The Free Website Guys

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I help people find love by writing and editing their dating profiles, enabling them to put their best foot forward while portraying their genuine selves. I am a sole proprietor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I need a website in order to show my clients that I am professional and trustworthy. Furthermore, if I can drive traffic to my website, I can raise my prices. This kind of work is often done on ultra-competitive gig-based platforms such a Fiverr and Upwork; having my own web presence allows me to reduce my dependency on such platforms.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted to create a professional web presence, have a website to show when asked by clients who find me via Facebook and Craigslist, and have a place without character limits and with a seamless, usable design in which to properly display detailed information about Swipe Write and the services offered.

SOLUTION

How did you select The Free Website Guys?

I saw something about them on a facebook page, and immediately clicked over to an online form to apply to work with them on my website. They responded quickly, asked me a few more questions, and then informed me that they'd like to work with me on the website!

Describe the project in detail.

The Free Website Guys sent me lots of clear information clarifying what we were going to be doing and how it would work. They sent me detailed instructions on what I needed to do to choose a theme and template as well as all other steps of the process. When they were done creating the front and backend structures of my website as per my instructions, they initiated the handover process, which was totally seamless. They sent me videos and instructions showing how to go in and add my own information and build out my website with everything I needed. And all this was for free! The only purchase I had to make was web hosting, which was not expensive.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with Sven Nilsen, the lead developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've just completed the project, so outcomes will be visible a few months down the line. Here are the outcomes I expect: -I will be able to raise my prices as I direct clients to my website -I will be seen as more trustworthy and professional -I will feel more confident as a businessperson

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication with The Free Website Guys was fast, friendly, and very clear. They provided timelines for when specific objectives would be completed, and they worked very efficiently. Communication and workflow were an absolute breeze.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The seamlessness of the entire experience really impressed me, from how clearly and promptly communication flowed, to how they could make a complicated and technical process seem simple and uncomplicated for someone who knows nothing about web design/development, to how helpful they were in helping me to navigate the various options with which I was presented during the process.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Absolutely not.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder and Owner of a Coaching and Consulting firm

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

My website was very outdated. I purchased Divi and wanted to install, yet never seemed to find the time to learn how and actually make it happen.

SOLUTION

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

We had a few email exchanges to understand the scope of the work and then decided to move forward.

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

They installed many important plugins, my wordpress theme and the template. They sent videos to help me take what they did and then finish to my liking.

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

I believe there were a few working with one as the PM - communicating with me directly while others may have been working behind the scenes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Sven and the team at the Free Website Guys are wonderful to work with. They provide very clear instructions and great follow-up. Sometimes it is the smallest of things that can trip you up if you do not understand web design or wordpress.

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

Very thorough - used email and video

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

The Free Website Guys was efficient, friendly, and responsive. I was very impressed with the ease of installing the back-end of my site and how seamless they made the experience. They ensured the most important items were set up and running for me.

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

Not that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a new mental health therapy private practice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I needed a new site to market to clients looking for therapist. I wanted it to be clean and easy to navigate and easy for me to edit and update the backend.

SOLUTION

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

It was amazing that they offer free websites. I was skeptical at first but the only thing I paid for was web hosting which you pay for no matter what. I chose a free template and they did the back end work and then handed it over to me to edit the front end content.

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

Every few days I would receive an email from Sven with the progress of the site. Some emails had directions that I had to follow, or tasks I had to do to get to the next step. I had to set up web host, choose a template, create a video to communicate what I wanted to be changed on the template and a few other tasks.

Sven communicated clearly and often there were videos or pdfs with specific detailed directions. I also would get emails from Word Press that new plug ins were installed every so often and now I get emails that there are automatic updates being installed.

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

I worked only with Sven and another person created the handover video for me, I believe he also worked on the back end of site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I am really happy with what I received and how the site is working.

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

They communicated via email mostly, every few days I would hear from Sven with a progress report or task.

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

That the website work they did was really free! I was super skeptical but all I paid for was web hosting and they are very open about their affiliate program, which is awesome, I want them to make money.

Working with Sven and his team at Free Website Guys was great. I was concerned that I would be lost or overwhelmed but they walked me through the steps so clearly and easily. And it was so much less than I would have spent if I had hired a designer or built it myself on a do it yourself site.

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

I had trouble with the handover video and they immediately uploaded it to youtube for me.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

XONUP LLC is a professional legal and media services company in southern New Hampshire. I am the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I hired The Free Website Guys to build a website for me. Goals included good and efficient design that is attractive and that neatly and efficiently advertised my services to audiences across the Web.

SOLUTION

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

I approached The Free Website Guys to build me a website and they accepted my proposal. I really trust Bluehost as a hosting platform. I also really embrace Wordpress as the tool for the build. Cost was definitely a huge factor. But their reviews came in as impressive.

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

I asked them to build a 6-page website plus a landing page. They asked for basic information and then asked me to choose a template, which I selected. They then built the website theme structure and showed me how to import my information and images.

