Bairwell Ltd

Q: What's your name and position in the company?
A: Richard Bairwell - Technical Director and Cofounder

Q: Describe your company in 5 words.
A: WordPress and PHP Design/Development

Q: What's your business philosophy?
A: Just make the internet a better place for all by doing our best for our customers (even, in some cases, letting them know that "that is a bad idea").

Q: Describe your office environment.
A: Work from home, so comfort and familiar tech (and lower costs!)

Q: Describe how your team interact and work together.
A: Mainly email - two of us are hard of hearing so email is very important (even if we are in the next room!).

Q: What makes you different from other web design companies?
A: Friendly and fun, but with a wide technical experience pool (if you want a WordPress site designed about Commodore 64s, ZX Spectrums, BBCs or the latest Android or iPad, then we can probably take pictures ourselves!)

Q: How do you get the majority of your business?
A: Word of mouth

Q: Describe how you manage projects from the initial client contact to completion and handover.
A: First we discuss, over email, what requirements the client has (with our ticketing system: therefore one of the design team can easily see what a developer said). If they are happy with the budget and timescales, then we generate a PDF contract for them to sign. We may then provide some example designs and iterate with those with the client. Once the design is locked down, we then take a copy of their existing site (if applicable) and save it on our version control system. Development then starts with regular uploads to a client specific preview site. Once the client is happy, we upload it to their site (or provide a .zip copy) and invoice.

Q: What do you think is the most crucial element of creating a good client relationship?
A: Being friendly and honest with them. If they've got a small budget that we can't help with, then we'd much prefer to refer them to "free" offerings instead of just saying "go away". Likewise, if we they've got a preference for light pink text on a white background, we will say this will cause people difficulties.

Q: How do you manage demanding clients?
A: By being honest with them.

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: First of all, make sure the company is "above board": if they are UK based, do they disclose their trading address (and if appropriate their Ltd company number) as they should do legally? Do they have Professional Indemnity Insurance? Can they offer a range of portfolio items covering your budget (so you've got an idea of the expected quality)?

Q: Where do you see your company in 10 years time?
A: Having a lot more staff and being able to offer a full range of services for new startups (from helping with company setup, through insurance and bank accounts, design and stationery and website design) and helping them and established companies make the world better.

Q: Where do you see the web design industry in the future?
A: Making responsive/fast sites which work on all computers and helping people find the information they need fast.

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: It was a Portmanteau of the founders surnames - who then actually took the company name as their new surname upon marriage.

Q: If you were to give your clients one tip on how to get the most from their website what would it be?
A: Stop and think: what are you trying to achieve with the site?