In 2017, only a lazy person did not create his own web studio. This is a very highly competitive and complex sphere that does not obey the laws of conventional logic.
Reason: There are no clear-cut monopolists, everyone can grab their piece of the pie. There are no adequate studies and ratings that could show the best players and at the same time weed out the rest.
What’s happening in the market:
1. The studio can be a specialized team, and just a person who has experience in creating a couple of their own sites based on CMS. He will offer neither high speed of development, nor customization, but will easily curb the entrepreneur unfamiliar with the trends of web development and sell him a morally outdated solution.
Examples: artnet, lelik, arkrim.
2. Young studios with mediocre and poorly visited own sites do projects for market giants and master decent budgets. They often bet on creative, non-mass solutions based on the latest technologies and engines.
3. experienced studios are expanding their service portfolio and writing their own CMS to speed up the procedure of website development and technical support on the client side. This also helps them to make projects faster and cheaper. Often do not hesitate to specify development prices.
Examples: itua, wezom, webstudio2u.
4. More than just a studio. Units are engaged only in website development. Very often the list is supplemented by promotion services, development of mobile applications, creation of interfaces. Some partially resemble branding agencies – they make logos, corporate identity and brandbooks.
Examples: indigo, wezom, webakula.
5. It is not clear who is luckier. There are big studios on the market with hundreds of small projects, and there are small studios with very expensive and high-profile works for mobile operators, car manufacturers, government agencies.
1. key players in the market (top 15)
| № | Company | Website traffic per month |
| 1 | artjoker.ua | 50000 |
| 2 | art-lemon.com. | 37600 |
| 3 | wezom.com.ua | 35000 |
| 4 | webstudio2u.net | 34000 |
| 5 | idg.net.ua | 33000 |
| 6 | agima.ru | 31000 |
| 7 | vintage.com.ua | 22300 |
| 8 | webakula.ua | 20000 |
| 9 | artwell.ru | 18800 |
| 10 | itua.com.ua | 18000 |
| 11 | nota.media | 17800 |
| 12 | sponge.com.ua | 16300 |
| 13 | q-seo.com.ua | 16200 |
| 14 | ITECH.group | 16200 |
| 15 | softgroup.ua | 16000 |
Off the list Lebedev studio – 2.6 million visitors per month.
The main traffic to the market leader sites is provided by:
- SEO promotion (up to 92% of traffic), including purchased positions;
- posting work on portals like behance;
- buying external links;
- participation in industry events from webpromoexperts and remarketing;
- presence in ratings like cmsmagazine, runet rating, itrating;
- advertising in social networks, a large share is taken by the deceased Vkontakte;
- mailing on the mailbox database (up to 5% of traffic).
2. Web studio sites: characteristic features
2.1 Plaques with video clips on the main page of the website
Videos are played in the background without sound and create some kind of activity in front of the user’s eyes. Often the video sequence consists of pieces of office life of employees. However, the video quality and storyboarding leave much to be desired, because they show the archaic and primitive (as in our office coloro) conditions in which professionals work: a table, a chair, an old computer.
Examples: ArtLemon, Wezom, Agima, Aniart.
2.2 Many interactive blocks
When hovering, inscriptions are enlarged and highlighted, blocks move and change size, bars are flipped. In the process of scrolling through the site, some elements disappear, others appear from outside the page. Parts of the portfolio are designed as galleries with constantly changing pictures.
Trick: cool interactive calculator on the site stearling.net.
This is a positive feature, if used in moderation, helps to make the site alive and modern, to show that the web studio is no stranger to developments in the field of animation and visualization.
An interesting example is ArtLemon’s service wheel.
2.3 Top block with list of items, contact button and contact details
A classic and familiar to users form of presenting information on the site. Almost all studios use this technique.
The contact buttons and site map are also duplicated in the footer of the site.
Trickery.: On each website created, a link to the web studio’s website is placed in the footer. This technique is used by studios to build up the link mass and get better positions in search engine results.
2.4 Multinationality
Web studios prefer to operate in multiple markets at once. For example: Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Often our developers make the English version the main one in order to cover European customers. To do this, they either clone the site on different domains, or make a universal one, with the ability to switch languages.
