Working at home with Browndog Agency

Browndog Agency

Browndog Agency

As Covid-19 has put our everyday lives on hold, working from home has become the new norm, and heading back to the office isn’t looking likely any time in the near future. Lucky to be in the digital industry, Browndog has taken to the WFH life pretty well, here are a few notes from members of our team on how they are coping.

Alexis, Director:

Once we’d checked our technology allowed all of us to effectively service our clients from home (rather than just supporting one or two of us working remotely), I was most concerned with making sure that our team managed to stay upbeat, productive and able to adapt to this strange circumstance, and also ensuring that we continued to deliver our high quality work and support our clients who still needed us.

I needn’t have worried. Our team has been amazing, and for such a relatively young group (average age 27 excluding directors) they have adapted brilliantly, taking personal responsibility for their projects, checking in with our clients regularly, and contributing to our WhatsApp conversations, quizzes and jokes just like when we were in one office. More than anything I am proud of how they are managing such a tough situation. We have furloughed 3 colleagues so far, whose work pretty much stopped dead, but they still join in on non-work conversations and the weekly quiz to make sure they still feel very much part of the team.

My home set-up: Thankfully we have a home office in a spare bedroom, with a nice view, and our daughter who lives with us is nearly 21 so we haven’t had to juggle home schooling like so many have. I’m trying to exercise every day to get some fresh air and break up the day in one small bedroom.

More than anything I am proud of how they are managing such a tough situation.

Jamie, Technical Director:

I have to say I wasn’t really sure what to expect with the sudden change in lifestyle but as always, I’m like a chameleon and I’ve managed to adapt quite quickly to the situation. As a fully operational family, my wife and I have adapted to working remotely and simultaneously juggling our time between work and home schooling. The old playroom is now my office (which is going to get decorated). My role within the business has continued and hasn’t had much effect as we are now able to access everything online. Also, working digitally feels somewhat normal in our industry anyway.

The biggest impact for me, are the three very energetic, competitive children home schooling in different rooms. Plus, my wife in the front room teaching her students through Hangouts. Each with their own computer, which helps massively, however I’ve now created a new role for myself with the constant need of I.T. support and problem solving. This is actually keeping me on my toes and I’m quietly enjoying it! They have all found a natural way to argue about the smallest of issues. Minor things will start in the morning and multiply into a chaotic frenzy by the end of the day. It’s a bit like waking a volcano everyday, whilst riding a roller coaster! Subsequently, I have now installed a 4ft punch bag outside for everyone to use.

The positive side of all this is that it’s made me cherish what I own and have in front of me.  I’m learning so much more about myself and what’s important to me in my life. I am so lucky to have a healthy family and a house with a large garden for the children to play outside all day. We are all eating healthier, we exercise nearly everyday. We take regular walks together as a family, we talk more, we bake more, build, dig, paint, draw and the cat and dog are getting so much more attention; they can’t believe it! We are stronger as a family and I’m enjoying every minute of every day in lockdown as I now know I will never experience this change in lifestyle ever again. I love it that the whole world has paused at the same time but I really miss all the sport and can’t wait for that to get back to normal.

 

Eleanor, Digital Marketing Executive:

Although the days go fast, the weeks go slow. One of the biggest struggles for me at the moment, work wise, is not having the open plan office I am used to, meaning I can’t just swivel my chair and ask the designers to help me with a quick job or discuss a new website project face to face. Keeping in a routine however has definitely helped me to cope with everything and regular calls and messages with the team have been very useful and uplifting.

In this digital world I’d say we have transitioned well to working from home, however, with some WiFi issues now and then, the online meetings can be sometimes frustrating and your freeze face is a big fear. I am lucky enough (or unlucky depending on your view) at the moment to be still living with my parents who have a big enough house that we can stay out of each other’s way when needed. Our attic office allows plenty of room for my brother and I to share and there have been no issues…yet.

