What was the scope of their involvement?
I have a buddy who did a free website for one of the cafes, and that was a much better site than the one I spent $6,000 on. When weCreate came in, they had to fix so much stuff. I think they had to fix a lot more than they thought they would just to get on a solid platform to do what I asked them to do. I don’t know if they necessarily knew what they were getting into.
When weCreate came on board, they said they would do this share feature and the Bank of Java. They tightened up a few issues the site had going on. I have more that we’ll be doing on the site, too, but we’re going to do it in phases. The first version was an absolute nightmare, but version 2.0 with weCreate was awesome.
The next part we’re going to do will allow users to upload something with meaning. When they create a coffee from about 54 million combinations of ingredients, name and describe it, then they’ll be able to upload something. For example, if you’re making a coffee for your parents, you can upload their anniversary picture, or one from when they were dating. You’re uploading something that has meaning for you. You have control of what that bag looks like in the front. People are going to love that. Once the coffee is gone, no one’s going to throw away that bag. That bag has sentimentality to it. Customers can create something unique for themselves, a gift, or for their company.
weCreate redesigned our WordPress site completely. The old site wasn’t even on a stable platform. Things would break or wouldn’t update; they would just be all out of whack. It took Zack a lot to just get on a solid foundation to build what he was commissioned to do. They were more than fair with me, doing everything they did.
We did some keywords for SEO. People are coming to the site, and I’m making money from it, but we’re trying to get it all down so that it functions perfectly, it’s smooth, has the automation and technology, and is just a great user experience. It’s still not there, and there’s a lot more we need to do. We aren’t putting a ton of money toward SEO because when people find us, they’re repurchasing. I have people who have purchased 15 times in just 6 months. We’re trying to get the experience right before we really start selling it to the world.
How did you come to work with weCreate?
We have 10 cafes in downtown Erie, along with other places. Zack, weCreate’s co-owner and creative director, visits one of our cafes. I kind of knew him, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to work with someone I knew, and he’s a young guy. I decided to go with a supposedly highly reputable local firm, but they subbed everything out. They had no control or anything, and it was a really bad experience.
For version 2.0, I talked to a lot of people to determine who I could hire. I knew the future of my business was on the line. weCreate’s name just kept coming up. I interviewed four different companies, and weCreate was the only one that asked any questions. In our conversation, they weren’t just listening to what I said; they tried to understand what I was trying to do and then make it better. They helped me clarify what I was trying to do. After sitting down with them, I knew they were the one. I can’t believe we have a gem like weCreate here in Erie, Pennsylvania.
How much have you invested with weCreate?
We’re a little over $9,000 right now. We’ll be investing another $9,000–$10,000 for version 3.0.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project began in January 2017, and our relationship is ongoing.
The websites have received positive feedback from guests and internal stakeholders. They boast a well-designed UI and are easy to navigate. weCreate Website Design & Marketing met deadlines and resolved any issues. They excelled in listening and implementing input from a large number of people.