The Free Website Guys

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner and photographer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

They built a website for my new photography business. I decided to split my current photography into two one for weddings and the other for portraiture. I had just got done redoing my weddings website and I was dreading working on yet another. I have a tiny bit of web design background, so things like this take me WAY longer than just hiring a professional. I just wanted a pretty site that would be responsive on both desktop and mobile.

SOLUTION

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

I heard about them in an entrepreneurial Facebook group. After reading over their site and loving what I saw, I thought I'll give it a shot. The worst they could say is 'no' and not pick me. But I got lucky and here we are today, I have a lovely new site and it's all thanks to them!

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

I received their welcome email and they had the easiest steps to follow. Literally anyone could be walked through the steps. Video tutorials in each one that guided me along the way to make sure everything was just right. It was AWESOME!

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

I worked with Sven. He was very responsive throughout our emails and moved the project along super quick. It was done in a blink of an eye!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Not yet, I need to load in the content of my site, but I can imagine that it will gain traction in no time!

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

As mentioned before, Sven was on top of communication. Everything happened very quickly, even when he said they had a heavy workload.

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

That they did my whole site from nothing within a matter of weeks! And it's beautiful, for no cost to me! I literally can not thank them enough. I would recommend working with them on any development project. If I got this kind of service for an unpaid project, I can only imagine if I was a paying customer!

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

Not at all. Keep up the amazing work!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am starting a company that will provide guided meditation services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Having very little experience in building websites, I was very happy when I came across the Free Website Guys, as they made my website from scratch.

What were your goals for this project?

My goal was to have a functioning website with all the right plugins installed and the SEO set up.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I saw the Free Website Guys in a Facebook group right when I needed to build my project, and without hesitation, I contacted them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

After the initial contact, I filled out a form, where I described in detail what I needed in my website. Then, the Free Website Guys sent me an action plan of what I had to do myself before they could start working, namely buying the hosting subscription, giving my website a name and finding a theme.

When there was action required from my side, the Free Website Guys would send me a tutorial video, where they would address and show every step I had to take, so I knew how to do it correctly. Due to this company's professionalism, amazing communication and efficiency, my website was done in no time, and I could not be happier with the results.

What was the team composition?

I was working closely with one of the lead developers, Sven, who is a brilliant person to work with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I am yet to put my content on the website and start offering my services, so I cannot share any tangible results. What I can say is that now I have a stunning platform to help me bring my services to my potential customers, and I can't wait to start.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The Free Website guys sent me frequent emails with updates every time they completed a step on my website. The emails contained video tutorials explaining the steps I had to take myself.

When I needed to be more elaborate on what I wanted to tweak in the theme that I selected, Sven, the lead developer, showed me how to record a video with screen sharing. I found this method very effective, as we could be very specific without having to schedule a phone call.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I really liked how professional The Free Website Guys were in terms of both work and customer service. I have to say, I have never worked with a company that communicated using recorded tutorials - this has made the process so smooth and customer-friendly!

Apart from that, talking to The Free Website guys made me feel that there wasn't anything they couldn't do.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really sure, to be honest. The Free Website Guys did a brilliant job which exceeded my expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work for an international airline in Malaysia and am a Senior Manager Talent development

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

It was a personal website that I wanted to do so as to kickstart my coaching practice

• Create a catchy website
• Attract potential clients for coaching content hosting

SOLUTION

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

It was a non solicited approach, I wanted someone that had the reputation of being trustworthy hence took a chance

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

1. Website creation
2. Website design
3. Analytics setup
4. Web hosting
5. Content upload

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

Seven- lead developer was the one I interacted with during the process

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The free website guys totally exceeded my expectations. very professional and trustworthy as they met all the deadlines from design to delivery of my website.

Sven their Lead developer was always on top of things, he kept me in the loop for everything and took me step by step into the entire process. I'm very happy to have worked with them and would totally use their services in the future.

