Today I present another written interview with Dean Signori of www.signoriwebsolutions.com. Dean offers web design and SEO services, in this interview I ask him various questions about running his business and how he got started.
Check it out:
1. What got you interested in offering SEO and Web Design services? Share your story
Well after a gruelling 4 years at Teesside University I wanted a little time out from it all but still had the need for a decent income so I set out to work for myself which I believed would leave me more free time than working for someone else. I noticed that a lot of companies around where I live were yet to pick up on HTML5 and CSS3, for the un-techie people reading this post these were the up and coming web languages used at the time. I had learned these from the start so it was my strong point and thought that it would give me a head start on the companies around me and a good selling point. I also noticed that there prices seemed steep and that I could recreate those kind of services and make a good living by undercutting them, and so Signori Web Solutions was launched.
2. What are some of the biggest challenges you face today when it comes to working with clients to meet their needs?
The biggest challenge has to be shutting off from it all, it is very hard not to keep working because there is always something to be getting on with be it a clients site or my own projects. There is so much to learn and so much that is continuously changing that even when you understand something well it is not long before it’s updated or renewed! The Google algorithms that churn out search results and the factors that influence them are amongst the most rapidly changing and these kinds of services bring the most profit & stress.
3. Do most clients come to you looking for both design and SEO services? Do you manage all of the work on your own or do you have a team? Perhaps you outsource some of the work?
Yes I get a mix of clients, I tend to get them on board with a good website, tell them all the details they need to get ranked and make some profit and that gets them hooked into SEO services. I find being honest and teaching them along the way encourages there trust, to see the benefits and use my services. I try to manage the web design services myself as I do not trust the skills of a 3rd party yet, this works well as I don’t have to keep looking for work, the work that comes in often keeps me busy and the SEO that follows bumps up the profits. I manage all of the SEO myself and direct 3rd parties when needed but under strict guidance, so yes the SEO can be somewhat outsourced to trusted subcontractors under an agreed strategy. Getting a team is my next step I am currently looking into apprenticeships.
4. When it comes to design, what are some typical practices you follow when working on clients websites? What types of CMS platforms (Such as WordPress) do you use most commonly?
I tend to steer away from platforms when I can unless the user specifically needs a content management system for their product/service type. I code all of my websites from scratch the hardcore way using notepad++ as it gets me at one with the site and makes sure that I understand every aspect of the code which helps with any debugging issues on various browser and devices. I do use platforms from time to time when a blog is needed because there is no need to reinvent the wheel so to speak and when I do I use WordPress or Magento.
5. What are your future plans for 2014 and beyond?
My future plans are definitely to expand the company with a few team members. I plan on training at least one business development person to use the phone constantly and gain new business. This is something I currently don’t do and never have done as I prefer the business to come to me via the internet or word of mouth. As soon as this person gets a few sales I will have no choice but to hire another web developer/designer to shift the workload from myself, this person will have to be a fully fledged developer/designer to be able to hit the ground running.
