The Free Website Guys

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm self employed, working on photography and not for profit projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I'm starting out and needed help to develop a professional website, as I have no experience in doing this myself. The goal is to try and attract clients through the website and eventually to create awareness around the social justice issues that I'm focussing on.

SOLUTION

How did you select The Free Website Guys and what were the deciding factors?

I had heard about the free website guys through a recommendation and that I might have the opportunity to receive their services for no charge if they accepted my application. I had read the reviews and they had lots of great feedback so they seemed like the right fit for me, so I applied and was very fortunate that they accepted my application.

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

The Free Website Guys had a very efficient way of communicating everything via email and videos that went through each of the steps required.

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

I only worked directly with one person throughout the whole process, and he was the Lead Developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I haven't launched my website yet, but I'm happy with outcome of the work done.

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

As above, the Free Website Guys had a very efficient way of communicating everything via email and videos that went through each of the steps required.

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

The way they provide the opportunity to have a website produced for free! They had a very efficient process and everything ran smoothly.

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

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Wellness Site - Founder

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I made my yoga website with the help from The Free Website Guys.

SOLUTION

How did you select The Free Website Guys and what were the deciding factors?

I found out about them through an online recommendation/ referral. I decided on them as I am on a budget to make my own website.

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

Since I am an expat, I need my website to display in multiple languages. This problem was resolved beautifully with a nice plug-in, which would have taken me a long time to research and find all the relevant information in order to make it myself.

In addition, the team has helped me to integrate my site with e-commerce and blog, which is essentially customized exactly based on what I need.

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

My main contact is Sven, but there is a team of website developer behind him to guide me step by step, via video clips and recordings.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Essentially, The Free Website Guys' efficiency saved me a lot of time and money to customize my website.

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

Method of communication were email correspondances, video recordings, and youtube instructions

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

The team is very knowledgeable and super professional. I am extremely happy with the final product. I would hire them again, and I would highly recommend their service to anyone considering to make a website.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a freelancer that is working in the lead generation industry via online marketing

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I needed to create my website and since I have no expertise on that matter I hired the freewebsite guys.

SOLUTION

How did you select The Free Website Guys and what were the deciding factors?

They only charge you for the hosting of the website and everything else is free. They also had many good reviews so I decided to give it a go

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

You send them an email explaining them what your project is about and if they are interested they will take you on board. After that all communication is done via email.

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

One, position: Lead Developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Still early days, not sure

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

They send you emails with all the steps that you need to take and including video recordings. If I need something I just had to email them and they usually replied fast. They also send you pdf documents with everything they did

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

I was impressed with how easy it was for them to follow instructions and how quickly they managed to complete the job.

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

They could have a bitter more attention to detail. At the end I had to make some changes in the website myself because but nothing too major

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of Artezia Jewelry, a Company that produces and sell sustainable handmade Jewelry from Brazil.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Since I didn't have a website for my business yet, I hired The Free Website Guys to develop a Wordpress Website for me. My goal was to have an online store in order to be able to sell my jewelry in the U.S.

SOLUTION

How did you select The Free Website Guys and what were the deciding factors?

The Free Website Guys were recommended by a friend called Jackie Gillliland and she convinced me that their work is great.

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

After being selected to become a free Website, we started to communicate about the project steps through e-mail. First of all, the Guys worked in setting up the back-end of my website and have configured my WordPress environment. After that, they explained in detail how to chose a theme and I did it.

I created a video explaining how I would like my website to look like and sent my logo. Next step was to finish my domain name set up with Bluehost So, they loaded in the theme, set up the page structure, uploaded my logo, and created the main menu. After that, they did set up with automated daily backups, Google Analytics and Google Search Console.

After completing the final stage of my website, they sent me videos explaining how to customize the website and create and edit products on my site. The whole communication was done by email and they were just amazing, they gave me details of each step that was done.

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

I am not sure.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website was created and right now I am customizing it. I did never have experience with websites before, and the Free Website Guys made me feel secure and ready to finish it.

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

I had daily stand-ups with Sven, who communicated with the rest of the team. He always explained about the timelines and work progress.

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

By giving us a professional website for free (other ways we could not afford it), they delivered much more than that. They gave us hope to move on with our business, to achieve our goals, to follow our dreams.

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

For me it would have being nice if we could talk over the phone sometimes, just to make my understanding process faster about some particular issues that were new for me.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founding visionary and concept architect of a social impact entertainment project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I received the services of The Free Website Guys, to build me a website for the project. My goal was to have a strong foundation of a website built which I could then deeply customize over time.

SOLUTION

How did you select The Free Website Guys and what were the deciding factors?

A friend of mine had applied for their invitation and was in the process, and shared on social media The Free Website Guys. I thought it was an interesting offer and business model, it made sense to me.

