These days anyone with a computer and internet connection can build a website. Marketing Agencies, PR Companies, Graphic designers, PC technicians, your friend’s nephew who did a computer course at college… So, why, of the hundreds of options available should you choose Visualsoft?
1. We’ve been there, done that and got the t-shirt…
Having been in this industry since 1997 we’ve seen many web companies come and go over the years; but you can rest assured that we will still be here 12 years from now. We invest heavily in research and development and during the last 12 years we have designed and developed over 300 websites. We have an ever growing bank of code which has been developed and improved over this time. By re-using code from previous applications we are able to reduce development time and costs – and therefore pass these savings onto our clients.
Working with so many clients has also provided us with invaluable industry knowledge and an understanding of what works (and what doesn’t). We are stats mad; everything we recommend is based on A/B testing and proven technology to ensure maximum return on investment.
TIP – When choosing a web company be sure to check they have actually worked on similar projects in the past. You do not want to be an inexperienced company’s ‘guinea pig’ project; this can often lead to disappointing results, unfinished sites and/or incomplete projects. This is particularly the case when choosing an ecommerce provider; do not fall into the trap of using a ‘design agency’ that are heavily design focussed on a project that is actually going to be 95% technology. To avoid commissioning a designer to do a developers job, check an agencies portfolio to ensure it has many examples of functional/technical websites; not logos, flyers and print design.
2. Award winning design…
All of our creative staff are trained in our unique methodology, we train them to think outside the box and to focus on results and clarity over fancy design with no apparent conversion goals or marketing direction. We have won numerous awards for our website design. The most recent being the International iStockphoto Web Design of the Year Award in which we beat over 1.7million entrants to take first place. We’re absolutely thrilled to receive the award which signifies recognition from both our design peers and leading industry experts. The judging panel included Russell Brown, senior creative director at Adobe Systems Incorporated, and Scott Kelby, editor, publisher and co-founder of Photoshop User magazine and editor-in-chief of Layers magazine.
TIP – When choosing a web company be sure to check their portfolio of recently designed websites. Ignore their portfolio of print design work as this is a completely different arena to design for the web. If you like the style of their previous web work this is a good start; make sure you talk to the designer who will be working on your site design prior to starting the project to ensure the design is not being outsourced (which can have disastrous results).
3. Ground breaking technology…
All of our web technology is developed in-house where we can maintain quality control and ensure deadlines are met. Our web developers must adhere to strict coding standards, which is reflected in the quality of every website we develop. We have been recognised for our technology on many occasions. Our accolades include the very prestigious Digital Innovator of the Year award. At the recent Digital Awards we were finalists in several categories and won two including Best Use of API for our ongoing work with eBay.
TIP – When choosing a web company be sure to check examples of previous technical projects. If possible, talk directly to these clients to see if a project went smoothly, ask how well problems had been addressed and ask how if the solution was delivered on time. Make sure you talk directly to the developer who will be working on your site prior to starting the project to ensure the development is not being outsourced (which can have disastrous results).
4. Tailored solutions to meet YOUR needs…
All of the sites we build are bespoke and tailored to the client’s needs (we don’t use any ‘off the shelf’ software). This means you get a site built specifically to meet the needs of your target market, giving you higher conversions, better search engine rankings and most importantly a site that actually sells! Using bespoke technology allows us to present your products in the most appropriate and effective way for your business. This is especially important if you have complex products, or product ranges, with multiple attributes or relationships between them.
A bespoke system can also be more easily integrated with existing IT systems and web services as it is developed from the ground up to meet your specific needs. This kind of system can help set you apart from competitors who might use standard off-the-shelf products, which also tend to follow a very similar look and feel.
TIP – When choosing a web company be sure to ask whether the solution is bespoke or ‘off the shelf’. You will often find that cheaper solutions will be using free, out of the box software packages and design templates in order to allow them to quickly create a site. But take caution, over 70% of the work we get is rebuilding such solutions as they rarely give any return on investment. It is false economy to think a free ‘one site fits all’ website package will deliver high level return or meet the specific needs of your business (or your target market).
5. Fanatical support…
All of our clients benefit from a first class managed hosting service, running the very latest LAMP (Linux, Apache, mySQL and PHP) technologies. We have several dedicated servers at the UK’s leading hosting provider in their state of the art UK data centre. This professional hosting solution runs on the extremely robust Red Hat Linux server platform. Our clients get the peace of mind that their hosting environment is being looked after by the experts. This rest assurance comes via a fanatical support service with 100% network uptime guaranteed, 24/7/365 support and more.