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

easy and seamless, google forms

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

knowledge of work, reliable

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

Maybe its good to let the client know upfront the different costs that will be applicable for: ex- web hosting, template cost etc

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of an online marketing agency providing services for B2B companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

When I found The Free Website Guys, I'd just started to build my own landing page on a platform and, to be honest, I was struggling to get it done.

SOLUTION

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

I stumbled upon them through a social media group and, since I was working on my own, I figured it'd be a good idea to get in touch with them since the opportunity arose.

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

I received an in-depth questionnaire and several instructional videos. When Sven and the team came in, they were so helpful and instructional throughout the entire process and made so much progress so quickly. They requested a few things from me and even sent video descriptions and other instructions to help ease the process for me. They also made sure to give me all the information so I could make the best possible decisions every step of the way.

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

I don't know exactly who worked on my website, but I was in direct communication with Sven.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I ended up with a website that's way better than anything I would have made on my own - if I had even finished it!

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

We communicated through email. The entire project took about a month and I was handed a website with a pro theme, and even a video to help me learn how to manage it on my own.

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

They were open and transparent about their approach to business.

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

Overall, no. I received a website in about a month, made in a great builder, and I got to choose the details I wanted. Plus, they kindly explained everything, sent progress reports, and answered every doubt I had.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner and founder of Lang International LLC, a digital marketing agency. We run online marketing campaigns for small businesses across the country. We specialize in sales funnels, social media campaigns, automation, followup, and re-targeting. I have 1 part time employee besides myself. We have been in business since 2016.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I was contacted online by Sean, a representative for the Free Website Guys. She introduced herself and the services offered by the company. She mentioned the free website they would build for me. I was considering getting a site built already at this point. So, I told her I was interested. She directed me to a gentleman named Sven who helped me through the application process. I think the very next day, Sven reached out to me to let me know that my application had been accepted and that we could begin the process.

What were your goals for this project?

With it getting harder to actually go out and network with people as I usually do, I was looking to increase my company's online presence (which was next to none), and transition into more of the online marketing space. We weren't really advertising ourselves at point and I saw the shift coming. I knew eventually we'd have to switch strategy to stay viable. A website would give me the opportunity to not only have a way for potential clients to find me and contact me, but also let's me present my services to them in a more in depth and professional fashion as opposed to something like a social media business page. It also lets me analyze traffic going to my page, post any reviews of my services or testimonials, and lets me stay in touch with my audience with a blog or newsletter.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Honestly, I had never heard of the company til I was contacted by Sean. I had just started to look up information online regarding getting a site built, and the people I had talked to previously were not going to work out for me and what I was looking for.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We started by getting a good idea of what I wanted to do with the site. They took a look at what I was about, what my business offers, how we help people, where I wanted to go with my company, and what I was looking for in a website. After a few discovery emails, they got started on the process. They helped me register for everything we would need. They set up the hosting services and attached a domain to my site. They set up the framework to my site and built the back end of everything. They let me choose a theme for my site and built everything to specification. They gave me the option to add or remove pages if I wanted so that the site fit perfectly with my business and services offered. They set up add ons like tracking, analytics, and SEO optimization, and even integrated my logo.

What was the team composition?

I spoke initially with Sean over Facebook I believe. I dealt with Sven for the entirety of the project. Sven was very helpful. He answered any questions I had, and gave tutorials for key steps in the process. He was professional and friendly. Sven was also very patient with me. I've been pretty busy lately, but he never made me feel rushed or pressured at any point. I was a bit delayed through a bit of our correspondence, so I very much appreciate working with him. I believe he said he was the head designer, so if that's the case he did an excellent job there as well. The website looks and performs great.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They just recently finished the site for me within the last few days, but already it's bringing more attention to my company. Now that I've added it to my various profiles, I've immediately noticed people commenting on it and asking questions about what I do. It has definitely boosted conversation around my services and a few people have even told me they were impressed they were with my content. I haven't rolled out much content yet but the impact was instant. It has exceeded my expectations as far as engagement already, and I can't wait to see what it will do for me once it's 100% set up.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Everything was top notch on their end. They kept in contact with me throughout the process, and always responded when i reached out. Any questions I had were answered thoroughly. When there were steps on my end that needed to be completed, they included walkthroughs of each process that were easy to understand and instructional videos to further assist.They kept me updated the whole way through and informed me if there were any issues. I'm 100% satisfied with the way they handled everything.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

