To continue from my previous post about "Affordable Quality" when it comes to our web design business, I would like to touch on some points of what the Quality part of that sentence means:

Design to Web Standards

We stay up on our game when it comes to following industry trends and standards to make the web more accessible. This translates to our product looking great on all kinds of browsers (both on desktop and mobile browsers), being search engine friendly, and to screen readers for people with different accessibility needs.

Don't Reinvent the Wheel

Whenever possible we use technologies that already exist and have been well tested. This way you aren't paying us to explore new territory and taking risks. For some, they might want the newest eye-catching thing, but for most businesses and organizations we come across, they want the web to just work for them and be cost effective. Big corporations can afford to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on risky ventures, we find our clients enjoy working with tried and true processes that work the first time.

Knowledge Share

A lot of web companies rely on outside contractors, freelancers, and offshore (and cheaper) labor; we don't. We find this directly impacts the quality of our work because our team is very in tune with each other as well as we constantly share new knowledge through daily conversation, lunch n' learns, and specific team presentations. We keep an in-house knowledge base of various solutions that have come out of tough problems - when an issue comes up that one of us hasn't seen before, they can always check the knowledge base prior to asking if anyone has come across it before. This saves time and allows for expertise to flow freely between our team.

Attention to Detail

We think in pixels. What the heck does that mean? It means that after building a couple hundred custom designed websites, logos, brochures, and other design assets, our vision has been permanently altered to seek out the tiniest matter on the screen. We work to make sure that our sites are clean, aligned, balanced, and easy on the eyes. 

When we hired our first full-time designer, Steven Waller, 4 years ago, I used to give him a hard time because I would look at proofs and comps and find little things that were a pixel off here or there - he was always bewildered that I could pick that stuff out at a glance. Now he keeps our newer staff in line with the same hard eyes. This same attention translates to how we code, how we architect, and in general, every task we do throughout the day.

Project Management Software

Keeping track of revisions, requests, input, and project communication can be tough. We use a well known piece of software called Basecamp as well as Backpack and Highrise to manage information between team members and clients. This makes sure that we don't have to double-communicate and that small tasks and to-dos are not overlooked in the hustle.

Dedicated Support System

Making sure that you get responses to your support needs is very important. That is why we have a dedicated support email address for our clients, emailus@hotpressweb.com. Anytime a client emails that address, our team is notified and the next person available can jump on it. They can easily assign the task to another team member and all communication regarding that issue is tracked in our ticketing system. This allows us to monitor performance and make sure that we are meeting our clients demands.

So those are some of the ways that we ensure all of our projects are produced at the highest quality possible, yet still stay affordable for growing businesses and organizations. 

We first came across the Cunningham Foundation in 2006 when Steve and I were officing out of our house across the street from Strings Restaurant. They were the very first organization that we ever said, "hey, why don't we donate you a website". So we did that in 2007, ended up going to Ethiopia with them that year and then again in 2008, and helped put together their first Hope Ball in 2009.

So many of the connections, experiences, and friends that we have now can be traced back to us making that decision to give back 4 years ago. That brings us to 2010 - we just wrapped up the 2nd Hope Ball event and it was incredible.

The collaboration that took place to get 180 people in a room together all dressed up to learn and support the Cunningham Foundation was absolutely magical. We had about 10 artists that donated works, Colorado Ballet gave us tickets with a backstage pass, Accommodations Vail donated 2 nights and a spa package in Beaver Creek, and countless other giving folks contributed items. 

Governor Bill Ritter made an appearance and emphasized how important the work Noel & Tammy are continually doing as well as the ripples of inspiration and change they have made by inspiring others.

Yours Truly, Tammy Cunningham, & Governor Bill Ritter

We flew my close friend Max Dean (college roommate now famous) and his girlfriend Brenna Whitaker to perform, wow. Vesta Dipping Grill, Jing, Strings, 240 Union, and d Bar Desserts all provided the deliciousness for the evening. 

I could go on and on about this great event, but at the end of the day, I just want to say thanks to all those that made it happen and that we dearly appreciate your support.

Myself and Steve getting some appreciation

Something we developed as one of our core principles of our business some time ago was the idea of "Affordable Quality" and we never really brought up what that means.

It finally occurred to me that this might mean to some that we do good work for cheap prices. Well - in my history in business, there isn't a lot of great stuff that comes out of cheap.

So I want to tell you how we do it - its not because we are cheap, we are affordable because:

No receptionists

When you call, we answer our phones ourselves. This might sound crazy (or not), but we strive to give out our direct phone lines so that you can get the answers you need as fast as possible and you aren't paying for our convenience when you sign a contract.

No account managers

Everyone produces. Everyone here knows how to make websites and has professional experience. We work on a single platform which allows everyone to get their hands dirty and produce. This also makes it easy for everyone to help you which makes access to support easier.

No fancy office

We moved out of spiffy office space downtown because we wanted to pay reasonable rent and have plenty of free parking for our customers when they visit. Steve and I used to have covered parking downtown for about $300/month for two spots - that costs rolled to our clients and we didn't like it. When you hire us, you are paying for expert labor, not perks.

No advertising

We just don't do it. Traditional advertising for small businesses is just too expensive and not track-able. We market heavily through our network and word of mouth. Instead of dropping thousands on one-time hits, we always try to think of innovative ways we can get our name in the community by doing good things - like building websites for charities or volunteering our consulting services in trade for sponsorship credit.

No accounts payable

We use software to track billing and accounts efficiently so we don't need extra staff to keep track of our money flow. Using affordable web technology saves us thousands on CPAs or in-house accounting staff. This efficiency also makes billing easy for our clients as everything for your account is tracked online and can be paid from your desk.

So that's how we stay affordable, but what about this whole idea of quality, well, stay tuned for Part 2.