. They were prompt with getting the meeting minutes out the very next day with no action items identified. They never missed a call. Every project that we've worked with different vendors on hasn't gone as well. They really made this very effortless on our part. Our website launch was delayed, not because of WakeFly, but on our side. They also gave us an alternative contact who was available during the call when Steve was on vacation. There were always resources available.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I choose my business partners based on their core value set, and Wakefly was a good fit for us because of their professionalism, attention to detail, responsiveness, flexibility, and passion for the work they do. They stood out for their integrity and the pride they take in their workmanship. They really believe in proactive communication and transparency. All of those things are what we stand for and I saw those things in them.

I fully intend to use them for any future website development need and I would highly recommend them to anyone considering a website development project involving Kentico.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No project is perfect, and we had some bumps along the way, but we reached out to each other proactively and had a conversation. There's nothing I would say that they could do better or do differently. I was really happy.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Invest upfront in the decisions and the scope of the project. Put the time in up front so that there's 100% clarity on what it is they're developing and what your expectations are. Keep the channels of communication open and involve your stakeholders on your side early and frequently so that you're not going back and having to make any changes.

Be responsive. Wakefly is very good, but I know from their side that if you're not getting them answers and communicating about decisions or making the approvals in a timely fashion, they’re limited by how much they can serve you. We were very conscientious about being on top of everything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I serve as the content marketing manager for Lexia Learning (A Rosetta Stone Company), a reading technology company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Wakefly, Inc.?

We needed help to fix performance issues on our website, as well as to optimize our conversion strategy for better lead generation.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to get organic traffic back to where it was before the big drop and to increase lead generation.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I interviewed three companies. I was most impressed with Wakefly, Inc. based on their recommendations during the phone interview and presentation.

Describe the project in detail.

Our website suffered from a consistent loss of organic traffic that was affecting our overall lead generation. Wakefly, Inc. did quite a bit of development work for us including fixing our site speed. Additionally, they helped us garner insights about our keyword and landing strategy by introducing the use of PPC campaigns. They’re currently sampling our website visitors and traffic patterns in order to take advantage of areas of engagement.

What was the team composition?

I primarily work with an account manager, a strategist, and a coordinator. I occasionally speak with a developer or a PPC professional as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any statistics or metrics that speak to the quality of their work and impact of the engagement?

Our site speed has dramatically improved and we’re seeing a definite increase in our organic traffic. It isn’t back to where it was but it’s trending positively and we’ve recovered almost 70% of our lost traffic. We’re still working on conversion optimization but their initial work of identifying the best calls to action is done. They completed the work with ease and in a timely manner.

How did the Wakefly, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is excellent. They’re all wonderful communicators. They always send detailed agendas and follow-up emails to ensure everyone is on the same page. From foundational work (title tags and meta descriptions) to fixing site speed to optimizing our conversion strategy, they handle everything I've thrown at them and completed all assignments.

What impresses you about the Wakefly, Inc.?

The people are wonderful. Their personalities really set them apart. I feel totally comfortable expressing our wants and needs, and confident they can meet our expectations.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really. Everything is working great since we got into the flow. I don't have any complaints, and recommend them wholeheartedly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Lauren Crays: Atlas Van Lines is the second-largest van line in the United States.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wakefly, Inc.?

Laura Rush: We were looking to move our main website onto a different CMS platform. Kentico was the platform of choice for us. We worked with several partners on this project, and Wakefly, Inc. is our current provider.

LC: We also needed a new set of eyes on our web properties. We felt they were getting a bit stale and we needed a fresh perspective.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LC: We have five projects going on right now, but we’ve worked together extensively over the last few years. They’ve helped us with several of our web properties in various capacities. I’m currently working on one of our larger internal sites right now called the Atlas Loop, and they’re also helping us to move that site onto Kentico. We look to them for recommendations on the design aspects of our templates and layouts. We’ve also contracted them to do a variety of other projects.

