Sites n Stores

Q: What's your name and position in the company?
A: Owner

Q: Describe your company in 5 words.
A: Fast, affordable, creative web development.

Q: What's your business philosophy?
A: We take the "no nonsense" approach. There are plenty of design companies out there inflating prices and quoting based on what they thing the client can pay. Our business plan works on fixed prices and volume, so rates are competitive and designs are second to none.

Q: Describe your office environment.
A: Fast paced, dynamic and creative. It's an exciting place to work and not for the feint hearted. Of course there will be obstacles to overcome, but it's all about having the right system to identify challenges and provide fast, effective solutions. We make sure we maintain a close attention to detail and iron out any creases as we go.

Q: Describe how your team interact and work together.
A: Building up to 200 websites a month demands lots of team thinking, a high degree of excellence and strict quality control. Each job is allocated a client manager who oversees the build process from start to finish. By the end of development most departments have been engaged, with the whole process running like a well-oiled machine.

Q: What makes you different from other web design companies?
A: Where to begin? The first difference customers notice is price, as we're considerably cheaper than most other web design companies. We're also fast, turning around jobs in 28 days or less. Then there's the fact that we custom design every site, with no templates used at all. But probably the biggest difference is attitude. At Sites n Stores, we don't believe you have to have an ironic haircut and skinny jeans to design websites. Our aim is to make your site attractive, fast, functional and easily navigated. We're not here to be cool, we're here to help grow your business.

Q: How do you get the majority of your business?
A: We use a range of different marketing channels, but increasingly we are seeing repeat business from existing clients and word of mouth.

Q: Describe how you manage projects from the initial client contact to completion and handover.
A: Once a project is commenced, a Client Manager is allocated and briefed. There is a lot of information gathered from the client initially in terms of design and content. The project then goes through design, development and any final changes required. The site is then handed over to the client and instruction on the CMS used is given. After handover, clients can access the Sites n Stores Knowledge Base, an online resource offering advice and instruction ion various online activity. Clients can also contact our support team for help. This means we maintain a relationship with our customers after the build has been completed and often get asked to quote on subsequent projects.

Q: What do you think is the most crucial element of creating a good client relationship?
A: Listening. It's impossible to offer good advice if you don't know what a client is trying to achieve. Also, ongoing advice. Building a website is the first step. There is a long way to go after that.

Q: How do you manage demanding clients?
A: By spelling everything out early on in the relationship. Conflict usually follows surprises, so by keeping the lines of communication open there are far fewer issues to deal later on.

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 always recommend potential customers shop around because we have confidence in our product. You would be hard pressed to find a cheaper or faster turnaround, especially considering all of our projects are 100% custom designed. But they are the main points to consider, along with aftersales, such as SEO, PPC, Social Media, Monthly Copy-writing Services etc. It is also important to see that the chosen company has successfully completed similar projects and will be there to support you in the long term.

Q: Where do you see your company in 10 years time?
A: We would like to build upon our strong brand and continue to diversify our product range. We offer a lot more of a complete service than we did when we began 4 years ago and we would like to continue to improve our service offering and products to ensure our clients have every advantage online.

Q: Where do you see the web design industry in the future?
A: It's anyone's guess. I don't think there were many people in 2002 that could have told us exactly what the industry would look like today. It will obviously be dominated by mobile and I think we can expect a much heavier reliance on our industry by all types of businesses, especially SMEs.

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

Q: How was your company name chosen?
A: For simplicity. It's essentially what we do 'Web SITES and Online STORES'

Q: If you were to give your clients one tip on how to get the most from their website what would it be?
A: Think like a customer. That's the only way you will know if your design, navigation and functionality are right. Look at your competitor's website and assess what works and what doesn't. You'll soon start to see why customers behave like they do and can incorporate better User Experience practices into your online business.