A: Our founders, and many of our team members have a background in the real estate development industry. We began early on in the real estate sector with our own in-house IT team that handled everything digital from start to finish. Inevitably, that expanded to include other people locally, and then regionally, etc… within this sector that shared this common need. From our real estate efforts, we broadened some of our on-the-ground services to include destination services. In a nutshell, the niches in which we operate share many commonalities. Each is complimentary to the other.

A: We’re open to pretty much any areas that cater predominately to English-speaking clientele. While we do offer multi-lingual support, demand has been the highest in this industry from businesses seeking to broaden their scope into the English language demographic.

Having said this, we are careful to, depending on the nature of the business, insure that we are not “building additional competition” for our clients. For example, if we’re working hand-in-hand with you to grow the greatest Ski Resort digital footprint in Timbuktu, then we’ll want to be sure that you’re the only one in Timbuktu that we’re working with… agreed? However, if you’re a real estate developer and you’re launching the pre-sale of a new community, then it’s okay for you to have competition in the area, as you’re going to be fairly unique regarding what features and benefits you offer with your specific product.

A: Rarely will we work on contract to simply set up a website(s) and walk away. If you’re looking for a quick “set it and forget it” website, then we’re probably not the company you’re looking for. We don’t say this because we want to entrap our clients to paying us when they need any little service – that’s not how we operate – but let me explain why this is important for both you and us…

A lot of our clients come to us as a referral, as they’ve heard that we’re reputable, and love to build long-term relationships with our clients. They’ve just been through a nightmare scenario wherein their prior web, software, and IT team has either gotten ornery with them, or simply abandoned the “job”. These are horrible positions for the client to be in, as on one hand you need to rely on your developers to help solve problems when you have them, and on the other hand, being strong-armed or backed into a corner can be devastating for your bottom line.

As we have quite a bit of experience to bring to the table in these niche markets (experience which is always expanding because we’re working with people just like yourself ) we found that the best way to solve this problem is to allow our clients to build a long term relationship with us, almost as if we are their own in-house team. They have transparency to what we’re doing, and our agreement together covers them when something goes wrong. We never need get involved with nickel and diming,  and the client never need worry that they’ll be left hanging.

Beyond this basic operational principle, we communicate back and forth with our clients nearly on a daily basis. There is no straight forward format or flow that we follow, however we put in place ever-evolving systems for each and every client simply depending on their unique needs.

A: You’ve either approached us via a referral, one of our online advertisements, or possibly via an organic search. Either way, you’ve read through our website, and either chatted with us already via our Intercom© application, or have sent us an inquiry through our contact form. If you have yet to do this, please do so now. Once we receive your contact, we’ll speak to you in person. We’re also available via Skype or What’sApp, as we work with many clients around the world.

You’ll likely speak with one of our founders directly – we don’t like to hide behind generic support emails. Together, we’ll formulate the right game plan for your digital footprint for the short term, mid term, and long term, allowing for variation and flexibility along the way. To reiterate, clients we’ve began with years ago are still working with us (or we’re working with them, depending on your point of view), and we’re continuously evolving with the market to grow their businesses. This industry requires quite a bit of fluidity.

A: We usually begin on a three year term. Things in the digital arena do not necessarily happen quickly. It takes time to implement, test, split test, evaluate, and modulate specific strategies. Depending on the client’s needs, we’ll set up a secure client work area within Wild Compass Media’s website where you can interact and follow along with our progress. Beyond that, you’ll find that because we respond to you quickly, at most, hours, that’ll you’ll have few, if any questions or concerns with the process as a whole.

Of course, we understand that you wouldn’t want to be locked into a contract for an extended period of time, and our agreements are amendable each and every year. Things change, we get it, and we must adapt. Our clients have chosen to amend agreements annually, because we’ve actually grown faster than expected. To date, we’ve never ended a long term contract with our clients!

It is important to note here, prior to jumping in to our next question, that when you begin working with Wild Compass Media, you’re actually joining forces with a team of professionals – leveraging off of the efforts of many. Contrast this with hiring individual employees on a full-time basis within your company. The time commitment and financial outlay associated with hiring, training, and benefits likely seems unreasonable in comparison to utilizing our team as an alternative solution.

A: Our lower than expected monthly fees are unexpected by many considering the quality of products & services we’re able to provide. With the catapult this can provide your business, it made sense to us to look at other costs that are often incurred by growing businesses, like increased staffing overhead and/or office expansion overhead, and adjust accordingly. We wanted to be well within reach of most any growing business.

