Crunch Digital

Q: What's your name and position in the company?
A: Thomas Snudden, Managing Director

Q: Describe your company in 5 words.
A: Innovative, Fresh, Transparent, Quality, Exciting

Q: What's your business philosophy?
A: We believe that web design and development should be transparent - that is to say that there is a lot of misinformation pushed around today and people are often mislead and confused. Many business owners want their clients to fear terms such as SEO and development as some sort of dark magic that only a few are capable of understanding. The truth is that these things can help businesses fail or succeed. We want to work WITH business owners to help them achieve their goals. If our clients are happy, we are happy.

Q: Describe how your team interact and work together.
A: Myself and Sam (the two company founders) both bring a mix of talent and expertise to the table. While my background lies mainly in development, Sam has a wealth of business management experience under his belt. He is also a talented developer and designer.

Q: What makes you different from other web design companies?
A: Our experience with other web design companies has largely been negative. We have found that many business owners treat their clients poorly and are not forthcoming. They want their clients to be afraid of the web so that they can profit from that fear. Our approach is far more centered around empowering our clients and the digital side of their business.

Q: How do you get the majority of your business?
A: Most of our business is currently from word of mouth and long-term clients.

Q: Describe how you manage projects from the initial client contact to completion and handover.
A: Our preferred method of communication is face to face - far better than any other we have found!

Q: What do you think is the most crucial element of creating a good client relationship?
A: For us, the most important factor of any relationship is honesty. We want our clients to feel in safe hands, but also that they are fully aware of what is happening at all times. We don't like keeping people in the dark and therefore we make it a priority to give regular, detailed updates about the work we are carrying out.

Q: How do you manage demanding clients?
A: We want our clients to be demanding! If a client is telling us exactly what they want, that helps us immensely. Far worse is a client who doesn't know what he or she wants. The more guidance from the clients end, the better!

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: Find a company that is prepared to go the extra mile. There are a lot of companies out there who will treat you like kings while they are trying to sell you their services. Once you are hooked into their contract, suddenly their customer service skills leave much to be desired. Find a company that wants to work with you, not for you.

Q: Where do you see your company in 10 years time?
A: We are focused on expanding our client base to allow additional staff to come on board. We will eventually have dedicated on-site graphics and development teams.

Q: Where do you see the web design industry in the future?
A: As web design and development become more and more commonly understood by the average business owner, we see digital services moving much more into the hands of the uninitiated. Tools to enable people to design and build are improving very quickly, as is the level of education. Professional web design companies may move more towards consultancy firms in the future.

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

Q: How was your company name chosen?
A: We both liked the word "Crunch" and thought it encompassed the right mix of humour and professionalism.

Q: If you were to give your clients one tip on how to get the most from their website what would it be?
A: Make sure that your website is built for your customers, not for you. Many people get hung up on creating a website that does everything THEY want to it to do - they end up forgetting who the website is for. Your website should primarily aim to please your own client base.