BUHV Designs | Denver SEO & Web Design

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the corporate marketing manager for PaulsCorp, a leading capital management and real estate development firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Buhv Designs?

Initially, we needed a new website and branding package for a new apartment community that was soon to undergo construction. We were disappointed by the ideas a different company had proposed to us, so we were looking for a more impressive agency.

After meeting with Buhv Designs several times, we decided to take them on for SEO and PPC services because of their customer service skills and dedication to the projects. We wanted them to provide a custom website, a branding package (including a logo, font, colors, stationery, imagery, tagline), SEO and AdWords services.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the new website to integrate with our sales software and for the branding package to have an immediate impact on our online presence.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were searching for a local company because the ability to meet face-to-face was essential to us. Our in-person interaction with them and their impressive portfolio were what led us to choose them.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

In the beginning, they performed extensive backend API work for our custom website, which was seamlessly integrated. To do this, they communicated with the software company to confirm the coding and development needs. They also presented web design options for the logo, font, and color, which blew us away. The team considered our feedback and created a cohesive site. After launching the site, we've continued to retain them for SEO and PPC work across several projects.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project, website, and design lead for the website design portion of the project. For the SEO and PPC work, we've had one project lead with whom we communicate with for all of our needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The projects we’ve worked on from scratch with Buhv Designs have had smoother, more successful launches than with past vendors. We’ve seen immediate improvements in online searches, lease sales, and website views. Conversely, our bounce rate has decreased.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The account manager is receptive to our general inquiries, and they’ve implemented new practices and procedures to keep us updated. We can reach out to anyone on the team and receive help for our issues.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have great customer service skills. The Buhv Designs team shows pride in their work, and they are always willing to take on another project.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

Although they have very little to improve on, they could strengthen their communication. It would be nice to know a bit more about what is happening on the backend of the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and founder of LARES, an information security consulting company specializing in high cadence adversarial simulation, ethical hacking, and research design and development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Buhv Designs?

We hired them for some passive marketing strategies, including a new website, SEO work, and a brand refresh. 

What were your goals for this project?

We built our website years ago simply as a method for contacting us; in ten years, we never made a single outbound sales call. Although our reputation working for the Fortune 500 was already generating $5 million a year just in word of mouth advertising, we wanted to grow our business to the next level with a website tailored to our executive customers that would work for us as well. Our current site is clear and concise, but modern elements of good design and execution can make a big impact. We wanted a brighter, cleaner, and faster design that would better present more information.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

As a renowned international information security firm, I wanted my new website to come from a highly experienced firm, one that could represent our brand, understand what we do, and articulate it effectively to the broader market. We selected Buhv after an exhaustive, yearlong process of searching reviews for and interviewing multiple local companies. Buhv was more expensive than others, but they presented an attractive benefit-cost ratio and appeared to have garnered many awards for their service.

Describe the project in detail.

Buhv’s failures began when we signed the contract. Their timelines were neatly laid out in Basecamp, but promptly and continually missed. Although producing content without a design is extremely difficult, they repeatedly told us that without it, they could not provide wireframes or site concepts. We retained them with the mindset that there are better ways to resolve problems than blaming the vendor—something I am acutely aware of as a service provider myself—but despite our efforts, the situation continued to worsen. They completely ignored outlines of websites we wanted to emulate, then placed us at fault in spite of email evidence that we had clearly communicated our wishes. They also cited their employee turnover as a primary factor for their mistakes, so we gave them yet another chance. When the project was about four months past due, we held a last-ditch meeting, during which they were extremely apologetic, earning my empathy as a business owner. However, as I discovered, even though we had no website to date, we were being billed for SEO services dating back to the beginning of the contract. The services themselves were completely unsatisfactory; I received better keyword analysis from Fiverr than I did from them, and their $2500 per month “methodology” was nothing more than SEMRUSH, a white-labeled version of https://agencyanalytics.com, and an Excel spreadsheet, all easily and commonly accessible programs. At this point, I was $10,000 into the project.

I have now paid them $20,000 while they continue to request more billing for unsubstantiated work and an unstable team. My wife, who serves as our company vice president, recently scheduled a meeting with one of the owners, Robert Lane, to which she was on time but he did not show up, citing a recreational day at his office. However, after committing so much money, we were desperate to complete the website. The final straw was when we found out they had executed non-contractual changes to the site that had been costing us business. When confronted about the error and the logs supporting it, they again denied fault but admitted to bringing in contractors to assist them with the .NET technology. This stunned us; first of all, the website is built in PHP and JavaScript, and secondly, .NET should not be difficult for any experienced web developer. After all of this came to light, we finally decided to cut our losses, locked them out of the website, and attempted to fix it ourselves.

As a professional and a fellow business owner, I scheduled a private one-on-one meeting with the owner to close out the engagement and discuss the relationship. He accepted, but after my refusal to provide him with an agenda, he cancelled the meeting. Given my recent experience, I strongly dispute their claim to “award winning service” and highly doubt that they have ever delivered it.

What was the team composition?

The team experienced a high and frequent internal turnover rate, reportedly over 50%. The supposed “owners,” with whom we signed the contract, have been the only enduring members but will not engage with us. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They have yet to deliver anything except for a design guide. The logo redesign we have been charged for consisted only of a color change and removal of one layer in the Adobe Illustrator file. They presented us with a six-page document for which we had written the content ourselves and which they simply formatted to WordPress. There is no website and the management team refuses to meet with us. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow began well, but quickly deteriorated. Regular updates and interactions via Basecamp progressively dwindled to weekly and monthly, then dissipated completely. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

In my 20 years of experience in the information security industry, they are the most disrespectful company with which I have ever done business. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

Every single area needs improvement. The management team, which blatantly removed what few hard-working and enjoyable team members there were, should prioritize customers and employees over corporate accolades and luxuries. 

