Calashock Marketing

Q: What's your name and position in the company?
A: Luigi Moccia, Director

Q: Describe your company in 5 words.
A: Approachable, friendly, professional, reliable, flexible

Q: What's your business philosophy?
A: Let me just find our mission statement...Our mission is to offer a reliable, high-quality service to every client, and apply this ethos to all projects - regardless of size and value. We undertake transparent and ethical working practices, ensuring our clients receive a profitable and valuable service.

Q: Describe your office environment.
A: Simple, minimalist, clean and modern.

Q: Describe how your team interact and work together.
A: We don't really talk to each other. Only kidding. We all work as part of a team, and help each other with work when we can. If we know that one of us has experience in a particular sector or with a particular project, we get that person involved. But at the end of the day, we all have our own work to do.

Q: What makes you different from other web design companies?
A: We, like many other agencies, are a small business too, so know the constraints of tight marketing budgets, and the consequences of marketing going wrong. So, we don't just design websites, we help our clients have the right online marketing solution - is selling online the right thing for them? Could they save money with SEO rather than PPC? Also, we work with the view of a long-term relationships, which is true with 90% of our clients. We get to know our clients, their sector, and what does and does not work.

Q: How do you get the majority of your business?
A: Referrals are very important, and we consider this the most important and cost-effective marketing channel. However, SEO is also proving to be giving a great ROI. We do not cold call - it is very rare to be able to sell a website or a well thought our marketing strategy on the phone...

Q: Describe how you manage projects from the initial client contact to completion and handover.
A: Failing to plan is planning to fail, and as clients entrust us to be a part of their marketing, we need to ensure that we keep the deadlines and promises we make. We have a planner in the office, which allows us to allocate days and hours to projects, and we always build in time for circumstances outside our control - I really shouldn't say this but always 'under-sell and over-deliver'... Shh...

Q: What do you think is the most crucial element of creating a good client relationship?
A: Trust and understanding, especially with marketing. At the end of the day, marketing is an investment, and if you give us, for example, £10 to deliver a marketing solution, you want at least £11 back. So clients need to trust that our advice and expertise is going to give that positive return on investment. Understanding is important when a client only has a budget of £9...what can we do for that £9, understanding that the client needs marketing to help them increase sales...profit...and marketing budgets.

Q: How do you manage demanding clients?
A: Communication is key, so if a client needs a little more care and attention, we make sure we give as much as possible. It is not always the case that we can keep them updated on every single movement, but as long as they know what is going on, and when things can and cannot get done, there is no problem.

Q: If a client was trying to decide between a shortlist of web design companies, how would you recommend they go about selecting the right one for them?
A: We are not just web designers - we are an agency who can work with the client in a long-term relationship.

Q: Where do you see your company in 10 years time?
A: This year (our 4th birthday) saw us move into the North American and Australian markets, and we are going from strength to strength. Hopefully in 10 years time we will be able to give these clients a more local service from offices located a bit closer to them than London. However, clients pay our bills and wages, so it is important not to lose sight of the clients who have helped us get to where we are today.

Q: Where do you see the web design industry in the future?
A: Everything from VAT returns to advertsing is going online... Will there be a web design industry, or will it be a massive collection of sub-industries? Who knows...

Q: What computers do you have use in your offices, PCs or Macs?
A: Both PC and Mac

Q: How was your company name chosen?
A: Long story short. Place called Calabasas located slightly north of Los Angeles (very nice place), and we had some domain names with the word 'shock' in them. We spent a lot of time trying to put together the right name, until we came to Calashock. I even remember exactly where I was when the light-bulb came on. Well I think it was a light bulb moment...

Q: If you were to give your clients one tip on how to get the most from their website what would it be?
A: View it from a prospective client's perspective, and see what the journey they need to take in order to become a conversion is like. If it is fluid, great. If it is full of dead-ends, or non-existent...get some pen and paper and start from scratch.