Case Studies

CityDeals.com is an online success story. They have performed so well in their local market that partners have been eager to jump onboard and open up new markets to take the service nationwide.

Bizlift has been with Citydeals from the start. We started off helping founder Jeff Stucki create a local directory site called UtahsBest.com.

Through open-source software and agile development, Bizlift helped Citydeals to quickly add features such as ratings, printable coupons, credit card rewards, zip code proximity searching, and gift certificates. After several rapid shifts in direction, the business plan was locked-in with a focus on online gift certificates. The site was then rebranded as CityDeals to prepare for nationwide growth.

The crucial start-up years of a company often require tremendous flexibility. Some of the benefits of using open-source solutions to achieve this flexibility are:

• No vendor lock-in. The code is open, so any developer can take over and modify code.
  
  
• Rapid Development. Rather than building from scratch, high-quality open-source technologies can provide a solid framework to customize. You also have complete access to the code to make changes without waiting for the software company to get around to it.
  
  
• BIG Savings. Traditional business software means expensive licensing and costly support plans. Open-source software frees up tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on licensing that can be used for actual implementation and custom development.
  
  
• Freedom to Walk Away. After investing six or seven digits in software, some companies are so vested in their technology that they refuse to move away even when it's not working for them. Founder Jeff Stucki had no problem taking decisive action by dropping an online directory application and migrating to an eCommerce application as the initial app was free other than a small labor cost.
  

Bizlift has also been there to help CityDeals handle the growth. We setup and managed a high-availability load-balanced hosting solution. We were also there to interview, hire, and train developers and build an in-house development team for CityDeals.

To experience the power, flexibility, and agility of open-source technology for your own business, please contact us.