Blue Fountain Media — High Priced, Good All Inclusive

Hey Everybody! As promised, here is a review on Blue Fountain Media! www.bluefountainmedia.com

After doing research on this web design and marketing firm in New York, I’ve decided they are a strong company and perfect for a company with deep pockets looking for a Website and long term, high powered SEO package.

For this review I elicited the help of a good friend of mine. We’ll call him Dave and save his anonymity. For the sake of this review, Dave posed as a machine parts company looking to build a website from scratch. BFM was quick to respond to his query and, according to Dave, has a first class approach when it comes to soliciting the customer. After submitting his email request for a quote, he received an immediate reply email with a link to a video that showed him how to increase his bottom line. I saw the video and it was very clever. It showed Dave a conversion optimization video on how he could improve his online visibility.

Dave’s first conversation with his Salesman was very positive. He answered Dave’s questions and talked about his site and what he wanted to do. Up until this point, Dave was very happy with his experience. Dave then asked for an estimate, but the salesman said they didn’t provide estimates unless he agreed to sign a letter stating his intent and seriousness to have a website developed.

“I would have walked away at this point,” said Dave. “But because this was more for Tara’s research, I signed the document. I see why they do this. They don’t want to waste time on people who aren’t serious; however, some people are leery to sign documents before they even know a price.”

The letter was harmless. It asked a little more information about Dave that BFM wanted to collect and then he was able to get the official proposal. The proposal was clean and although Dave hadn’t asked for it, he received both a proposal for his website a push to also do his SEO.

What was the results? A whopping 10K for the website with a cool 4K down. Not a bad price for mid-level company with deep pockets. But for the new business owner trying to get a quality site without spending a small fortune, Dave would have to pass.

Overall though, I have to give BFM high marks.

“If I really had a parts company that was making $500K a year, I would have had no problem hiring Blue Fountain,” said Dave. “I got the feeling that the more packages I added to my tab, the better the price would have been, but it was still too high for an informational/service-based website.”

I have visited several of the websites they built and they are quality sites. The Design is good, the programming is solid, and I like Dave would hire BFM if I could afford their website and SEO packages together.

Pros:

Good customer service and a solid media company that will do quality work on your website. Crisp clean designs and definitely custom all the way. Good price for mid-level companies.

Cons:

Can put off new customers with the upfront agreement, and is on the expensive side for small business websites.

Websites you can check out from BFM

http://www.pg.com

http://www.petco.com/

Wieden+Kennedy Review – 2 Thumbs Up!!

Hey Everybody!

Some great news here for design reviews because as of late it seems all my reviews are mean but today I’m happy to annouce an amazing company who if you have not heard of them before you should check them out!

 Wieden+Kennedy
http://www.wk.com

Customer Service:         9 / 10 (Fantastic)
Web Design:                      10 / 10 (Great Design)
Web Development:        7 / 10 (a lot of Flash)
Project Management:     8 / 10 (Large and in Charge)

Here are a few of the amazing reviews sent in:

———————————————————————————–

I like this place. There is a giant wooden beaver in the lobby. And a bird’s nest that you can sit in on the upper floor while you have your deeply creative thoughts about how to encourage more people to use Old Spice on their unmentionables.

They also throw a very nice party and everyone there, in spite of the extremely fancy, way fancier than you, setting is really nice and welcoming.

They also make very amusing and sometimes provocative commercials. I suppose if there’s a shame in all of it, it’s that so much awesome creative energy, incredible design, significant storytelling and skillful, graceful work ends up in a stick of deodorant. On the other hand, it’s not much fun to smell other people’s armpits. So as far as missions go, that’s not a bad one.

Hooray for advertising. Hooray.

————————————————————————

I mean – c’mon.. who hasnt heard of Wieden + Kennedy? Nike has  set standards for international advertising and WK is the powerhouse that created all Nike ads since they were born at the University of Oregon campus.

W+K has offices in London, NY, Amsterdam and Tokyo. All Honda, ESPN and MIller ads are made in the Portland headquarters. The agency is known for its creativity and passion for innovation. Ad Age ranked W+K as the world’s best agency for almost 15 years in a row.

Not just advertising, but talk about architecture. The W+K team turned a huge warehouse building in NW Portland from an ice-storage to the coolest agency buildings ever. Check out the photos. The agency has a mandatory happy hour and dj’s spinning sweet melodies starting Friday 4pm. What a kickass place to work!

Olive Street Digital Review – Coming Soon….

Next Up: http://www.olivestreetdigital.com 

OK People this one is a smaller shop in Orange County and a referral from one of our fellow web wanderers, Kim from San Diego wants us to get some reviews and insight into this interesting, artistic boutique near the heart of Orange.

If you have them then send them in with full names and contact info so I can follow up if I need to: tara@bestwebdesignpractices.com

If I don’t get reviews then I will contact the company and send them one of my smaller projects (if the price is right) and try the direct approach.