LR: Wakefly has helped us move onto the Kentico platform across all our sites while ensuring that Atlas’ requirements are met. We have specific ways of doing things, and their team has worked productively within our parameters. They’ve been very accommodating on these projects with respect to making sure they follow the Atlas rules from an IT perspective.

What is the team composition?

LC: Dean (Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, Wakefly, Inc.) is our sales account representative, while Brad (Senior Technical Project Manager, Wakefly, Inc.) is our project manager. Our weekly calls are with Brad. When we’ve gone out to their offices to quote additional projects, we typically talk with Dean on the phone.

How did you come to work with Wakefly, Inc.?

LR: We considered several vendors during our search. Someone on our team had previous experience with Wakefly, and after looking into their services, we thought they would be a good fit for these projects. We’ve been pleased with the results.

LC: The last vendor we worked with was an advertising and marketing agency. They do some web work but don’t specialize in it like Wakefly does. The Wakefly team has the bandwidth to take on several different projects simultaneously, which is something that not every vendor we’ve worked with has been able to do.

How much have you invested with them?

LR: We’ve invested about $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

LR: We started working together in April 2016, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

LC: We’ve really liked the design work Wakefly has provided thus far, while the switch to Kentico has been an easy transition for us. The team works quickly to get things up and running. The process has been very smooth from the beginning.

The time they’ve taken to learn more about Atlas and the services we provide has been crucial to their ability to make substantive recommendations. Many of the new templates are mobile friendly, which is something our team has struggled with in the past. The new templates make it easier for us to engage our target audience.

How did Wakefly, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

LC: We’ve been very pleased with everything so far, especially as compared to previous vendors we’ve worked with in the past. They turn projects around rapidly and we’re very happy with the workflow. We have weekly status calls with them and there’s always an open line of communication. They consistently check in and send project updates along the way, which is a refreshing shift from what we’re used to with outside agencies.

What did you find most impressive about them?

LR: They support us any time we reach out to them and go the extra mile to educate us. We work so diligently with them on all of the projects and support. If someone is unavailable, we can keep moving with our projects and stay on schedule. They work very hard to help us maintain our timelines. We couldn’t ask for a better vendor to help us through all the projects they’ve worked on.

LC: We’ve gone to them with questions or issues with recommendations from previous vendors that we weren’t sure about, and they’re always happy to provide guidance. They’ll help out with anything, even if it wasn’t a project that they quoted.

Wakefly Inc. has also been really good at making recommendations based on our budget. They’re very transparent in keeping us updated on how various projects are impacting costs.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

LC: Setting project timelines has been very important for our team. It helps us stay on top of everything because we know Wakefly will deliver on time. Outlining those milestones to ensure that we’re meeting our goals, objectives, and deadlines has been central to the success of the project so far.

LR: Potential customers need to identify what they’re looking to accomplish because once they define it, Wakefly Inc. is going to run with it. If a customer doesn’t define their scope well, it will inevitably and unnecessarily draw out the engagement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Shaw Industries. We’re the commercial division of Shaw Floors—the world’s largest carpet manufacturer. Currently, I am the digital product manager, but when we started the project I was the project manager

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wakefly?

We needed to migrate one of our commercial brand’s websites from a WordPress environment to a Kentico environment.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an existing WordPress website with multiple pages, and Wakefly built additional pages and transferred everything onto the Kentico platform. They also worked with a third-party vendor to develop a database and all of the backend connections. Additionally, we’ve hired them for similar projects on a smaller scale.

What is the team composition?

At the start of the project, we had weekly meetings with Sierra (Project Manager, Wakefly) but as we’re getting closer to the end we talk multiple times a week.

How did you come to work with Wakefly?

We vetted three vendors that responded to our RFP and thought that Wakefly had the experience and personality that would fit best with our team.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $130,000–$140,000 in this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We had worked together on a few smaller projects, but this project began in February 2018 and is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don't have any metrics because we’re still waiting for the site to launch, but the quality of their work and expertise has been exactly what we’re looking for.