Company Responses

This comment was provided by Alex Hemker & Robert Lane on August 16th 2018. 

Chris - Thank you for your time in giving us your detailed feedback. Here at Buhv, we strive to make every project successful with an end-goal of overachieving. Based on your experience share, you clearly didn’t feel that was the case with your project. While we certainly wish we could have delivered a better experience for you personally, we’ll take your feedback as a way to improve our organization.

If you’re open to discussing the matter, we’d be happy to meet in-person or over the phone.

Thanks,

Alex Hemker & Robert Lane

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the brand marketing director at PepperJax Grill. We grill up flavorful meals across 40 locations in six states throughout the Midwest.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Buhv Designs?

We hired them for web development and design, SEO [search engine optimization], and digital marketing consulting.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to overhaul the look and feel of our brand's website in order to align with our refreshed branding and to bring our company into a competitive set within the restaurant industry. We enlisted Buhv to help develop and manage our SEO with the goal of bringing our restaurants to the forefront of online search both nationally and locally for each of our 40-plus locations.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected vendors throughout the Denver area to come in and share their vision for a web redesign for our branding. After meeting with several agencies, we narrowed our search to several agencies with key expertise in this area and in digital marketing. For our final decision, it was truly the people at Buhv that made the difference. Their easygoing, authentic, and positive personalities matched an incredible work ethic and expertise that we felt would deliver the ultimate results.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we selected them, we had a series of discovery meetings to immerse them in our branding and goals. The team then went back and outlined a very detailed yet realistic timeline with key milestones for the next six months. Following a review of the timelines, they immediately got to work on content development for the website and an understanding of where we wanted to go with the design.

The content then guided them into several initial mock-ups and variations of a web design. Upon selecting a design direction, they immediately got to work one webpage at a time. Ultimately, they delivered a website we loved, both on time and within scope/budget. Today, they remain our partners for SEO.

What was the team composition?

The entire team at Buhv was involved in various capacities throughout the entire project. With a project manager to keep things on track and on brand, we worked with several members of the team, from their founders to their content writers, web developers, and digital marketing directors. This hands-on approach really helped deliver the results we were hoping from this top-notch team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our new website not only refreshed the entire look of our brand online but also delivered results in the form of positive feedback from guests. They delivered on time and exceeded our design expectations. From an SEO perspective, we saw immediate results in rankings. Within days, we began to see our brand elevated to the first page of Google, which was something that we didn’t have before Buhv.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our entire team was impressed with the effectiveness, diligence, and final delivery of the Buhv team. While we had an incredible project manager to keep us on track and open communication with the entire team, which kept everyone aligned with project updates, milestones, and challenges.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

When we enlisted Buhv, we knew they were experts in web design, development, SEO/SEM, digital marketing, etc. What really impressed me was their team's unwavering patience and ability to break down very complex ideas and challenges for our entire team. They took their time to listen to any questions and concerns we had, and then easily identified solutions while taking the time to explain how they arrived at the solution and its benefit to our brand.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They were incredible at identifying any areas for improvement before our team even asked. You can't ask for a better partner than that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the controller of A Concrete. Our company does flat concrete.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Buhv Designs?

They were originally brought on to boost our sales and marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Buhv Designs manage our Facebook advertising, Google AdWords, and SEO campaign. The relationship that I’ve tried to maintain with them is just to hit higher sales. They do all of our online marketing for us. They’ve reached out and touched base with us and asked questions. For example, they asked me to approve something they had drafted about monolithic pads and I said it looks great. They nailed it. I don’t even know what Facebook advertising is, but they took it and ran with it. I’m assuming they’re using content that we’ve established on our website, which is another thing they manage for us as well. They host it and I’ve provided them with information about us and what we do. From there, they’ve been able to build on it and elaborate if they need to.

How did you come to work with Buhv Designs?

They were already in place before I came into my position here with A Concrete.

How much have you invested with Buhv Designs?

We have them on a monthly retainer agreement, which is $1,500 a month for the last 2 years.

What is the status of this engagement?

The company has been working with them for a couple of years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They provide me with reports but I haven’t had a chance to review them. There are metrics and they do a great job. Our ratings are high. My position is really new here. Our work is seasonal so I haven’t been able to correlate any hits directly to them. I’m assuming that it is working. People Google us and that would be because of them. But can I directly correlate those? No. They get us high Google rates; that’s what I know. We land on the first page and that’s thanks to them.

How did Buhv Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

Generally, they are doing well. They provide me with reports, status, different resources to be able to check in on progress, and different links for feedback if I need to. There is 1 person directly assigned to our project but I do have the ability to speak to multiple people. I have met with the owner himself a couple times. I know if I really need anything, he’s available to me.

What did you find most impressive about Buhv Designs?

They definitely have a Fort Collins feel even though they’re out of Denver. They’re very friendly and that makes them great. They have expertise that keeps them competitive in Denver markets but they still have that agreeableness that comes from smaller areas like Fort Collins. People try to get the best of both worlds and they’ve been able to do that.

Are there any areas Buhv Designs could improve?

One thing that would be nice is if they could drive quarterly meetings or twice a year meetings to go over things. But I’ve only been here for 6 months and we’ve already met, so maybe they do that and I just haven’t taken them up on the opportunity.