Stokenbrand

Q: What's your name and position in the company?
A: Jennifer Handbury, Partner, Marketing and Client Services

Q: Describe your company in 5 words.
A: Creative agency focussed on digital

Q: What's your business philosophy?
A: We live for great design and believe that a well worked creative ideas is key to promoting our client's businesses.

Q: Describe your office environment.
A: Busy, fun, creative, exciting, and flexible - we're often out and about seeing clients, so we rely on remote working environments regularly. That means we are really happy to get back to our desks and get to work - plus we have sea views and you can't beat that!

Q: Describe how your team interact and work together.
A: Working really closely, it's the only way to get the best out of creativity. Bouncing ideas from one to the other means that at the end of the day we are confident we have thought things over and come to the right conclusions.

Q: What makes you different from other web design companies?
A: That's a tricky one. Everyone will say the same thing when answering this question... I guess we are just 100% dedicated to what we do, we enjoy it and that's why we seem to work on a Sunday afternoon, by choice... It means that we put everything into our client's work and they really seem to notice.

Q: How do you get the majority of your business?
A: Mostly through word of mouth. We have worked with some great agencies over the years, and clients, and they all are really great at recommending us.

Q: Describe how you manage projects from the initial client contact to completion and handover.
A: We spend as much time as we possibly can with our clients, especially in the beginning of a relationship. We like to get to know them, their business, their customers. And we keep up the contact as regularly as possible. Face-to-face meetings are a must, but we also like to be a bit green and have a voice/video conference whenever possible.

Q: What do you think is the most crucial element of creating a good client relationship?
A: Chemistry. You just have to get along. That's the first step anyway. After that, it's clear communication all the time. Staying open and honest throughout the relationship makes for smooth running projects and helps keep things on track. It's like any relationship really. And of course trust - that's also fundamental.

Q: How do you manage demanding clients?
A: Again, it's communication. If they know what's going on at all times, then they feel better and can relax - they trust you more.

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: Make sure you like their style, the work they have done for other clients will help you to get a feel for it. But they also need to have the technical capabilities to meet your web requirements - if you want an online shop, but the agency hasn't done one before, just make sure they are confident and have good contacts.

Q: Where do you see your company in 10 years time?
A: Growing, but not too big. We like the personal touch, so don't ever want to become a huge entity. That said, we are definitely going to have an Australian office! That's our goal at the moment, to grow enough to get to the Southern Hemisphere. For me that's going home.

Q: Where do you see the web design industry in the future?
A: It's a part of everyday business life these days. It's going to become more so. Who knows what new technology is just around the corner - but the web is here to stay and it's only going to grow in exciting ways.

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

Q: How was your company name chosen?
A: It's all about stoking up the ideas and fueling your brand. We really liked "stoke", but we wanted something more original. That's why we made up our own word, to explain what we do. It also gets people asking about it, as it's unusual, so we get to tell our story quite a bit.

Q: If you were to give your clients one tip on how to get the most from their website what would it be?
A: Nice design and easy to use. Your user experience is key to the success of your site.