The Free Website Guys

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Coach of Modern Way Coaching

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Coaching for tech professionals

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Free Website Guys to accomplish?

• Website development

SOLUTION

How did you find The Free Website Guys?

Online Search

Why did you select The Free Website Guys over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from The Free Website Guys were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• End to end website development

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• End to end support (domain search, hosting, site development, design, customization etc)

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

excellent

What was your primary form of communication with The Free Website Guys?

Email or Messaging App

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

I recently had the pleasure of working with The Free Website Guys to create a new website for my coaching business. I wasn't sure what to expect since it seemed a bit too good to be true, but ultimately, I was beyond impressed. From start to finish, the process was seamless and efficient. They made it easy for a site development noob like myself to follow along from A to Z. 
The team at The Free Website Guys was attentive to detail and went above and beyond to make sure that my website met my exact needs (even adding a few customizations I requested that were beyond the initial scope). The quality of the design and overall delivery of the service was impeccable. 
I'm excited to grow my business now in large part because of this new, quality site. I enthusiastically recommend The Free Website Guys to anyone looking for a reliable web design company!

Are there any areas for improvement or something The Free Website Guys could have done differently?

Not really. Could maybe suggest what a future, more sophisticated site could evolve to if I choose to work with them as my business scales.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director-Business Advisor of Embark Business Advisory

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

I am an experienced Business Advisor and CPA Accountant, and my business Embark Business Advisory works with SME owners and their businesses, with a focus of “Let’s unlock your business potential together”.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Free Website Guys to accomplish?

• Setup Business Website

SOLUTION

How did you find The Free Website Guys?

Online Search

Why did you select The Free Website Guys over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from The Free Website Guys were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Setup new website & related instructions to change-mange & related CEO setup

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Provided website setup with tailored pages-structure

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Very responsive & delivered on time

What was your primary form of communication with The Free Website Guys?

Email or Messaging App

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

Right from start to finish the experience with the The Free Website Guys, and Sven as our direct contact, getting our free website set up has been positive. Information and requirements have been clearly provided and explained, and responses have always been timely.

When we had a couple of IT “challenges” from our end with 3rd party providers for Domain Nam, Sven was able to guide us through the issues to assist resolution. Overall, we had a great experience and were happy customers of The Free Website Guys.

Are there any areas for improvement or something The Free Website Guys could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

LunarLoveByKimberley is a Spiritual and Psychological Healing Service offerred online to clients around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Free Website Guys to accomplish?

My issue with the Free Website guys was 

1. They mentioned it was free with no hidden costs, I discovered there were hidden affiliate fees.. and 
2. they mentioned they would build a free website for me, what I experienced instead was them issuing a list of instructions with the expectation on me to do the work! I was trying to highlight that this did not seem ethical. If they had pitched it as an instructional service , my expectations might have been different. And it was important to me that I highlighted this so other's didnt have a similar experience. To me I made it crystal clear at the start that building a website at this point was not a priority for me as I didnt have time nor resources handy and was content with my Etsy shop till I sorted the Marketing out, it was only because they offerred to do it for me for free that I accepted! I did not expect to be landed with all the work and added costs!

SOLUTION

How did you find The Free Website Guys?

So after I wrote the initial review, John, the co- founder of the Free Website guys did reach out and committed to wanting to resolve things, he did apologise and I agreed to give things another shot. In this time John has done his best to try and bridge the gap between what his team felt was fair and my expectations. They didnt feel it was right for them to work on building this for free... and to me when you say a free website it needs to be precisely that. 

While initially they maintained that they dont upload content.. they did make an exception for me id say 95% of my images and text from my Etsy store were transferred to my new website during our second attempt at this. I was still left with images of cakes from the template Id selected which I will now need to delete and replace etc.. that quantum of work still remains. They did not feel it was necessary to do this and I did but we agreed to disagree.

What's the status of this engagement?

They have handed the website over after also connecting my upi and giving me instructions as to how to upload pictures onto the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with your partner evolve?

I think John did take cognisance of my feedback and my reviews across platforms! He did request me to remove these as he said that they were demotivating his team while they were working on my site. So I agreed to do so with the caveat that I would post fresh reviews once we were done.

In what ways can they improve?

