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Web Design in East Yorkshire
Over the last few weeks I’ve had cause to consider the state of the new media industry in East Yorkshire (as opposed to my more usual practise of simply considering of the state of my own business). The question I was forced to ask was this; if you are the owner of a small or medium-sized business in East Yorkshire, and you want a competent, reliable, web standards aware web designer (or developer) for your web site, where do you go?
The answer, apparently, is Leeds.
The remainder of this achingly long post revolves around my musing about why this is the case, and more importantly, what can be done about it (if anything).
Oh, and by the way; if you are the owner of small to medium sized business in East Yorkshire, and you’re looking for a competent, reliable, web standards aware web designer for your web site, get in touch - I’m just what you’re looking for.
My search for web designers in East Yorkshire
Two entirely separate things have led to me writing this post, both of which, in their own way, prompted me to question the health of the web industry in East Yorkshire.
The first was my involvement in a largely failed attempt to start a local web standards group (more on that sometime, maybe). The level of interest could best be described as moderate (although in truth better than I was expecting), but it soon faltered, partly due to work commitments on my part, but also due to a general lack of enthusiasm among other web folk in the area.
The second was the discovery that nobody is Googling for “web designer east yorkshire”, or anything even remotely like it. North Yorkshire, yes, South Yorkshire, yes, West Yorkshire, certainly, but East Yorkshire? Not a sausage.
So, naturally, I began to wonder why…
The Leeds effect
It’s hard not to put both of these situations (the lack of interested web developers, and the lack of interested clients) down to the proximity of Leeds.
As the major centre for all things internet in the north of England, Leeds is bound to turn the head of any potential clients, along with the majority of the talented and ambitious web designers east of Manchester.
This puts a strain on agencies trying to survive on the edge of Leeds’ catchment area (which includes pretty much the whole of East Yorkshire), as they not only need to work hard to get the attention of potential new business, they also need to somehow keep hold of their best staff.
I know from first-hand experience that there are web designers in this region who really know their stuff. So the question is, if the web design (and development) talent already exists, what can be done to raise it’s profile, and prevent both the talent and the work draining away westwards?
Competing with the big smoke(s). What have web designers in East Yorkshire got to offer?
If we assume for the moment that skill levels are broadly similar regardless of location (potentially an incorrect assumption, but one that I’m prepared to overlook for the purposes of this post at least), the next thing to consider is what might actually make a business look towards East Yorkshire for their next project?
Location, location, location
A map of the UK, showing Hull dangerously close to falling into the north sea
Perhaps surprisingly, given the way it looks when pinpointed on a map, Hull’s location is actually a potential strong point. Jump on the train and you’re in London in under three hours.
In fact, most of the major English cities (Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool) are within three hours of Hull. So in terms of location, Hull can compete for business in London just as easily as a company based in Bristol or Cardiff.
It would be nice to assume that, as remote working slowly begins to realise it’s potential, geographical location is no longer an issue, and the best company (or individual) will win the job regardless of proximity. In reality though, stuff like this still matters (for the time being at least), so it’s a good ace to have up your sleeve.
Looking further afield, there’s an airport on our doorstep, which makes doing business in Europe (and beyond) at least feasible, if a little more complicated.
Given this potentially huge catchment area, it is perhaps surprising how insular the East Yorkshire web industry is, as a whole. The impression I get from chatting to people (and from snooping at my competition’s client lists) is that there’s a reluctance to start looking outside of East Yorkshire for business, for fear that you’ll find yourself competing against the big guns from Leeds, Birmingham, London, or wherever.
Certainly that’s a risk, but if a job’s worth getting, the chances are that you’ll find yourself in a scrap to win it.
So what else can the web designers of East Yorkshire call upon in an attempt to win new business against potentially bigger and better-known competition?
Better value for money
East Yorkshire benefits from much lower rent and salaries than the London-based agencies. As such, clients could reasonably expect their pennies to go a bit further when employing a web design company based in East Yorkshire, as opposed to one based in Soho (for example).
Whilst I’d never suggest having “cheapest” as your USP, it is a selling point nevertheless.
Of course, the main defence of a London (or Leeds) based agency against such an assault on their domain would be to point out that, due to their more prestigious (pricey) location, they attract the best talent. Talent that will be working hard to make the client’s web site a success. They also probably already have a few big-name clients on the books, that add some credibility to their case.
Which brings us to the thorny issues of how to improve skills, retain talent, and win the marquee clients.
Preventing the East Yorkshire web design brain drain
The way to a web designer’s heart; interesting work, coffee, and doughnuts. Mostly doughnuts
Most web designers and developers, including me, are pretty easy to please; give us some interesting, challenging work, for a varied client base (hopefully with a few big names to make the CV look really swanky), and we’re happy.
So the way to attract and keep the best talent is simple… get the interesting clients. Which is, of course, easier said than done.
Part of solving this puzzle is most likely going to involve individuals and businesses going out on a limb, and competing for the big jobs, even when they don’t feel they’ve got the portfolio to back it up. That doesn’t sound like much fun, or a good way to make money for that matter, but those are the sort of single-minded actions usually needed to lift a business, and in turn raise the profile of an area.
The other (less stressful) part of the solution could come in the form of support from local councils, or other organisations dedicated to the promotion and development of new media businesses within East Yorkshire.
Initiatives like the Hull ICT Alliance have the potential to raise the profile of the web industry in East Yorkshire, so that clients begin to view local web agencies as a viable alternative, whilst at the same time providing (or at least facilitating) funding and training to improve the skills of local businesses and individuals.
The ICT Alliance is more concerned with the IT industry in general, but it’s remit is clearly one that could benefit the local web industry.
[The Hull ICT Alliance] aims to give Hull companies a leading edge in the fast-moving world of information technology and address the demands of businesses in this sector.
I guess only time will tell how much the ICT Alliance (and any other such organisations that I haven’t yet stumbled across) can contribute to the process of breathing life into the web industry in East Yorkshire.
One thing does seem likely though; unless a significant commitment is made by both private sector and public sector organisations (and individuals), the majority of the web designers and developers of East Yorkshire will continue feeding off the scraps that their big-city brethren leave behind.
Get in touch
If you think I’m talking a load of old horse, please let me know. I’m always interested in hearing about the experiences of others in this industry, particularly if you feel I’ve got something wrong. Gushing praise is also strongly encouraged.
And finally, if you’ve read all the way to the end of this wordy post in the vain hope of actually finding a freelance web designer in East Yorkshire, clicking on the link will reward your admirable persistence.