Shanty Town Design

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder & CEO of bEffective

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We help small to medium businesses grow and scale profitably.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Shanty Town Design to accomplish?

• Website
• Content Management
• eCommerce

SOLUTION

How did you find Shanty Town Design?

Referral

Why did you select Shanty Town Design over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Shanty Town Design were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

I almost lost all my hair prior to connecting with Shanty.  There are so many vendors skill wise to geographically. But Shanty had me with their marketing strategy session.  It was clear and thorough.  The resulting web design exceeded expectations. I highly recommend Shanty Town Design for your website needs, digital strategy, and beyond!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It is too early to tell. Intangible measures are positive unsolicited comments about the new website. What's tangible begins with the addition of SEO (in contrast to old site) and analytics. They illustrate growing website visitors.  The latter is based on expanding consistency of content marketing.

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

We collaborated on a monthly project plan with monthly deliverables.  In the beginning it was mundane issues such as color scheme which is important.  The following deliverables were per menu choice or page sections and so on.

What was your primary form of communication with Shanty Town Design?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The most impressive is the beginning, or their marketing strategy session.  Basically planning ahead comprising what is your niche to where you want to be in the future.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Shanty Town Design could have done differently?

Improvement is not unique to Shanty. The whole industry needs to standardize.  Specifically for Shanty and they are almost there is understanding how their work solicits visitors, how their digital assistants helps converts visitors to leads.  But as mentioned earlier, it is too early to tell.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of U-Pak Group of Companies

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

U-Pak provides waste removal services across the GTA and transports to the final destination site.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Shanty Town Design to accomplish?

• Branding
• U-Pak website construction
• Emerald Energy from Waste website construction
• Traxxside website construction

SOLUTION

How did you find Shanty Town Design?

Referral

Why did you select Shanty Town Design over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Shanty Town Design were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The U-Pak Group of Companies comprises five different companies in Ontario, Canada. Shanty Town was initially hired to assist with the overall look and feel of the U-Pak brand, as well as with the web design and social media platforms for U-Pak. 

We were very happy with the results and solicited Shanty Town for the web design of our sister companies, Emerald Energy from Waste and Traxxside Logistics. Both of these websites were very well done and maintained a similar look and feel across the different companies. All projects were delivered in a timely manner.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• ability to deliver the project in a timely manner
• revamp the overall look and feel of all our companies
• create a design for a better user experience and drive more leads to our sales team

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

All projects were delivered on time, and milestones were communicated in order to meet deadlines.

What was your primary form of communication with Shanty Town Design?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

web design work and organization

Are there any areas for improvement or something Shanty Town Design could have done differently?

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a Holistic Mental Health Practitioner.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

I offer holistic mental health services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Shanty Town Design to accomplish?

• Consultation on website design
• Build new website
• Maintain website

SOLUTION

How did you find Shanty Town Design?

Online Search

Why did you select Shanty Town Design over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

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

Shanty Town Design worked with me on website design conception all the way through the built of the website, SEO, and hosting of the site. They will also be providing social media support as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Excellent communication and responsiveness, and an amazing new website!

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

They were consistently on time and were always very accommodating, friendly, and generous.

What was your primary form of communication with Shanty Town Design?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Everything! I was so glad I trusted myself in hiring Shanty Town Design. I just had a good feeling and it turned out to be a great decision. This company is so well run, organized, and totally on top of things. I honestly don't know how they manage such a smooth-running operation, but they are. The whole process, from start to finish has been beautifully seamless.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Shanty Town Design could have done differently?

Honestly, not that I can think of other than one moment when it occurred to me that it would be helpful for them to post in my weekly updates how many hours of my allocated time I have used. I was close to going over at the point that they reminded me that this was "a thing". 

