WEB CHOICE

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the leader of Jesus People Revival UK, a volunteer organization. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WEB CHOICE?

After completing our website in December 2021, I asked WEB CHOICE to work on two further issues for me. The first one was to align my website with Mailchimp, while the second was to connect it to PayPal. Both issues were associated with my forthcoming book, which will be published in November 2023. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WEB CHOICE integrated my website with Mailchimp and helped me do an email blast to 430 people on my email list. Meanwhile, Philip (Head of Projects & Content) helped me set up a PayPal account. This would help website visitors order my book and pay online. I could then send them copies of the book via mail. 

What is the team composition?

My main contact person was Tom (Co-Owner & Director). I also interfaced with Philip.

How did you come to work with WEB CHOICE? 

I found WEB CHOICE through a friend who recommended them. I discovered that Tom was a Christian friend of my son, so we had a personal connection. He was incredibly personable anyway. We also had some mutual friends. 

How much have you invested with them?

I invested around £110 (approximately $133 USD) plus VAT. 

What is the status of this engagement?

These projects happened in September 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

I received 12–15 email replies of encouragement for the Mailchimp campaign. Only three out of 430 people dropped out of the campaign, even though I took great pains in telling them to unsubscribe if they wanted to do so. Overall, my personal satisfaction with WEB CHOICE's work was excellent. I also received anecdotal feedback from others about the website; they said it was outstandingly good. 

Meanwhile, I don’t have any metrics for the PayPal project right now since the book is going to be published in November 2023. I won’t know the success levels until then, but I’m looking forward to generating decent sales through that. 

How did WEB CHOICE perform from a project management standpoint?

The Mailchimp project was done quickly, and I initiated the PayPal project to get it sorted alongside the Mailchimp one. The team was prompt and efficient throughout the process. Tom was excellent, and Philip was extremely helpful and extraordinarily patient. I sometimes got technologically challenged, and Philip remained incredibly patient. They met deadlines even when they had to cope with my occasional confusion. 

To communicate, we mainly use emails and Google Meet. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with WEB CHOICE’s sheer creativity. They were incredibly creative, which I loved because that wasn’t my particular strength. Even their website had brilliant and colorful graphics and visuals. On top of that, I liked their efficiency and personable quality. They're no more perfect than I am, but I also couldn’t find any major flaws in them. Overall, working with them was fantastic. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When you first contact WEB CHOICE, you’ll probably get through to one of their directors — and it’s liable to be Tom himself. Of the three directors, Tom is the main public awareness point. Simply go through him anyway since he’s the outward face of the company. 

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on Thu, 01/13/2022

Andrew Whitman
Researcher, Author, & Leader, Personal Website Project
Research
1-10 Employees
Bournemouth, United Kingdom
Less than $10,000
Nov 2021 - Jan 2022

Project summary

WEB CHOICE was hired to develop, design, and deploy a custom website for a book author. The site was intended to promote the client's new book, upcoming presentation tour, and areas of expertise.

Feedback summary

After launching the website, the client immediately received positive feedback from several visitors. Despite the difference in time zones, the WEB CHOICE team established an effective workflow by being attentive to the client's needs — they addressed any requests and questions promptly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a researcher, author and presenter of the Jesus People revival of 1967-1975 and its impact on us in the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WEB CHOICE?

I had an unused website with a popular company, but it didn't work for me, and had fallen into abeyance. The challenge was to develop a brand new custom-made website for my inspiring, writing and speaking work. I chose Web Choice UK because they had a real grasp of what I was looking for, and could handle the challenge!

SOLUTION

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

Web Choice UK were highly recommended by a personal friend in a similar space to me, and I looked at their online recommendations too. They have a Christian base in their company too, which was an added bonus to me.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

In brief, I initially filled in a comprehensive questionnaire, then chatted it through with one of the directors. An initial website was created, and there was lots of subsequent interaction before launching it prior to Christmas. In the New Year the company have been great at ironing out requested tweaks, and very patient in the process...