TIP – Be careful when selecting a company to deliver your solution that their technical ‘team’ is actually a team (and not a single person). We receive lots of enquiries from companies who’s only web developer has now vanished leaving them unable to access their site. Many web ‘companies’ actually consist of 1 designer and 1 developer. Over the years we have encountered many scenarios where the only technical contact at a company has left leaving all clients stranded; reasons include bankruptcy, career move, emigrating abroad, death and even one case of a developer taking a backpacking trip around the world (leaving all clients stranded for 3 months!). Make sure you check they have an in-house support team and ensure the solution is not being outsourced (which can have disastrous results).
6. We speak your language…
From your initial consultation with one of our business development team right through to working on a regular basis with your account manager you can be sure that you will deal with people who speak your language. Many internet companies pay lip service to actually listening to customers. We firmly believe that the only way to create exceptional websites is through a total team effort with clear communication at every step of a project.
The Visualsoft team consists of graphic designers, web developers, programmers, search engine optimisation engineers, marketing professionals and project managers that work with a synergy only enjoyed by those who have a vivid passion for what they do – each member of the team are on hand to support and advise you throughout the project. Our clients appreciate our up-front, honest and direct approach to a project. We will not baffle you with technological jargon or woo you with false promises.
TIP – Be wary of a good sales pitch with nothing to back it up. There are lots of ‘middle men’ in this industry and agencies who can outsource the entire project! Don’t fall for a slick powerpoint presentation; make sure you meet members of the team and if possible go visit your developers office to see exactly who you are commissioning to do the project. Quite often those who outsource a project overseas will be reluctant for you to visit their office and meet the team.
7. We love being first…
As one of the UK’s fastest growing and most successful web development company’s we pride ourselves on consistently developing cutting edge technology and bringing innovation to the marketplace. Operating our business this way enables us (and our clients) to stay one step ahead of the competition. This is essential in such a competitive arena as the web.
TIP – Ensure you stay one step ahead of your competition by having a site that is as adaptable as your market. By utilising a bespoke solution you can set yourself apart from your competitors and change your site when you need to (rather than having to wait for it to be included in the next upgrade of your software package – which may never happen). This is particularly the case when it comes to Search Engine Optimisation. A search engines algorithms change on a regular basis; your site must have the ability to change to meet the latest SEO requirements to ensure you achieve high results on a search engine. There is a common phrase ‘if you stand still online, you will go backwards’ and this is often the case when companies are unable to grow, enhance and adapt to change due to the limitations of an off the shelf solution.
Like most companies we could talk all day about how great we are; but don’t just take our word for it – please do feel free to talk to our clients to see how we compare.
These days anyone with a computer and internet connection can build a website. Marketing Agencies, PR Companies, Graphic designers, PC technicians, your friend’s nephew who did a computer course at college… So, why, of the hundreds of options available should you choose WebdesignLB?
1. We’ve been there, done that and got the t-shirt…
Having been in this industry since 1997 we’ve seen many web companies come and go over the years; but you can rest assured that we will still be here 12 years from now. We invest heavily in research and development and during the last 13 years we have designed and developed over 400 websites. We have an ever growing bank of code which has been developed and improved over this time. By re-using code from previous applications we are able to reduce development time and costs – and therefore pass these savings onto our clients.
Working with so many clients has also provided us with invaluable industry knowledge and an understanding of what works (and what doesn’t). We are stats mad; everything we recommend is based on proven technology to ensure maximum return on investment.
TIP – When choosing a web company be sure to check they have actually worked on similar projects in the past. You do not want to be an inexperienced company’s ‘guinea pig’ project; this can often lead to disappointing results, unfinished sites and/or incomplete projects. This is particularly the case when choosing an ecommerce provider; do not fall into the trap of using a ‘design agency’ that are heavily design focussed on a project that is actually going to be 95% technology. To avoid commissioning a designer to do a developers job, check an agencies portfolio to ensure it has many examples of functional/technical websites; not logos, flyers and print design.
2. Award winning design…
All of our creative staff are trained in our unique methodology, we train them to think outside the box and to focus on results and clarity over fancy design with no apparent conversion goals or marketing direction. We have won numerous awards for our website design.
