Last year Webnames launched a website design service with small business in mind, called FastTrack.
FastTrack provides a professional website, built quickly (typically 8-10 business days) and affordably. The program has been a huge success and we wanted to highlight some of the great websites that have been coming out of this program.
This month we're looking at
wavepointconsulting.ca. We asked Darryl Anderson who is the Managing Director for Wave Point Consulting a few questions about the company's website, and how things have been going for the company since working with Webnames.
Please describe your business in 25 words or less.A management consulting practice providing entrepreneurial solutions to clients that require expertise in the areas of trade development, transportation, logistics and strategic planning.
How important is your website to your business? What does it do for you?It is extremely important that the web site project a professional presence that is relevant to our firm's customers. We participate strictly in the business-to-business market place. We both compete and collaborate with other nationally and internationally recognized consulting brands. So it is very important for both potential customers and potential partners to gage the quality of our team's experience. A strong web site provides a face to the firm and helps build credibility and trust with customers and partners.
Why did you decide to invest in a new website?The company business plan identifies the important of allocating resources for significant web site renewal every 3 years and a refresh about every year and a half. Technology, customers expectations and markets change and there is a business risk to under investing, or delaying making the necessary changes to remain relevant.
When choosing a company to work on your site what factors came in to play?- Customer service.
- Coming up with solutions that anticipate the needs of a small business. (i.e FastTracks solution)
- Staff that care and are passionate in doing more than just a good job. A good web site is more than just attention to technical details, but includes all the little design elements that make the difference. Webnames staff have a mixture of both in their DNA.
- Cost.
Tell us a bit about your experience working with Webnames. How was the process? Did everything go as expected? Were there any surprises?The Fasttrack template and example web sites were very easy to use and helpful. I spent a fair amount of time planning what I wanted to achieve in terms of content and layout but relied very heavily on the judgment of the Webnames team on how to best achieve the outcomes in terms of colours, choice of template, suggestions for a couple of photos, and some other aspects of the projects such as a back-up tool plug-in. The team followed up according to the timelines and schedules even though it was during a very busy year end/Christmas season. The professional judgment of the Webnames staff exceeded my expectations. Not because my expectations were low but in terms of how they seemed to understand my firm's needs and not try to fit me into a solution they developed for someone else.
Did you learn anything new by going through this process? If yes, what was it?I learned that the potential integration of social media tools is something that I should have given more thought to in advance. A user friendly tool, access to technical support and a good web site makes the potential investment in time and resources in social media more compelling. It was something that I was thinking about doing in about a year's time. Now I have advanced that time line.
Has your new website had any effect on your business, either day to day or overall? If so, please explain.Members of the team have recently been asked to give presentations to couple of major industry events and write for a trade periodical. The web site has proven an an effective tool for providing information and for projecting the professional image of the firm and the experience and expertise of the consulting team members.
Is social media integrated with your website? If yes, why do you think it's important to you and your business?See answer to question 6.
How easy has it been for you to manage your site and keep it up to date?Very easy and in fact significant enhancements were made in terms of more content shortly after the Webnames team provided the new web site. The Webnames team provided the strong backbone and the WordPress tool that makes it very practical for a non-technical business owner to keep content fresh and relevant.
What would you tell someone who was considering working with Webnames on their new website?Go for it. Don't wait. The only regret you will have is wondering why you didn't contact Webnames sooner.
Want a quick and simple approach to building your website? Learn more about FastTrack by visiting our website here.
By Mark Tempest
