The Web Guys

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are an RV rental and service center with a campground for storage.

What is your position?

I am the president of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with The Web Guys?

We are located in a rural community, so there isn't much drive-by traffic. I needed to be able to reach out to a large area, allowing me to expand the company's exposure. In a rental business, the reach can be anywhere from one mile to hundreds of miles. Whereas the 800 number used to be a big thing, the Internet is now the means of reaching business, which is phenomenal.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

The Web Guys had built a website which reached the market areas that I was shooting for. I've asked their team to keep me active in blogging, Facebook, tweeting, and so on. I give The Web Guys monthly input in what I'd like to see, which helps them personalize the work that they're doing for me. I've asked The Web Guys to integrate my website to the rental-specific software that I use, sparing me from re-entering the data. It integrates seamlessly, which makes life much faster and easier for us.

The Web Guys were extremely proactive in making sure that I'd stay current when Google went to mobile-friendly environments. The Web Guys told me a year in advance to spend the money to do it correctly and not rush in the last minutes in order to catch up. I belong to a national network of dealers and have probably been the first one to have a mobile-friendly website. Whenever something happens, I have the option of addressing it instead of procrastinating the inevitable. The Web Guys are very proactive in making sure that everything is done right.

The Web Guys are very responsive to making any changes, like contact information and other content. I appreciate that The Web Guys never made changes that would impact the performance of the website. There are certain areas which shouldn't be modified, as they are important for web crawlers. When a change is made, it's done with The Web Guys' knowledge and oversight.

How did you come to work with The Web Guys?

I had worked with a much larger company in the past for web development. They were not user-friendly and weren't willing to make the changes that I wanted. I was unable to touch the website myself. I reached out to The Web Guys, and they gave me the ability to adjust things as needed. My previous website was so complex that any change would take forever.

My previous company also wasn't providing the level of SEO services that The Web Guys are, so I wasn't getting the same amount of exposure.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total cost of the initial website development was between $2,000 and $3,000. Making it mobile-friendly had a cost of $1,000. The Web Guys' monthly fee costs around $500. I spend around $200 additionally each year in order to tweak the site.

What is the status of this engagement?

I first met The Web Guys in 2008. My website was completed within a month. The Web Guys have kept it up-to-date and has modified it since then. We have an ongoing relationship. I email them regarding any changes; we discuss them, and they will be implemented within a few days.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The number of leads which I've received from the site has been a huge thing for me. The Web Guys cannot guarantee this, and they don't use it as an advertising point, but they've generated a huge number of leads every day for me. My leads are entered from the website, and they go right into the software. I generate 7-10 leads per day during slow periods, and in peak season, we get 30+ leads per day. This is where 90% of our business comes from, either through phone calls that result from visits to the site, or through on-site contacts. We have a lot of repeat business, but the new clients come from the website. We've discontinued our Yellow Pages listing, and we don't advertise on other platforms. We've come to the point of selling most of our inventory through the course of a season. The Web Guys have created a source of very viable leads.

How did The Web Guys perform from a project management standpoint?

As far as project management, The Web Guys have been responsive. We have been working with them for a number of years, and all I have is good things to say about The Web Guys. They have good accuracy in their quoting and they estimate completion time to a matter of days.

What distinguishes The Web Guys from other providers?

When I email The Web Guys, I will not be treated as account no. 27538. I am on a first-name basis with their team, and they've responded to me quickly and on a personal level. It comes across as if The Web Guys care. I never have to send anything twice and have received very personal interest in my account. There are many companies that can do what The Web Guys do, but they'll often be very cold. I would always get a different person on the phone each time I called my previous developer and would have to explain who I was. The Web Guys don't have complex channels for relaying the work. Even if the person I talk to isn't in charge of my website, they will forward my request to the right one.

Is there anything The Web Guys could have improved or done differently?

Within the last 12 months, I have not heard about any improvements I should make to the site from The Web Guys. I'm starting to get nervous, even though "If it's not broke, don't fix it" is a great philosophy. The Web Guys haven't missed the boat in any respect, because I'm still receiving 30 leads a day, 7 days a week. Any staff changes within The Web Guys have never been a hiccup in the operation of my needs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We give brew, wine, distillery, and party bus rentals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Web Guys?

We hired The Web Guys to develop our website and do our SEO.

What were your goals for this project?

To generate more business for our company.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Heard about them through a friend.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They worked on our website for several weeks. There were several back and forths between us and The Web Guys to discuss what we were wanting in the site, their recommendations and why. It was an overall pleasant experience with them.

What was the team composition?

It was just The Web Guys and myself.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our business tripled within six months after the go-live.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The Web Guys handled the flow of what needed to be done. They would reach out to me on ideas on what I would like to see. Overall, it was extremely fluid and well maintained.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their quick response to any questions was impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.