Who: kultprosvet, aniart, istar, deco, sponge.
2.5 Landing (one-page) – a popular type of website among web studios
About 25% of studios prefer this format. Only the “Services” block is sometimes given a separate page.
Who does this: stearling, deco, itech-group, kultprosvet.
2.6 Emphasis on rectangles and blocks
Mostly websites use large rectangles with an interactive picture or video inside to design portfolios. They are also often used to design other elements. Few people risk experimenting with shapes.
2.7 Abundance of CTAs within the resource
Market leaders actively use different types of calls to action. They are skillfully placed throughout the site. “Discuss a project”, “Ask a question”, “Fill out a brief”, “Download a book/methodology”, “Read an article/blog”, “Subscribe to a newsletter”. Getting the visitor to interact with the site elements and establish contact with them is the main goal of such elements.
2.8 Modern design is not for everyone
Unfortunately, some web studios still live in the stone age and work on the principle of “cobbler without boots”. They make technological websites for clients, but their own page looks like a nuclear war.
Archaic fonts, boring design, zero design on the site webstudio2u (4th place in the ranking of the best and 34000 visitors monthly)
Company website Megagroupstuck in 2007.
2.9 Some creatives have killed usability completely
Some of the web studios tried to break out of the general concept, but rather unsuccessfully. Their sites are beautiful and unusual, but not intuitive and cause difficulties when trying to find the coveted portfolio or order button. In the last example, you can see a kilometer-long page with a lot of small text. Such a site just makes your head hurt.
Who screwed up: vintage, kodix, nextpage.
Horrible backing, weird fonts, and weird interactivity on the site q-seo.
3. what to learn from competitors (top 5 features)
Most competitors have some elements that want to urgently “borrow” to the site.
3.1 Design of the “Services” block by ArtJoker
One of the most adequate representations of a large pool of servicesdivided into categories.
3.2 Prices to the studio
Plaques with approximate prices allow you to automatically screen out non-paying audience and morally prepare the client for the real cost of the project.
Quite primitive, but the best way to implement it so far is with an outsourcer itua.
3.3 Illustration of development stages
Few customers really understand what the process of site development consists of. A visual diagram realized by one of our competitors can help them understand.
Ficha: illustration of the stages of site development on the main site siteimage.
3.4 Tricky CTAs
Some studios have CTAs on their site that turn out to be very interesting and compelling. In this case, the simplicity of the fort plays a role, a call with a negation and a bright red button. Complements the picture with a counter of actual subscribers.
Example of a good CTA for e-mail distribution in the footer of the site aniart.
3.5 Portfolios are our everything
A web studio’s portfolio of work is its pride. For the client, it is a way to understand the level of competence of the contractor and determine a basic credit of trust.
Therefore, the design of the block with works should be given maximum attention, which has been successfully realized by some players in the web development market.
Ficha: an interesting way to present the “Portfolio” block on a website Ideaproject.
4. Web development UTP, or three vectors of emphasis
Each web-studio has its own approach to the formation of UTP. Conventionally, they can be divided into 3 main groups.
4.1 Old-timer on the market
For old-timers in the market, there is nothing better than trumping their age in front of a potential customer. This inspires confidence and hints at a high level of quality, because for a decade and a half, all the processes in the studio should be fine-tuned to the last detail.
A prime example: Wezom – 17 years and more than 600 projects.
4.2 Awards and recognition of experts.
If most studios piously believe that “If you don’t praise yourself – no one will praise you”, – some players are guided by the opinions of independent experts and proudly display all earned awards on the main site.
What not to say, but recognition from the outside, especially from reputable publications and ratings, looks valuable to the consumer and can be considered a full-fledged CBP.
My-master studio is flaunting medals on the front page.
Participation in ratings and publication of cases allows sites not only to get another reason for pride, but also an influx of clients from external resources like it-rating.
Some resources, in particular Art Lemon, receive up to 5% of external traffic due to participation in ratings, according to Similarweb.
Example of web studio rankings.