If your the company owner and want to set up a interview then please by all means email me and we will setup a good time.

Good Luck Olive Steet!

RiaEnjolie.com Review – Average, Pending More Reviews.

We’ve been getting some comments and emails about www.riaenjolie.com and I will be doing a proper investigation to give you a rock solid review.

So far were looking at mixed comments and I will personally be ordering a small website from www.riaenjolie.com to see first hand how the company handles it self.

I hope that its another company I can add to my list of top ten designers because I still need 3 more!

Cross your fingers people, so far the price is right but then again so was 123 Triad

UPDATE 07/11/11

OK I have some reviews, a few failed to leave there name and email so I decided to leave them off, the verdict is not in yet but here is a sneak peak on where it seems to be going:

Note: Don’t forget to include contact info when you send me a review to tara@bestwebdesignpractices.com

UPDATE 08/29/11

Ok everybody, I’ve gathered some research and I think the review below may not be fair, I have yet to be heard back on from the company but do think that maybe the customer below was not fully aware of how web design works and was under a wrong impression on what he would get for such a cheap price.

—————————————————————————————————————

I am a novice at web development but have set up several web sites for myself. I wanted a better web site to attract additional customers. I contacted Ria Enjolie and I have been sorry ever since.

You have never seen high pressure until you speak with the first line sales person. Promise you the moon. Then the backup guy comes on to confirm the promises, his name was Robert Farr (Senior Developer errrr Senior Salesman). One they have your credit card receipt the business changes from New Jersey to someplace in India 8000 miles away.

I wanted assurance that I could import the site into a program that I was familiar with (Serif Web Page Plus 4)so I could make changes myself and resubmit. My products, Certificates of Deposit, change monthly I make quite a few changes. Well I cannot import my website into Page Plus.

I have a 6 page website set up to a preset template that show me as a black man selling something to a couple. I am not a bigot it’s just that all of my clients know I am white. I asked for changes to be made to my site but they rarely respond to support tickets. Here I am trying to learn a new web development tool that I don’t want to do.

I am trying to get my money back but now they don’t return my calls. I figure I am out $500 but I plan to get piece of flesh off of sites like this.

Thanks,

Steve W

——————————————————————————————————————

Back to Business…

Ciplex.com Review – Beware, Risky, Caution

Hey Everybody I’m finally writing a review (sorta) of Ciplex.com

I’ve gotten seriously mixed reviews and thoughts from allot of customers, most of my readers couldn’t even get through to a sales rep to ask the right questions and just got an automated machine telling them to press extensions but never gives right information.

I’m not sure of their prices but what I can tell is there customer service is terrible but there design looks top notch, so theres a serious risk involved.

SO I will list some of the reviews below but first heres a seriously researched quick review of Ciplex.com

Out of a possible 10 point average: 5/10

Customer Service:         2 / 10 (Horrible)
Web Design:                      8 / 10 (Great Design)
Web Development:        3 / 10 (India Outsourced)
Project Management:     4 / 10 (Rushed and Impersonal)

————————————-

iNowWeb.com Review – 2 Thumbs Down

This review comes from 2 different readers that emailed me a few months ago, so far 15 reviews say thumbs down and I’m worried that not enough people are seeing these reviews before calling and having questions answered, please read the review and if this company is not what your looking for or you don’t want to risk it check the Top 10 design firms above.

I hope this helps you make a decision on who to use for your next web design project:

—————————
From:
Melanie R.
Whitestone, Queens, NY

This is a prime example of what is wrong with the web design industry nowadays. I’ve encountered a good deal of crappy service lately, but this was mind-boggling

I submitted a “request for quote” on a Tuesday, Didn’t hear anything….nothing……Bueller….weekend comes…nothing.
On Monday, I decide to follow-up with a phone call, which brought me to a live person. The following conversation ensued:

How to Be a Geek Goddess

Practical Advice for Using Computers with Smarts and Style

Men and women rarely think alike, and when it comes to technology, their differing wants and needs are often glaringly apparent. If we are to believe the stereotypes, men are obsessed with acronyms and the size of their hard drives. On the other hand, women use technology to get things done as they struggle to work, shop, email, raise children, and host perfect dinner parties, all at the same time.

How to Be a Geek Goddess shows every woman how to sort out the complicated world of technology. Whether she’s buying a computer, shopping for a cell phone, trolling electronics aisles, or simply surfing the Internet, How to Be a Geek Goddess makes sense of it all with wit, intelligence, and attitude. “This book proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Christina Tynan-Wood totally gets where men and women divide in terms of technology,” said Jonna Gallo Weppler, senior editor at Family Circle magazine. Weppler praised How to Be a Geek Goddess as a “comprehensive, easy-to-understand guide” and advised readers to “buy this book now.”

