We started with Code
Our journey began in 2005 when we were the clients. We wanted to build our business and started hiring agencies and outsourcing companies. In building our business (in F&B related services), we felt that the outsourcing model needed a better solution. It needed a company that was a partner who was vested in the success of the project. When we couldn't get great coders we acquired a team and trained them in systematic models that encouraged sustainability and scalability. When we couldn't get our hosting company to respond 24/7 within 15 mins, we started our own hosting company. With the same challenges faced by boutique marketing agencies and small business, we found success through collaboration. Collaboration often yield better results than competition. 8 Connect began a journey of the familiar building and maintaining
Wordpress websites, mobile apps, Facebook games and the likes. Which we still do till this day for clients who need it or just want to stay with the familiar.
A better way than Wordpress
By 2013, 80% of the company's 60 man development team was dedicated to the creation, maintenance and debugging of Wordpress sites. We realised that easy as Wordpress is for our clients, they still required the constant support on maintaining, and upgrading the platform for bugs, security and browser updates. And as simple as the platform may be, there was still a learning curve on using the content management admin of Wordpress. At that same time, we've noticed a growing platform
Wix that provided a simple enough drag and drop system, which many solopreneur were turning to fit their smaller budgets. It was a great idea and platform and we wanted to get our clients onboard. As we worked on a couple of projects we realised there were a few parts to the platform that still wouldn't work for our clients. Including site export capabilities, a lack of no code integrations to platforms like Google sheets/Air table etc, limited access to extensions unless you were familiar with their inhouse framework, lacking Google search performance etc.
We knew then we just had to apply our technical expertise to create an
easy to use, no code, Google optimized website system.
No code website that is also Google Optimized with endless possibilities
FirstSite was built on these principles, it had to be easy to use like Wix, and Google optimized and expandable like Wordpress.
With 80% of our projects coming from marketing agencies, FirstSite was
built for Marketing Agencies. The platform had to allow the ability to create any website from scratch in a few hours and not days. Where they did not need to hire technical staff to have this done and where their strengths in design can shine through. They save on Adobe XD licensing and hiring Wordpress developers to implement web projects. Using FirstSite they can collaboratively design web projects with multiple stakeholders. Our partners are able to deploy projects faster and at a lower cost with better SEO performance.
Subsequently, event companies started to using FirstSite as well to create event sites. With the faster turnaround, they are able to create unique designs and experiences for every event. FirstSite became the
choice for event organizers for the faster turnaround and lower cost. Like our marketing agency partners they now did not have to rely on developers to build their event website.
The advantage of no code and ease of use, allowed non-technical business owners the ability to launch their website at a low cost and really quickly. The increasing number of small business owners that used FirstSite escalated with the Covid situation. Small business owners needed to get online fast and be found on Google to survive. Firstsite is
built for Entrepreneurs.
With the world going mobile first, FirstSite had to be mobile responsive. But mobile responsive isn't going to be enough. Your website will also need to be a mobile app.
Your website also a mobile app
Future proof
Starting mid-June 2021, Google will implement Core Web Vitals, their new metrics for measuring website performance. Sites that score well on Core Web Vitals will have an edge over other sites, enjoying improved SEO while giving visitors an outstanding experience. Months before 8 Connect Consulting has been preparing FirstSite for Core Web Vitals. FirstSite websites will be optimized for Google even before the new standards are applied.
With FirstSite, website owners will no longer have to worry about Google updates, browser updates, new device standards and other shifts in the fast changing technology world. Your website will be future proof.
