About me
For more than 30 years I have been plying my trade as a developer. Back in the early days this was in computer based training and multimedia. Then, around 25 years ago, I transitioned into building websites.
In 2012 I decided to set up my own web development business. Operating as a sole trader, my vision was to use collaboration with other professionals (freelancers, sole traders and small businesses) to offer a full service that can rival more ‘traditional’ agencies at a lower cost.
Working in this way means that I can also offer my services on a sub-contract basis. And this is something I continue to do, in addition to providing full website design and development services direct to businesses.
All too often I have seen web professionals focusing on the wrong things. Whether that’s the latest design fad or the tech that is ‘flavour of the month’. Ultimately what should matter is the businesses that we are creating for, and their desired outcomes.
For me, that always means starting the conversation with clients with one simple question. And that is ‘what is your website for?’
What is a virtual agency?
You may sometimes hear me refer to my business as a 'Virtual Agency', but what does that mean?
In a 'traditional' agency you have a very top-down structure. Layers of management and employees. Which means a lot of costs. And add to this the costs related to running an office building and it is no wonder that their charges are going to be high.
With a 'Virtual Agency' there are no employees. Instead I have a network of associates, such as designers and copywriters, each one a specialist in their field. I assemble the right team for each project from my associates, which keeps costs down and the quality high.
It also means that clients are always communicating directly with the professionals producing their website. You won't find any middle-managers in a 'Virtual Agency'.
Website platforms
I provide three build options for new websites.
WordPress powers over 43% of all websites on the internet. Its massive market share is not an accident; it is the result of a highly flexible, open-source system that works just as well for a local bakery as it does for a massive multinational enterprise.
WordPress utilizes a modular ecosystem built on Themes (which control how the site looks) and Plugins (which control how the site functions). Its built-in page builder allows site editors to create and layout page content in a flexible way.
Astro is a web framework for building content-driven websites. Unlike WordPress, it is not a content management system. Astro is best-known for pioneering a new frontend architecture to reduce overheads and complexity compared to other frameworks.
If you need a website that loads fast, has great SEO, and doesn't have the inherent risks that a Content Management System might have then Astro is for you.
This is a hybrid solution which uses Astro for the front-end of the website, but with the addition of some content management tools provided by WordPress on the back-end.
Content management is much more controlled though compared to a full WordPress solution, limited to just pre-defined sections such as News. This reduces exposure to risk for the website owner and reduces complexity for the website administrator.
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