4.3 Portfolio
The third type of UTP for web studios is a rich portfolio with famous clients. Against the background of a studio with a hundred small and little-known clients, the consumer will choose the one who has completed fewer orders, but for well-known brands.
An example is the deco studio. Despite its modest portfolio, it has served the KyivPost newspaper, the international company Travelsim, Novy Kanal, the ain.ua portal and the bit.ua magazine with half a million monthly audience. Clients of this level give it a serious advantage in the eyes of the consumer over other studios.
4.4 Low cost is a road to nowhere
Separately it is worth noting such a UTP, as a low cost of site development. This tactic is used only by novice developers who are learning, or trying to dump the market and competitors. Such a UTP is not rational, as the consumer realizes that for 400 UAH he is unlikely to get a site of acceptable quality. And clients in this case will be low-grade, creating a lot of problems.
5. Consumer portrait – who orders website development
If your business is not online, then you are not in business.
Bill Gates
This popular quote fully answers the question about the target audience of web studios. These are entrepreneurs of different levels, from a novice businessman opening his own coffee shop or vape shop to the director of a large corporation with millions of dollars in turnover.
A good website works better than any business card and helps a person unfamiliar with the brand to quickly get all the information and make a decision to cooperate or buy products. Websites also help to find contacts of the company’s management and serve as an excellent platform for establishing partnerships and sales.
According to According to “Runet Rating”The average cost of creating a corporate website has been rising for the last six years: from 229,000 in 2011 to 954,000 in 2016.
Website development is ordered by men (more than 50%) and women from 35 to 49 years old – business owners or top managers, on assignment from the management. They have extensive experience in management and sales, they know their clients’ needs well. Conservatives, often not ready to experiment, trust authority figures and market leaders.
It is difficult to convince them by arguing their position with trends and fashion trends. But they will willingly take into account everything that has to do with sales growth and dry figures promising success and business growth.
Interesting opinion on clients from the Spark editorial team.
Clients are more and more willing to pay for promotion and less for the full development cycle. The wonders of web design are somehow “boring” to everyone. In addition, a site with an unfamiliar design scares away users, as it is difficult to navigate, which is not the case with a site using common templates.
At the time of writing this article, the cost of a full cycle of development (including the work of a designer, layout designer and programmer) for corporate sites started from 25,000 rubles, for online stores – from 52,000 rubles.
Web studios are actively trying to solve the problem and in search of ways to reduce the price are engaged in creating their own ready-made solutions. Clients do not pay for development, as it used to be, but for the installation and customization of ready-made template sites. Employees of the studio insert the company logo into the code of the site, change the color scheme for it, and if suddenly very lucky, the manager can “spin” the client for software revision of some modules.
6. What services do web studios provide
6.1 Website creation
Website development is absolutely a common service for any studio. Some categorize them for better coverage by SEO keys. Also, the specification of queries (for example, “Creating a website for a hotel”) helps to inform the client that the studio is no stranger to a specific profile of activity.
- Creating an online store
- Website development on Laravel
- Online store on Magento
- Creating a website for a company
- Creating a Landing Page
- Online clothing store
- Составление технического задания
- Professional website layout
- Interface design
- Creation of dating sites and marriage agencies
- Development of tourist sites
- Creation of sites of automobile themes
- Creating a website for law firms
- Sketch web design
- Creating a website for a hotel
- Website for restaurant, cafe, nightclub
- Creation of an Internet portal
- Creating a business card site
- QA and QC testing of the site
- Developing the structure of the site
- UX website design
- Buying a domain
6.2 Internet marketing
Along with the creation of a website, studios offer services for its promotion and promotion by target requests, registration in search engines and catalogs, preparation of advertising campaigns. Without this, the site will not fully fulfill its function, and the CA will not be able to easily find it via Yandex and Google.
