What is 80five?
Welcome to 80five! It is a pleasure to have you reading this post and to be bringing to life something that has been hanging around in my head for the past 18 months.
I previously ran my own web agency, called Tiny Blue Rocket, from 2018 until 2022. In those four years, I built something from nothing with almost no money into an agency that I was proud of. The central core of that business was about building great websites for small businesses. Coupled with the design was the ongoing maintenance and support that helped those businesses flourish.
Tiny Blue Rocket closed when I began working for a local web agency and had the opportunity to broaden my understanding of web design. That opportunity, alongside other more recent experiences, has allowed me to grow significantly in my knowledge.
Since 2022 a lot has changed in the world of web design and tech. More recently, we have all seen the growth and expected longevity of AI. Much maligned as it might be, it does allow businesses to be more efficient and more precise with their output.
Also, and more importantly, the array of web designing platforms has exploded. Now there are so many low and no-code platforms that allow agencies to build great websites quickly that any client can then manage at a low cost. Tiny Blue Rocket was 100% WordPress-focused. 80five will not use WordPress, as better tools are now available.
Why have I created 80five?
Around 27 million people operate as web designers, so what is the point of having another designer and another agency? I was not going to venture back into creating websites for other businesses unless I felt that I had something worthwhile to offer.
Recently, I built and launched UpWatch. It's a service that helps people monitor their websites for downtime and other factors that affect the website's usage and performance. That website was built using Framer, a web-building tool that has been on my radar for a while, but I had yet to fully utilise it.
Whilst building UpWatch I could finally see the vision for 80five. Framer is such a powerful tool for building really impressive websites quickly and efficiently. This could mean I could offer better websites more quickly than I had been able to offer with Tiny Blue Rocket and WordPress.
So, here we are with the launch of 80five. It aims to be a Framer agency offering modern, fully responsive websites. Due to the power of Framer, all of the websites can be packed with great features that will help attract customers to your business.
Which services does 80five offer?
When I started Tiny Blue Rocket I tried to offer web design, SEO, digital marketing, graphic design, and so much more. I learnt that great small businesses focus on being excellent at one or two things with some supporting offerings.
Therefore, at its core, 80five will build great websites for small and growing businesses. Alongside that, I can offer hosting and maintenance and website monitoring.
Hosting and maintenance is an important service. As I have seen, quite a lot of small businesses know they need a website to drive business, but cannot spend hours maintaining their website. Plus, they do not know where to host it or how to manage their hosting. We can provide the expertise to host and maintain the website for small businesses.
Having already launched UpWatch, website monitoring is an obvious service. Businesses can tap into the comprehensive, seven website monitors that are offered as part of each UpWatch package.
You don't need to have your website built by 80five or be paying us to maintain and host it. You can take all or just one of the services.
Who is it for?
The aim for 80five is to be focused on building websites for small businesses. There is a great pleasure to be found in helping small businesses flourish by improving their digital impression. I have worked with several businesses that have leveraged their new website to grow rapidly. It is wonderful to play a small part in their development.
The website monitoring part of the services can be for a wide range of businesses, but the core web design and development is focused on small businesses.
What are the future plans for 80five?
I have already mentioned keeping the services focused and narrow, so that 80five can be an expert at one core aspect. So the plan is not to branch out into offering a total package of digital services.
One area that will be developed under the umbrella of 80five will be building landing page templates for Framer. This almost certainly will not be delivered under the 80five name - I do know what it will be, but that's a secret for now!
The reason for wanting to provide landing page templates is that quite often people just want a one-page website initially. When someone is starting a new business they just want to keep it simple. Plus, sometimes people just need a page to promote an event or product (e.g. an ebook or podcast) and want it separate from their main website.
Keeping this offering separate from 80five is important to not confuse what 80five does. The aim with 80five is to develop bespoke, personalised websites. With Framer, this can be completed quickly, but it does not mean you get a generic or 'off the peg' website. Offering templates alongside this would rather confuse matters!
Want to get a new website?
If you would like a modern, responsive website for your business we are here and ready to help. Please reach out today to me and 80five and let's have a chat.
can provide bespoke web design, hosting and maintenance support and website monitoring. Get in touch today and let's create something amazing together!