Being new to having a website designed, it hadn't occurred to me that I needed to be attentive to this. In any case, at the end of the project, I checked in on how I was doing with my hours, they told me that I had run out of hours, but regardless, they wanted to help me create a beautiful website and were willing to go over the hours in order to reach that goal, which they did!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Real Estate Salesperson of The Singing Realtor, DDP Realty

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Jesse Vipond, AKA The Singing Realtor, is a full-time realtor servicing buyers and sellers in Lackawanna County.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Shanty Town Design to accomplish?

• Build a website
• Create marketing collateral
• Design and execute a comprehensive marketing strategy to generate leads

SOLUTION

How did you find Shanty Town Design?

Online Search

Why did you select Shanty Town Design over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from Shanty Town Design were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The team at Shanty Town Design worked closely with me to flesh out a comprehensive target consumer profile. From there, they helped design and execute a robust digital marketing strategy, including website/landing page design, email marketing, content and blog, lead magnets, drip campaigns, etc. At every step of the way they have set clear expectations, kept every appointment, met goals and deadlines, and far exceeded expectations of quality and professionalism.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When tasked with building a website the team went out of their way to learn real estate specific concepts and plug ins, and always stayed on top of any issues as they arose. Since we started the major marketing campaign in January 2024 the whole team has been prompt, responsive, and the deliverables (Buyer's Guide, Seller's Guide, Customer Re-engagement Campaign, etc) have been above and beyond expectations.

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

They are always on or ahead of schedule, always attentive to my needs and suggestions, and often waiting for me to respond.

What was your primary form of communication with Shanty Town Design?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Professionalism from top to bottom, and every member of the team is incredibly talented, but also very personable and easy to get along with.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Shanty Town Design could have done differently?

None at all.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Managing Partner of HR4U

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide fractional Human Resources, HR consulting and recruitment solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Shanty Town Design to accomplish?

• New company website
• New company branding
• New company portal
• Marketing collateral
• On-going tech support and projects

SOLUTION

How did you find Shanty Town Design?

Referral

Why did you select Shanty Town Design over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned
• Excellent portfolio of previous work

How many teammates from Shanty Town Design were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Content Organization / Creative Brief Discovery & organization of content in the backend of the site. 
• Solidify true sitemap. 
• Static Web 
  • Mock A static mock of the website content and imagery, starting with the home page 
• Development 
  • Development of all pages + templates. 
  • WordPress + DIVI Integration 
  • Client Portal Integration
    • WordPress 
    • SuiteDash Customization 
• Analytics 
  • Google Analytics
  • Yoast SEO
• Search Console connection and organization 
• Performance, Speed, SEO Testing Performance + Speed Testing through GT Metrix and SEM Rush for a solid SEO foundation. 
• Training 
  • Training on publishing to the site and general in-house upkeep including a video walkthrough. M
• Marketing materials created for Social media use 
• Marketing materials created for sales presentations 
• On-going projects such as creation of online Employee Survey portal 
• Technical support 
• Technical consultation 
• Marketing consultation

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Increased site visits 
• Increased website queries 
• Improved search engine rankings 
• Client and network positive feedback

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

Yes they did. The project was on time and Shanty Town always responded to any questions, requests or concerns we had.

What was your primary form of communication with Shanty Town Design?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The customer service and creative design. The customer service was exceptional. From the get go, this did not feel client a typical client/service provider engagement, more like a true partnership. Their creative design ideas and delivery are second to none. We were blow away with how good our new website came out and all the additional marketing materials they created for us were top notch.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Shanty Town Design could have done differently?

None. We are so pleased.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Sales and Marketing of Fruitland manufacturing.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a manufacturer of vacuum pumps for the mobile market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Shanty Town Design to accomplish?

• Help us renew & upgrade our social media presence and posting.
• Help us with various design projects.
• Keep us on track with social media scheduling and other outreach initiatives.

SOLUTION

How did you find Shanty Town Design?