- SEO at the development stage
- Promotion and promotion of websites (SEO)
- Search engine audit of the site
- Contextual advertising
- Development of content strategy
- Online reputation management
- Website usability analysis
- E-mail marketing
- Contextual advertising (PPC)
- Optimization of the site at the development stage
- Analysis of link mass
- Getting out from under the filter Yandex, Google
The classic SMM was not left out either:
- Promotion and advertising on Facebook
- Promotion and advertising in Vkontakte
- Promotion and advertising in Instagram
- Promotion and advertising on Pinterest
- Linkedin promotion and advertising
- Promotion and advertising in Youtube
- Promotion and advertising on Twitter
- Promotion on Google+
6.3 Filling and maintenance of websites
This category of services follows from the previous two. When the site is designed, hosted and begins to work, it becomes a question of maintaining its performance, protection from attacks and filling it with content. This block also includes finalizing the technical part of the site and making corrections to the layouts.
Technical part:
- Website support
- System Administration
- Setting up virus protection
- DDos protection
- Customization of CMS to meet the needs of the company
- Setting up and providing hosting
- QA testing of the site
Filling and development of the site:
- Copywriting
- Selling text
- Text content of the site
- Designing Landing page
- Newsmaking
- Email newsletter
- PR text
- Project development
- Text for media content
- Creating videos for the site
- Text revision
- Naming
- Consulting
6.4 Mobile application development
The share of mobile traffic in Runet reached 62% in 2016. Every website should display well on a mobile screen and be adapted for viewing from a small screen. In addition, sites that provide services often cannot be functional enough on mobile – a full-fledged mobile application for popular platforms (iOS and Android) is needed. Web studios often have experience in this area and provide such services:
- Mobile application development
- Development of mobile applications for IOS
- Development of mobile applications for Android
- Creation of adaptive sites
- Creating mobile sites
- Web application development
- Javascript application development
- Publishing a mobile application in AppStore and Google Play
- Cab Apps
- Apps for learning English
- Culinary apps
- Bringing a mobile application to the top of Google Play
- Bringing a mobile application to the AppStore top list
- Promotion of mobile applications
6.5 Branding
About a tenth of web studios are ready to provide services related to brand creation, logo development and corporate identity building, among other things. Rich experience in project work and the presence of experienced designers in the staff allows.
- Logo development
- Corporate / Corporate Identity
- Brandbook
- Identity for business
- Promotion strategy
- Comprehensive research
- Developing a brand platform
- Naming, slogan development
- Design of advertising, printing, POS-materials
Most studios do not limit themselves to their core business and do not hesitate to experiment in new niches, gradually expanding their portfolio of services and the coverage of their target audience. In some cases, it becomes difficult to categorize a company and understand who is in front of you: web developers, SEO studio, advertising company or branding agency.
7. Ways to promote web studios
Web studios are best promoted in their habitat – the Internet. Therefore, most companies are led by SEO-promotion in its various manifestations. Someone buys links, someone optimizes texts on the site and actively fills the content of the corporate blog, thus closing hot customer requests in Google and Yandex. Others buy advertising positions in the search engine and actively write complaints about unscrupulous competitors. This method is aimed primarily at the Internet audience.
For the same studios place banner and contextual advertising in Yandex Direct or Google AdWords. This type of advertising is considered the most popular and effective type of advertising on the Internet. However, we should not forget that advanced users have long learned to turn on ad blockers and install extensions like Adblock for browsers. This is the main reason why you should not rely on online advertising alone.
Telemarketing is an old as the world method. Sales staff call potential clients and offer them their services in person over the phone. The effectiveness of this method is the highest for the audience over 40 years old, which is familiar with the Internet at the level of novice user and prefers to discuss details in the telephone mode. If within 5 minutes of a phone conversation the salesperson convinces the manager of the importance of developing a corporate website, a meeting can be scheduled.
Mailing – personalized letters with a personal offer are sometimes much more effective than an advertisement, including on the Internet. The e-mail database of web studios is formed from the addresses of data collected during exhibitions and competitions, as well as current clients. The latter are sent mainly informational materials to increase their level of confidence in the web studio and attract repeated cooperation. Some studios buy ready-made databases of mailing addresses.
