In website design, what clients want they get

"THE key to the creation of websites is how fast we can get it up and running for the client, because time is the essence."

Michael Chong, owner and website designer of Webpixel Technology, says that customers are now concerned on how fast they can have their website and how self-customiseable they can be.

Chong says he first started in the field after he was offered to be a partner in a web firm.

"After a while, I went my own way and now we have two people in our company doing websites and design," he says. Some websites the company designed include www.emall.com.bn, www.babika.org, www.sonicom-ent.com. The company is currently working on www.bruhome.com, one of Brunei's latest website for property seekers.

Webpixel Technology was registered almost four years ago and at that time, competition was already tough so the firm had to come up with different ideas.

"There were a lot of people doing freelance and there were some companies setting up to do this sort of thing. But the key point for us, is we encourage a one-off payment where clients can edit their content through Content Management System (CMS)," he says, referring to the software that runs as a web application to help Internet users with little programming knowledge to create and manage content.

In contrast, Chong says the firm's competitors would charge $1,500 for five pages worth of work and then charge more for updates.

"What we are doing is easier. Clients can update without me (they can) edit pictures and content. Unless they want to change the whole layout, they would contact me. This way it's much better and I can attend to more clients," he says.

Chong, who studied web design before working, believes that what you learn and what you were taught is different from what is currently being done.

"So, I had to take up a few more courses and some programming skills to add to my resumé. But luckily, for a business like this, capital is not a big issue. Most of it is skill-based and you don't really need an office space. Customers would generally prefer you to meet them in their office to discuss their website," he says.

Chong says that the challenges he faced initially was the demand on the speed of the job and pricing, mainly because the market is quite saturated and there are a lot of people doing the same things.

"Now, the market has changed a little bit. Customers are more demanding and they want a website where they can upload their products along with a shopping cart. This allows customers to shop online and site owners are more interested in this now," he adds.

Chong also says that clients now mostly want to be able to update their website content themselves.

"Last time, people rely more on the designer to do any changes, but now with CMS, they just want to be able to update content on their own," he says, adding that this also allows Webpixel Technology to focus on more clients to build a broader network.

In regards to the companies success, Chong says it is all about word-of-mouth.

"When we complete a job, clients are happy and would recommend us. We are fair in terms of pricing and we get things done quickly, that is what I believe has helped us. Also, people that I've met have helped me a lot in terms of getting clients, so a good network is also the key here," he says.

Chong believes that having a website now is one of the most important tools a company needs.

"Once you have your own site, you can advertise more products and not just in Brunei, but to other countries as well. In the future, we plan to have more attractive packages for our customers, making us more competitively priced against our competitors," he says.

Webpixel Technology also hopes to introduce a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) website, where customers can just purchase online and choose their layout in a step-by-step manner. "It's quite a cheap and innovative way which Brunei does not have yet," he says. The Brunei Times