How did Wakefly perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re extremely responsive, and Sierra worked hard to keep the project on track. At the beginning of the project, we communicated mainly through phone and email. As we’re reaching the end of the project, we’ve begun using their ticketing system, which enables us to review the site and enables them to easily process tickets and make changes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve found their responsiveness impressive and, more than anything, their ability to continue improving the project even when things slowed down or stopped on our side.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s not the norm for agencies to be as professional, responsive, and prepared as Wakefly is. In order for them to work as effectively and quickly as possible, be sure to have everything established and ready beforehand.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of marketing at a B2B manufacturer. We create connectivity products that are used in a variety of markets from telecommunications to the military. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wakefly?

Wakefly is our web development partner and helps us build a variety of websites, each with their own unique challenges. They also help us with our digital platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Wakefly provides a wide range of services. They primarily and currently provide web development for four of our sites. They guide our marketing team and executive team through the full web development process. Our projects vary depending on our need. For example, their team developed a Chinese site they built using Baidu, a corporate site, and a platform housing multiple brands. They help create unique pages, features, portals, and interfaces. Their developers code the front- and backend, perform maintenance, and help with PPC activities.

Throughout our engagement, we were acquired by a large corporation and had to transfer some of their websites to another vendor. They're always professional about these relocations and support us through the transfers.

What is the team composition?

Our team composition depends on the needs of the project. I primarily work with their brand manager and PPC specialist. Their CEO is also available whenever we need him.

How did you come to work with Wakefly?

We found them through a request for quotation (RFQ) process.

How much have you invested with them?

We invest around $40,000 for low-end, "clone" websites; For high-end and newer websites, we invest around $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in July 2010 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In terms of project management and meeting milestones, they make our business look excellent to our clients. Their management skills are exceptional, and they're excellent at articulating a clear timeline with specific dates and elements. They're always ready with a plan B, and their word is their bond. There are almost no surprises, and their team will take full accountability and responsibility if anything goes wrong. If any issue arises, they'll adapt there plan with the timeline to fix everything. Because of all this, they continue to increase our revenue.

How did Wakefly perform from a project management standpoint?

It's a two-way street, and they work excellently with our team. Their team is disciplined, accountable, and make it a high priority to hit our expectations. Working on web projects can get intense, and they work with us side-by-side—even through long weekends. I cannot tell you how many times I've called them on a Sunday to ask a question or request a feature. Their senior managers explain complications with honesty and don't sugar-coat new issues that need to be prioritized. It's unusual to find such an organized and professional partner. They're not just a nine-to-five agency; Their team works extremely hard to meet milestones and provides detailed outlines of where our money goes. Their exceptional customer service is why we're still working with them—even after eight years.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team is responsive, and we have an extremely high-level of trust in their work. Our business ebbs and flows, but they've been with us all the way. I'm a marketing director, so I don't have the technical knowledge to fix urgent issues; Thus, it's great knowing that I can rely on them to respond within the same day to answer a question. Even though I'm not their biggest customer, they consider me a valuable partner. This reflects the phenomenal integrity of their senior management. Wakefly always try to meet our budget and deadlines, are competitively priced, and provide cutting-edge technology.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They have turnovers and it would be nice having the same team. However, this is an extremely fast-evolving technology, and the new managers or developers they bring in offer better insights into the cutting-edge of technology. Thus, it's a more of a benefit for us. Their senior management also consists of the same people since day one, so I can't complain too much.

Any advice for potential customers?

In the beginning, listen closely to their expertise to understand design brief. Make sure your internal project management is excellent. Understand that you need to work as well to hit your deadlines and expectations. Always ask questions and understand what you need to do to help them succeed. It's a partnership, both of you have to work (50/50) to achieve success.