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

One of the main directors here in the UK, and the Head of Content and his team in India.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

At this early stage of launch I have had excellent feedback from quite a number of people who are much more website-savvy than me, including those aware of my area of expertise! 2 outcomes I'm aiming for are selling my book and organizing a presentation tour, bot of which feature prominently on the website of course.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was extremely effective indeed, even given the time difference between here and India...

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

Their team was highly skilled in developing websites, and they were also efficient and cheerful to work with; nothing was too much of a trouble. Their aim is to please the customer, and they certainly achieve that! It's been a genuine partnership.

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

There is very little to say here! - only that, from my angle, I could have done with advice about photo quality issues earlier (which has now happily been given). Overall, I am extremely pleased indeed I employed Web Choice UK.

RATINGS

Overall rating: 5

Quality: 5

Cost: 5

Schedule: 5

Willing to refer: 5
 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Managing Director of Impressive

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an SEO & Paid Media agency that works with B2C brands in the US

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire WEB CHOICE to accomplish?

• WordPress website build

SOLUTION

How did you find WEB CHOICE?

Referral

Why did you select WEB CHOICE over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from WEB CHOICE were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Web Choice are one of our preferred website design and development partners. We provide traffic campaigns for our clients, however if they are in need of a WordPress redesign or new build, we trust Sam and his team to deliver high quality but cost effective websites. A typical project is: B2B new website build UI/UX recommendations Migration from current platform Creative and content/copy provided by client Design and dev process QA Testing and go live

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Happy clients, first and foremost We only refer to partners that do great work Also, key metric increases from previous sites: *Increased conversion rate *Longer time on site *Higher engagement

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

Sam and his team are very prompt, very clear, and always hit their deadlines.

What was your primary form of communication with WEB CHOICE?

Email or Messaging App

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

Very clear and direct communication. Great expectation setting. Most of all though: Web Choice have an elite level understanding of B2B buyer journey, so they build beautiful websites that reflect the way B2B buyers behave.

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

We're super happy with WEB CHOICE.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of a wedding stationery company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Wedding Stationery

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire WEB CHOICE to accomplish?

• Reimagine Our Website
• Boost Our Web Presence
• Take More Sales Through Our Own Website

SOLUTION

How did you find WEB CHOICE?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select WEB CHOICE over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget

What was the size of WEB CHOICE’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

In September 2021 we commissioned them to create our new website with a brief to completely reimagine and redesign our current site. In October the first-look came back and it was almost identical to our existing site. They were kind enough to start again and we approved the new look, with a 3-month timeline for the build. After the 3 months I began questioning when it would be ready. 'Very soon' I was assured.

In April 2022 our existing WIX subscription was up for renewal, so I chased up again and I was told the website was almost complete. I didn't renew out WIX site and accepted we may have a few weeks without a live website. By July 2022 we still didn't have a website and I continued to chase. Despite being very meticulous in ensuring there would be no hidden costs in the early days, I was told they couldn't upload our products and would need to charge me £300+ to do this manually.

Reluctantly I paid as I was conscious we were losing thousands per month by not having a website at all. By September 2022 there was still no sign of the website and I had finally lost my patience with them and asked to cancel and refund. They of course refused and suggested I can either take legal action or allow them to direct additional resources to get the job done.

I accepted the additional resources with a new completion date of December 2022. By December 2022 the website was still not complete. I was dealing with one or two people based in India and they weren't able to clarify to me what the 'extra resources' were. It was clear to me by this point they lacked the expertise to complete the job but failed to admit their shortcomings.

Our busy period is January-March, so in January 2023 I asked them to launch the site on the basis that it was better for us to have some online presence rather than none at all, after losing 8 months of website revenue in the previous year. The website launched unfinished and I was forced to instruct a new company to complete the work at the cost of £800+.

