by Tom Batey, Director of WebDepend Ltd.

WebDepend has now been trading for 3 months and the first quarter has gone past amazingly quickly. Setting up a new company always takes a bit longer than expected with getting the company name registered, bank account, website up and running, business cards and all the other details that every business needs. The time spent getting our IT organised with computers, printers, backup facilities and software has also been (and continues to be) a chore.

Of course, it is also important to start putting the marketing plan into operation and begin attracting clients, making sure first impressions are good and delivering excellent work plus great service for those initial businesses.

At this point we are not far off where I expected and planned to be, both in terms of what needed to be done, what we have accomplished and the financials. There are always things you expect to happen that don’t plus a few opportunities that have presented themselves that were not expected.

We have picked up a few good clients and have carried out some varied work including project management and website testing work for our friends at Evolving, we designed and built a new website for Select Algarve Properties and have worked with several other clients on their Search Engine Optimisation, including producing search engine optimisation evaluation reports, a Usability/SEO audit, carrying out keyword analyses and producing optimisation reports. Finally, we have been maintaining and updating websites for several more clients.

Outside of client work, it is important to keep learning and adding new skills and this is a central aspect to what WebDepend is about. I gained my Google Analytics qualification plus spent time getting into Twitter more and finding time to work on several side projects including my Testing Web Sites blog.

We have several projects in progress, including a new website build for a security products company, which will provide details on their range of window grilles, security shutters, garage doors and door security products plus offer the ability to order products. We have spent a large amount of time with this client and have advised on everything from choosing their business name, searching for domain names, completing their logo design and put together a temporary website for them. We are now getting the SEO moving, starting a PPC campaign, keeping their blog up to date and pushing on with getting the full website finished and launched.

The number of website design and graphic design agencies located in Northampton, Leicester and Bedford that are approaching WebDepend to assist them with website testing, project management and ongoing SEO consultancy services is also growing. If you are interested in partnering with WebDepend then please complete our partner form.

The next 3 months look to be quite exciting with taking on an outsourced web development project for a very well known organisation that unfortunately I cannot name and being involved with an events management organisation in giving seminars to creative individuals on subjects such as SEO, website testing and project management. The latter was completely unexpected and not planned for at all but is a great opportunity for us to pursue nonetheless. Seminar details and dates will be announced soon.

It looks as though the next 3 months will go just as quick as the last 3 months have.