I’m reading: The Body: A Guide for for Occupants by Bill Bryson

My new hobby: Learning Spanish

Josh, Digital Marketing Manager:

The logistical nature of working from home has been relatively easy to adapt to, given that my role focuses on digital aspects of the business. I am lucky enough to have a light and spacious spare room in my house, so I’ve been able to make a nice environment, away from any distractions to work from. However, I have found that finding ways to keep motivated is the key challenge. My partner is a nurse and works long hours throughout the day (most days at present), so I’m pretty much isolated for most of the week.

To overcome the motivational barrier of being isolated at the moment, I’ve made adjustments to my usual, in office, working day. I’m usually a late luncher (you could call it supper in all honesty) but I’ve found that’s not feasible at the moment. Instead I’ve been breaking my days up with shorter breaks or taking an hour late morning / early afternoon for a walk, if I haven’t been for one first thing. Ultimately, I’ve found that this flexibility and regular communication with the team is what has driven my motivation so far and long may it continue.

Although I say I have minimised distractions in my home office, some are unfortunately unavoidable. I live with a free-roaming house rabbit (Missy) and ever since I’ve been working from home, she’s pretty much spent all her time in the spare room with me. She’s quite relaxed most of the time, apart from nudging my feet under the desk for strokes, mid-client call. Not cool.

 

Andrew, Senior Designer:

Thankfully, living with an impassioned advocate of homeworking, the concept wasn’t new in our household. For many years my wife has worked from home on a regular basis and it benefits her hugely. Our early resilience testing gave us the confidence that we could access files and work on them in exactly the same way we do at ‘work’, and we have successfully kept communication channels open within the team with WhatsApp and Google Meet.

For me, the early days were about finding out what works best; whether I am more successful working early in the day, or late into the evening; whether I do my best work in the kitchen or the garden. Ultimately I have found the added flexibility in my work schedule and routine extremely enriching. I have been inspired by the ability to change my work environment, and no-one misses commuting in rush hour traffic. As one of the more experienced (read older) members of the team I have also been experiencing the productivity advantages of the power nap!

There have been challenges, but I associate them more with the lockdown situation, rather than the practice of working from home. The lack of social interaction and community can be both a blessing and a curse, but we have countered that to a large extent using IM or just picking up the phone. These drawbacks are massively outweighed by the improvement in work-life balance, and the next challenge we face is working out how we return to the workplace, but keep these newfound benefits that have made such a difference to everyone’s life.

I’m reading: Why We Eat (Too Much) by Dr Andrew Jenkinson and Dog Training Revolution by Zak George

My new hobby: Monty, our 8-week-old Miniature Dachshund puppy, and perfecting homemade chicken stock

I have also been experiencing the productivity advantages of the power nap

Heather, Graphic Designer:

As the only member of the team living alone, I was most concerned about the thought of being trapped in my little flat by myself, so once we began working from home before the official lockdown, I headed back to Derby to be with my family.

As my dad has always worked from home part-time, he had dibs on the home office so I set up in the dining room, which has lots of natural light and space for me to spread out – let’s just say I’m not known as having the tidiest desk in the office! It’s been nice to have the opportunity to listen to trashy podcasts without judgement…and I’ve become accustomed to having homemade cake on tap. I’ve found that getting up in time to do the Joe Wicks workouts has really helped my productivity and feeling of achievement, and exercising in the morning is something I want to continue doing once we get back to ‘normal’.

In terms of client work, I’ve found that being unable to easily collaborate has been the hardest part. Although we have ways to remotely interact with each other, being in the office and constantly able to ask for others ideas and thoughts is one of the reasons we work so well as a team; I’m missing that. Plus, the neighbour’s cat isn’t as cute as our office dogs.

I’m reading: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien

My new hobby: Re-discovered how to make scoobies

Kirsty, Graphic Designer:

With collaboration being a huge part of how we work, I was intrigued to see how we could continue that working remotely. However, from the first day of lockdown we were jumping on Google Meets to figure things out. After some initial technology challenges, we were quickly set up and ready to go (I think we all owe Chris some beers on our next team night out!)