There's nothing I wasn't impressed with, actually. I had an idea of what went into a website and the prices that people are charging to build one, so when I saw 'Free Website Guys' I wasn't sure what to expect. I was thinking I'd get something that was 'good enough' for what I was trying to do, a placeholder if you will til I could get the money together and build an actual site. That's where i was wrong. Every aspect of this project exceeded my expectations. The quality and performance of the website matches anything you've clicked across online for sure. I've had a few people with supposed professionally built websites compliment me and tell me how much better my site is then theirs. I'm debating on whether or not I should tell them what it cost me...

Are there any areas for improvement?

No. Everything was handled professionally and I really couldn't be happier.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner of a small marketing start up

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

To set up and design a website

What were your goals for this project?

To have a simple but professional looking website

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Due to my low budget I thought I would give these guys a go to see what they can do

Describe the project in detail.

Website design and build

What was the team composition?

I was assigned a developer who remained in email contact every step of the way and helped when it came to make design decisions

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The process was super simple and the communication was consistent and clear. In the end they created a simple but great looking website just as they said they would. This was also completed in a really fast timescale.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication and workflow was effective and clear. The use of videos from their side really helped me to understand things when making design decisions, great work!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The cost....FREE! Also the customer service and communication are what I would expect from a company if I was paying 1000's so I was really impressed.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, these guys are great and I would love to work with them again in the future. Actually I would love to work for them!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company is a boutique wellness center and I am the marketing manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired the free website guys to help with the technical aspect of building a website.

What were your goals for this project?

The objective of the project was to build a fully functioning website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found the vendor via facebook. I really like their smart business model and therefore decided to go ahead with them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project took places in several stages. The free website guys set up the back end of the website, uploaded a theme and set up the web pages in the way that i wanted. They have also assisted in setting up the business email address as well as providing guidance on how to customize the web pages.

What was the team composition?

The team composed of several individuals, however i am not aware of the exact numbers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The immediate impact of the project is not known today, as it will take some time for to measure whether the website is able to attract business for us.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project management was very well done. I had a single point of contact throughout the project to address any issues I have, as well as updates on project progress.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

It is impressive that they came up with this concept of business, where they leverage on commission and the good will of others to support their business. I think it is very well done.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only areas of improvement i would suggest a clear timeline that the project will follow. It will give the sponsor a much better ideas on when the project will be delivered.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Surge Marketing is a digital marketing agency that specializes in social media advertisements. I am the director or founder of this business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I used The Free Website Guys to create and build me a custom website on WordPress.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals of my project were to develop a clean website and make improvements on my previous website so that when clients search my website it looks professional and up to modern standards.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I selected The Free Website Guys as I saw them offering their service on a business Facebook group that I am in.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project consisted of The Free Website Guys creating a new website from scratch through WordPress and customizing a selected theme to meet the needs of my business.

What was the team composition?

I was in communication with one team member throughout the whole process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project management was great as the company was always kept in the loop with the progress of the website and what steps I needed to complete before they could continue.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I found the professionalism of the company the most impressive as I felt like a paying client throughout the whole process. I am also very impressed with the communication and the length they go to make it a smooth process for their clients.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I feel that they could state about which templates and themes they are able to use and which ones don't work as I went ahead and bought a $50 template for the website which couldn't be used.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a freelance photographer specializing in equine and pet photography. I am the sole owner and photographer at Sherri Levey Photography.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

To assist in designing and building a user friendly and attractive website.

What were your goals for this project?

