So, lockdown happened and we started to worry. We can survive for a month, maybe two, maybe three, but having to pay our team for months on end isn’t going to happen. Worry and stress set in, but we decided to fight until the end!
During week one, Boris announced a few things that made us have more confident, hopefully a SBRR grant amounting to £10k, and 80% of our PAYE to furloughed staff… but then something extraordinary happened, and we now have quite a backlog of work, albeit from home!
If COVID-19 wasn’t in the news, my accountant would describe last week as a “good week”, lots of repeat business, and surprisingly a few new large-scale contracts, but why?
With web design, one of the biggest obstacles that we have is time; not ours, but that of our clients. Writing content, liaising with us on designs and layouts, and focussing on the website as a whole whilst running a business day to day is hard. But hey, for better or for worse (definitely worse in this case) the day to day running of businesses has slowed, which means this particular obstacle has disappeared.
Not for everyone though; those who are key workers or those struggling with cash flow will have issues, but for companies with a cash-rich business, a long term strategy and some all-important downtime, then what an opportunity!
We’ve had quotes that have been ‘open’ for a year, and now the business owners finally have time set aside, so have ‘pushed the button’, and we’ve had new clients from web agencies that have shut prematurely, urgently wanting things done. Many of our own clients have pushed forward taking advantage of our free staff, rather than having to wait weeks for availability like normal… it’s not all bad.
Like many others, we’re uncertain about the months to follow. We’ll make it through this, there’s no doubt in my mind now (time to thank the measures put in place by the government), but it’s this confidence of the future that we have, that many share, that will push businesses on.
So what are we doing? Well, for now we are ‘full steam ahead’, fulfilling contracts and deadlines, and surprisingly taking on new projects… but with an economy on pause, we’re not naive enough to think that this isn’t indefinite.
So what we are suggesting to people is if you want a new website or modifications to yours in the foreseeable future, then now is the time to act! I don’t necessarily mean by signing a new contract (although people are doing this), but get in touch. Even if we have to furlough our staff in the weeks or months to come, my business partner, Alex, or I, will be here to get the fundamentals in place.
Whether you want a new web site created, or your current one upgraded by Webbed Feet, or even another web design agency, it doesn’t matter. Why not give us a call, and help us tell you what it is likely to cost, how it should be structured, how it should look, and importantly what you can do in preparation. Then, when the time is right, you can give this information at any web agency and they will be able to get started, with minimal input from you, and get it completed quickly.
We don’t want anything for this; we welcome a phone call or email, we’re just happy to get the ball rolling.
Most clients of our, and other web agencies' clients, struggle to find the time to get their website underway, and what an opportunity this is!
So get in touch, don’t expect any high-pressure sales techniques, or an unexpected invoice, expect a friendly chat, and some advice on what you can do for when you’re ready to buy a new, or modify and old website.
We are Webbed Feet, we’re here to chat about the light at the end of the tunnel!