“Reclamation” as it relates to websites and web marketing may sound odd. But in reality, it is not. We do a lot of business with people and companies who are in desperate need of professional interactive guidance but aren’t real sure where to turn.
Here are some real common types of issues that prospective Clients approach us with:
The “our site looks heinous” scenario:
This is an extremely common complaint. Not unlike a new car which looks great when first driven off the lot, a website can lose its luster over time. Even a perfectly architected site with great user paths can end up looking dated or be in need of a good sprucing-up. Many times, prospective Clients are shocked to find out how little it takes to “re-skin” an otherwise solid site to bring it into the current decade (or century).
The “our site looks good but is impossible to maintain” scenario:
Many prospective Clients come to us who like the look and feel of their current site but find they either need to reproduce the site into a Content Management System (CMS) or need to get out of their current CMS. Many companies are stuck with a Joomla-based site or a site built on Expression Engine, ModX or some “proprietary” CMS that makes them want to scream. Other companies find that their current CMS platform has unexpected limitations or costs too much to maintain and evolve. Still others have home-grown “CMS” platforms that have no hope of keeping up with the web tech marketplace and/or have become way too convoluted for administrative users. We have extensive experience migrating existing sites from one CMS to another. We have extensive experience with the best CMS platforms available (both non-ecomm and ecomm). We aren’t married to any particular CMS, though we do have strong opinions as to which one is likely to work best for any given project. But we aren’t limited by programming language, as we are fluent in .net and .php – this means we are objective when it comes to the best solution for a Client’s needs.
The “what the hell were we thinking when we had an ad agency build us a site” scenario:
If we had a dollar for every time we have heard this, well… we’d have a lot of dollars. Here’s a secret: Traditional Agencies have things they are great at and things they perhaps should leave to others. In many cases, Agencies are really strong at branding and design (aesthetics) and messaging, but simply do not possess the same mastery as it relates to information architecture, usability, calls-to-action, web transaction development, lead capture, Search Engine Optimization, Pay-per-click Strategy and Management, and so forth. And most of them know it. The problem is that most agencies don’t like to admit where their mastery ends. It’s good for SunAnt because many Agencies come to us to do the web fulfillment components for projects they have sold to their Clients. It’s also good for us, as eventually the Client gets wise and decides to engage a company like SunAnt to make things right. So if this has happened to you, don’t feel too bad about it because you aren’t the first to be duped and you won’t be the last. We don’t do confidence games at SunAnt. We know what we know and we know what we don’t know. And we are clear about it and very up front about where our expertise begins and where it ends.
The “our site runs too slowly and we don’t know what to do about it scenario”:
Even sites built on excellent CMS platforms known for speed can run into latency issues. For instance, let’s say you’ve got a gigantic WordPress Site that is a wee bit more sluggish than usual. Or let’s say you have a custom developed site that is stuck in the weeds. Often times it is just a matter of spending some time trouble-shooting to find a simple cause. Other times, a quick audit reveals issues with server configuration or hosting limitations. Whatever the case, before you spend a boat load of cash having someone else “fix” the issues, let us render a second opinion.
The “we just need the site to get us through the next years” scenario:
Times are tight for many businesses and the thought of a comprehensive redesign of an old site/relaunch of a new site is often overwhelming. SunAnt can work with you to determine the best short-term, mid-term, and long-term strategy to get the biggest bang for your buck. In many cases, marginal and incremental improvements over time can achieve a great deal. As long as you have a cogent strategy in hand, a lot can be done for relatively little. Plus, we are flexible as it relates to pay-down schedules. We respect our Clients’ cash flow and budgeting concerns and are happy to think of creative schedules for our Clients.
The “I just wish we could convert our site into a decent CMS solution” scenario:
We understand and can help you make that happen. It’s important to note, we do this type of stuff day-in and day-out. Whether you are in need of a monster-sized ecomm site or a simple informational site, chances are we’ve done similar projects in the past. What’s experience worth? Well, for one, it saves a bunch of money for our Clients, as they don’t need to pay for us to learn on the job. Likewise, it’s worth a lot of saved headaches. We know what to ask during discovery, we know how to write comprehensive specification (so you know precisely what you are getting for your money) and we only recommend to our Clients what we would do if we were in their shoes.