Temper And Forge

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of business development for an environmental services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Temper And Forge?

We needed to establish our credibility in the marketplace and expose our business to more people, so we hired Temper And Forge for their web development services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The web development project started with a clear work plan designed by Temper And Forge that includes the timings, expectations, and tasks. They then implemented the UWP engine as the main hosting platform to create the template-based website.

Afterward, they presented us with a draft using different visual elements for the content and integrated the appropriate technology for people to associate us with.

What is the team composition?

We mainly communicated with Nathan (Founder & Owner) and Chris (Frontend Web Developer).

How did you come to work with Temper And Forge? 

I came across them while researching online and talking with several design firms. We decided to hire them based on their great price point and high-quality design work.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September–November 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Temper And Forge was able to deliver their tasks within the quoted timeframe and garner generally positive feedback from the internal team.

How did Temper And Forge perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was good, and their integration of Monday.com helped us understand the progress of their work better.

We typically communicated through email and input questions related to individual tasks on Monday.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What attracted us to Temper And Forge was their nimble approach to the project and competitive pricing. We also liked their responsiveness, design flexibility, and agility.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It was hard for me to understand the vision for the development initially, so it would've been better if someone had guided me through the project thoroughly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would suggest preparing the necessary documents and materials ahead of the development so that Temper And Forge can build your website quickly and efficiently.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a wardrobe styling company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Temper And Forge?

I hired Temper And Forge to redesign my website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a series of phone calls and feedback loops through email, then I sent Temper And Forge all of my information and available content as they worked on refreshing my website. 

At present, they’re hosting the website, so I continue to be connected with them. They’ve also helped me with SEO. 

What is the team composition?

I primarily work with Nathan (Founder & Owner), and he’s done the actual redesign tasks. Chris (Frontend Web Developer) and other people also work on the project, but Nathan does most of the tasks.

How did you come to work with Temper And Forge?

They were referred to me by a friend. I reached out to Temper And Forge and had a chat with Nathan over the phone. After he laid out their design process, we started the partnership. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m happy with the way the website has come out and the way it looks. 

How did Temper And Forge perform from a project management standpoint?

Temper And Forge’s project management has been terrific. Nathan has been truly communicative and efficient; we’ve had a great partnership. To communicate, we use either email or Google Meet. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their responsiveness and creativity have been terrific. Nathan has made all the changes that I want and provided great ideas about how to jazz things up. These are the highlights of our partnership. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend working with Temper And Forge.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m Impact Hub Boston’s co-director, and we’re a coworking space and a community for social innovators and entrepreneurs in the Boston area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Temper And Forge?

We hired Temper and Forge to spearhead our website development and design project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our first project required them to help us with our existing website where they implemented changes and updates on our platform. When a larger project came down the road, they spearheaded our website migration efforts where they helped us set up our pages correctly because we only had a general template of how we wanted things to look. While the migration was ongoing, they made suggestions on the layout of our functionalities, the best platforms we could use, the payment pages we could implement, and more. They presented the cost-benefit analysis of each of the options they proposed.

Some of the features and functionalities of our site were related to scheduling tours, paid membership sign-ups with credit card components, links to event registration pages, and more. In addition, they integrated a blog page where a number of our photos and videos were posted. Temper And Forge also created landing pages, and they continue to provide us with maintenance and are helping us improve our existing site.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with 2–3 members from Temper And Forge, but we only interact with their project manager. 

How did you come to work with Temper And Forge?

They were recommended by other members of our community, and we were able to know them better through that community.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our partnership in July 2018, and we continue to collaborate.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received good feedback about their work, and we definitely experienced an increase in our click-through rate (CTR) and conversions. However, I don’t have any specific metrics to share. The team quickly solves our technical problems, too. Overall, they exceed expectations.

How did Temper And Forge perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re performing very well, and we communicate through Slack, email, and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What sets them apart is their ability to consider all of the stakeholders' inputs and come up with a solution that meets everyone’s needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not really sure what areas they can improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear understanding and vision of what you’re trying to achieve. Temper And Forge will definitely support you and even share how your website can support the vision and goals that you have.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior packaging designer at Cultivate Holdings, LLC Group, a medical and recreational cannabis company in Massachusetts. I’m responsible for all the creative and marketing activities of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Temper And Forge?

We  were looking for a company that could help us with our website. We also needed someone to help us with our SEO and to make sure that we were doing all that we could to ensure that our business had a lot of presence on Google.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We already had a Webflow website, and the team helped us implement design and navigation changes on our platform. They ensured that our images weren’t too large and that our links were working accurately.