The new company completed the work without issue in a matter of weeks. They noted the initial 3-5 hour of work billed to me was spent cleaning up the mess Webchoice had made. In addition all of the products I had paid them £300 to add to the site had to be removed and replaced, as they had used low res images on every listing, the pricing was wrong on most products and the listing descriptions didn't match the products they were listed under.

After 4 months since launch we're still having countless issues with our site, most notably a plugin they used to create the building blocks of the design and layout. The plugin they used was a free version, which has now expired forcing me to either redesign the site from scratch or pay the costly subscription for this plugin. The website I paid £10,000 for was nothing more than a wordpress template. A website I could have designed myself and wish I had.

I chose Webchoice because I wanted an outstanding website to take our business to the next level and instead I was met with a team of amateurs who simply outsourced their work to India and then became very defensive whenever I questioned their actions and delays - blaming anyone but themselves and failing to accept they simply could not do the job.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Time taken - 16 months (13 months longer than promised)
• Costs - £15,000 and counting (£5,000 more than anticipated)
• Loss of revenue £50,000+

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

Poor - All work was outsourced to India, communication was slow. Expertise were limited. Accountability was non-existent.

What was your primary form of communication with WEB CHOICE?

Email or Messaging App

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

Nothing.

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

Yes. Hire a web designer who knows how to design a website or significantly lower your costs to reflect the wordpress template personalisation you're selling people.

Company Responses

The service provider responded on October 19, 2023.

Hi John,

On the 28th December 2022. You emailed us the below after we completed your website development and you asked for the website files to go live.

"Thank you, please send relevant code/credentials to [hosting co. name redacted for hosting "

We then provided all the files for your new site.

Many weeks after this thank you email, rather than contacting us to raise an issue you've posted an extremely negative review that doesn't paint the full picture.

We are very happy to discuss any issues on a call and try help here but you do not seem to want to do such.

Here to support if you wish to communicate with us.

Thank you,
Web Choice

The service provider responded on June 9, 2023.

Hi John - a little confused as to why you've left such a poor review. A recent email to us you sent was thanking us for delivering the website and asking us to send files to your hosting team.  

Our team provided regular updates during the project. Also worth noting you were on paternity leave for nearly a month which would impact timelines.

Happy to discuss on a phone/zoom and see how we can help resolve your issues?

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Porter Logistics (www.porter-logistics.com), a full service third party logistics firm in Atlanta, GA. Before this, I spent five years in digital marketing consulting and advertising technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WEB CHOICE?

We pivoted our business model from B2C to primarily B2B and did a brand change which necessitated creation of a completely new website with content fully optimized for local SEO

SOLUTION

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

I vetted four providers and, given my background, put them through a fairly strenuous knowledge test on web design, marketing, and SEO and they performed the best out of anyone I interviewed. Many providers in the space only have skin-deep knowledge, but Webchoice had a deep understanding

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

I gave Webchoice outlines of what I wanted, and described what was important to me: fast, google optimized website with excellent load times along with content and technical SEO suggestions balancing conversions and organic traffic. They turned around mockups and concepts quickly and efficiently, I like to move fast and they were able to keep up

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

We worked with 5 people, two onshore in the UK and 3 offshore in India. The onshore team was good but, having experience managing offshore teams in Asia, I thought their team in India was excellent both on the technical side and conversant enough to be able to describe what I wanted directly during multiple feedback sessions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Excellent outcome - website is fast, light and we placed between #1 and #7 (still front page) for multiple queries almost immediately. The technical SEO was quite good. I'll be going back to them for revisions in the future.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Good - onshore team made sure we settled on exactly what we wanted in each phase of the project before engaging offshore and coding began.

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

For a smaller company, the competence of both the onshore teams and offshore teams was exceptional.