The entire project took about a month's time. We used an email string to easily track our conversation and back-and-forth. I purchased a two-year hosting plan with Bluehost for my domain. I also purchased the Divi theme-builder software license to build the website.

I enjoyed using the new tools and have been working to integrate Mailchimp with the website. I am almost there, and just need to tie in a landing page in Mailchimp to the domain.

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

I worked with one senior lead developer whose email string tracked our communications and allowed me to go back and review previous decisions and information. He and his team included a number of documents and instructional videos for me to watch as we moved forward.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I highly recommend The Free Website Guys for website design. They recently built me a simple, but powerful website for my freelance business using a WordPress theme I picked out. And I couldn’t be happier with the results. People have commented on how professional the design is.

The website works so well and I’m excited about the growth my business is going to see as a result! The team was extremely organized, responsive, and efficient. They kept in regular touch with me through a lead developer and sent me links and documents to complete to assist with the design process.

They made the build process simple and straightforward. I have only praise and kudos for this outfit! I will continue to work with them on add-ons and plugins that I need to develop my e-commerce side. But I am up and running thanks to them!

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

I like the fact that the team tracked the communication back-and-forth with one email string. That worked well. The month timeline is about right. I worked as quickly as I could to do signups and make decisions. The timelines worked out well.

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

The fact that a company is offering a free website build service, using just affiliate links and upgrades to pay for itself and that it's competent and efficient is quite amazing. I wasn't sure what to expect, and was impressively surprised!

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

Maybe have a dashboard to track matters and let me know the expected delivery dates for key components. But the email string worked quite well in lieu of that.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a Pinterest managment business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I just started my business and needed a website. I had started one and was completely overwhelmed. The Free Website Guys did exactly what I needed with minimal cost.

What were your goals for this project?

To have a website up and running that I could customize.

SOLUTION

How did you select The Free Website Guys?

I saw them advertised on a Facebook group for Pinterest VA's. After researching and reading their reviews, I decided to give them a try.

Describe the project in detail.

Honestly, I don't know the specifics of what they did (hence the reason I worked with them). All I know is that I did not have a website when I started and I have one (that needs customized) now!

What was the team composition?

There was someone that I was in contact with that kept me informed as to what his team was doing each step of the way.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I have a hand-off video from them detailing how to customize and personalize my website. When I complete that, my website will be ready to launch! They seem to have set-up privacy protection, google analytics and probably more that I don't even realize!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. They were ready with the next step as soon as I got them the information. At times I was very busy and didn't get back to them in a timely matter, but that did not stop them from getting back to me in a timely matter each time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They seem too good to be true (and my husband did not even want me to give them a shot), but they truly did exactly as they said. They also gave me different options and listened and gave advice when I had questions.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, they were very upfront about what to expect and they did exactly as they said they would. So no, not really.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I have several degrees and work experience in health, nutrition, wellness and business. I have so much knowledge with me and I would like to share that with anyone who is interested.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

The Free Website Guys helped me to set up my entire website from scratch. So, they supported me in everything that you can imagine that belongs by creating a website, so from hosting to the backend and front end to all the additional plugins and more.

What were your goals for this project?

My goal was to get a functional website that also looked attractive. Furthermore, it needed to include additional tools such as SEO.

SOLUTION

How did you select The Free Website Guys?

I saw a post on a nomad's Facebook Group. The info they gave in the post sounded really good and I decided to reach out.

Describe the project in detail.

I am a layman regarding setting up a website. The Free Website Guys talked me through the whole process. They informed me what was possible (or not) and I gave them the information on how I wanted my website to be, and they just made it happen :).

What was the team composition?

I informed them how I wanted my website to be and the Free Website Guys took care of everything else.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My journey with the Free Website Guys has been amazing! I am extremely grateful for the website they have created for me. Without them, it would have been a long and painful process to set up the website plus everything related to it (such as hosting and plugins). I was beyond impressed by their professionalism.

I absolutely loved that they guided me through each step, even for a layman (like myself) it was was super easy to follow. They were highly supportive, exceptionally organized, transparent, responsive, and very friendly. My website is not live yet as I need to fill it with content, but I cannot wait for that moment to happen.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Extremely effective. They are highly responsive and very transparent.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their professionalism. They are responsive, transparent and on top of that, they are also very friendly. We loved that they guided us through the process that even for a layman is understandable.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of Saute and Sip and PlantZentric Plant Based cooking school. Right now I wear all the hats.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

WordPress website.

What were your goals for this project?

I was looking for a clean looking site with the ability to provide recipes, meal plans, and courses. I was also looking for someone to help with setting up google analytics and the back end of things.

SOLUTION

How did you select The Free Website Guys?

A fellow entrepreneur suggested them and I was impressed with their portfolio.

Describe the project in detail.

I needed to transition to WordPress due to a lack of options with my previous site. Sven at The Free Website Guys made the whole process simple and painless. Each step they took was tracked by google forms and my input.

Videos were provided whenever they needed me to provide any information or take steps on my end. In the end, they created a clean website that allows me to expand my business online and not just in person.

What was the team composition?

