website growth in surrey

We were founded two years ago, initially as part of an IT support unit, for small business in Surrey, now a separate non-profit service. The policy statement underlying our creation came partly in reaction to complaints from consumers and businesses, where they felt they received poor service from an industry that had not evolved ideally. The main motivation though, was to see every consumer, community group and growing business pursue opportunities new technology presented. Realistic advice needed to be the core of our work, yet practical support may be required, at a realistic cost. We have tried to ensure both facilities are available, to help the county be part of the information revolution.

With nearly eighty percent of households in Surrey having a PC and an internet connection, customers and businesses have a fresh channel for instant communication. The danger is that larger businesses come to dominate this space and whilst we wish them well, that would not be good for consumers, or the growth of new enterprise. Our role is to help small businesses compete on a level playing field, by providing resources that are available to their larger counterparts. The emphasis is on self help, backed up by ongoing, free advice, with an experienced website developer called upon where essential. In that event, we try to recommend the best people, encourage them to work at a cost smaller businesses can meet and monitor progress.

If a specialist does work with you to develop your business they are not able to do so without payment, the people we suggest will be respected in their field and normally charge accordingly. We would like to think the reason they work with us, is a wish to see everyone involved in the future they are helping to build. Without doubt, they are enthusiastic about website development but there are also practical reasons for supporting us. They have no marketing costs, no obligation to take work that will not ideally suit their skills. A percentage of the quite small businesses they help will grow and become part of their long term customer base. In the interim, they can rely on us to act as an interface, through the free services we provide:

• Telephone and email support, to help with day to day website management
• Providing an overview of your site, to highlight opportunities for website improvement
• Ensuring that skills within our team are shared, to offer development information

Where paid support is needed, fees charged by developers will be tailored to the situation. Every project is individual from a few hours support, to rebuilding an entire website. As a rule of thumb, we try to persuade developers to work with you at half their commercial rate. No fees will ever be incurred without agreement and if we can help without cost, we always will. Please feel free to contact us at any time.

As much as our view on your website can bring a fresh approach, we are happy to receive ideas from Surrey businesses, or residents. Services should evolve through community input and listening to clients.

If you feel there are areas related to website growth, where we could help more, please let us know. All ideas will be looked at closely, we hold regular reviews and customer input is at the heart of these.

Whilst you may need website support initially, we explain the reasoning behind each action. Your website is an integral part of your business, understanding the best way to run this helps with wider decisions.

We also recognise that, where possible, keeping a website updated and building on the original content is best carried out in house. The more a business manages their own website the better, with a developer concentrating on advice and building skills.