Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Farquharson.
Scott, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
With a background in Marketing and a passion for web technology, I knew I wanted to create a company that helped organizations tell their story online. When I first started web design in 2006 the internet was already a popular place for larger organizations to market themselves, but back then things were a lot different… Websites mostly spread their message through text, web traffic came only from desktops and laptops, and Google had just acquired a company nobody had heard of called YouTube. Small businesses did not have a great opportunity to differentiate themselves online. That is when I knew I wanted to help small businesses navigate the changing web landscape.
I knew early on in my web design and development days that I was part of an evolving industry with technology rapidly changing the way that we consume information. In 2008 I formed my own business focused on delivering creative and informative websites at an affordable price for other small businesses.
Over the years we have helped our customers stay on top of important technology advancements, such as the growth of traffic via smartphones and the ability to utilize video, podcasts, and social media to tell their stories. We are in an exciting time for marketers right now with so many creative options available for communicating with their target audience.
Has it been a smooth road?
One of the biggest challenges with a rapidly changing industry is staying on top of not only design trends, but also advances in technology and security threats. Early on in my experience there were many long nights trying to solve a particular coding bug or learning how to integrate two website tools together. Those days still creep up from time to time, but battling through long nights when I was just getting started has helped me overcome many of the problem-solving challenges that come up today.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the ProActive Web Solutions story. Tell us more about the business.
ProActive Web Solutions is a web design, development, and internet marketing organization in Greater Boston. One of the web tools that we added to our toolbox early on was WordPress, an open-source content management system that allows small businesses to have control of their own website with complete freedom of design and user experience. For 10 years we have been part of a large community that has contributed to the growth of this technology which now consumes almost one-third of all websites (that is a LOT). Custom WordPress development has become ProActive Web Solution’s core competency.
Because we are a small business our focus is on customer service and delivering quality solutions. We work with our customers one-on-one to develop web applications that are aimed at their target audience. We do not outsource our work overseas. Our customers enjoy that when they speak to us about their challenges, we are the ones that have our hands under the hood making the changes.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
This is a great question. Today users are consuming information much faster and with a shorter attention span than ever. As marketers we have great tools available to deliver our message, but we have to continue to find ways to do so efficiently.
In recent years we have seen web traffic on mobile phones out pace that of traditional desktop and laptop visitors. I believe that this trend will continue and web design will shift to becoming a ‘mobile first’ platform. That means that web technology will primarily be designed and developed for the experience of mobile users over desktop users.
One of the things I am most proud of is our ability to understand and forecast the changing landscape of the web. I truly enjoy the ebbs and flows of internet marketing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://proactivewebsite.com
- Phone: 781-514-5114
- Email: scott@proactivewebsite.com
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