Temper And Forge

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a venture capital firm called Building Ventures. We invest in real estate and construction technology early-stage startups. I am a principal on the investment team, and I also double as our brand and marketing expert.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to redesign and relaunch our website and, in the process of doing that, migrate from Joomla to WordPress. I was also looking for a partner to not just do the development work and migration, but to project manage the entirety of the redesign process. This meant either bringing in or helping me to manage the design vendor and keeping the entire project on task. We’re a small firm, so the site management and marketing are my secondary responsibilities. We needed to hire a development firm to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had a designer in mind, a woman who had worked with me previously, and I introduced her to Nate (Founder & Owner). They met and really kicked it off, so it was really the three of us starting from scratch. 

Nate managed all of the deliverables from the designer and reviewed the feasibility of the design within the template and the WordPress platform along the way, so that I didn’t have to review anything until the final high-fidelity design mockup. Nate enabled some animation capability and video elements on the site. He also integrated the site with our CRM for form submission. 

What is the team composition?

I worked exclusively with Nate on this project.

How did you come to work with Temper and Forge?

Nate was recommended to me by a former teammate who is somewhat of an expert in the marketing field. In January, we met to discuss the scope of work.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in January 2020, and we just went live in April 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We aren’t a traditional e-commerce or even a true B2B site in that we’re really trying to drive a lot of traffic to the site organically, so many the more traditional metrics aren’t as critical. Our real indicators would be lack of bugs, timeliness of project completion, and site speed and accuracy, all of which have been excellent.

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

Nate was excellent. He had a preference for using Monday.com, a tool that my firm likes to use as well, so that was very streamlined for us. He really kept us on task, which was really important for me so that I could ensure that my team was providing deliverables in a timely way without having to monitor that whole process myself. Nate was great about keeping our designer on time; she’s a very organized and meticulous person as well, so she valued that as well. I know from the designer that Nate was great to work with and very collaborative. 

Project management was a hugely important element for us; we obviously wanted to have a beautiful site, and that was achieved, but having someone who felt like an extension of the team and keeping us on task was huge. It was important to me that we were able to use the designer that we did. She actually has another full-time position, and the fact that we were able to be on time and very respectful of the time she was putting in to be a part of this project was a testament to Nate’s project management. That was really helpful to her.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’d have to say two things: Nate has a great disposition and is really easy to work with, combined with his organizational and project management skills.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. It was really great overall.

Any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that you’re comfortable handing over the reins from a project management perspective. If someone wanted to follow their own procedures or manage the project themselves, they might want to vet if that would be as good of a fit, as opposed to a firm like ours where we really wanted someone who could come in and manage us while still being flexible.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Principal Writer and Co-Producer at my video production company. I oversee all copywriting and project production.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Temper and Forge?

We didn't have a website so we hired Temper and Forge to build us one from scratch. Beyond design and implementation, he consulted on copy to help us represent ourselves accurately.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a website with intuitive design that accurately represented our company by displaying our work and team in a friendly, transparent, engaging way.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We heard about Temper and Forge through a friend who had used their services and had a great experience.

Describe the project in detail.

We first contracted Temper and Forge services in February of 2018 after we had rough drafts of our website copy. Over email, we discussed a design that would support the structure of our copy and Temper and Forge offered constructive criticism on our copy.

We finalized our copy and Nate implemented the design over the course of a few iterative sessions of builds and feedback. We were allowed edits upon request after the initial finalized site was done, given that his services were on retainer.

What was the team composition?

We always had full access to Nate Botelho, the founder and lead web designer at Temper and Forge. All of our discussions were with him and he delivered all website drafts.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our site was built and edited on schedule with each deadline that we requested and we at ButAlso Productions were all very pleased with the finished product.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

There were no issues in workflow between our team and Temper and Forge. Communications were easy and prompt, and we never seemed to have any complaints.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We got a sense that Temper and Forge generally went above and beyond. Nate is clear-headed, quick, and understanding. He was always on time and his accomodations were beyond generous.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nate is realistic about expectations and works fast. We never faced inappropriate lack of progress or communication. We have no recommendations for improvement since we were so pleased with the result of Nate’s work and how he does it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Director of Operations

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Temper and Forge?

We hired Temper and Forge to redesign our website and content. Nate was referred to us by another business owner who used his services.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to update our website. Our current site was outdated and needed a full overhaul. Nate was the perfect guy for the job.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were referred to this vender through another business owner who had used his services.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Full website overhaul.

What was the team composition?

Nate worked closely with our team. He took our ideas and thoughts and made them a reality.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We needed a stronger digital footprint and having an update to date, streamline website was part of that. Thanks to Nate we have had more foot traffic to the website than we have in the past.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Nate kept us in the loop on progress as the project went forward. Weekly, sometimes daily, chats took place to keep us informed on progress.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Nate is extremely responsive and trustworthy. I would recommend him to anyone looking for website design.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Digital Acumen is a New Hampshire-based technology company with ventures in advertising, data activation, and custom development. I am co-founder and Chief Operating Officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Temper and Forge?

