Tom Horton is the MD of Attica Web Solutions, a newly launched UK based web development agency. We’ve been working with Tom and his company since May 2011 on developing his company’s branding, positioning and marketing and helping him promote his business to attract the type of customers his business needs to survive and thrive. 

We asked Tom some questions to give you; the business owner, some insight into how creative agencies can best work with web developers to create the best online solution for your business.

Question : Can you tell us exactly what your company does and how your clients benefit from working with your unique business?

“My company provides web solutions that are tailor made for your business model. Also we offer unique ways of marketing your business online, Our unique skill is taking a new website with no traffic to a site that is getting targeted traffic that is converting into sales, leads or enquiries.”

Question : How do you think your business has benefited to date from the creative solutions provided by us?

“My business has been taken from the pub football league to the top of the football premiership league where we are in a position to compete with Manchester United, Chelsea etc. Also by going through the branding process, I have managed to get on board world class online marketeers who see the potential in my business. People and my clients will see me as a business owner rather than somebody working from a back bedroom designing websites.”

Question :  What do you believe great design and visual communication brings to your business and businesses in general?

“A great design inspires confidence in new prospects and leads to higher conversion rates. The visual communication reflects the brand and the way people see your business. I am hoping that people will feel that I am operating on a corprate level rather than on the back bedroom level. In general, I am hoping that the site will have a higher conversion rate and also attracts high level customer base.”

Question :  What’s your opinion about businesses using the gifted amateur (e,g a teenage relative with basic web software knowledge) instead of using a professional company like yours to develop their web presence?

“I kind of started out as the gifted amateur, but I soon realised my limitations and the skills that I needed to move my business forward. I learnt very quickly that I am not a graphic designer, I am not a social media expert, but I realised clients would expect those services from me. By forming partnerships with the right people, this added value to my business in terms of services that I offer. Also, you have team of people that you can discuss ideas and marketing concepts with.

This days anybody can put up a website, when it comes to understanding somebodies business plan or vision, this is where I come in to play, because I bring in people with experience in their field and have proven track records. A teenager or the gifted amateur will not have access to that expertise.”

Question :  What’s your view on businesses who buy web development on cost and not value?

“If you are first starting out in business, like myself, you just want a simple website to promote yourself online and to get the feel of your position in the market place. Initally, you do not to spend a fortune. As your business moves forward, you will soon realise that your website will need to be branded or uplifted in some way. At this point is when you need to spend the money on brand and web functionality.

Bear the above point in mind, If you buy web development at cost more than likely the web developer will not be able to support or understand your website needs. If you go for web developer basedv on value, more than likely the solution delevered at stage one will allow future growth keeping your spend to a minimum, because all the thinking has been done at stage one. You then be able to draw a 12 month plan which you can then budget for and only spen money, if the websiye is meeting your expectations.”

Question :  How important do you think SEO and social media is for a business’s online presence today?

“SEO and even more so social media is very crucial for establishing an online presence. Google loves a website that is popular and being mentioned a lot in the social media networks.”

Question : Why do you think businesses think they need to be 1st in online search results?

“I don’t think its crucial to be no 1 in the search engine results. People use the search engines for research, compare prices, compare services or find information. Sometimes you may have more enquiries by being on top of page 2 than page 1. Reason being, if people are looking, they won’t neccesarily buy from somebody on top of page 1.

If somebody is ready to purchase, then having a high rank on page one is crucial. The way I manage this, is to have more than one page listed through out google. You appear on page 1, page 2, page 3 - etc. This way you are dealing with the buy nows and the researchers, plus you are keeping your brand in front of people.”

Question :  How do you think mobile phone voice technology, like Apple’s Siri on the new iPhone 4s will effect web search?

“The new voice technology over the next 3 years will have a big impact on how search engines operate and integrate with the user. The way search engines will go with voice they will have to become the equilavent of the telephone directory service 118118. You will be given top 5 companies and then you can either speak your email enquiry, phone them or speak your purchase. A lot of work has be devloped in the E-commerce world before voice technology makes an impact on the search results.

Voice will also change how we shop online and in some respects we could go back to the call centre days where you speak your items rather then select your items with a mouse. To make this work, ecommerece and google must turn to the gaming industry and movie industry, so that when you go shopping you actually enter a 3D world where you can experince shopping from your living room, but by having a headset you could be shopping at tescos with your trolley and touching, feeling, smelling the items you choosing. This I want to find some serious people so that we can develop this idea.”

Question :  Where do you think the web is going and how important is it for businesses to have the right web solution?

“The web will get more visual and I see that 3d technology will have a big impact on websites. Web technology as to follow the gaming industy and embrace their technology to survive.

Depending on your type of business, you will need to have a website compatiable with all phones techonlogies and tablets just to survive. That is why its important to find a web developer that has this vision.”

Question :  Any tips on how creative companies can get the best out of working with web developers?

“Best tip is to listen to each other and work closely with the client.”

Thanks alot Tom for this insight!

Tom’s Links :

linkedin profile : thomas-horton / website : www.atticawebsolutions.com / twitter : @TomHorton_AWS

Pete Burrows, Owner, Design & Creative Marketing Visionary @ SO we create.

e hello@sowecreate.com / linkedin : peteburrows / twitter : @SOwecreate