On top of that, they ensured that integrations were working as smoothly as possible. All of those changes contributed to a high-functioning website, which increased the chances of our customers finding us through Google and increased our chances of improving our SEO presence. We’ve been keeping them on for anything else we need.

What is the team composition?

We’ve only worked with Nathan (Founder & Owner) for a little bit, and we’re now working with Chris (Developer).

How did you come to work with Temper And Forge?

My supervisor suggested working with Temper And Forge, and he helped us be in touch. I then reached out to Temper And Forge through email about our SEO engagement, and Nathan scheduled a call with me. After that, I expressed to him our needs, and we discussed the timeline and the project’s milestones. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $5,000–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Temper And Forge team has done exactly what we asked them to do. Though I don’t have any specific metrics to share, their work has definitely made our website run smoother. The faster loading time has allowed more people to use our platform frequently and that’s important because our customers use our website to place orders.

On top of finishing our requests, they suggest other things that have enhanced our ideas. Overall, we’re happy with the results of the partnership.

How did Temper And Forge perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very punctual, and we keep in touch with them on a biweekly basis. They give accurate timelines, and they’re good at explaining their work to someone who isn’t that well versed in SEO and website design. We normally communicate through email, phone calls, and Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their quickness in executing projects has been impressive. They’re approachable and friendly, and it's a pleasure to work with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Approach Temper And Forge with your project’s scope and identify what you want to accomplish right away. You should also recognize that they’re available to support you along the way.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO of GRIND Basketball. We make portable basketball shooting machines.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Temper And Forge?

We hired Temper and Forge to develop and design a website for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provided Temper and Forge with a Google Doc of my requirements and ideas. They took that and brought my vision to life, redeveloping our entire Shopify website from scratch. We’re currently working on the design and visuals using Figma, and the team is just about to get into coding the backend. 

What is the team composition?

Sam (Developer) is working on the project, and I’m also in touch with their CEO.

How did you come to work with Temper And Forge?

I came to know of them through a referral.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve paid them around $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2021, and our partnership is ongoing. We’re still trying to optimize the site and add new features to it. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m really happy with the outcome. Temper and Forge has done a great job so far, and the feedback towards the website has been generally positive. We’ve done a lot of top-line revenue through it, and our conversion rate has gone up by 40% since working with the team. I’m pretty excited about the next phase of the project, and I feel very confident in their ability to implement the site. 

How did Temper And Forge perform from a project management standpoint?

Temper and Forge is great at this front. They meet every deadline and have a good cadence for providing me with weekly updates. If I forget to reach out to them, they make sure to keep us in the loop anyway. We mostly communicate through email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very professional and an easy group to get along with. They seem to care about us being successful, and I’m really pleased with it. They provide their services the way a boutique agency would, and they treat us with great attention to detail despite them having other really good clients.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they exceed my expectations. Any dissatisfaction I have with our partnership would be on my own shortcomings of not giving them more stuff to do. I wish I had a little more bandwidth to give them instructions and tasks, but other than that, Temper and Forge has been fantastic.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Understand their workflow and give them as many hours as they need. They’re definitely going to do a great job. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of an educational tech company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Temper And Forge?

We needed someone to develop and design a forward-facing marketing website to help sell the software we developed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Temper And Forge developed and design our WordPress website. We collaborated on the initial scoping and told them about our vision and ideas, which they implemented on some of the design pieces.

They're currently providing us with ongoing maintenance and SEO services on a monthly basis.

What is the team composition?

We initially met with the founder of the company and once we got on board, we’ve been primarily communicating with the project manager.

How did you come to work with Temper And Forge?

They were recommended to us by another company.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested around $6,000 USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in August 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While it’s too early to give any specific metrics, the feedback from people who’ve seen the website has been very positive. We feel like they’ve done a really good job of bringing our vision to life and we’re very happy working with them.

Moreover, they’re true experts in the field. Whenever we have ideas that aren't in our best interests, they help by coaching us through those decisions.

How did Temper And Forge perform from a project management standpoint?

I think their team is really organized. They work in a timely manner and they stick to the budget that they initially quoted us with.

We used Monday to manage the project in the beginning, and we mostly communicate through phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We like that they’re able to accomplish their tasks while adhering to our goals and budget. Temper And Forge is customer-centered and they really listen to our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could’ve had a more uniform way of walking through the design pieces at the start of the process. It would’ve helped if they guided us through the steps of coming up with the design and copy ideas.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to share as much information about your goals and what you hope to achieve with the project as possible. Temper And Forge is great at listening to feedback and iterating your vision, so always be open to communication.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CFO for the City of Everett, Massachusetts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Temper And Forge?