We initially hired T&F to assist with a string of web development projects that occurred in quick succession, all of which had extremely truncated timelines to completion. What resulted was a years long relationship in which the crack team of PM's, developers, and designers at T&F have been instrumental in everything we've done, from b2b/DTC web builds to custom app development.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to be able to offer faster, scalable, ongoing web services to our customers. We primarily work in WordPress and Shopify, with customers in the cannabis and cbd space. As such, integrating payment processors/with state seed-to-sale tools via API connections is table stakes. The ability to offer this kind of work in addition to our core business (programmatic advertising) has been a gamechanger.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We met T&F through a referral. We vetted a handful of vendors but Nate and his team brought the perfect blend of experience, speed, and affordability to the table.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

T&F built an entire digital ecosystem from the ground up which started with server architecture in order to facilitate state by state expansion (client: multi-state operator with cannabis operations in 13 states, each of which required its own microsite in addition to a corporate site and a cbd site with transactional ecomm functionality).

They built and deployed strategies to accommodate multi-state operations so that each state could comply with state guidelines and provide state-level teams with input and control over certain areas of their respective sites. They actively managed, maintained, improved, and roadmapped the next iterations of this ecosystem on a daily basis.

What was the team composition?

The vendor's team involved two core developers, an SEO/analytics person, and a UX/UI designer. For more specialized projects (map tools, physician directory, custom Shopify plugins), the core team was supplemented with effective subject matter experts.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In total we worked to T&F to build:

• 18 unique websites
• $50+ million in sales
• Email list from less than 1,000 to over 1.3 million - 200 million targeted ad impressions across 13 states (cannabis) and 48 states (CBD) respectively
• $3.8B market cap for client

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project was managed through a combination of AGILE methodology and the use of project management tool Monday.com. I thoroughly enjoyed the insights and feedback loop this tool created.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their speed and malleability set them apart. Scope changes were aplenty and T&F was willing to work with us to accommodate the client at every turn without missing deadlines.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don't think anything could have been improved. Nate & co. are wizards.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Communications and Operations Manager for a Boston-based think tank and policy institute focused on the role of business leadership in creating a sustainable society. While we are a non-profit, we work primarily within the business and financial sectors and communicate with corporate executives, business leaders and investment management professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Temper and Forge?

Our previous website was designed in 2014 and had an outdated look, as well as lacking some of the functionality we required. We hired Temper and Forge to redesign the site to give it a more polished and professional appearance and increased functionality.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a site that would be more inviting and intuitive for visitors to navigate and that would showcase our publications and projects. We also wanted a way to track traffic to the site and in particular, to track who was downloading our publications.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I searched for web developers in the Boston area with WordPress expertise and created a shortlist of four vendors based on positive reviews and samples from their websites. I contacted each vendor and had a brief phone call or email exchange, after which I sent them an RFP detailing the requirements for the project. The vendors sent proposals and we selected Temper and Forge based on Nate's intuitive understanding of the project and our needs, as well as his reasonable price point.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we selected this vendor, I had a phone call with him to discuss the project in greater detail and we stayed in regular contact over email so that he could keep me updated on progress and I could answer any questions he had. Although we had some general ideas on how we wanted the site to look, most of the overall design was left to Nate, as well as all of the technical aspects of the site build.

Although there was an existing site, the back end was a bit of a mess and Nate wound up building most of the site from scratch. The draft site was ready within a month and we had a phone call so that he could take me through the site and I could provide feedback on the general look and direction.

He sent the next version within a few weeks, incorporating earlier feedback, and outlined his plan for completing the rest of the project. We provided further feedback and then at the last minute asked him to move up the launch date by a week to coincide with an event our CEO was attending. We were thrilled that he was able to meet the new deadline and still incorporate all of the feedback!

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with Nate, who did all of the design and technical work. I liaised with our CEO to show him drafts of the site and incorporate his feedback, but Nate did not communicate with him directly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were very pleased that we were able to launch the redesigned site right before an event that our CEO was speaking at. The site is much simpler to navigate and we're able to direct interested parties to our projects and publications more easily.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Nate was very easy to communicate with. He's very responsive to questions, detailed in his requests for information and patient with our lack of technical savvy and kept us regularly updated with his progress and work left to be done. He's also very personable with a great sense of humor! Most of our communication was over email, with phone calls whenever more detailed feedback or clarifications were needed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was really impressed with Nate's skill and depth of knowledge, as well as his professionalism. He was easy to work with and we appreciated his patience and good humor throughout the project. They readily understood what we were looking for and delivered a beautiful and functional site.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I had no complaints about working with Temper and Forge. It was a pleasure working with Nate!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the co-founders of Stanton Schwartz Design, a Boston-based interior design firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

As a very visual business, we needed to build a website that reflected and elevated our interior design services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Temper and Forge built the website from the ground up, implementing features based both on our vision and their own research. They secured a domain name, designed the layout, and added all of our visual and textual content. 