I mainly dealt with one person who kept me in the loop throughout the entire project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Definitely have to say that the google forms helped keep the transfer of information seamless as well as the videos just in case I did not know how to go about a certain request on my end. Sven maintained communication with me at least once a week.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

From my end, it seemed very effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The organized fashion that they requested information and provided feedback.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My wife and I own a vacation rental property that we actively market to the traveling public.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Develop the skeletal website with appropriate plugins and selected Divi theme to attract traveling guests to use our vacation rental.

SOLUTION

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

I needed something quick. Their reviews promised a quick turnaround with a lot of hand-holding along the way. Their offering was to build the working website skeleton which I could then update on my own.

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

The team took me through the steps of creating the website using WordPress and a Divi theme that matched my needs. They walked me through the Bluehost setup and hosting process. They helped me select some specialized plugins. They removed unnecessary plugins and recommended others. From scratch to turning over a working product took minimal time.

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

At least four - project manager, developers, handover specialist.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I received a working website ready for me to add content. Every step of the way was communicated. Data that was needed from me was requested via easily understood forms. Instructions were provided by video. The handover came with instructions on how to begin to add content. Everything was developed according to spec and on schedule.

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

Constant timely communication. Emails were concise and easily understood. Video walkthroughs of the step by step were clear and instructive. Fill-in forms were secure and easily prepared. The handover at conclusion came with additional instructions on how to take the site over and add content. A great example of communication and customer service throughout.

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

Communication. Under promised and over delivered. Instructive. Communicated at my level of understanding. Fast turnaround.

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

I can’t think of any at the moment.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an independent marketing communications professional offering writing and editing services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I needed a website developed to showcase my professional accomplishments, portfolio and services. I wanted a simple, easy-to-use website that I could easily update myself when needed.

SOLUTION

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

I submitted an application to have them develop a website for free. Their work seemed to speak for itself and having it done for free was of course a driving factor.

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

The Free Website Guys guided me through every step with explainer videos as the site was developed. There were certain steps I needed to complete, such as getting web hosting and choosing a Wordpress theme. They were timely in getting me these videos and letting me know when they needed a response.

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

I worked with one person, the Lead Developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can't say enough good things about The Free Website Guys. From the moment my application was accepted until the final delivery date, the communication was consistent, clear, and aimed at keeping the project moving forward. Anytime there was something needed from me in order to complete a step in the process, they explained in detail what to do, how to do it and when they needed it done.

The end result is a beautiful website that I feel confident updating on my own and adding my own content, thanks to the explainer video delivered with the finished website. The entire process was quicker than I could have imagined, and I couldn't be happier with how the site looks.

I have worked with pricey website designers in the past, only to be disappointed with the end result, with no recourse. So, the fact that The Free Website Guys performed such incredible work for free is nothing short of astonishing.

If you get the opportunity to work with The Free Website Guys, do not pass it up! This is not a gimmick, and you will not be disappointed. I hope to work with them again in the future should I need further website design services.

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

We communicated via email and they also sent explainer videos for anything that required more detailed instruction. I also completed forms to provide my login information and other details about the site. Turnaround was requested within days so that the project could keep moving according to their timeline.

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

The most impressive thing about this company is that they are not only offering free web development, but they're also extremely good at what they do. You would think with a free website it wouldn't be professional-looking, but that wasn't the case. I couldn't be happier with the work they did.

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

I honestly can't think of anything that needs to improve. I have everything I need for my website.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I provide copywriting services for companies who want to improve engagement and educate their clients. I partner with:

• IT services companies that want to generate leads and drive traffic to their websites;
• IT departments that want to educate stakeholders on their cybersecurity efforts;
• And cybersecurity firms that want to increase the visibility and uptake of their products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

After 25 years in the IT industry, I needed to start a new career in copywriting. As part of this change, I needed a new website.

What were your goals for this project?

To set up the back end and look of the site. I wanted it to be secure and up to the latest WordPress best practices. I could have done it but did not have the time.

SOLUTION

How did you select The Free Website Guys?

A friend of mine referred me to The Free Website Guys when I told him that I needed a website to support my new copywriting career. I signed up immediately, and a few days later, my project was accepted.

Describe the project in detail.

Once the project was approved, I was assigned a lead (Sven) who walked me through the entire process. Instead of telling me from the start everything I had to do, he only involved me when there were items to set up that only I could do (like give him a WordPress account to work) or to make a choice between various options. Other than that, he was self-sufficient.

What was the team composition?

I worked only with Sven.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site is ready. I have some work to do on the content and the pictures, but otherwise, it's complete.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They are very effective. Sven was very responsive, even answering some of my questions during the weekend. Many of his deliverables arrived before his estimated timelines.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

No friction. I had to stop working on the website for a bit and it was at a step where I had to make a decision. It's the reason the project took so long. If it hadn't been for me, the project would have taken much less time.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Maybe the ability to work with more than one web hosting platform. I decided to try a new hosting platform because it seemed the least complicated approach to create the site. However, depending on my level of satisfaction, I may have to change hosting servers in the future. That said, trying something new is not always a bad thing!