“I decided to write this book so that I could answer the questions my girlfriends asked me about technology all at once,” explained author Christina Tynan-Wood. “Women are working, raising kids, taking care of parents, and running businesses as well as homes. They need time-saving and organizing tools, but they also need to grasp technology in order to help their kids navigate it.”

With practical, clear, and down-to-earth insight, readers learn how to:
Buy the right computer to fit their needs, decor, and budget Surf the Web with confidence, organize schedules, and manage finances Master email, cell phones, and instant messaging Keep family members safe from spyware, viruses, stalkers, and phishing scams Connect with friends, grow their professional networks, or find that special someone online How to Be a Geek Goddess will show readers how to expertly join the Web conversation, start a blog, and solve many common technical crises.

“This book is as much a manifesto on female techno-empowerment as it is a book on how to use technology,” explains Tynan-Wood. In no time at all, readers will become the tech-savvy girlfriend on all of their friends’ speed dials.

How to Be a Geek Goddess
By Christina Tynan-Wood
December 2008, 344 pp

EXM Media Review – 2 Thumbs Up (Best Overall)

We have had several companies’ setup websites for us, but by far EXM Media has been the best. The design went smooth, and the EXM Media team did a great job in hearing what we wanted, and worked magic. Everyone took the site as serious as we did. The site ended up great, and we could not be happier. By far the best Web Design Company around in price, design and service. In a scale from 1 to 10, they have to get a 15. Located in the US all of their designers and coders are local and college trained.

From the first phone call through the last there has been attention to detail, suggestions and help and, more important, delivery. Great young people to work with. I enjoyed my contact with Brian Montgomery and recommend him as a highly competent, knowledgeable and fun guy, I am 38 he is 30 yet we are on the same wave length.

This project was an extreme makeover of our existing websites. Every step of the way was fun and worry free. The project manager Carlos was outstanding to work with! He was fun and very understanding in what we wanted to see as our final product. The feedback we have received from those who gave us their opinion before we gave the final seal of approval all agreed that the site was beautiful, easy on the eyes, easy to navigate and very professionally laid out.

I highly recomend EXM Media as your go to guys for all your web needs, wether your a small or big biz these guys are the ticket!!

100% money back guarantee!

See there site here: http://exmmedia.com

see thier portfolio here: http://exmmedia.com/portfolio

Heres there quote form but I suggest just giving them a call: http://exmmedia.com/newgetquote

Phone: 714.277.4597

thanks again EXM Media for a fantastic 4 years!

——————————————————————————————–

Update August 31st 2011:

Still my favorite team, EXM Media has recently gotten a bad review by what appears to be a raving lunatic attacking the owners family and personal life, at first I thought about taking this review into consideration specially since our good reviews have been put down and attacked. Even though Best Web was named as “false” and “planted” I still considered the bad review. After emailing and calling this person I was unable to get a response. If you take this man seriously or if that review causes you pause I urge you to contact him and form your own hypothesis. Until we see serious reviews and real information my review remains solid, EXM Media is still on our top ten.

——————————————————————————————–

Update March 5ht 2012:

Hey people and fans of this amazing team, I wanted to update you on my most recent experience with EXM Media. I hired them in Janurary to build my latest site, a content aggregation news site that I wont advertise just yet because I’m waiting to get more content providers. The site looks and works amazing and I was pleasently surprised to find their newest CMS robust and easy to use while bringing a level of SEO rivaled by even my current blog CMS (wordpress) when it comes to custom sites, so far Ark 3.5 has become my favorite and its because they customized it to fit my needs.

Fantastic company, since their merge with Mixed Media their team has expanded to include a printing aspect and writing department (much needed) there customer service and communication has never been higher, my new rep is easy to talk to and very knowledgeable. You can always get a hold of someone and my rep is always giving me free advise and tips to increase my online revenue.

Call them first and save money and calories!

123Triad Review – 2 Thumbs Down (WORST OVERALL)

After using this company and having a horrid experiance I have looked into other reviews and have found the same negetive reviews.

Do not be fooled by there “cheap” prices, the sites they build are cookie cutter templates and lack any search engine visibility.

123 Triad is a very bad choice for a web design company – probably the worst “company” to have. The prices are too high for what you get and I learned that they take people to court to get their money even if they do not deliver a website! They claim 100% satisfaction and packages from $480 but it is a total lie!!!

Be careful and DO NOT sign their sneaky contract or any paperwork they send you!!! Once you do, their attitude changes and you will end up calling them daily to get an update. You will be lucky if you get an answer at all because the design team is not even in the US but rather in India. Bad service, horrible attitude and the only thing 123 is interested in is MONEY! $$$$$$ Not designing website or hosting services…ask them for real references to get the story behind this “company”.
I hope this will save some people from getting hurt by paying 123 Triad money and end up with NOTHING but a law suite from the owner! I highly do not recommend this company to consumers and people, especially outside NC since they are based in Raleigh.

Do your homework and be very careful. Good luck!