We hired Temper And Forge to revamp our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we provided Temper And Forge a Figma file that we’d developed. We needed them to convert that file into a WordPress website and incorporate all of the functionality that we were missing on our old site. They did the new website from scratch.

At present, we’ve contracted them to move forward into phase two of the project, which is website maintenance. The Temper And Forge team is also working with us to continuously make improvements and develop other areas of the website.

What is the team composition?

We work with Nathan (Founder & Owner), Katherine (Project Manager), and Sam (Developer). Alyssa (Account Manager) is part of the team, but we don’t work directly with her. 

How did you come to work with Temper And Forge?

We found Temper And Forge by searching for top website development firms in the Metro Boston area. Our team didn’t necessarily want a local vendor, but because the project is time-sensitive, we focused on teams that could be local when necessary. 

With that in mind, we interviewed three companies. We were instantly comfortable with Temper And Forge, and their resources were extremely responsive. To elaborate, the team listened to our needs and adapted to every single aspect that we expected from them — they were great. As a result, we hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $45,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. They finished the first phase of the project in October 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received feedback from our residents, who say the website is much more user-friendly. They also accomplish tasks on the website. Moreover, our team has also received tremendous feedback from our department heads and staff. 

Overall, we’re pleased with what Temper And Forge has done to our platform in terms of its searchability and accessibility. On top of that, we’ve had an aggressive timeline for the project’s first phase, but they’ve met it. 

How did Temper And Forge perform from a project management standpoint?

For project management, they use Google Documents and a tracking program that allows everybody in our team to see what they’re working on and where the priorities are. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing about Temper And Forge is their dedication to meeting our goals within an aggressive timeframe. They have the ability to adapt to our needs as the project progresses. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take the time to get to know the Temper And Forge team rather than relying on written proposals. Understand their philosophy and approach to the project. Doing this has been helpful in our selection process, which is why our project has been so successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing manager of a company that sells specialty eyewear for grow room horticulturists and pilots. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Temper And Forge?

Our website was based on an uncommon platform, and it had a custom theme — working on it required a higher-than-average knowledge of web development. We needed someone to manage our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve been working with Temper And Forge for about three years now, and we come to them on an as-needed basis. We let them know our problem, and they came back to us with a quote. Once we approve, they’ll proceed with the work. After it’s completed, they’ll send it to us for approval.

Temper And Forge has built a dev site so we can review their work before it’s published on our live website. That has served as a checkpoint for our team to review before implementing changes. 

After working with Temper And Forge for some time, we’ve put them on a monthly retainer. We have a set number of hours that are dedicated to us each month. They’re prompt in letting us know if we’re going to exceed our hours and asking for our approval for extra hours. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Sam (Developer) and Nate (Lead Developer & Owner). 

How did you come to work with Temper And Forge?

We started working with Temper And Forge through another company. We eventually moved away from that company to work directly with them. They were a good fit because they did a great job handling our website.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2019, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve experienced a huge year-over-year increase in direct sales. We’re conducting sales through our website, so we know the growth reflects Temper And Forge’s work.

How did Temper And Forge perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re straightforward to work with — we have a great relationship with their team. They’re very transparent, and they don’t surprise us. We use Monday to stay organized and for day-to-day tasks, and we communicate through calls and email as needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Temper And Forge is very cost-effective and efficient. Many web development agencies have a ton of people involved in projects that are getting paid but aren’t doing any work.

Unlike them, Temper And Forge is a small boutique firm, and I know that every dollar we spend goes directly into results. I don’t feel like there’s any wasted time with them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were some incidents where it wasn’t clear who would check and sign off on the work, whether it would be them or us. I don’t blame them for that, but they could’ve been better project managers and clearer about tasks. 

That said, as soon as the issue came up, we spoke about it. It was resolved immediately and hadn’t been a problem since.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear on what you want. As long as you know what you want, they can build it. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a company that’s working in the mental health treatment industry. We help people get out of situations that aren’t ideal, whether they’re drug- or mental health-related. Our company provides them a platform where they get information about the cold, hard truth of what’s going on out there. It also tells them what steps they need to take to improve their lives that hopefully won’t cost them an arm and a leg.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Temper And Forge?