So, being that they were offering to build a website for free, and had great reviews, and being that I resonated with why they do what they do, those were all deciding factors. I didn't have a budget at this time for a site so it was a win for me.

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

The Free Website Guys have a standardized, easy to use, and yet personalized process of working with their client from beginning to end. They walk you through what they need from you, what they will be doing, and they report back on their progress. They have great tutorials to help the process.

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

I worked directly with the lead developer via an email thread, and was aware that there were possibly other teammates who also may have been carrying out some of the website build.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As far as the product goes, these guys know what they are doing, from front end to back end, from hosting to wordpress, and beyond. I was given exactly what I was promised, a beautifully set up and working website which can be the foundation for me to either go live or continue building out to more refined degrees.

There's no question for me that the Free Web Site Guys deliver, and again, more so, they deliver with friendliness and class.

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

My experience with the Free Web Site Guys was top notch. Before I get to the 'product' I like to begin with the people, which is the most important thing to my experience. In this regard, Sven and the team were brilliant. From generosity of spirit to patience they helped me from beginning to end.

They are deliberate, prepared, and are clearly experts at what they do. It was a smooth, clear and fun process. From a personal perspective, I couldn't be happier nor give a higher recommendation.

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

As I have alluded to, I found the personal warmth and attentiveness to be most impressive. Within the bounds of offering a free website build and the time allotted for that-- I felt like 'the usual' paying customer in that me and my project mattered to them.

In other words, 'free' did not come with shortcuts or being a sideline gig. I felt respected and supported, and that they cared about helping me. All of this added up for me to being a unique feature for this company. Alongside of that personal feeling, the professional skills and abilities in the actual website dev was impressive.

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

At this time, I would say no, and as I mentioned, I was given exactly what I was promised, a beautifully set up and working website which can be the foundation for me to either go live or continue building out to more refined degrees.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

ContentSolvers is a digital marketing agency and I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Website creation and development.

SOLUTION

How did you select The Free Website Guys and what were the deciding factors?

I discovered the Free Website Guys from a referral post on Facebook. The Free Website Guys offer a service to build custom websites free of charge. All I had to do was submit an application for consideration. After successfully applying they accepted me. From the very first email, Sven and the team were professional, attentive to detail, excellent, and thorough. I knew my website was in good hands.

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

1. Select a domain host - Bluehost was purchased
2. Select a theme - a Divi theme was installed
3. Customize theme
4. Set up automated daily backups - Updraft Plus installed
5. Set up Google Analytics
6. Set up Google Search Console
7. Handover

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

One person - Sven, the Lead Developer for The Free Website Guys.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My website is not only responsive but mobile-friendly and professionally created. Excellent customization and thorough front and back end development. Sven is an absolute pleasure to work with. The entire team has my highest recommendation. Hire the Free Website Guys if you need responsive web design, website development, mobile-friendly websites, and SEO-friendly websites built.

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

Their follow-up emails, updating me every step of the way, helped me to understand what they were doing on the back and front ends. I am amazed by their patience and how they took care of the project. Deadlines were met and the entire team worked in a timely manner. We used email as the only form of communication.

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

Their professionalism, attention to detail, responsiveness, and overall excellence.

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

There is nothing I would do differently. They have perfected their service and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for custom website development.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My company is Line 29 Editorial Services and I am the sole employee. I'm a freelance writer (grants / bids / copy), editor and proofreader. Since beginning the project I've decided to specialise more in writing grant applications but hope to continue to offer all the services above when appropriate.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I needed a website to showcase what I can offer, my experience and give a flavour of my personality (after all, people buy from people). I was adamant that the site wouldn't be too text heavy.

SOLUTION

How did you select The Free Website Guys and what were the deciding factors?

My business was relatively new and I hadn't yet had the chance to start building a website. I'd considered using a site like wix.com, but having started a couple of blogs in the past, I liked the idea of WordPress. I heard about TFWG through a networking group I belong to, and thought to myself that I had no idea when I'd get around to doing this myself, so I had nothing to lose by applying. It did seem too good to be true (who builds a website for free?) but after careful searching I decided it wasn't.

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

TFWG impressed me by thinking of all the 'behind the scenes' aspects of a website that I had no idea about, and explained what they all did. There are too many useful plug-ins to mention, but there is WordFence, and Smush for starters. Apart from configuring the pages and adding my logo, the rest of the content is up to me. Steps were clearly laid out and as a bit of a technophobe, they were easy to follow.

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

All email communication was through Sven, their Lead Developer. He was always extremely helpful, polite and responded quickly to my emails. I believe that a couple of developers in the team worked on my site, though it may have been just one developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site is not live yet (that's my fault, not TFWGs'!) but I am reassured by the regular emails telling me the site and/or plug-ins are being updated.

