The UK’s Leading Web Design Company

You’ll end up with a clunky website that drives visitors away. ​

Bug-ridden code that will be costly to maintain. 

Google won’t recognise your site, leaving you visible in search results. 

Poor integration leads to delays and looks unprofessional harming your reputation. 

Your site doesn’t make you any more sales and may even start costing you money 

To top it off, a budget developer may ignore you, leaving you frustrated and stranded. 

This question distinguishes serious web developers from amateur designers. It’s the distinction between a fully functional business website and one that looks like a mere online brochure. 

What you are looking for in a website developer and agency is a systematic, business-oriented approach that not only creates a good looking website but also one that serves its purpose.  

The starting place for that is the platform they use. 

In recent years, user-friendly business website platforms like Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify have gained popularity. While convenient for small businesses entering the online sphere, there’s a drawback. These platforms limit your design options, and as your business grows, you may require costly customisations. 

At Online Marketing Surgery, we’ve found a solution to this problem. We use WordPress, the same platform trusted by renowned brands like PlayStation, Disney, Sony Music, The New York Times, Microsoft News, Vogue, and many others.  

WordPress is the most capable, comprehensive, flexible, and supported content management system available. 

We’ve built thousands of successful sites using WordPress.  

Now you know the platform we use, here are the steps we take to design and develop your site, once we’ve understood your requirements. 

1. We map out the architecture of your existing business software systems. 
2. Define the business processes for the completed site. 
3. Create a website design that interfaces with your existing architecture to deliver your desired processes. 
4. Build the website from the design using WordPress. 
5. Where required, we use custom code to integrate systems and provide the functionality you need. 
6. We map out the data flows to ensure GDPR compliance. 

More importantly, why does this question matter? 

Research from 2021 shows that a significant chunk of internet traffic comes from mobile devices.  

Just check out these stats: 

• Mobile devices make up 52.6% of all website traffic worldwide, with desktops at 47.4%. 
• People spend an average of 3 hours and 15 minutes on their mobile devices every day, and this is expected to grow. 
• Google has reported more searches happening on mobile devices than on computers in many countries, including the United States and Japan. 
• 69% of e-commerce sales worldwide come from mobile. 
• 89% of mobile media time is spent on mobile apps, with the rest on the mobile web. 

That’s why having a mobile-friendly website is vital. A good web developer will use one or more of these techniques, depending on the site’s design: 

• Utilise CSS media queries to adjust styles based on screen size. 
• Deploy a flexible grid system to adapt to various screen sizes. 
• Optimise images and resources for smaller screens and slower internet connections. 
• Thoroughly test the website on different devices and browsers to ensure it works well everywhere. 
• Avoid technologies like Flash that don’t play nice with mobile devices. 
• Implement proper meta tags and viewport settings for proper scaling on mobile devices. 

At Online Marketing Surgery, we ensure all our sites are mobile-friendly, and we even test them on a wide range of mobile devices, including older models.  

How do we do it?  

Thanks to our web development expertise, specialised knowledge, and the tools we have at our disposal. 

Here’s why this question matters: 

Without search engine optimisation, your site won’t rank well on Google, essentially hiding it from potential visitors. 

That’s why it’s crucial for your website to catch Google’s eye. 

But…. 

here’s a common mistake many businesses make when they hire a website development company to build or update their site: they leave SEO for later.  

While it can be fixed, it adds time and cost to the project, delaying the arrival of valuable website visitors. 

Another mistake to watch out for is hiring a web designer who doesn’t know enough about SEO, which is more common than you might think. 

So, what should you look for in a web developer? 

At Online Marketing Surgery, we prioritise search engine optimisation right from the start of our conversations about your business and website needs. 

Our lead Web Developer, Andy Timmins, is so well-versed in SEO that he even speaks at SEO conferences. 

Website design and SEO go hand in hand throughout the website development process. Our SEO and PPC teams provide keyword and meta data guidance to the designer during page planning. After the site is built, these teams review the initial SEO before it goes live. Once it’s live, the teams continue making necessary adjustments to enhance search engine rankings and improve conversion from any pay-per-click advertising campaigns. 

