Talented ex-pat directs web work back home

MEDIA RELEASE 15 October 2013

Talented ex-pat directs web work back home

There was a silver lining for Christchurch web company Avatar after one of its most talented employees decided it was time for some OE.

Avatar this week announced a contract worth up to a quarter of a million dollars per year with international web company Clicksco. Dubai-based Clicksco employs more than 200 people in nine offices and six countries. It has a turnover of some US$100 million and serves more than 11 million customers per month through its network of comparison shopping, B2B, ecommerce and travel websites.

“The Clicksco opportunity came about after Paddy Johnson, one of our most talented employees, went on his OE and landed a web design role with some of the Clicksco founders in the UK,” Avatar managing director Mark Rocket says.

“Paddy rose up the ranks at Clicksco and when online marketing help was required he recommended Avatar. I think this type of business connection is something that many companies could consider further. Winning contracts with successful international operators is the ‘Holy Grail’ for New Zealand web companies,” Mark says. “It's all about credibility and developing personal connections.”

After meeting with the Clicksco (www.clicksco.com) London and Dubai-based teams in September, Mark says he has been impressed by Clickco’s vision and commitment to team engagement. “Avatar is now a part of that global system through our agreement to provide online marketing and search engine optimisation services for Clicksco’s portfolio of websites,” he says.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) involves improving the rankings of a website in search engines. It takes into account factors such as how search engines work, what keywords people use when searching and optimising website content to increase keyword relevance.

Mark says attaining quality search engine rankings is a key component for the successful operation of most websites, but it’s also extremely competitive and requires a high degree of technical expertise.

Avatar (www.avatar.co.nz) has been 15 years in the web business with a team of 12 people located throughout New Zealand. He says the experience gained in helping more than 1000 companies and organisations with web design and online marketing has given his team the skills companies such as Clicksco need.

Avatar has a history of building inhouse projects that have been successful, the most high profile being New Zealand Tourism Online, which became the number one commercial tourism directory before being sold to Yellow Pages in 2006.

“Since Avatar started in 1998 there have been many hundreds of web companies emerge in this dynamic industry. Our focus has always been on exploring online marketing and search engine optimisation techniques. We’ve recognised that it’s not just about having a website that looks sharp, but our clients also want to see tangible results and benefits to the bottom line,” Mark says.

“We get a buzz out of seeing our client’s excitement with the results they see from taking control of their online presence and supporting that with effective marketing.

“A key point of difference for Avatar is that few web companies have experienced immense commercial success with their own online projects and what we’ve learnt from our inhouse projects helps us to give informed advice to our clients.”

ENDS

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