We hired Temper And Forge to build our website. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Temper And Forge has developed our website. Everything has been finished, but we’re still in partnership with them. We’ll launch the site by the end of October 2021.

What is the team composition?

We work with about five people, including Nate (Founder & Owner).

How did you come to work with Temper And Forge?

We had a bunch of meetings with companies here in Portland, Maine. We also talked to companies in New York and Boston. Meanwhile, we found Temper And Forge online.

Our conversations with Nate and his team at Temper And Forge showed us that they truly understood our vision while keeping competitive pricing. They also didn’t add things that we didn’t want, keeping everything simple — they didn’t upsell anything. Instead, the team made sure that we understood what we were asking for and what could be delivered. Overall, they hit the nail on the head while we were talking to them. We were able to drive home the product that we wanted, so we hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $10,000–$25,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Temper And Forge in February 2021, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Around 25 people have tested the site, and the feedback has been positive. They say that it’s modern and extremely user-friendly. It’s also clean and nice. Everyone understands exactly how it works and how to navigate it. Overall, the feedback has been absolutely positive; there hasn’t been any negative feedback on the website in terms of UX. 

How did Temper And Forge perform from a project management standpoint?

Temper And Forge provides ideas and suggestions that help us increase our conversions and revenue. We’re going to use the ideas they bring to the table to enhance our performance. Overall, they don’t only do what I ask them to do; they also offer great suggestions and go above and beyond what we expect from them. To communicate, we use Google Meet. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their strongest suits are being down to earth and easy to speak to; I never feel uncomfortable when talking to them. We’re in different worlds, but they don't say things that I can’t understand. Everything is in layman’s terms. Simply put, they understand what I’m saying and they’ve brought my vision to life.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They can maybe use Zoom for our meetings instead of Google Meet. However, that’s just my personal preference. It’s more about the product than their performance.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be completely transparent; be upfront and explain exactly what you’re looking for and what you’re willing to spend. That way, you’ll get exactly what you want. As long as you’re speaking from the heart, they’ll deliver your needs plus more. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the co-founders of a startup called Truistic. We’re an online comparison site for people trying to access treatment options for addiction and mental illness. We received funding to start the project less than a year ago.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Temper And Forge?

We needed to design a website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Temper and Forge did our entire website from scratch. In the beginning, we provided them with an RFP with what we were looking for. We wanted a homepage that displayed three separate paths with different questioning so people could go into our site and decide if they want treatment right away, if they need treatment but are only looking around, or if they need help but don’t know what to do.

Another functionality was the searchable and filterable data about treatment centers based on the insurance providers they accept or treatment types they offer with graphics, photo galleries, listing options, geo-locations, and so on. They also provided the option to set up phone calls and potentially book treatment online.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four people throughout the project. We interacted with Nate (Lead Developer & Owner), Chris and Sam (Developers), and Catherine (Project Manager).

How did you come to work with Temper And Forge?

We didn’t want to go the Squarespace or Weebly route just to spend $3,000–$4,000 or less and have a cookie-cutter website. On the other hand, we also didn’t want to hire someone that’d charge us $80,000–$90,000. We were looking for something in between.

With Temper and Forge, I got a good vibe from Nate as soon as I got on the call. He was running the show, and he immediately got what I was talking about. Overall, he showed that they could provide an excellent product at a reasonable price and partner with us throughout the life of our company.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our partnership in January 2021, and they delivered the website in June 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We initially did some testing with groups of about 50 people. We told them to be rough on the website and complain about any little thing they could think of, but there was hardly any negative feedback.

How did Temper And Forge perform from a project management standpoint?

It was fantastic. Temper and Forge was very polite and professional. They tracked the project and kept us organized. If we asked to add certain things, they updated us quickly, answered emails, and planned meetings. Also, they were really upfront with us and let us know what was essential for us to complete, what could take a couple of days, and so on. Overall, we felt comfortable because we knew exactly what was going on, and everything was completed on time.

We usually initiated communication by email, and they were always available on Google Meet, Zoom, or any type of online conference call.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The level of access we had to their team and their can-do attitude distinguished them from the competition. They also took the time to understand what we were trying to achieve and why it was important for our business model. We felt they were immersed in the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. They answered all of our questions, and the price point was amazing compared to everyone else’s.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Spill your guts to them; let them know everything. Tell Temper and Forge exactly what you want, why you want it, what’s connected to it, where the thought comes from, and so on. Just dump everything on the table; they’ll love it. They want to know where you’re coming from, not only specific instructions about the functionality.