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

One long email chain, which works well enough. All communication through Sven the lead developer - this works well. Timelines - all was progressing well until a promised update at one point didn't appear. A few months went by but I wasn't upset as I was very busy with a client project. Once that was out of the way, my chaser email prompted a very quick response and apology, and everything was wrapped up within 10 days! I think the delay was a genuine mistake and we're only human.

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

They were so efficient that they were usually the ones chasing us to complete any steps we needed to do.

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

Although TFWG show screenshots of sites they have created, I would have loved to explore a few. After a little searching I found one but would have loved to have found more. I suppose the difficulty is that the sites are handed over without the content, so TFWG would have to keep track of when they go live.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a writer, journalist and copywriter who has worked across print and digital.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

They designed a website for me to showcase my writing portfolio.

SOLUTION

How did you select The Free Website Guys and what were the deciding factors?

I reviewed their work and found it to be a great match with my vision for my site, post which I reached out to them.

Every writer needs a great website to showcase her articles. I bought a domain name and ended up not doing anything about it until I came across The Free Website Guys. After sending in my application and getting an e-mail that I was selected, the project just took off fabulously from there.

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

They designed my website from scratch.

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

I communicated directly with Sven

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a journalist, I am usually the one chasing people and interviews to meet deadlines but in this case, I had to keep up with Sven and team who were organised, detail oriented, super efficient, and so invested in making my site look just how I wanted.

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

As mentioned above, they were thorough and efficient, and the process was smooth from start to finish. They replied to every mail and query even after handing over the finished site, still tweaking and helping me get it up and running. You'd be lucky to get this team working on your site!

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

The amount of effort they invested in my site and the thoroughness and attention to detail they paid.

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

Absolutely none. I remain very impressed with their work ethic.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner and Creative Director for a freelance graphic design business, Brelsford Creative.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

They were hired to begin development of a wordpress website for the business. I've been sitting on a coming soon page for 3 years, never having the time to get the site launched. They took care of all of those backend things I could never quite grasp or get started.

SOLUTION

How did you select The Free Website Guys and what were the deciding factors?

They reached out to me via LinkedIn about doing the site. After researching the company, I decided they would be a good fit and I had nothing to lose.

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

The first requirement was to set up hosting with Bluehost. From there I chose the Wordpress template I wanted to use, and they began setting up the backend of the site. Throughout the process, they delivered instructions for what was needed from me and made things very easy to follow and move forward to the next step.

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

Initially, one of the partners reached out on LinkedIn. From there, I had contact with only one person, the lead developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I'm still working on the final design and content of my site, but they left me some great video content and instruction on how to do that.

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

They communicate often and clearly, and are upfront about timelines and expectations. Everything is via email with weblinks when needed, such as youtube videos, google forms, and pdfs.

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

When they say it is "free", it truly is. You pay for web hosting (very reasonable prices), and I paid a small fee for a higher end template. I was very skeptical at first, but I'm so happy I decided to work with them and plan to use them for some of my clients in the future.

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

I had no issues during the work process. I am 100% happy with their work, organization, and timelines.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a freelance writer, working to launch my own freelance writing and editing business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I asked them to design my freelance writing website.

What were your goals for this project?

A professional-looking website where I can direct and attract potential clients who need content written.

SOLUTION

How did you select The Free Website Guys?

I learned about them through a Facebook group, but I wasn't a hundred percent sure at first if I wanted to do it on my own or go with someone to design my site. After reading some reviews and seeing the work that they've done, I decided to go for it.

Describe the project in detail.

I signed up for web hosting and a domain and they took care of a lot of the back end, such as installing Google Analytics and Google Search Console and the other plugins that are necessary but that I don't know how to set up.

They also guided me in terms of choosing a template and they set that up for me.

What was the team composition?

I mainly communicated with one point person, but he had a team working to put my website together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Navigating the waters of building your own website is no easy feat, especially for people like me who have almost no knowledge about coding, hosting, and all the other things that come with it.

I launched my own freelance writing service a year ago but relied only on free portfolio websites to put together my work for me, although I knew that there would come a time when I had to have a website of my own.

When I heard of the Free Website Guys, I decided to give it a try—and I'm more than glad I did! They are so easy to work with and they do everything for you.

I really appreciate how they guided me through each process by sending me documents, presentations, and videos, and helping me make some decisions here and there. Now I have a great website that I can use to showcase my writings.

Thank you so much!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very, very effective. They submitted project reports in the form of PDF documents, and if there were things I had to do on my end, they would include video tutorials so I wouldn't get lost and wouldn't have a hard time with what I needed to do.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were always quick to assist me and helped troubleshoot some matters. They also gave me advice and guided me in making some challenges where my website is concerned.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Can't think of any as of the moment.