Can Google really bring you new business? Marketing gurus preach about the importance of Google Ads and having a search optimized site. But, does it really make a difference? For Doug Mitchell, President of New Horizon Bank, the answer is a resounding “yes”. For months Mitchell interviewed and demoed with his current provider and other major players in the industry, only to come away dissatisfied.
Mitchell was searching for a unique partner that would fit with the goals he had, not only for his bank, but for new fintech opportunities that his board was actively pursuing. “Don’t get me wrong, all the core providers we entertained have their strengths, but none of them were willing to think outside the box. We needed something or someone willing to partner with us and create exactly what we needed,” Mitchell explains about his exhausting search. “In our case, the core platforms we looked at came up short.”
Unsure of what his next move should be, Mitchell turned to Google.
“Honestly, I had nothing to lose, and all my known sources weren’t coming through, so I needed to explore what I didn’t know,” stated Mitchell on his decision to search the internet for the right solution. The key piece Mitchell was seeking was an inclusive system that made it easy for his staff to manage customer relationships. This is vital when dealing with high volume fintech transactions. Through a stream of multiple searches, he found a company based out of New Jersey called Vetter and knew this was exactly what he was looking for. Little did he know, this course changing discovery would later lead him to DCI.
Back in 2019, DCI inked a deal with Vetter to purchase and integrate their digital onboarding solution into DCI’s system. For both DCI and Doug, Vetter provided an inclusive backend experience that was ideal for bank operation teams. “When we first partnered with Vetter, we knew the system was special and provided a holistic solution so customers would no longer need to piece together their backend onboarding processes,” commented Senior Vice President of Digital Channels, Tanna Faulkner on the initial partnership. She continued, “It made complete sense for us to take the software in house and make it a part of our complete suite of products.” Years after this deal, the importance of the DCI-Vetter connection is being reinforced, as it helps financial institutions discover DCI’s innovative solutions.
“It wasn’t long after I found Vetter, that I was directed to DCI. At the time I had no idea who DCI was, but they had the piece I was looking to utilize,” explains Mitchell on how one Google search led him to a core provider that was unknown to him. “I would say they are one of the best kept secrets in the industry, and really, they aren’t much of a secret. There is something to be said about never overlooking the smaller guys because they are usually the ones who are willing to go the extra mile to make a plan work, and DCI more than delivered.”
“Prospective customers have found us through many different avenues. Personally, I love that Doug connected with us through a mutual partnership. DCI works hard to partner with companies that have similar values. The most important value DCI and our partners have is taking care of our customers, always” states Sarah Fankhauser. “Upon our first meeting with Doug, we knew this was going to be a special project and addition to the DCI family. He has a wealth of knowledge in this industry and his ideas and views of the future of community banking are right in step with the direction our entire organization is heading.”
While the stars were aligning for this new partnership, it did not come without the need to figure out some of the tailored details New Horizon was looking for.
“One of our core values is always putting the customer first, and to us that even includes working through and brainstorming requests or certain development pieces we don’t even have currently available. This is exactly what we had to pursue with New Horizon,” explained Faulkner.
“When a company sets out to build relationships, they can’t focus on the short term. Instead, they have to examine the totality of the partnership,” added Faulkner. “For this reason, DCI invested development hours to accomplish the goal of Mitchell’s idea, which in turn gave DCI the knowledge and capabilities to help other customers should a similar opportunity arise.”
So, can Google really provide your company new business and partnership opportunities? Absolutely – and this story is only just beginning.