Having made the decision to invest in a web site, I then started looking for a designer who actually spoke at street level, and showed enthusiasm and experience. That is where Above&Beyond came into the picture.
Having spoken to many designers I was beginning to become confused with the jargon and conflicting ideas and information. The initial meeting with Damien sold the deal. He spoke at a level that was easily understood to the novice or the well informed. I found Damien very willing to share knowledge and best of all explain concepts in a way that I could comprehend. It is rare to find an IT person that also has a personality.
Having Damien design our online shop was by no means an easy feat. Some of the functions and outcomes that were set for Damien took a considerable amount of time, energy and research. The result has been no less than brilliant. He gave himself time lines to meet which were successfully achieved. The fact that he is 1000km away from our office did not make the slightest difference to time lines or communication.
A major selling point would be Damien’s communication skills. Like most Gen Y people electronic word is popular, but there is no surprise when you get the old fashioned phone call to clarify requests. Being nearly twice the age of Damien is no obstacle in achieving our common goals. Our website is very dynamic and consequently requires changes to be made. I can bounce a new idea off of Damien and he will freely give advice on possible changes to achieve a better outcome. Most changes can be made by me. Because of the way that the site has been developed changes such as pricing, additional products and images can alter without have to engage Damien which is faster and at no cost. As an online store the system developed for payment options has been very successful. Advice on site engine optimisation has also been successful and is easily measured.
As with every business transaction there is a cost. There are no big surprises or shocks with Above&Beyond. A quotation was supplied after initially assessing the requirements and even with many deviations and changes we were not far from the mark at the end of the day. Since then there have been numerous changes and additions and I would have to say that my arms and legs are still intact. When initial searches were done for designers, some ridiculous prices where cast around. I feel that with Above&Beyond you certainly get more than enough value for your money.
Customers regularly comment on how good and easy to use our site is. This can be credited to Damien’s skills. It would be without hesitation that I would recommend Damien to anyone thinking of starting a web site. In fact Damien has been commissioned to develop another website for another section of our business.
Robert Graham
Managing Director
1st Choice Air Conditioning