The risk of cyber threats to small businesses is on the rise. Assuming that your small business won’t be targeted would be a mistake. According to a report by Cybersecurity Ventures, small and medium-sized businesses fall victim to 43% of all cyberattacks, and the frequency of these attacks continues to grow. 

This is precisely why this question is so critical when searching for a website development company to build your website. 

Here are just some of the many threats you are facing: 

• Injection of malicious code into your site’s database, potentially granting unauthorised access to data. 
• Placement of malicious code on your website, executed by unsuspecting visitors. 
• An attacker can trick visitors into performing unintended actions, such as purchases or password changes. 
• Deliberate flooding of your website with traffic to make it inaccessible to legitimate users This is called Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. 
• Exploitation of vulnerabilities in a website’s file structure to gain unauthorised access to sensitive data. 
• Use of social engineering tactics to extract sensitive information like login credentials or financial data. 
• An attacker can infect a website with malware, enabling data theft or further attacks.
• An attacker intercepts communications between a user and a website to steal sensitive information. 
• Repeated attempts to guess a user’s password by trying different character combinations. 

So, how does a expert web development company enhance protection against such threats? 

First and foremost, they must stay updated on the latest security threats and employ safeguards for the websites they construct. They achieve this by implementing a range of measures to prevent hacking and cyber threats. Here are some steps you should anticipate them taking to enhance website security: 

• Keeping software up to date: They use the latest versions of web development frameworks, content management systems, and other software to patch known vulnerabilities. 
• Secure coding practices: They adhere to established security guidelines and best practices when writing code to prevent common vulnerabilities like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). 
• Implementing authentication and access controls: They employ secure authentication methods and limit access to sensitive website areas to authorised users. 
• Encryption usage: They employ HTTPS and SSL certificates to encrypt data in transit and at rest, safeguarding against eavesdropping and data theft. 
• Conducting regular security audits: They perform routine security audits to pinpoint and address potential website vulnerabilities and infrastructure threats. 
• Web application firewall (WAF) utilisation: They deploy a WAF to safeguard against common web-based attacks, such as injection attacks and cross-site scripting (XSS). 
• Secure file permissions: They properly configure file permissions to thwart unauthorised access to sensitive files and data. 
• Keep backup copies and maintenance: They frequently create backups of website files and databases to shield against data loss in the event of an attack. 
• Log monitoring: They regularly monitor server logs for suspicious activity. 

At Online Marketing Surgery, we implement all of these measures as standard practice. Our web development team stays current with the latest threats and the most up-to-date protective measures to combat them.  

A key measure we implement with every site is placing it securely behind Cloudflare, a web security and performance optimisation platform that enhances a website’s security and performance.

Web accessibility encompasses the practice of ensuring websites are usable for individuals with disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological impairments. 

A website that looks good and reads well to an average user might pose a frustrating experience for someone with disabilities. Hence, it’s crucial for your website’s information to be as accessible as possible to all potential visitors. It means your site will be inclusive to the diverse needs of people who may come to your site for your products and services. 

This is precisely why you should pose this question. 

To enhance website accessibility, Online Marketing Surgery adheres to standards and guidelines established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These measures include: 

• Supplying text transcripts for audio and video content. 
• Providing alternative text for images. 
• Utilising descriptive headings with the correct tag hierarchy. 
• Employing meaningful and descriptive link text. 
• Incorporating easy-to-use keyboard navigation. 
• Offering adjustable font sizes and color choices for improved readability. 
• Designing user-friendly and keyboard-navigable forms. 

We regularly test websites using a variety of accessibility evaluation tools to identify and fix any accessibility issues.

Testing and validating a new website before launching is a critical step to guarantee it functions as intended, is user-friendly, and aligns with both business and technical requirements. Through comprehensive testing, potential issues like broken links, compatibility problems with various browsers, and security vulnerabilities can be detected and rectified. This not only ensures a seamless user experience but also safeguards the website from harm and enhances its credibility. Moreover, validating the website’s design and content ensures it accurately reflects the brand and effectively conveys the intended message to the target audience. 

This is an important step in the successful launch of your website. The way your prospective web developer responds to this question determines the success of your site’s eventual launch. 

