Steve Andrews

WWDC: What's your name and position in the company?
600 North Limited: ”Steve Andrews, Freelance Web Designer”

WWDC: Describe your company in 5 words.
600 North Limited: ”Professional, Experienced, Flexible, Creative, Reactive”

WWDC: What's your business philosophy?
600 North Limited: ”To produce simple solutions to the customers problems.”

WWDC: Describe your office environment.
600 North Limited: ”I work from my home in Christchurch.”

WWDC: Describe how your team interact and work together.
600 North Limited: ”As a freelance web designer I work closely with other specialist freelancers whom I have worked with for many years. Combining the expertise of people from backgrounds such as video production, copywriting and search engine optimisation (SEO) provides a stimulating and collaborative platform to work from.”

WWDC: What makes you different from other web design companies?
600 North Limited: ”When you call 600 NORTH Web Design, you will be talking to the person who is actually doing the work. I believe communication is crucial to the success of any project and value it, along with customer service, over everything else. ”

WWDC: How do you get the majority of your business?
600 North Limited: ”The majority of my work comes from referrals and word of mouth. I believe this is the direct result of good old fashioned customer service. Most of my existing customers have either referred me or asked me to carry out further work for them.”

WWDC: Describe how you manage projects from the initial client contact to completion and handover.
600 North Limited: ”I use a flexible design process that ensures projects are fluid and reactive to change.”

WWDC: What do you think is the most crucial element of creating a good client relationship?
600 North Limited: ”Engage with clients and create solid relationships by building their trust in you. Clients will see you as the expert and be comfortable asking questions. Clients new to the web design process often fear the unknown, so make sure they understand the process and their part in it.”

WWDC: How do you manage demanding clients?
600 North Limited: ”All clients are demanding, but some more than others. I listen and react to their demands. If clients ask for things outside the original requirements, I explain they will need to pay for the extra work. For new clients I offer to do part of the extra work for free.”

WWDC: 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?
600 North Limited: ”Before shortlisting, research company portfolios and evaluate their services against requirements. Then talk to each company to determine they: listen to your needs; explain issues clearly; know your industry: share your vision for the site. Request references and think ahead. Ask suitable questions if you expect to build long-term relationships. ”

WWDC: Where do you see your company in 10 years time?
600 North Limited: ”Building on past successes and becoming the web designer of choice for as many companies and individuals as possible.”

WWDC: Where do you see the web design industry in the future?
600 North Limited: ”The challenge of web design will remain the same: to create environments where content shines. The means available will be a more powerful version of what we have now. Code libraries like jQuery will continue to enhance the user experience along with new HTML and CSS standards and better browsers.”

WWDC: What computers do you have use in your offices, PCs or Macs?
600 North Limited: ”Both PC and Mac”

WWDC: How was your company name chosen?
600 North Limited: ”It's where my hometown is!”

WWDC: If you were to give your clients one tip on how to get the most from their website what would it be?
600 North Limited: ”Know your target audience. To do this you must first establish your goals. What is the purpose of your website? Are you selling products, displaying a portfolio, advertising services? Then put yourself in the visitor’s shoes and think about what they expect to find on your website.”