Referral

Why did you select Shanty Town Design over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for the cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Shanty Town Design were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Shanty town helped us schedule a wide array of interesting and engaging posts about our company and offerings and will continue to do so on an ongoing basis. They have helped with their own project management to keep us on track, and their designs and ideas around our posts have been exactly what we need! They have also helped out with some other design projects unrelated to social media, and we've been thrilled with the results.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We set out to make a regular and consistent-looking social media presence across all platforms - and we've accomplished this. We have also consolidated our various accounts and brought them all together in easy-to-manage programs.

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

Project management has been a huge plus in dealing with Shanty Town. They've kept us on track professionally and efficiently.

What was your primary form of communication with Shanty Town Design?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their overall organization and planning have been unindictable. Can't say that enough.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Shanty Town Design could have done differently?

Nope.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and CEO and we are Cannabis Marketing Association. We are focused on providing educations and best practices for marketings in the legal cannabis industry.

We teach businesses how to stay compliant, we also provide networking with our members and create relevant content such as case studies and white papers, and we keep the marketers in the loop of what’s going on.
 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Shanty Town Design?

We were a brand new startup at that time, and we needed a new website built with a membership portal and payment processing integration. We also needed help getting our technology together in order for us to launch. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created a WordPress site, which took about two months. They managed to provide all the technology and tools that we’ll need. The team built everything from the ground up. They also helped us with copy, design, and messaging. 

They were successful in implementing the membership portal using a plugin where members can access different types of content based on their members. They also added an onsite payment method. The team provided a marketing strategy at the early stage of the engagement, too. They are still working with us on the maintenance of the website.

What is the team composition?

I work with Sam (CEO), she is the main point of contact. There are probably 4–5  people in total, made up of developers and designers.

How did you come to work with Shanty Town Design?

I was part of a Facebook group for professional women in Denver and I made a post about what I needed. I had a dozen different people reply, but Sam was the most thoughtful and coherent person as far as her proposal was concerned.

I was a former CMO, so I was coming from a marketing background, and I loved that she was speaking my language.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve likely spent between $6,000–$7,000 at this point.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with the team in January 2019 and we are still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve have minimal to no issues as far as the website and membership portal are concerned. So the fact that we haven’t launched a broken website is pretty huge and probably the biggest metric we have.

How did Shanty Town Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re amazing. Sam worked nights and weekends for us. We had a tight deadline because I was bound to go on a trip to the East Coast so we can launch out there. I had a whole week and a half of basically doing a series of launch events in person. We had a hard deadline, but she worked around the clock until it was done. 

She is always a step ahead of me and she is able to help manage the project for me. She really took a leadership position as far as making the website happen and she isn’t relying on me too much to give her directions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Because we work in the cannabis industry, there are a lot of service providers that won’t work with us. They weren’t turned off by the challenges of working with a cannabis company. The team is flexible. Sam just knows her stuff and is very confident in it. I’ve worked with a lot of service providers and designers who don’t take my feedback into consideration. 

She has a good balance of being a professional who wants to get my vision out there and someone who knows what works. There was this creative line where she was working and coaching me as her client, and also hearing me out and listening to my vision and making it happen. She was really exceptional at that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should let people know how awesome they are in the market. I would encourage them to do some more marketing because she offers a high level of service.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You can just trust Sam and her team. They really do know their stuff and particularly when it comes to website development and design.

She will figure things out and anytime we’ve had an issue come up, she already knows what to do. She is very thorough in her research and problem-solving skills. Just try to keep an open mind and trust that they are professionals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a company called The Beekeeper’s Daughter. We sell a variety of products, including raw and filtered honey, candles, etc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Shanty Town Design?

I reached out to Shanty Town Design to help us update our look. A friend of mine had been doing our graphic design, but we really wanted to unify our design across all of our products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Shanty Town Design redesigned and created the packaging for a lot of our products, doing a whole branding package for us. Using my vision, Samantha (Founder & Creative Director, Shanty Town Design) enhanced our original designs and developed new ones. 

