Sidetrack Solutions

Q: What's your name and position in the company?
A: Jonathan - Head Client Development

Q: Describe your company in 5 words.
A: Professional Website Design & Hosting

Q: What's your business philosophy?
A: Professional and Friendly approach to work with an aim to build a lasting relationship with the client.

Q: Describe how your team interact and work together.
A: The Team are spread around the south of the UK. There is constant e-mails being send to eachother, phone calls, and also meetings which take place once a week.

Q: What makes you different from other web design companies?
A: We are different, because we do everything. Our Servers are built from scratch by us, stored in our DataCentre, using a network designed by us. From the ground up, you are working with Sidetrack Solutions. We are not middle men, we have access to everything. This is how we differ.

Q: How do you get the majority of your business?
A: The majority of our business comes from Word of Mouth. This shows just how good we are, as people want to pass us on. The happier we make our clients, the more they will pass on our details. So we aim to make our clients happy. We also have an affiliate scheme which offers 10% of the contract to the person who passed our names on

Q: Describe how you manage projects from the initial client contact to completion and handover.
A: Projects tend to vary, depending on the clients' requirements. The general rule of thumb is: - Initial Brief (colours, general thoughts) from Client - Draft 1 sent across to ensure we are reading from the same page. - First Client Meeting - Further correspondence and numerous drafts sent. - Second Client meeting - Draft approved - Site creation commences. - Several Test sites sent across - Test site approval - Site goes live - Happy Client / Happy Designer!! Simple!

Q: What do you think is the most crucial element of creating a good client relationship?
A: You need to understand what the client wants from their project and how it will improve their business. Once you have that understanding, and can relate to them, you have solid foundations for a good client relationship

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: They need to think about how the design company will fit into their grand scheme. A website is not just a build once away you go, it is a living document. They need to find a company who they will work well with once the project is completed. Another key aspect is ensuring the company does what you say, not what they "think" is best for you. Take on board their comments, but at the end of the day it is YOUR project!

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

Q: If you were to give your clients one tip on how to get the most from their website what would it be?
A: Keep it up to date. Too often you see sites that are out of date, or dated looking. Keep it fresh with updates, news, new pictures. Do a drastic change every year or two to keep visitors interested and engaged!