TIP – When choosing a web company be sure to check their portfolio of recently designed websites. Ignore their portfolio of print design work as this is a completely different arena to design for the web. If you like the style of their previous web work this is a good start; make sure you talk to the designer who will be working on your site design prior to starting the project to ensure the design is not being outsourced (which can have disastrous results).
3. Tailored solutions to meet YOUR needs…
All of the sites we build are bespoke and tailored to the client’s needs (we don’t use any ‘off the shelf’ software). This means you get a site built specifically to meet the needs of your target market, giving you higher conversions, better search engine rankings and most importantly a site that actually sells! Using bespoke technology allows us to present your products in the most appropriate and effective way for your business. This is especially important if you have complex products, or product ranges, with multiple attributes or relationships between them.
A bespoke system can also be more easily integrated with existing IT systems and web services as it is developed from the ground up to meet your specific needs. This kind of system can help set you apart from competitors who might use standard off-the-shelf products, which also tend to follow a very similar look and feel.
TIP – When choosing a web company be sure to ask whether the solution is bespoke or ‘off the shelf’. You will often find that cheaper solutions will be using free, out of the box software packages and design templates in order to allow them to quickly create a site. But take caution, over 70% of the work we get is rebuilding such solutions as they rarely give any return on investment. It is false economy to think a free ‘one site fits all’ website package will deliver high level return or meet the specific needs of your business (or your target market).
4. Fanatical support…
All of our clients benefit from a first class managed hosting service, running the very latest LAMP (Linux, Apache, mySQL and PHP) technologies. We have several dedicated servers. This professional hosting solution runs on the extremely robust Red Hat Linux server platform. Our clients get the peace of mind that their hosting environment is being looked after by the experts. This rest assurance comes via a fanatical support service with 99.9% network uptime guaranteed, 24/7/365 support and more.
TIP – Be careful when selecting a company to deliver your solution that their technical ‘team’ is actually a team (and not a single person). We receive lots of enquiries from companies who’s only web developer has now vanished leaving them unable to access their site. Many web ‘companies’ actually consist of 1 designer and 1 developer. Over the years we have encountered many scenarios where the only technical contact at a company has left leaving all clients stranded; reasons include bankruptcy, career move, emigrating abroad, death and even one case of a developer taking a backpacking trip around the world (leaving all clients stranded for 3 months!). Make sure you check they have an in-house support team and ensure the solution is not being outsourced (which can have disastrous results).
5. We speak your language…
From your initial consultation with one of our business development team right through to working on a regular basis with your account manager you can be sure that you will deal with people who speak your language. Many internet companies pay lip service to actually listening to customers. We firmly believe that the only way to create exceptional websites is through a total team effort with clear communication at every step of a project.
The WebdesignLB team consists of graphic designers, web developers, programmers, search engine optimisation engineers, marketing professionals and project managers that work with a synergy only enjoyed by those who have a vivid passion for what they do – each member of the team are on hand to support and advise you throughout the project. Our clients appreciate our up-front, honest and direct approach to a project. We will not baffle you with technological jargon or woo you with false promises.
TIP – Be wary of a good sales pitch with nothing to back it up. There are lots of ‘middle men’ in this industry and agencies who can outsource the entire project! Don’t fall for a slick powerpoint presentation; make sure you meet members of the team and if possible go visit your developers office to see exactly who you are commissioning to do the project.
6. We love being first…
As one of the fastest growing and most successful web development company’s in Lebanon we pride ourselves on consistently developing cutting edge technology and bringing innovation to the marketplace. Operating our business this way enables us (and our clients) to stay one step ahead of the competition. This is essential in such a competitive arena as the web.
TIP – Ensure you stay one step ahead of your competition by having a site that is as adaptable as your market. By utilising a bespoke solution you can set yourself apart from your competitors and change your site when you need to (rather than having to wait for it to be included in the next upgrade of your software package – which may never happen). This is particularly the case when it comes to Search Engine Optimisation. A search engines algorithms change on a regular basis; your site must have the ability to change to meet the latest SEO requirements to ensure you achieve high results on a search engine. There is a common phrase ‘if you stand still online, you will go backwards’ and this is often the case when companies are unable to grow, enhance and adapt to change due to the limitations of an off the shelf solution.
Like most companies we could talk all day about how great we are; but don’t just take our word for it – please do feel free to talk to our clients to see how we compare.