They can definitely be clearer on what they offer. Timelines and costs. They expect you to have graphic artists etc on hand. Which is a bit much to my mind at least. These things need to be made crystal clear at the start.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

They do not upload content and if you do not know how to use Elementor you are going to be challenged. This seems more like something they give you instructions on till you throw your hands up in the air and pay to have them sort things. As a marketing strategy I understand but you then need to be clear on your tg. What you get is a framework with a guide re how to progress. They are very mindful of their time.. not so much yours.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on June 10, 2023

Kimberley Parker

Founder, LunarLoveByKimberley

Consulting

1-10 Employees

Mumbai, India

Confidential

May 2015 - Jul 2023

Project summary

The Free Website Guys was hired to build a website for a therapy and spiritual guidance company.

Feedback summary

The Free Website Guys fell short of meeting the client's expectations. They lacked helpfulness and attention to detail. They also failed to provide specific timelines for project completion. Their overall performance was unsatisfactory and did not meet the client's needs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of LunarLoveByKimberley

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Therapy and Spiritual guidance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Free Website Guys to accomplish?

• Set up a website
• seo management

SOLUTION

How did you find The Free Website Guys?

they reached out to me on Etsy

Why did you select The Free Website Guys over others?

free offer

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Good grief, talk about a scam! These guys reached out to me on Etsy offering to build a free website. Now this was not high on my list of priorities currently as I explained as I wanted to get my marketing right first but since they offered & once Id read their reviews I agreed. They kept making mention of this being "free" & how they have 900 applicants so why they had to reach out to me on Etsy Ill never know. 

When i asked about costs they said there were none barring the web hosting (Affiliate partner) . Alas this is not true.. they refused to build a website and kept stalling till I had paid for a template ( another partner site they receive a commission through) . Then I discovered that there is very little they actually do beyond sending instructive mails expecting me to do ALL the work which I do not have time for at this point. 

And they work on their own timelines responding when they feel like it but expect me to be immediately responsive! I had at the start mentioned that I do have a domain at Wix which they chose to ignore and again asked me whether I had a domain and what I needed to do to transfer it.. again I was required to do all the actual work. 

I understand picking out a template, I understand authorising them to act on my behalf I do not agree with being giving instructions and being expected to build my own website. If I wanted to do that I would have gone on Udemy or any learning platform and figured it out. There are several AI support platforms which facilitate this currently PLUS I am based in India where hiring a quality website designer at an affordable rate is easily an option. 

So, these guys have done nothing but waste my time and try to be extra clever. They need to pitch this as what it is and INSTRUCTION GUIDE to building a website and make expectations and hidden costs crystal clear instead of deliberately misleading people this way. I did give them the option to refund my money which they have again pretended to be deaf about and I do have all email exchanges which will validate all that I have said on here. In fairness.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Nil. They just kept expecting me to spend money after insisting it was free adding hidden costs, and expecting me to do all the work. They did not make this clear at the start, did not offer any specific timelines for completion.

I have not seen any effort from their side beyond attempts to push affiliate partners and send email instructions for me to do ALL the work. They disappea when they feel like it and expect me to respond instantly. As mentioned I do have all email correspondence to validate what I am saying.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

No. Unhelpful, unattentive to detail, literally missed things I had repeatedly stated up front and deliberately misleading.

What was your primary form of communication with The Free Website Guys?

Email or Messaging App

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

I was impressed at the offer of a free website. I do feel the instruction videos etc were decent but again more pertinent/ relevant to a how to website not an operatoinal one where they take accountability for deliverables.

Are there any areas for improvement or something The Free Website Guys could have done differently?

Yes. Learn to Listen. Stop misrepresenting facts. Dont claim to have 900 applicants and then reach out to me on Etsy proffering to build a free website. In an age of artificial intelligence they need to take major steps to display their value add and competence.Definitely be more attentive to what your customer is telling you, less dismissive and high handed.

Star Ratings: 

Overall rating: .5

Quality: .5

Schedule: 1

Cost: 1

Willing to refer: 1

Pathetic no way I would recommend them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder and CEO of The Happiness Ninja / World Happiness Mission

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Motivational speaker.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Free Website Guys to accomplish?

Free website offer

SOLUTION

How did you find The Free Website Guys?

Advertisement

Why did you select The Free Website Guys over others?

Their offer

How many teammates from The Free Website Guys were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

To develop a free website. There was no known specs. I was told to pick a theme but not told how/ where to go to do that.

