Wow, another year is upon us. I wish all readers a very happy and prosperous one. I spent the Christmas break back in Dublin. Lots of good food and sifting through the TV channels. I found myself reflecting on the year that was - and planning for the year that will be. I'm not normally one for "new year resolutions", but I thought it might be beneficial this time around - to help me focus on my own objectives for SCG (Web Design Company Dublin) and maybe also help clarify some points for fellow business development managers. Whether they agree or disagree is another thing. Anyway, here's what I came up with:

Generate more leads

This is an obvious one. I would say lead generation has been my main challenge since starting work at SCG (a recently founded Web Design Company Dublin). There is generally very strong competition on the web design market in Dublin these days. Most competitors are offering up very high quality web design services. The question is how to out-do these guys and stand out.

Towards the end of last year, I commissioned the redesign of the SCG website. It is now much improved in terms of user experience. The next step is to drive more relevant visitors to the site. Google Adwords is a good place to start for short term results. All that's needed is to outbid competitors on pay-per-clicks, for keywords such as "Web Design Company Dublin". Easy eh? Well, this of course requires adequate budget expenditure and the game is only half won by getting visitors to your site. The next challenge is to convert those visitors into paying customers.

Win more contracts

Sure, it's great when the visitor numbers are up and the enquiries are rolling in. But what counts is what you say in those emails, follow up phone calls and personal meetings. And how you say it. If they like what they see and hear, they'll most likely ask for an official proposal to be written up. This is where you need to brainstorm and think of all possible tasks that need to be done for the project and how long they will each take. It makes sense to consult with your developers on this. The proposal should also be engaging, without typos and straight to the point. It should cover all and everything that was discussed with the potential client, including any further recommendations you might suggest. In addition a clear breakdown of costs should be included, along with terms & conditions and statement of work.

Improve standards & stay on top of trends

Current web trends and standards is something that every web or UX designer should continuously have their eye on. Read magazines. Follow relevant blogs. Network. Attend meetups. I know it's a big ask to stay on top of everything, but something to consider nonetheless if you plan to stand out in your work!

Work smarter, not harder

Since leaving Ireland back in 2006, I've lived and worked in five different countries, on three different continents. I've worked for large companies, medium and small enterprises too. One of the things I noticed working in Germany in particular (at least in the companies that I worked for), is the attitude to work. The attitude of "getting things done". I appreciated the expectancy to fill the actual time spent at the office, with real productivity. That's definitely something that helped me improve professionally. Sure, it's always important to spend time grabbing a coffee with a colleague, having team lunches, or simply getting away from your desk for a few minutes every hour.

But overall, I learnt that there really isn't a reason to work extra long hours, if you focus enough on your tasks and get into the rhythm of setting out goals for each day and achieving them. There should be plenty of time to leave work on time and enjoy your evening!

Web Design Company Dublin

And finally, the reason you are involved in web design, development or online marketing is most likely because you enjoy it! And you're good at it! So I would simply say keep on enjoying your work. And keep doing what you enjoy. In many ways I have been talking to myself in this article. However, I hope it is of some benefit to fellow web professionals out there.

To conclude, if you have a web project you'd like to discuss, feel free to reach out. Have a good one folks!