 At Online Marketing Surgery, we follow a four-stage testing and validation strategy: 

Stage 1 – Functional Testing: We rigorously test each aspect of the website design as we construct it, confirming that each component performs its intended function. 

Stage 2 – Desktop Approval: After creating the functional components and aligning the site’s appearance with your branding requirements, we present the desktop version for your assessment. You then have the opportunity to evaluate its functionality and appearance. Only once you are satisfied will we proceed to optimise it for mobile and tablet devices. 

Stage 3 – Mobile/Tablet Validation: Given the diversity of mobile and tablet devices in use, it’s crucial to validate the site for compatibility across all of them. We conduct tests on various devices and resolve any issues we identify, ensuring that your site looks and functions well on any device used by visitors. 

Step 4 – User Acceptability Tests: In the final testing stage, we hand over the completed site to you for your own acceptability testing. As you are most familiar with your business, we encourage and support you in thoroughly assessing your new site to ensure it meets your expectations. 

Why should you ask this question? 

While it would be ideal for a website to work flawlessly upon its initial launch, that’s rarely the case. Why?  

Websites are complex entities involving thousands of lines of code, and the online landscape is continually evolving with browser updates, operating system changes, and the introduction of new technologies.  

This means that issues are almost inevitable when a new site goes live. It’s just a part of the process. 

The crucial aspect you need to uncover is how your website developer will tackle troubleshooting and address these post-launch issues. 

What you’re looking for is them to follow a systematic approach, as it’s the only effective way to handle technical challenges on this scale. 

Here’s how we handle it at Online Marketing Surgery: 

Issue Replication: We start by reproducing the problem to gain a clear understanding of the issue and observe its behaviour. 

Debugging: The next step involves using various debugging tools, such as browser developer tools, error logs, and performance monitoring tools, to obtain more information about the issue. 

We Identify The Root Cause: Based on the data gathered from the debugging process, we pinpoint the cause of the problem. 

We Fix It: Once the root cause is determined, we implement the necessary fix, thoroughly test it, and confirm that the issue has been resolved. 

We document the solution: Finally, we document the solution, including any code modifications made, to ensure a clear understanding of the issue and facilitate the resolution of similar problems in the future. 

After a website’s launch, we consistently monitor its performance and actively look for potential issues, taking proactive measures to prevent them from affecting the user experience. This proactive approach is more effective than reacting to problems as they arise. 

This is an aspect often overlooked by businesses when investing in a new website: things can break. That’s why having a continual support and maintenance agreement with your web developer or web development agency is crucial to keep your site operational and dependable. 

A reputable web development company should place just as much emphasis on caring for a site they’ve built as they do on constructing it. We believe we’ve established the gold standard for website support and maintenance at Online Marketing Surgery, making our approach a useful benchmark for evaluating potential developers and other agencies. 

Here’s what we do: 

• Technical Support: We offer technical support to address any website-related issues or problems. 
• Security Updates: We regularly update the websites we maintain to tackle security vulnerabilities, safeguarding both the website and its users. 
• Software Updates: We keep the site current by implementing the latest software releases and technological advancements, including updates for WordPress and plugins. 
• Performance Optimisation: We optimise the website’s performance to ensure fast loading times and smooth functionality for users. 
• Content Updates: We assist with updating and managing the website’s content, ensuring its accuracy and relevance. 
• Backup and Recovery: We provide backup and recovery services, ensuring that the site’s data and content can be restored in the event of a disaster. 
• Analytics and Reporting: We deliver analytics and reporting services to help track the site’s traffic and performance. 
• Through this comprehensive support and maintenance approach, we work to keep our clients’ websites functional, secure, and optimised over time.  

Think of it as an insurance policy for your website. 

Actions speak louder than words. 

Even if a web developer answers the previous 9 questions correctly, how can you be certain they will deliver a good result? 

This final question is crucial. 

Request to view a minimum of 3 websites they’ve built for past clients… 

AND… 

…ask to review client testimonials. 

By doing so, you can personally assess the quality of their work and gain insights into their interactions with clients. 

Below is a selection of recent website projects we’ve completed for our numerous satisfied and delighted clients.