Across several of our items, including our “bee van”, honey-themed products, our storefront and bottling facility decals, they handled the logo creation and overall look. Samantha also designed our billboards, social media images, and labels, amongst other things. They handle smaller scale tasks too, like small advertisements for local use and sponsoring tools. 

What is the team composition?

Samantha is my main point of contact, but I know she has a team working on the project with her. 

How did you come to work with Shanty Town Design?

I saw Shanty Town Design’s work online and felt it resembled our style. I reached out and Samantha was very kind; I could tell she understood my vision. 

How much have you invested with them?

It’s hard to estimate how much we’ve spent, since a lot of projects over the years have been nickel-and-dime tasks. I’d guess we’ve spent around $5,000 or more.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together during the summer of 2016 and it’s very much an ongoing engagement. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The design of everything Shanty Town Design has produced completely fulfills our expectations. People have come up to us and complimented our branding and marketing. Samantha has done a great job of unifying our products and putting everything together in a cohesive way. The social media ads and other creative work have been very impressive. 

How did Shanty Town Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They do a really great job and are very professional. Samantha always gets back to us in a timely manner. Although some of the work can take a little longer to get from the graphic designers, I always know she’s working on our project and doing a good job. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Shanty Town Design has great vision—they always know what’s trendy and have an artistic eye. Compared to the last company we worked with, they really know what looks good and are up to date on the industry.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for them to improve—I don’t have any complaints. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just be very clear about what you want. Sometimes I have a vision in my mind about what I want, yet if I don’t explain it well, their team can’t produce exactly what I need. The more descriptive you are about what you want, the more you’ll limit the amount of back and forth that has to happen. They’re great, but no one is a mind-reader so it’s up to you to communicate. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of Nailed it Denver, a specialty nail trim service for cats, dogs, and select small animals. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Shanty Town Design?

I initially reached out to Shanty Town Design to design and develop my website, along with some other branding and marketing collateral. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Shanty Town Design designed and developed a website from scratch on WordPress, customizing one of the themes I selected. They made the two different types of services we offer (in-home versus events) very clear on the site. 

We provided a logo, but they designed other materials including posters, flyers, and printed reminders for our less tech-savvy customers. They also designed commission sheets, personalized cards we send out to clients when a pet passes away, and intake forms for appointments. 

What is the team composition? 

I mainly just work with Samantha (Founder and Creative Director, Shanty Town Design).

How did you come to work with Shanty Town Design?

I met Sam through a small business networking group in Denver. After she made an appointment to sit down with me, we hit it off right away so I decided to give them a try. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested under $5,000 thus far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together since February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Shanty Town Design developed our online presence from the ground up. Our page has had over 1,300 page views thus far. I get a tremendous amount of positive feedback, including that the site is easy to use, clean, and very professional. Meanwhile, the intake forms they've designed have streamlined appointment setting, saving me hours of time on the phone each week. 

How did Shanty Town Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They're great to work with overall. I don't have to micromanage any aspects of their work–they're on top of it. We primarily communicate through Facebook messenger, but I email or call Sam for more urgent requests. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provide personalized customer service. Sam is also very receptive to client feedback and doesn't try to push her own branding ideas too much. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. As their company grows, I imagine they'll need a bigger team to take on more projects. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear about project goals and objectives, so they have a good starting point.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of Bonnie Photo

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Wedding and portrait photography.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Shanty Town Design to accomplish?

• Rebuild my website after it was hacked
• Design and maintain my website
• Run virus/hacking checks and providing performance reports

SOLUTION

How did you find Shanty Town Design?

Referral

Why did you select Shanty Town Design over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Shanty Town Design were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Shanty Town provides design advice and makes sure my website is up and running smoothly all the time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• My site has 100% uptime
• my plug-ins are updated regularly and smoothly.

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

Shanty Town always delivers on time and exceeds expectations.

What was your primary form of communication with Shanty Town Design?

Email or Messaging App

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

They’re inclusive, have a great mission statement, and offer excellent customer service. Most importantly perfect services.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Shanty Town Design could have done differently?

None.