UK Enterprise 2020

89 | UK Enterprise Awards 2020 After working for various web design companies, Tiago Lavis-Fernandes realised that there was a gap in the market. He noticed that the industry lacked some key qualities, such as integrity, customer service and communication and he was going to be one to change that. We profiled Tiago to discover how he kickstarted his business and is now recognised as being one of the best web design agencies in Manchester. Best Web Design Agency 2020 - Manchester Jun20272 Striking out on his own, Tiago Lavis- Fernandes had a dream of creating a web design company which had integrity, strong communication and an excellent customer service, without having to sacrifice the quality of the work. With an ever-expanding portfolio of work and countless gleaming reviews, it is safe to say that Tiago most definitely succeeded and achieved his dream. Regardless of how busy he is, Tiago always ensures that he is able to offer a fantastic personal service, as well as a professional one. He is always honest with all of his clients, ensuring that he never puts a new client before an existing one. Ultimately, he has truly taken advantage of the gap in the market that he noticed early on in his career. Tiago offers so much more than a web design service, he provides a complete website maintenance service, where not only will he build a website, but he will also ensure that the hosting and domain name is taken care of. He secures the privacy of the site and ensures that it is backed up in case of catastrophe, as well as providing regular software updates. Not only this, but Tiago also offers an SEO package to truly help optimise the website. However, regardless if the client takes this option, he will always build the website with SEO at the forefront of his mind. He ensures that no mistakes are made that could possibly prevent the website to grow. In the last 12 months, Tiago has received 50 5 star reviews, which is a testament to the quality of the service he provides. Over the years he has found that his competitors tend to focus more on design and coding, but not so much on customer service. Tiago has bridged this gap and provides a first class customer service, as well as creating excellent quality websites. It is of utmost importance that he puts people first. The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown has seen many different effects for businesses everywhere, but for Tiago he has actually seen an upturn in work. Since the beginning of lockdown, he has had 50% more enquires. Already working from home, Tiago has not been limited by needing to go into an office. Additionally, he has put his extensive SEO knowledge into practice and now appears at the top of Google searches for terms such as ‘Freelance Web Designer’. During this uncertain period, some companies have also seen the disruption as an ideal time to update their own brands and have had enough revenue to afford to implement this. Tiago’s competitive rates see him near the top of lists, and he has also seen people who have been made redundant start their own venture and therefore need a website creating. In general, Tiago has found that more people are wanting SEO services as they search for ways to boost their website traffic and business during these uncertain times. After the lockdown ends and a semblance of normality returns, Tiago expects the number of requests to drop again, but this means he can find more time to invest in his own business and ensure his own SEO doesn’t get left by the wayside. Since moving to the UK from Portugal eleven years ago, he has seen a big difference in the style of clients that operate in these countries. Tiago says, “I love customers from the UK. There is a lot more understanding, trust and willing to risk, comparing to my experience with Portuguese clients.” The future looks bright for Tiago as he has plans to further expand his business, with the hope to create partnerships with other freelance web designers. More importantly, he will always ensure the quality of his customer service is never compromised as he expands the businesses. The success that Tiago has seen, especially in such difficult circumstances, means that he is a worthy recipient of Best Web Design Agency 2020 - Manchester Company: Freelance Web Design Contact: Tiago Lavis-Fernandes Web Address: www.freelance-webdesign.co.uk