The landing page the team designed allows our customers to understand our business and the quality of work we do just by glimpsing at the website. They’ve also given us the ability to showcase some of our key highlights from our portfolio.

What is the team composition?

Our point of contact is Nate (Founder & Owner, Temper and Forge). Though he has a team who supports him, we’ve not interacted with them directly.

How did you come to work with Temper and Forge?

I found Temper and Forge through my undergraduate university’s alumni network.

How much have you invested with them?

As of now, we’ve invested between $25,000-$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We hired the team to build the website in 2017, and as of now, our engagement with them is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Though the website is built, we’re still in contact with Temper and Forge as we reach out to them when we have new projects, publications, or additions to our portfolio.

We’ve had outstanding feedback on our website. Visiting our page is typically the first step potential clients take before deciding if they want to do business with us, and we often hear compliments about how beautiful it is.

Not only has it been a pleasure working with them, but I really believe Temper and Forge’s work elevates our own. 

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

Nate is very impressive as a project manager. He’s at the top of the pack in terms of responsiveness, often getting back to any questions or concerns we have within minutes of us reaching out. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

There are plenty of firms that are capable of producing the same caliber of work, but what sets Temper and Forge apart is their customer service. Our experience with their level of communication and professionalism has been remarkable.

Of all the vendors I work with, they’re by far the most responsive and easiest to work with. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We’ve never had any issues.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have the opportunity to work with Nate, you’ll be in incredibly good hands.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founded in 1991, HBC Event Services is a nationally recognized leader in sports travel management, providing housing services to many of the nation’s top sporting organizations. HBC Event Services is committed to bringing high touch customer service combined with state of the art technology to provide hands down the best possible housing experience available in today’s market. Our staff consists of both hotel industry veterans and/or those that have been closely involved with competitive sports. I am the Vice President/ COO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Temper and Forge?

Nate came highly recommended to us from another trusted source and we initially starting working on various marketing graphics which eventually led to an entire company brand/ website revamp. Nate's list of things to do with us is endless as we trust his his services completely.

What were your goals for this project?

To have the cleanest, most clear cut way to express information about our company and acquire new clients.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

As a referral from a trusted source of ours. Nate came highly recommended.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

On all of these projects, Nate's keen eye for attention to detail has been spot on. There are quite a few layers of an entire brand revamp as you can imagine and Nate seamlessly tied everything together in an elegant fashion from our business cards to our proposals, trade show booth design to our full launch of the new website.

What was the team composition?

Nate handled these all himself.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new revamp of our brand and everything Nate has helped us with has made a tremendous impact on our outward facing owned media. He truly brought us to the next level.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Very clear and concise, Nate is always on time to complete his goals.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Temper and Forge has made a name for themselves to deliver results and our projects are the key indicators of that. Nate is always available/ extremely reliable and can absolutely pull through on some very short notice requests if need be.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing that comes up on our radar and our team trusts Nate to get the job done.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Enterprise Consultants Group specializes in tax resolution and accounting. My role is President.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Temper and Forge?

Nate came highly recommending from a trusted marketing agency that we work with. We were in need website/landing page development.

What were your goals for this project?

We were in need website/landing page development.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

He was referred to us by a trusted source.

Describe the project in detail.

We have an ongoing relationship where he facilitates any of our needs in relation to landing page creation and services.

What was the team composition?

We work exclusively with Nate and he's typically available when we need him.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are very happy with the work and we will continue to use Temper Forge for our web development needs.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We work exclusively with Nate and he's typically available when we need him.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Working one on one with the actual person doing the work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I run a digital marketing agency. I am the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Temper and Forge?

I needed a new website for my agency.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to create a sleek website with a clean aesthetic that would prove effective for lead gen.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I was introduced to Nate through a mutual coworker.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Nate built me an awesome website. He did it really fast. The site performs well and looks great.

What was the team composition?

Just Nate on this one!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project has helped my business generate a clean face for branding.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was fairly back and forth throughout the process. Nate managed the work and asked questions while I provided input.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by the speed and professionalism with which the site was created.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am President & Chief Brand Strategist at Spencer Brenneman, LLC. We help companies develop meaningful and successful emotional connections with both employees and customers by bringing the brand's relevant and competitive differentiation to life visually and verbally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Temper and Forge?

Create a new web presence for a client based on a new brand strategy and business model.

What were your goals for this project?

Bring the brand to life in line with the company's goals and aspirations.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After finding him on Clutch, I met with him, learned of his experience and approach to web development, and decided to give him a try. It was a great decision.

Describe the project in detail.

Create a WordPress-based website to our specifications.

What was the team composition?

Brand strategist, senior art director, and web developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Nate is very easy to work with and has both a wonderful work ethic and impressive skill set.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Temper and Forge adapted to our workflow very easily.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

His work ethic and skill set.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.