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

Having onshore do a more thorough review of the offshore team's work, there were a few miswritten H1 and meta tags on various pages that I had to catch and revert back to the offshore team that should have been caught by the onshore team. Smaller nits, overall very pleased with the experience

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Operations director at We Have a Meeting, we are a B2B sales agency who primarily specialise in lead generation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WEB CHOICE?

We hired Web Choice to rebrand as a company & to create a new web design which reflects us as a a business an our personalities.

SOLUTION

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

We decided to use Web Choice due to their previous results & trusted in Sam to be able to deliver a brand/website that reflected us.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After our first discovery call, where we outlined what we wanted to achieve, both parties were confident with the deliverables & chose to move forward. We then filled in questionnaires to outline what we wanted the rebrand and website to look like which we then discussed on a further call. Sam & Web Choice then went away and created a brand pack for us which included a few revisions. Sam & Web Choice then delivered a test website including a few revisions, this then went onto a coding stage once we were happy & then onto the final delivery. Web Choice also managed the transition of our current website to the new one.

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

We worked with Sam on our project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

WEB CHOICE gave us exactly what we were looking for! They captured our personalities within the branding & new website which we feel really reflects us!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The whole process was slick & easy to follow with only minor revisions throughout the process which was great!

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

They really captured what we are about as a company & transformed it into a new brand with a fantastic new website!

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

No, it was a really slick process & we got what we wanted!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of a marketing and web company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WEB CHOICE?

We were building a big website and had capacity issues. We couldn’t afford to lose more days, so we needed someone that understood what we needed and could go after it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WEB CHOICE built our website in the interim of us finding new staff. They stepped in at the last minute and hit the ground running. We designed the site and passed it over to them. The team was helpful during the process; they gave us a lot of input, suggestions, and rejuvenating ideas. They made us see things that we might have overlooked or didn’t have the capacity to look into.

They used WordPress because it’d been proposed to the client like that. Additionally, WEB CHOICE helped us with the delivery and maintenance in the first 30 days after going live.

What is the team composition?

We worked with about four team members. Sam (Director) was our main point of contact, so we could streamline through one person instead of repeating ourselves.

How did you come to work with WEB CHOICE?

We were looking for a company based in the UK that could help us with web development. They ranked highly in the competitive search and were great at SEO.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent just over £20,000 (approximately $23,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from December 2020–January 2021; they finished the project in two months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We needed someone that could pick up the project quickly, so deliverability was vital for us. WEB CHOICE helped us out of a terrible hole, and they were great about it. Their code was clean, so we didn’t find many bugs. All in all, they provided a quality website.

How did WEB CHOICE perform from a project management standpoint?

We dealt directly with them and were able to sit back and write tickets. We could hop on calls, and they were very responsive. Even after hours, they were good at emailing back and maximizing our time. We could talk about things at 7:00 a.m. the following day instead of waiting until 9:00 a.m. to email us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They stayed on budget and on time and took all the headache out of the work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they did really well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You get what you pay for. WEB CHOICE is more expensive than the average, but they’re backed up by their skills. If you want to build your website, they’re the ones to go to.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the operations managers of a retailer specialising in highly bespoke mobility solutions for the elderly market

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WEB CHOICE?

Our website was outdated and more of an information page. We wanted to update this with a new website designed to capture the audience and explain our unique offering while generating leads.

SOLUTION

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

Initially I found this vendor on a comparison site along with other marketing firms. I discussed in detail the project with both but found Web Choice to be much more personal and authentic. Although a necessary project, this was the first of many projects in our plan to grow, so we needed someone we could trust and have full confidence in, we felt this from Web Choice.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We discussed with their team how we wanted the website to look with comparisons to other sites. Building a site map and detailing the content of each of the pages they were able to use the information and with regular check ins design the site to our liking.