The free website guys were kind enough to offer me a free website but it all went pear shaped from that moment leaving me questioning the authenticity of this company and it's employees. The link they sent me to sign up on wouldn't process my payment so Sven told me to call them to sort it out. Blue Host did the wrong thing by FWG and signed me up for a slightly higher amount, not associated to FWG and their discounted price (it was only like $2.50 more). I didn't know this until after the payment was taken. So Blue Host also did wrong by me too.

The thanks I got for flagging this issue that has impacted both myself and FWG financially, was to be ignored and not communicated with appropriately and attempted to be palmed off to someone else not involved, instead of dealing with the problem appropriately. I felt like I was being communicated with as though I am a child and like I was speaking another language or something. The responses received back were not in alignment with my communicated information.

What would have been a 30 second phone call turned into like 5 days of back and forth emails going in circles. After being pressured to pay immediately to "get on the work schedule next week", this registers as a big red flag to us. I am not sure if this is a dodgy company or if Sven just needs training on effective communication and problem solving skills, but there's something not right here.

Blue Host has done the wrong thing by both myself and FWG and FWG did the wrong thing by me too, resulting in my spending 32 minutes on the phone to Palo to get a refund from Blue Host processed, which was painful and frustrating, causing me mental stress and frustration, resulting in my existing mental health conditions revolving around rage, rape trauma, complex post traumatic stress and dissociative identity disorder to be negatively impacted. Who should I send the bill to for wasting hours of my time as the CEO and founder of my organization? Time is money. Your approach to customer service reeks of dodginess and instantly there is no trust or belief in the company's business ethics and technical skills.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

There was none.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

No. They responded inappropriately.

What was your primary form of communication with The Free Website Guys?

Email or Messaging App

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

Initially, their free offer and ability to track financial metrics was highly commendable. Now, nothing.

Are there any areas for improvement or something The Free Website Guys could have done differently?

As described already.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of Millsaps Property Management.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a full-service landscaping and pressure washing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Free Website Guys to accomplish?

• Build and design a professional website for me
• Increase customers for My business

SOLUTION

How did you find The Free Website Guys?

Online Search

Why did you select The Free Website Guys over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fits our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for the cost
• Company values aligned

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

I am a small business owner, freshly starting up, and wanted a website that was professional and made the business look good. I came across an ad for The Free Website Guys sent an email, and they were in contact in days. They made the entire process extremely easy and were friendly and helpful.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Within the first week of being active, I've had numerous visitors to the website as well as already having people requesting quotes.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They have an amazing team, and they keep in constant contact with you every step of the way. Literally, a 30-email thread over the course of a couple of weeks, and my website was not only finished but included the revisions I asked without hesitation. 

What was your primary form of communication with The Free Website Guys?

Email or Messaging App

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

Anyone looking for a website that you want to look professional and show your customers that you mean business, then I would 1000% recommend you contact The Free Website Guys today!

Are there any areas for improvement or something The Free Website Guys could have done differently?

Not a single thing from my perspective. 10/10 would recommend and would absolutely do business with them any and every time I need their services.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Non-profit Co-President of Build Community Give Care

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Global Health Non-profit

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Free Website Guys to accomplish?

• Created a website

SOLUTION

How did you find The Free Website Guys?

Online Search

Why did you select The Free Website Guys over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from The Free Website Guys were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Sven and the Free Website Guys did an amazing job creating the website for our new non-profit with a focus on global health disparities! He was extremely responsive to all questions and the steps and directions were very clear, even for a non-computer person. The whole team is very professional. I highly recommend Sven and the free website guys! 5 star rating!" Stacey Miller-Smith MD, MPH and Emily Beckman DMH

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Sven and the Free Website Guys did an amazing job creating the website for our new non-profit with a focus on global health disparities! He was extremely responsive to all questions and the steps and directions were very clear, even for a non-computer person.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes

What was your primary form of communication with The Free Website Guys?

Email or Messaging App

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

The whole team is very professional. I highly recommend Sven and the free website guys! 5 star rating!" Stacey Miller-Smith MD, MPH and Emily Beckman DMH

Are there any areas for improvement or something The Free Website Guys could have done differently?

no

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Screenwriter and Songwriter of Dinga Productions

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Writes screenplays and songs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Free Website Guys to accomplish?

• Build Website
• Teach me to update website on my own

SOLUTION

How did you find The Free Website Guys?

LinkedIn

Why did you select The Free Website Guys over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from The Free Website Guys were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The Free Website Guys built a website for my business.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Website was built and all plug-ins were added.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

lMy website was delivered on time and the communication along the way was exceptional. All my needs were responded to in a very timely manner.

