About us

From husband-and-wife team to Shopify network

We started Voltage as a husband-and-wife team back in 2009, but it’s not just us anymore. Today, we have a team of developers, and we partner with designers and copywriters to deliver agency-quality websites—without the agency overhead—for brands who value sustainability, beer and burritos as much as we do.

Our approach

We’re not an agency—here’s why

If we can speak frankly (and we do), creatives who are really good at what they do typically quit agencies to start their own businesses. (We speak from experience.) So, we partner with independent designers and copywriters on a project-by-project basis, so we always have the perfect creative fit for your project.

In house, we have a team of developers at the ready to code custom solutions for our clients, from front-end design to apps. Plus, you’ll always get direct access to us, the founders of Voltage—no faceless voice answering phones and taking unanswered messages. Your business deserves better than that.

If you need professional copy, photography or videography (which we always recommend), we’ll share our recommendations. At the end of the day, you’ll get a mobile-first site that’s ready to shop as soon as we launch. Go ahead and cash in on more sales and all the compliments.

4

Developers

2

Designers

1

Copywriter

Our team

Powering online stores with Shopify and sarcasm since 2009

Matt Magi

Creative Director & Consultant

Matt started designing websites back when you had to make your mom promise not to pick up the phone while you were on the computer. Yes, dial-up days. Fast-forward to 2009, he started Voltage from his living room in his hometown of Victoria, BC. His work was quickly sought out by a local agency who hired Matt as their in-house developer, but within three years, he was back at Voltage full-time (don’t worry, Sarah held down the fort while he was away.)

Sarah Iles

Business Director

Certifiably obsessed with organization, Sarah always has her finger on the pulse—whatever the project, whatever the scope, she keeps Voltage (and Matt) on track. With a degree in marketing and communications, Sarah started her career in merchandising and customer service, making her the perfect point woman for our clients—so you’ll never get a faceless voice on the phone, promise. And if you get to know her well enough, she may even organize your pantry for you.

Instead of a faceless agency, Voltage felt like an extension of our team.

—Martin, Rumble | Victoria, Canada

Our Victoria Faves

Hailing from Victoria, Canada

Thanks to the Internet, we work with clients the world wide—but Victoria, Canada is our home. We love local clients because they’re our literal neighbours—the folks we buy our coffee beans from, drink weekend beers with, and sell our vintage finds to. We may have traded our downtown townhouse for farmland, but the food and people-watching downtown is still a favourite pastime. Check out our favourite spots in Victoria.

Neighbourhood

Chinatown (aka Old Town)

Lunch

La Taquisa, Foo or Red Fish Blue Fish

Coffee

Hey Happy or Bean Around The World

Beer

Whistle Buoy or Driftwood

Dog Walk

Uplands Park or Macaulay Point

Dinner

Il Terrazzo

Local brands we work with

Sustainable or consumable—which are you?

We know we aren’t for everyone. We like working with brands who share our values in sustainability, whether that’s vegan beauty, organic undergarments, biodegradable pads, eco-friendly linens, or [insert your sustainable business here]. But we’re not snobs. We like our coffee strong and our beer hoppy, and always get excited to work with the food-and-beverage (CPG) industry, too. Long story short, if you’re setting trends or testing them, we want to hear from you.

Sustainable brands we work with