For us to achieve this, it took years of honing our skills and multiplying our efforts with other industry experts and leaders. Because we’re highly focused on three to four primary niche markets, that are all indirectly related, we gain micro-leverages within this industry. Our time and efficiency can be multiplied exponentially reducing the number billable hours all while increasing the quality of the product and service beyond that of our few competitors.

A: Scope-creep is more or less exactly what it sounds like. The scope of the work slowly creeps up and up, and up… until you’re dealing with an entirely different animal from whence we started. While a lot of developers simply cannot tolerate scope creep, our belief is that it is a natural part of the growth process. After all, in an ever-changing marketplace, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to sit at home waiting for all the traffic lights to turn green along your route. The strategies we employ are roadmap strategies. You and our team will have a destination in mind for you (or multiple) and various methodologies of achieving that outcome; various different routes we can take along the way. So, as workload is added, ideas or sidelined in favor of other ideas, or we’ve learned that your customers demand a great new custom software, then we’ll know in advance that we’ve prepared for the inevitable!

A: It’s better for you. It’s better for us. Always, without fail, websites, digital media, software services, etc. evolve, change, and/or simply break. Traditionally, when you “hire” a developer to build a product for you, there will be a’ la carte rates for each individual service performed. Once a site(s) is deployed, the clock starts ticking and the inevitability of a bug – detrimental or simple – is almost guaranteed. Furthermore, as ideas and your business evolve, as they always will, you’ll want to change and amend your digital products to reflect such changes. At that point, you contact your IT person/Developer, and hope that they are available asap to assess and address your issue. This costs money, and typically a lot of it. It’s normal for some developers to see this end of the development as the lucrative end. Here is where “they” will have you backed into a metaphorical corner. Even worse, they may no longer be working actively in the same niche – and you’ll have to source someone completely new that is equally familiar with your digital product and platform as to not have to begin “from scratch” simply to fix bugs.

This is not the sort of business relationship we’re looking for with our clients, nor do we assume that it is the way you wish to run your business. This is why we feel that it’s best to offer reasonably monthly rates on our service, wherein if you need something, you can simply shoot us over an email, call one of our team, or send us a message, and we’ll get on it immediately. No waiting, no nickel and diming, no lack of transparency, no holding your business hostage, and no lack of product knowledge. When all the pros and all the cons are weighed, it seems that the most pragmatic structure for this business is to offer a price point that is both reasonable for our company, and easily within reach for your company. Likewise, we commit ourselves to becoming a part of your team to work together to grow your brand.

A: Many web development agencies will present the “plans”. You’ve recognized these before, they’re there three or four (maybe more) columns of “what’s included, & what’s not”, with the “preferred” package the one that is highlighted or brought to the forefront. While this is a great concept (we utilize it ourselves) for businesses and services that have a clearly defined and limited scope for their services offered, it’s simply not a tool that should be utilized in the web (& software) development world.

Here’s Why…

Upgrades and “scope creep” (also addressed in this FAQs section) often lead to a natural progression upward through the pricing and package hierarchy. It is very difficult to tailor specific elements of one particular package with the individual and UNIQUE needs of each and every client. Suppose package “A” is the most affordable, while package “D” is the most expensive (all others in the middle fall respectively into place), what happens if you want a little of Package “A”, a little of package “D” without all that is included in “B”, “C”, or even the rest of “D”. You’re either out of luck, or you simply have to make do with cookie cutter plans. The point with package plans, is that there is no “one size fits all”. To reiterate, each client has unique needs and desires. Our pricing listed on the site is solely an indicator of what some of the average clients are investing in their platforms. We work hard to come up with a plan of action and unique package that works the best for you and your company.

A: No. That’s the short and easy answer. The longer, deeper answer is that there are certain trends we see from our clients – likely because the niche markets we operate within share many commonalities. These trends are such things as a handful of microsites, the creative usage of videography and photography to take full advantage of increasing bandwidths and a growing demographic of customers who prefer to absorb content in this fashion. We also see a sizable decrease in the volume of people needed SEO services, as there is less of an importance being placed and simply ranking on the front page of Google versus increasing conversions and cultivating a customer list that grows and develops via more direct means. A lot of our clients see and experience the tools that other clients we work with have utilized, and that does help them to get their creative mind working – thinking of what their “dream” digital footprint would look like. Beyond this, each and every client has something slightly different – a unique reflection of who they are and what their business represents.

