White Canvas Media

Q: What's your name and position in the company?
A: David Burgess - Director of Development

Q: Describe your company in 5 words.
A: Web. Presence. Simplified. No, really.

Q: What's your business philosophy?
A: We do more than just hand a website to a client. We ask questions. We get to the bottom of what the client needs and then we build a solution specifically for that client.

Q: Describe your office environment.
A: I work out of a home office that affords me the flexibility to work and meet with clients any time they need.

Q: Describe how your team interact and work together.
A: We try to have fun when we're working on a project. We like to bounce ideas (no matter how crazy) off each other to see if we can come up with something great for the client!

Q: What makes you different from other web design companies?
A: I've worked with a few design companies over the years and have worked with literally hundreds of clients. I know that each business is different in how it's run and that, as a result, each business is different and that there isn't a "one size fits all" for most businesses.

Q: How do you get the majority of your business?
A: Most of my business comes from client and associate referrals.

Q: Describe how you manage projects from the initial client contact to completion and handover.
A: I use BaseCamp to manage my projects and Freshbooks to handle most of my accounting. These tools make managing a business on the go much easier!

Q: What do you think is the most crucial element of creating a good client relationship?
A: Setting the right expectations from the beginning is very, very important.

Q: How do you manage demanding clients?
A: Again, by setting expectations and letting them know that I have several other clients that I am working with and that I will be sure to get to their project in a timely manner.

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 the design company has a portfolio similar to the need of the client. To ask a designer to change their entire way of designing and developing would be like asking a pediatrician to rebuild an engine. The job might get done, but maybe not in the most effective time and way possible.

Q: Where do you see your company in 10 years time?
A: We'd love to still be helping small to medium sized businesses with their online presence and strategy!

Q: Where do you see the web design industry in the future?
A: The web design industry is making huge leaps forward all the time. With more and more people using mobile devices (tables, iPads, smart phones, etc.) to access information, I think the majority of the internet will be more mobile-oriented than PC/Mac oriented.

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

Q: How was your company name chosen?
A: We wanted something that was clean and inviting to the world. We like to start with a blank canvas when we start a project with a client, so the name "White Canvas" seemed to be about as appropriate as you can get!

Q: If you were to give your clients one tip on how to get the most from their website what would it be?
A: Be part of the process. Not just the design process, but the ongoing maintenance and content/blogging process. No one knows your business as well as you do so it's much better for everyone if you are involved in your website as much as you can be!