My name is Shane Byrne and I set up ClearSoft in 2006 as a web design /
development company. Over the years we built up a steady client base ranging
from small / medium size business to larger national organisations. My own
background is in software development & database management and I could see
these skills being a huge advantage to ClearSoft as the web moved into a new
direction.
What I saw in 2006 was the internet working well for large business. These
businesses had well structured, clear & functioning web sites. Many sold
products and services online and overall were using the web to its full
potential.
The same could not be said of smaller business however. For the majority of
these companies the web either didn't exist or just wasn't working. Up until the
mid 2000's if you had a website at all, you were probably one step ahead of the
game. This gave way to many poorly devised and structured sites with stale
designs & content.
My research at the time told me that web design / development was expensive -
too expensive in my opinion. My research also indicated that most small business
didn't embrace technology as they were intimidated by it. Many small businesses
felt that a website wouldn't add value to their business and would end up as
another expense with no benefit.
I could clearly see at the time that the web was about to move in a whole new
direction and that small business could no longer afford to put their heads in
the sand and ignore the web. I also understood that small business needed help
to embrace the web and I identified 3 main packages to help small business (Budget, Content Management & Bespoke) get online.
Of course times change and over the years we have adapted and developed our
own skillsets to cater for the needs of our clients and keep up with
technological advances. The explosion of social media and the emergence of
smartphones have changed everything on the web and yet again have underscored
the importance of using the internet as a business tool.