Internet ratings – in the online space, there are many catalogs of web studios, expert publications that write about this topic. Every year they summarize the results and select the best. By registering the card of their studio and indicating the coordinates for communication, companies attract more attention of potential audience to their services. Participation in ratings shows potential customers the level of competence of the web studio, its openness to dialog. As we have already mentioned in the fourth section of the analysis, for some developers, recognition by experts turns into a full-fledged UTP.
Image sites are another interesting way to make yourself known to the world. On image platforms like Behance or DevianArt, companies post the best works from their portfolio, which will later be seen by millions of people on these sites. There will undoubtedly be potential customers among them.
Having your own website is a sure way for a web studio to attract clients. In the second section we already joked about the cobbler without boots. If the developer’s own site smells of the distant 2007, it is unlikely that he will be able to make a quality project. The opposite is also true – a company with a cool corporate portal chances to attract a client is significantly higher. For this purpose, communication forms and contact details are placed on websites.
8. Ideal image of a web studio
- Its website is modern, intuitive and user-friendly. The information on the pages is presented succinctly, and the buttons with contact forms are always visible.
- The company’s specialists are familiar with current technologies in the field of development, understand how to build adaptive projects that will display well on mobile devices.
- Proven reputation, extensive portfolio (from 50 projects), well-known clients. The portfolio is sorted by areas in which the company has worked.
- Presence in the market for more than five years. Considering how easy it is to open a web studio and then shut it down, old-timers are trusted more.
- The web studio provides additional services related to website creation, promotion, graphic design, copywriting, hosting, technical support. Customers prioritize complex solutions, no one wants to hire several contractors for various small tasks.
- Transparent pricing policy. An ideal web studio is not afraid to specify the prices for their services, at least in the format: “Development of a website business card – from 10 000 UAH”. It does not try to hide behind general wording or estimation of an hour of work of one specialist in dollars.
- The studio works under a contract and terms of reference, all details and deadlines are agreed in advance and legally secured.
9. Trends among web studios in Ukraine, Russia and the CIS
What will happen to domestic web studios in the near future? To describe the situation in general terms, we can recall an army saying:
“It’s a bad soldier who doesn’t dream of becoming a general.”
And twist it a little bit:
“Bad is the web studio that does not dream of becoming Artemy Lebedev’s studio.”
9.1 Not just a web studio
Following Lebedev’s example, some market players are intensively expanding their business profile, adding branding services, interface development, and mobile applications. SEO studios start developing websites, web studios start actively SEO’ing. Such processes are inevitable and help owners not only to expand their business, but also to give new interesting tasks to their teams, motivating them to develop and grow as specialists.
9.2 Own crutches and bicycles
Studios often receive the same type of orders. When creating another online store for dangerous razors or a Landing Page for a soap factory, developers think about how to automate and save time. As a result, new CMS`ki and modules appear, which companies begin to sell or massively implement in their projects. The result is always unpredictable, but one thing is obvious. All such solutions require constant support, investment of money and time, which can result in losses for teams with small staff.
Some studios go the opposite way and work with ready-made solutions and become specialists in building sites based on WordPress, Magento, Joomla.
9.3 Integration, integration, and again integration
Stores are connecting websites to their accounting applications, CRM and ERP systems. Bloggers in pursuit of user comfort add commenting systems via Facebook and Vkontakte. Bots that are connected to neural networks and collect information about users in order to make relevant offers.
A modern website is not an independent product, but a set of blocks and modules from different developers. Like a Lego constructor, they can be detached and replaced by others if necessary.
9.4 Learning English
It is still profitable for foreign developers to outsource projects to Ukrainians, Belarusians, Russians, who work faster, harder and cheaper than local specialists.
Catching on to the trend, web studios are quickly translating their websites and portfolios into English, some even opening offices or obtaining physical addresses abroad. In addition to the financial benefits, this helps them to quickly adopt the experience of their Western colleagues.
9.5 Total mobilization
According to international SMM platform Hootsuite, more than half of the world’s internet traffic now comes from cell phones, and one in five people on the planet shop online.
Web studios are reorienting themselves towards mobile app and website development. A project may look mediocre on a home PC or laptop monitor, but on a smartphone it just has to be perfect. In 2017, this is the key to success.
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