I thought my 15 minute pre-lockdown commute was small but the few steps along the hallway to my new office has challenged even that!  Luckily, I was able to transform the spare room into my own BDHQ. The flexibility has also allowed me to dedicate the last part of the working day to develop new skills. I’m currently improving my knowledge on Yoast’s SEO course. Working on the design team, it is an area of the business I don’t have much involvement in usually but am enjoying learning more about.

Without a doubt getting out for exercise either during lunch or after work has helped with my productivity (I’m sure the majority will agree), and the gorgeous weather so far has been a massive positivity booster. Am I looking forward to getting back into our office environment and seeing the team? Very much so. But am I surprised how well we have adapted to remote working? definitely!

I’m reading: Becoming by Michelle Obama

My new hobby: Swingball 

I was able to transform the spare room into my own BDHQ

Chris, Senior Web Developer:

When the shift to working from home was looking like a certainty, my initial thoughts were to whether we’d be able to continue to work properly. Fortunately, we managed to get the technology in place that would allow us to work remotely in the same way as normal.

I’ve adjusted to working from home quite quickly and appreciate not having to sit in traffic first thing in a morning. I find that there are times when I really want to focus on what I’m doing and removing the sometimes-noisy office environment really helps with that. I’m lucky that being a Web Developer means that I could almost work from anywhere, as long as I have my Mac and an internet connection!

The extra time at home has been quite beneficial, since I’ve got a lot of work to do around the house in preparation for the arrival of Baby Haigh, although I’m sure that so far I’ve just made more of a mess than it was before…

By far the biggest thing I’m missing is the dogs, team and the great working environment that we have. I’m looking forward to getting back to the office but also seeing how we can incorporate some changes and hold on to the improved work / life balance we’re becoming used to.

 

Sam, Web Developer:

Working from home full time is a new concept to me. Being the only one in the house during the day, you realise how much you like the office environment and having people around . WhatsApp and video calls have kept us all talking with weekly quizzes on a Friday (I’m usually last place).

I find working with the team on projects and communicating is a great motivator. Sticking to a routine has helped structure my days with a break in between for some exercise to get me out of the house. Enjoying the change of working from home but ready to get back to the office when it’s safe to do so.

 

So, there is a little insight into our working from home lives. It’s important to find the exciting/fun/interesting in the everyday – no matter how small. Our Browndog family remains safe and healthy, and we wish all of our clients and you the same!

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It’s important to consider where your website is hosted and if other websites are hosted on the same server. When you use our hosting service, your website is hosted on a dedicated server with 24/7 support, should anything go wrong. We know that understanding server security and website hosting can be complex, so our experts are here to talk you through it all and find the best plan that works for you.

To read a recent review of the WP Engine platform by Digital.com please click here.

We’re pleased to say that the majority of our clients choose to host their websites with us.

 

How much does a good website cost to build?

  • A brochure site (a place to share information about your products or services) will cost between £6,000-£12,000 depending on the volume of pages, functional elements and any bespoke design requests you may have.
  • An ecommerce website (a place where you can sell your products or services and visitors can complete their transaction online) will cost from £10,000.
  • If you’re looking for completely bespoke design or just a website refresh, we’ll be happy to chat with you and provide a quote for your requirements.

We’ve developed over 200 websites. You can look at our catalogue of work here and chat with our clients if you’d like to get a feel for what it’s like to work with our team before we become partners in your project.

When you work with us, you’ll get that perfect combination of great design and technical development from our whole team, not just one person.

How long does it take to build a website?

Before we start any work, we’ll share a project plan which will include deadlines for providing content, and we’ll keep you updated if the expected times change.

Writing keyword-rich copy will keep visitors on your website and encourage them to work with you. If writing isn’t for you or you just don’t have time, we can produce a content plan on your behalf.

Why you need a website

Most customers will expect you to have a website and may question your legitimacy as a business if they can’t find you online. When a potential customer does find you, what should their first impression be? You want them to be confident when buying from you and to have a good feeling about your brand.

If growing your business is a goal, then having a website is a great place to gain leads. Using the right mix of keywords and a thorough digital marketing plan, you can become good friends with Google! Google will play a significant role in helping your customers find you online and giving you a positive return on investment for the cost of your website and online strategy.