The interface must be simple, yet still remain elegant. It must be user friendly in terms of maintenance as I am no computer wiz.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I was referred to them through a social media contact.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They provided assistance every step of the way and kept me updated every few days as things were being done on the back end of the site. They assisted in providing information on hosting as well as templates to be used. They installed all the analytical trackers and security requirements that I would need.

What was the team composition?

I am not sure as I never met the team face to face however I have dealt with at least 3 people from the organization.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My website has only just launched, however I have already had positive feedback from my clients about the ease of the website and the overall design.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

This was very well organized. The lead developer whom I dealt with, Sven, was very hands on and assisted with any queries that I had along the way.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their business model, they help so many small start up businesses with no additional costs.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can mention.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Hi I’m Mallika, a freelance music publicist and founder of Behave Publicity, a music PR service that specializes in working with emerging independent artists. I help artists, particularly those at earlier stages in their careers, get clear on their messaging and craft authentic and memorable stories about their music through intimate and impactful publicity.

Behave Publicity offers emerging independent artists access to individualized and affordable PR services. My mission is to encourage, uplift and empower new artists, by working with them to craft a strategy that is in line with their goals, budget and overall dreams.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I hired the Free Website Guys to help me design and execute a website for my new business and they did an excellent job at walking me through the process. Sven was on point with communication from day one making it a very streamlined process. Despite being a very busy month for me, the steps were divided very intentionally to fit into my schedule and they were extremely flexible and helpful.

What were your goals for this project?

My goal was to have a clean, professional and creative website that would attract my clientele while also providing them information about myself and my service.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My business coach Sarah Mac had already began the process of making her website with them and recommended them to me during a coaching session. I liked their website and trust her opinion and decided to apply to see if they would like my website proposal.

Describe the project in detail.

Sven emailed me saying he liked my website proposal idea and wanted to offer me a free website (...which was such an awesome feeling!) From there, they presented hosting options and explained the scope of work in an introduction video. After all of that was set up, we went over website template options and all the information was sent through easy to fill google forms.

The steps were clear and the process was exciting and a lot of fun. Once I chose my website template, they cleared out the back end of wordpress and set up a bunch of different plugins and settings to ensure that my website would be secure privacy-wise, be SEO-optimized and to make sure it would run fast. I was super impressed with how easy and organized it was to work with them.

The information was easy to remember but I could always go back in the videos if I wanted to go over something again. They even gave me a quick report of all the work they had done for me at the halfway mark. One thing that I found very valuable was the communication.

Sven answered all of my questions along the way promptly. I chose divi because it's really customizable and I'm a pretty particular person when it comes to the look of something and I LOVE the look of my website.

They also sent me a detailed hand off video to customize my content which has taught me how to autonomously maintain my website without needing to hire someone for web maintenance - which is also another very valuable thing for an entrepreneur starting a new business.

What was the team composition?

It was great. I spoke to one contact Sven the entire time who was really pleasant to work with. The videos were made by another team member John and the handout video was done by a Casey. I got a sense of their team through their videos and it felt really personable.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website was just completed two weeks ago and I'm in the midst of putting it together. However, so far, I've gotten so many compliments from friends I have shown it to and how it perfectly encapsulates my brand.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was smooth, easy, transparent and I really trust this team. They were really understanding when there were slight delays on my end, on point with the communication and the follow-ups and just really pleasant to work with overall.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I am completely blown away that they offer free websites to entrepreneurs and businesses to built loyalty and connections. It's such an incredible and valuable business model and I feel really grateful that they chose to make a website for my new business. I haven't really seen any other agency do this and do it this well too.

Their communication, streamlined process and the speed at which they work really makes them stand out from other agencies and they have built a good and solid foundation of trust with me as a new business owner.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I think maybe the screencast video limit of 2 mins for changes to the website is a bit fast so maybe increasing it to 4-5 mins would be better. I know it's put in place to save time but a lot of us are new to this language so a bit more time would be appreciated. Otherwise, honestly, I am incredibly happy with the service.