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

We dealt with two people at the firm. Sam was our contact and helped understand what we wanted from the site. Phillip was tasked with the designing the website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site is more user friendly and professional. We have noticed an increase in our leads due to more visible CTA's but this is just the beginning of our marketing plan where the metrics will be recorded and success evaluated.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication was great. Admittedly, we were not the most straight forward company to work with. As a SME with limited human resources to delegate the project to, we often had to delay certain aspects of the project. Despite this, Web Choice were patient and professionally encouraged us to stay on track.

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

We were very impressed with the design but it was the personal touch that was the most unique with this company. I do not believe you would get this with a large firm yet the outcome is the same.

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

As a SME without a set marketing department our knowledge of marketing is limited. To increase their service for a company like ours, there is an opportunity to offer more guidance on what will capture the audience and what will not.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Managing Director of a plastic card supplier/mailing house which supplies all types of plastic cards.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WEB CHOICE?

Our website and branding were created over 10 years ago and had become outdated. We wanted to find a new company with fresh ideas that could assist us in the growth of our online presence and visibility whilst making our branding and website look more professional. We were also looking for a full custom design using WordPress. We also wanted to improve our SEO results to increase our traffic and leads whilst also growing our revenue through our online shop.

SOLUTION

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

We looked for web designers in our local area using Google. We reviewed between 4-7 different companies. We chose Web Choice because they were prompt where others were not, the price was good and they came across as genuinely wanting to help us.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After having multiple discussions to explore our goals, we received a variety of designs for our website and branding. We then chose the look of the new branding and design of the website. The next stage was to brand the new website in the new company colours. We then had a series of revisions to our website until we landed on the final look.

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

We worked with 4 people which includes:

• Designer
• Sales Director
• Head of Projects
• Director

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the new website and branding went live we saw an instant improvement in the quality of the new leads we were receiving. We have also revised lots of positive comments about our new look branding as well.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Working with Sam at WEB CHOICE has been a breath of fresh air. He has kept us up to date on every stage of the project through phone calls and emails. Because of the ease of the whole process and how impressed we were, we have now increased our spending with Web Choice to help us with our PPC.

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

We found their speed in responding to any queries, and questions and correcting any issues with any aspect of our website whether that was with the design or our SEO.

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

We have yet to find anything we can advise them to improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of The Point Company and we provide sales development representative (SDR) as a Service to technology companies globally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WEB CHOICE, and what were your goals?

Build and design a new company website from scratch with content and full design

SOLUTION

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

Selected due to recommendations, understanding of the brief and cost

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

Completely re do the company's website, build out content, images and design in line with the brief

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

Not sure

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Fantastic service from start to scratch, took the time to really understand what we wanted and how we wanted the look and feel of our site to be represented. Not everything was perfect first time around but if it wasn't, the team took the time to understand why and made the necessary changes to get it right. We never had a web design company take so much care in understanding the brief and delivering the perfect site for us.

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

Constant communication, good and speedy understanding of brief and then solid execution against the project

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

the way they cared about getting the brief right and the execution in delivering it the way we wanted to when they fully understood our requirement.

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

No, 100% happy will all elements of the service

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Founder of Brindis a sales training consultancy that delivers programmes designed around the books I have written that help salespeople work more effectively.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WEB CHOICE, and what were your goals?

My original website was built around my first book 'Selling Through Partnering Skills' and also acted as a place to share other valuable information from podcasts and other collaborations. When I wrote my second book 'Hybrid Selling' I also wanted to share resources based on this but there was a potential for this to be confusing.

SOLUTION

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

I knew of Web Choice having heard the Business Growth Show podcast (and also been a guest) and know I would be in safe hands of people who actually care about customers and their desired outcomes

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

Having had an initial discussion to decide the best way to present the information the scope was defined and the plan set to migrate the site keeping the original valuable information and creating new content.

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

4 people were involved in the whole project

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site it now ready to go live with all the key elements functioning as before plus the new bits doing their job

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

The communication was clear and straightforward.

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

I like the fact that they actually care and the focus is on outcomes producing a happy customer rather than just doing a job

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

Everything went as I expected