Thirdsectorweb

Q: What's your name and position in the company?
A: Tim Smith - Partner

Q: Describe your company in 5 words.
A: Caring, ethical technology plainly put.

Q: What's your business philosophy?
A: We are completely dedicated to supporting organisations and groups in our sector. Whether developing sites that have static brochure pages, or involving more interactive content and development - we believe in inclusion and sensitivity to the agendas of our clients. We see to translate this into design and content creation. We make texts translatable, always have current news and never tire of maintaining the highest levels of security for our client installations, whether in the public or charitable sectors.

Q: Describe your office environment.
A: Open plan and comfortable - coffee always available. We work as a distributed partnership of professionals across the childcare, education, charity and social enterprise sectors. Apart from our registered office address in London, clients can visit us in our principal Cambridge office at any time... Thirdsectorweb - Part of SmithMartin LLP Carthouse 3, Copley Hill Business Park Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3GN T. 01223 839644 We also meet clients and develop our installation in the North of England from our Sheffield location. Write to us at... Thirdsectorweb, Part of SmithMartin LLP 2nd Floor, The Portergate 257 Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, S11 8NX T. 0114 360 1025

Q: Describe how your team interact and work together.
A: We are a team of diverse specialists. Whether driving HTML pages layouts, CSS or PHP - we specialise to get the best from our collective knowledge. We use shared workspaces, email and sms to keep our carbon footprint very small indeed.

Q: What makes you different from other web design companies?
A: We are proud to have professional knowledge and experience across our partnership in all the sectors of our market that we sell into - using this knowledge in the development of bespoke content. Content is king - we write copy, determine editorial content and support our client installations with sector pertinent news feeds. We offer more that the ability to upload technical developments - we can grow your direct contacts and feedback with your service users too - appropriately and with relevance.

Q: How do you get the majority of your business?
A: We get new business by referral as a web developer - or by being able to offer a web solution that is itself part of a larger project development of community business growth plan. We are able to use our partnership to test and set the project budget and then to bid for the practical delivery of web based information services of all kinds.

Q: Describe how you manage projects from the initial client contact to completion and handover.
A: We publish a 'Getting the Best from Your Website' booklet to highlight our track record, knowledge base and skill areas. We always respond to client invitations to supply or PQQ's with a Thirdsectorweb 'Service Supply Quotation'. Detailing key contacts, work plan, budget and delivery times. You can see our How We Work page here... http://www.thirdsectorweb.co.uk/howwework.htm

Q: What do you think is the most crucial element of creating a good client relationship?
A: Keeping everyone in touch and delivering updates promptly when requested.

Q: How do you manage demanding clients?
A: We have a diverse team, culturally and professionally. everyone responds differently to client/supplier stresses. Our partners try to mediate and broker supply solutions that diminish the tensions in our activities. Not everything goes right all the time, but we set out to be in the mix for the long term - being flexible and ethical at all times, without fail.

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 recognise that our skill set and technical provision is not right for every potential client we come across. We believe that we have a good fit in the sectors we operate in, but can also cope with 'out of area' requests too. Similarly, we have learnt, over time to say no too. Other facets of our partnership business might be better for a client and we would tell the client this. In the end, the owner of the organisation or the project must be free to decide, we advise but not at the expense of truth or facility.

Q: Where do you see your company in 10 years time?
A: Our partnership has a social enterprise development service, a children's book arm, literacy and author events activity, as well as our web services. In ten years we would like to be connected, integrated and standards compliant in al our sectors beyond the dreams of our small group of passionate believers in ethical business now.

Q: Where do you see the web design industry in the future?
A: Supporting the 'self-publishing' editorial sector will continue to grow without doubt. We would like to be situated where we could support this movement. This suits our inclusive, ethical and community enterprise stand. Browser technology and innovation like Canvas and HTML 5 will only make interaction with the web more involving and effective. We would want to be part of that. The web genie is out of the bottle for human enquiry and creativity - we think it's great.

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

Q: How was your company name chosen?
A: We supply what it says on the tin.

Q: If you were to give your clients one tip on how to get the most from their website what would it be?
A: In our sector? Start simple and let your web facilities and how you interact with your community of interest grow organically over time. Publish early - then publish often. Give yourself and your organisation time to develop your ideas and really be able to take ownership of the technology to deliver your news, information or client capture. Remember that web publications are not fixed, they are fluid - keep your thinking that way as you grow.