For inspiration on web design & development, have a look at Awwwards. This is a website wherein web professionals from all over the globe can locate each other, share their knowledge, and experience and find inspiration. In our opinion, this is one of the best options for seeking out the latest web design trends.

A: The agencies of days past would marque their presence and dominance within the marketplace by a flashy name located at a flashier address. This was a great way to establish their authority, as their “storefront” was just that – a front for their business and the potential that one might find within. What this represents today however, is a likely chance that there is a lot of overhead that said company must keep in the balance. With today’s fast-paced economy and high connectivity, this is simply no longer a necessity. Even with a large team, or a medium sized team such as ours, digital agencies are being wasteful of their own precious resources if they’re pulling out all the stops on ritz. This, in turn, may trickle down to you and your business. Why do you suppose hourly rates in Silicon Valley or New York City are some of the highest in the domestic marketplace? Well, it’s not because of the name… you’re likely subsidizing their cost of operations. With any business, those that keep their expenses in control, and grow OR contract with the market are likely to be your best bet for both reliability, and affordability. While we cannot, and will not speak for all web agencies, we do feel that this is a good rule of thumb to, at the very least, keep in the back of your mind.

Likewise, it goes without saying that you’ll want to tread carefully with the fly-by-night college “kid” who’s looking for a gig in the “coding” world. While you may stumble upon the next web genius, you’re likely to get dropped like a hot potato – your company left picking up the pieces of what is commonly referred to as “job abandonment”. Probably one of the worst things that could happen in this industry.

Before you hire, understand the agreement and terms that you’re getting involved with. Be certain that the company you are engaging works on a meritocratic playing field, and that the “proof is in the pudding” so to speak. Talk with the founder of the company, and get to know the ins and outs of how they operate – and equally important – why they operate.

A: Just a few words on hosting…. We’re all probably familiar with one or more of the handful of popular (i.e. highly advertised) hosting companies out there. Maybe some of you are also familiar with what an absolute NIGHTMARE some of them can be to deal with. Highly corporatized, appallingly bureaucratic. What is lesser known however, is that a lot of digital development agencies have entered into an “affiliate” arrangement with these companies, wherein they’re paid a commission/override on the sales of hosting. Often times, the hosting costs themselves are over-inflated to compensate for this – the hosting company knows what the maximum is that people are willing to pay – and they’re charging it.

Again, this is a generalization. We don’t speak for all, nor do we wish to misrepresent that web agencies that use the common hosting companies are out to “get” you. They’re not. But, we’d like to illustrate some of the issues that may arise in third party hosting, the aforementioned cost being one of them.

Some of our founding members began over a decade ago in the industry by owning and operating their own hosting company. This gave the added layer of protection needed and it made sense to us that having full control of security and backup/restoring of data was important – and need not include a “middle man” that could either cause costly delays, or, at best, undesired downtime. For our clients, this was incredible. What’s great for our clients is great for us.

That hosting company has grown exponentially since then – gone through re-branding, mergers, buyouts, and more. What this means for you, is that we can and do offer amazing hosting packages, at a super-competitive price point. We have immediate access to your site, which means that YOU have immediate access to your site. We run backup servers, which means that IF something was to happen to your site, we have the ability to immediately restore from that very recent backup.

As needed, we provide SSL certificates (you know.. the little “Secure” thingy on the domain with the padlock? https:// is where you’ll notice this. Great for sites with an commerce or membership platform, and also, Google looks very highly upon this nowadays).

Additionally, we’ve upgraded to SSD (solid-state drive) servers. At the time of this writing, few in the industry are doing this. This greatly increases page load times (and as an indirect result, your page rankings in the search engines), and increases overall reliability of your site(s). Furthermore, we’re able to hold a lot more data in a smaller space. This translates to MORE useable room for you at a very decreased price point. With SSD servers, we’re gaining an added level of protection with DDOS (direct denial of service) protection that’s available to our clients.

Control. This is a big point here, and we’re asked every time by our clients “what about control”. You have full control. By us managing the hosting, we’re not taking control of the site(s) away from you. In point of fact, it’s quite the opposite. We’re able to gain more control over you site(s) which means that we’re passing along more control to you. You’ll have full admin cPanel control, and you’ll be provided with backups upon your request (obviously the most recent of backups prior to any hiccup).

Oh, and by the way… we can set you up with as many email clients as you’ll need (yourname@yoursite.com).

Having said all of this, can you really think of any reason why web development companies that server you should NOT be offering exceptional hosting services? We can’t either.