The 215 Guys

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of a real estate development company.

What challenge were you trying to address with The 215 Guys?

They designed our new website for us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided them with our old website, and they pulled some information from it, in addition to updating some of it. They’ve also provided branding, SEO, and some social media services. They’re always available for training and to make updates on the site.

What is the team composition?

I’ve been working with the owner of the company and a project manager.

How did you come to work with The 215 Guys?

They may have been a referral, but I know we found them online.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $30,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2019.

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

Their hands-on work and accessibility were valuable.

How did The 215 Guys perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management has been excellent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very hands-on, walking us through the project. Issues were corrected simply — it was amazing. The owner has been especially involved. 215 was committed to our happiness.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’ think of anything to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just work with them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of an all-natural charcoal deodorant as seen on Shark Tank. 

What challenge were you trying to address with The 215 Guys?

They’re awesome. We got an air date on Shark Tank about a year-and-a-half ago. We panicked because we didn’t think our website would be able to handle all the traffic that it was going to get from being on Shark Tank.

We only had two weeks’ notice of our air date, so we scrambled to find a web design agency that could implement the necessary changes on our website, help us decide where to host it, and make it functional within two weeks, right before a busy holiday season. It’s worth noting that when we aired, we had 26,000 concurrent visitors to the site and over 165,000 people in 48 hours, and it didn’t crash at all. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

The 215 Guys explained the pros and cons of all our options and helped us decide on Shopify Plus as the platform for our site. We had just redesigned our logo, pictures, and some of the text with another design agency, and The 215 Guys optimized that content for different browsers, resolutions, and devices on which our site would be viewed.

They also coded some custom tweaks to our site that were specific to our product and provided guidance along the way. They did all of this within the two-week timeframe we had. The cherry on top of is that they monitored our site during all the traffic to make sure that it was healthy and running correctly. They showed us how to edit certain things ourselves. They were great to work with, especially during such a high-stress and important time for our business. They’ve provided ongoing support in the year-and-a-half since then.

I think there are five people on their team—the three founders and their two employees. We mainly talked with one or two of them, but everyone had a hand in developing our project, as certain people have different skills.

How did you come to work with The 215 Guys?

We interviewed three or four other agencies, but the others were very sales-y. I’m a sales person, so of course, I’m wary of them. I didn’t like the way the other agencies were trying to sell their product. They were making a lot of promises that I wasn’t certain they could deliver, and I’m very aware of being over-promised and under-delivered.

The 215 Guys were very upfront about what they could and could not do. They were realistic about the cost and the time it would take to do everything. They didn’t say things just to make us happy and make a sale. They’re very honest and straightforward. They hate using buzz words, and if they have to use one, they’ll make a joke about it and call themselves out. If you hate salespeople, they’re perfect; that’s pretty much the main reason we chose them. They felt more like friends or colleagues—someone you enjoy spending time with, rather than someone you’re paying to do a job.

How much have you invested with The 215 Guys?

At this point, we’ve invested $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The two-week project was in December of 2015. 

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Our conversion rate was 14%, and that has remained consistent. Not only was it 14% when we got all that traffic, but the average for all of 2016 was 11.17%. There have been days when it’s gone over 20%. It was never that high on our website before we hired The 215 Guys. The website flawlessly handled all this traffic.

We’ve referred friends to them who have also been on Shark Tank and had similar short timeframes. Every time one of those referrals has done a website with The 215 Guys, they have been so happy. They have the same story that we do; they didn’t crash, and they did really well. I know we weren’t just a fluke.

How did The 215 Guys perform from a project management standpoint?

My co-founder and I were very stressed during the time they were working on our site. Even when we dropped the ball on communication, they followed up in a way that was very helpful and not annoying. They were great at communicating with us while we were trying to juggle a lot of other things. The website was one less thing to stress over because we could count on them to get it done.

We communicated in person because they’re close to our office. We also used email so everyone could be copied, as well as phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about The 215 Guys?

Their office is very cool. I work in a little glass box, and I compare that to their massive space. They have a full kitchen, a pool table, an awesome mural on the wall, and big windows. It’s the coolest space to have an office, and they have a cute dog as well. They also cook for you. I don’t think we had a meeting with them where there wasn’t food present. It is like working with a bunch of friends. I would often forget that we were paying them to do a job for us. They take the partnership approach to the next level.

Are there any areas The 215 Guys could improve?

I really don’t have any complaints about them. I had a great experience, and I would recommend them to anyone.

Do you have any advice or recommendations for anyone who is looking to have their website redesigned by The 215 Guys?

A potential client should be open to feedback. What you envision for your website, based on the timeframe and budget you have, might not always be possible. The 215 Guys may come up with a solution that is better for your business needs. They’re authentic, so trust that they know what they are doing. I never doubted their knowledge or ability. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of a company promoting healthier eating lifestyles.

For what projects/services did your company hire The 215 Guys, and what were your goals?

I first started working with The 215 Guys in late 2017, when my business was ready to revamp the website.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I wanted to choose a local firm. When I saw The 215 Guys' portfolio and read their work ethic statement, I knew I had found the perfect fit.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The 215 Guys took time to get to know me and my business before starting the build process. They listened to my needs, then offered several different solutions.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked with John and the entire team of Devs.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Through the years, I've had several great experiences with The 215 Guys. Project phases are always delivered when promised, and found solutions for past site issues I've experienced.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The 215 Guys took time to get to know me and my business before starting the build process. They are quite efficient and available to answer any questions. They listen to my needs, then offer several different solutions. The 215 Guys are always prompt, respond to my questions patiently.

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

The 215 Guys are developers you can trust. Knowing my project is in their hands relieves an incredible amount of stress. I'm finally able to relax, and concentrate on other business priorities.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I am 100% satisfied. The 215 Guys are true professionals in every aspect.