Web designers share advice for thriving in the face of business turmoil.
With shock victories for Brexit in the UK and Trump in the US marking the start of the most volatile period for business many of us will have experienced, it's natural to feel anxious. In our recent article How the web industry is coping in uncertain times, we spoke to agency heads and web experts to get their take on the situation.
So, what tips can our experts suggest to help you safeguard your business against whatever fresh hell the world decides to throw at us next?
01. Diversify your clients
Putting all your eggs in one basket is a bad idea
"Diversify your client list so that if one or some of them go out of business, you don’t," says Harry O’Connor, managing director at VoodooChilli Design. "Also, consider investing into developing an in-house product."
Adam Cowley, a small business director with seven years’ experience as a freelance web developer and technical lead, agrees. "Working with smaller businesses or businesses that have customer bases in the UK and don’t rely on trade with the EU (Government, Transport & Infrastructure, ecommerce, SMEs) would certainly help to safeguard future revenue."
02. Talk it out
Stay in touch with clients so you know about problems sooner
"Talk and talk often. Talk to your clients, talk to your team, talk to your networks. The more you communicate and build those relationships, the more honesty you will receive," advises Alex Ellis, managing director of Delete.
"Then, if and when there are issues on the horizon, you will find out about them quicker and earlier, giving you more time to react."
03. Broaden your horizons
The internet has no borders
"Start doing business internationally," says Suraj Kika, CEO at Jadu. "The internet has no borders and if it means you get to travel and work with diverse cultures, we recommend it 100 per cent."
04. Stay ahead of the curve
Stay ahead of the curve by keeping up with the latest technologies
"Keeping up to speed with the latest technologies and the way they are changing customer expectations is paramount," explains Jon Davie, CEO at Zone.
"The disconnect between what customers expect and what brands deliver is growing – any digital professional who can help bridge that gap will be well placed to thrive."
05. Let go of the past
Moving with the times is your only option
"Stop trying to hold on to things – the notion of ‘security’ is both meaningless and outdated," suggests Brown&co co-founder Troy Wade. "Be flexible, try new things, open yourself up to saying yes to the projects you wouldn’t have considered saying yes to before."
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Jim McCauley is a writer, performer and cat-wrangler who started writing professionally way back in 1995 on PC Format magazine, and has been covering technology-related subjects ever since, whether it's hardware, software or videogames. A chance call in 2005 led to Jim taking charge of Computer Arts' website and developing an interest in the world of graphic design, and eventually led to a move over to the freshly-launched Creative Bloq in 2012. Jim now works as a freelance writer for sites including Creative Bloq, T3 and PetsRadar, specialising in design, technology, wellness and cats, while doing the occasional pantomime and street performance in Bath and designing posters for a local drama group on the side.
