In our last post, I briefly touched on the concept of leveraging passion over age when it comes to deciding on a web agency. Let’s expand on that.

We’ve collaborated with hundreds of clients, agencies, developers, and other industry professionals over the years. Some projects succeed, and some don’t. While there’s many reasons as to why a company can succeed or falter, James and I look for a very specific trait when we first establish contact with a potential client.

Research, trends, competition, location, demand. These are variables which play an integral role in establishing a successful business. But the most important thing is often overlooked.

Passion. Overall enthusiasm, and the passion behind the project. Generally speaking, we prefer to work with clients who are passionate about what they want to bring to life, because those are the projects that are successfully realized. These are the type of people who will get things done, who firmly believe in their mission and inspire others around them.

Therefore, I cannot stress enough that passion must beget passion for a project to be successful. To realize your project, you should work with a web agency equally passionate about your mission. A web partner needs to believe in your vision and want you to succeed.

Don’t let your passion filter out

Our concern with many agencies is that your passion, at some point, gets filtered. You meet with a sales rep that may reciprocate your passion. That rep discusses your project to a team manager, who briefs the user experience designer, who then delegates to the in-house designers and developers. This creates a disconnect between you, your vision, and the actual work done to realize your vision. While these developers may certainly have passion for their job and for the company, the importance of integrating the client’s passion into their work may be lost along the way.

That’s why James and I meet with prospective clients directly. No sales rep, no interns, no extra overhead, nada. Just us. We want to create something based off mutual passion.

Age, the great divider

Some personal backstory: I started dabbling in code at the age of six, one year after the internet began. At twelve, I created my first multi-user account website. At sixteen, I did my first paid project. Ten years later, I’ve been involved with hundreds of websites and web applications. James has a similar background.

Many other designers and developers share experiences like these as well. We’ve been fortunate enough to accrue relevant experience in the field over the years, and grow alongside the web as it evolved into what it is today.

There is a bias that exists in the business where age directly correlates to experience. There may be some truth to it, but there’s an unfortunate side effect, the idea that younger = cheaper. Someone who is younger, even if they offer the same level of quality as someone older, is expected to charge less. This concept remains consistent between agency size as well; smaller agencies are expected to operate at a fraction of the cost, while delivering the same level of service.

Our experience with both clients and developers alike is that age has no weight on quality of work or success. Passion, above all, is where it counts.

Finding success

Your project has a better chance of success if you work with a web agency who wants you to succeed in the first place. When you meet with a web agency, do they share your enthusiasm? Do they suggest options on how to better integrate your idea onto the web? If so, you may have found your perfect web partner.