What was your primary form of communication with The Free Website Guys?

Email or Messaging App

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

All labor put into building my website was free of charge, making it affordable to have a website for my business. Working with Sven and the Free Website Guys was an exceptional experience! Sven’s communication was clear, supportive, professional, and friendly. 

To have my website built at no cost by a professional who provided me with the tools I need to continue to update my site in the future is a true gift. Just WOW! Thank you, Sven! Thank you Free Website Guys! I am so appreciative of you helping me build my business without charging for your time!

Are there any areas for improvement or something The Free Website Guys could have done differently?

I have no suggestions for improvements... Sven was wonderful to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of Nadine & Ripley

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Free Website Guys to accomplish?

Build Website for Gallery and Ecommerce

SOLUTION

How did you find The Free Website Guys?

Online Search

Why did you select The Free Website Guys over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

I've been wanting to build my own website for a while and started on that project several times, only to get overwhelmed in the end and discarding it. I then did some research on how I can get some help with that. 

I found The Free Website Guys, and to be frank, I didn't expect much at the beginning. Granted, things took a little while to get worked on, but I have to say, they completely changed my mind on this process. They made sure the website was linked to analytics, SEO and other things that I didn't even think of at first.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

They have delivered outstanding work, very clear instructions, tutorial videos, provided resources to make every transition as easy as possible. I am super excited to use my new website for my small business and be able to service my customers better and faster. Thank you to The Free Website Guys for providing such excellent service and helping me with my business ventures!

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Everything was clear and transparent, and nothing was hidden. I ended up paying for a couple of services because that's what I wanted, but I didn't have to. 

What was your primary form of communication with The Free Website Guys?

Email or Messaging App

Are there any areas for improvement or something The Free Website Guys could have done differently?

--

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Entrepreneur, personal stylist of Life Styled with Angie

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Virtual personal fashion stylist to female business women and entrepreneurs who have done the Hard inner work on them self’s and now want the outside to match the transformation on the inside as well.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Free Website Guys to accomplish?

• Design my website
• Make it beautiful
• Make it mobile friendly

SOLUTION

How did you find The Free Website Guys?

Referral

Why did you select The Free Website Guys over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

They were to build me a beautiful website that is mobile friendly and delivered what they promised

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

It was completed and delivered as promised THATS all that matters to me most

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They were extremely efficient and had a well-thought-out process that eliminated any misunderstandings. They were patient with me when my brain injury, slow down brain injury slow down the progress they always kept me very well. Informed of what was happening next and what they finished and where they were at on the project and they delivered everything on time always responded to my needs in a timely manner.

What was your primary form of communication with The Free Website Guys?

Email or Messaging App

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

The fact that they are giving away free websites at all was extremely surprising and for that I’m foreverThe fact that they are giving away free websites at all was extremely surprising, and for that I am forever grateful and then they continue to weld me with their customer service skills and friendliness throughout and then they continue to weld me with their customer service skills and friendliness throughout the entire process.

Are there any areas for improvement or something The Free Website Guys could have done differently?

Honestly, I can’t think of anything about my experience working with the free website guys. It was any less than above satisfactory. I wouldn’t change a thing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior 2D Illustrator of Javi Salas

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Artist freelance in the gaming industry

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Free Website Guys to accomplish?

• Increase my business reach
• have a stable and professional business site
• sell my products

SOLUTION

How did you find The Free Website Guys?

Other

Why did you select The Free Website Guys over others?

Other

How many teammates from The Free Website Guys were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

They developed all the key programming to get me started on my site. From the beginning of the communication, everything was super easy, understanding each other was fundamental and key, you are part of the process, which is what I liked the most. until you reach the final stage when you get the whole website working and all you have to do is customize it with your work. There are always emails involved with all the summary of the work done, simply incredible.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The fact of getting the site in a record time of a couple of weeks, but not only that, it's easy, intuitive and incredibly fun, make it a success for me. Now it's time to start selling my products.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes! they were very clear about the deadlines, but always on schedule, i barely had to send emails asking for results, because they always came, with very good results and updates in every stage.

What was your primary form of communication with The Free Website Guys?

Email or Messaging App

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

They were friendly, easy to work with, talented, and helpful.

Are there any areas for improvement or something The Free Website Guys could have done differently?

no i dont have any complains about the process itself