Even the most basic of websites should serve as an informative tool to answer frequently asked customer questions and offer your first port of call for customer service. Your opening times, address and latest news or offers should be easy to find. Ultimately, the better your website is, the easier it will be to find, and a great website will help you to reach more customers.

Being online helps you to reach a much bigger pool of customers than a bricks and mortar store. Your website can be the key to extended success, with no limits on the scope of your customer geography other than your product/service capabilities.

Working with an agency like Browndog will give you a technically sound, fresh and functional website which is responsively designed, and provides consistent brand messaging for your customers. We’ll also take the guess work out of your online strategy and make sure your website is targeting the right customer segments to increase sales opportunities and raise brand awareness.

How much does it cost?

  • A marketing campaign animation or company/product introduction between 90-120 seconds in length will cost between £2,500 and £3,000. This will depend on the length of the video, the content, and any additional options such as a voice over or music. Don’t worry, we can guide you through best practice and find a plan that fits for you.
  • If you’d like us to produce a logo ident or gif animations for you to use on social media and in smaller campaigns, you can expect to pay between £250-£300. This will be a much smaller brief and will take less time than a campaign animation.
  • We’re more than happy to put together a bespoke package for you to include multiple campaign videos, logo idents, voice overs and photography or videography as needed. We do it all!

You can look at our catalogue of work here and chat with our clients if you’d like to get a feel for what it’s like to work with our team before we become partners in your project. 

How long does it take to produce an animation?

But here’s the kind of time you can expect your animation to take:

  • Marketing campaign animations – this will usually take us about three weeks to prepare. We like to allow a week for content and styling, followed by storyboarding and revisions. Finally, we’ll take another week to animate your work. These things are a work of art, you can’t rush them (and we won’t).
  • Logo idents, gifs and short animations – we estimate that this will take up to two weeks.

Are you ready to get started? Send us your brief today or give us a call to talk through your ideas. We’re a friendly bunch!*

*If you visit us, our office dogs may take part in your meeting.

What kind of animations can we help with?

Ideally, your marketing strategy will include a range of media content to achieve the greatest engagement and response from your audience.

We can help with animations and videos that include company and product introductions, as well as content for specific marketing campaigns. These types of animations can showcase who you are, and what you have to offer. Plus, they are an exciting way to launch a new product or service and get your customers on board.

When you work with us on your branding, why not include a logo ident to add that extra bit of personality to your business and content, setting you apart from your competitors.

Another growing area for animated content is social media and your website. We produce gifs, short video clips and motion graphics for use on web pages and in social posts. This is a great way to captivate the viewers’ attention, share your brand values and advertise your latest campaign or event.

Finally, when you work with us on your website, we highly recommend adding a range of graphics, animations and videos to keep visitors on your site and share your messaging in captivating ways. We’ve provided many website banners and short looping animations for our clients.

We will guide you through each of your animation journey, from assessing the content that will work best for you, to how long your animated content should be and where it should be placed.

Why is animation an important element of your content strategy?

Not only is it effective but using animation can be a cost-saving way to grab the attention of your audience and keep them looking at your content for longer. It’s considerably cheaper than producing recorded video footage because it can be easily edited and updated when needed.

Animation is the fastest growing type of content created by marketers for use on websites and social media, so if you’re not doing it yet, now is the time to start…

We understand that sometimes it can be difficult to explain complex ideas, products or services in text form or with images. That’s why many of our clients work with us to produce animations that take the information off the page and jump out at the audience.

Most importantly, animation has been proven to boost conversion rates on your website. Users are significantly more engaged and more likely to spend longer on your site or complete an action, such as filling in a contact form.

How will animation help my marketing strategy?

Animation is a powerful marketing tool and a great way to show some personality in your brand, making you more memorable (think: the Aldi carrot or the Netflix Tudum).

One of the great benefits of animation is that it can help you to share a lot of information in just a few seconds, because sometimes that’s all the time you have to attract a user’s attention.