Exceeding Expectations

As a grown up company, Week of the Website is not immune to the shifts and changes that happen over time. Evolution and adaptation is a huge part of why we have remained successful after all these years despite changes in the market and world around us. What remains true today just as much as when WOTW was born is the commitment to communication, delivering beyond what people imagine possible, and a culture of joy. We catch up with Kelsey Gilbert-Kreiling as she steps into the role of CEO and shares her vision of what is to come.

Week of the Website has built a reputation for helping businesses develop their online presence rapidly. How do you envision evolving this concept over the next 5 years, and what new opportunities do you see for growth that haven't been fully explored?

KGK: When we created Week of the Website, the idea of building a website in a week was totally unheard of- now, clients expect speed across the board, which is exciting because we spend less time convincing folks it’s possible and more time making their dream site come to life. The other secret weapon of the WOTW team is our ability create a truly exceptional design experience for our clients - for the next five years, I’m excited to further infusing our process with more moments of hospitality- we’re a client-serving business that builds websites, which is so much more than a website design company serving clients. 

The web development landscape is constantly changing with new technologies and platforms emerging regularly. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing businesses trying to establish their web presence today, and how will Week of the Website address these under your leadership?

KGK: Oh I think it’s definitely the Wild West right now when it comes to AI assisted tools- for a lot of businesses, there’s a fundamental risk to their process and approach, but because we work efficiently AND in a really consultative way, I think our services are the perfect complement to this moment of innovation. 

Can you share your approach to building and maintaining a high-performing, quick turnaround team in web design? How do you plan to preserve and evolve the company culture as Week of the Website continues to scale?

KGK: Maintaining culture is so hard as business age, grow and change. When I knew I would be making this transition to sole leadership, I worked with Crunchy Bread Culture Studio to help me understand my story and values so I could understand how I could best lead our team. It’s been really special to see how my personal goals align with our culture and to clearly identify the areas that we could be in more alignment. We also have been working with an incredible chief of staff, Zena Cherian who not only helps with my leadership development, but is the person who is tasked with truly understanding our team and their needs. The other day, I got to ask her, “Zena, how does this person feel most appreciated?” And it was a really special opportunity to realize we had that info at our finger tips. 

We have always tried to maintain a culture of communication with our team and that won’t change- times of transition like this has been hard, but I think it was really special to realize how much trust we had built in the systems of Week of the Website that this leadership shift was celebrated by our team, not something that stressed people out. 

It’s incredible that WOTW maintains a nearly 5 star rating from thousands of happy customers. How do you define success for Week of the Website's clients, and what role does feedback play in consistently delivering on the WOTW experience?

KGK: I love when we hear “This was so much better than I imagined!” Exceeding expectations is really our gold standard, and I think the best way we can do that is to continue to do a good job of vetting projects for our team, matching clients with the project types that make sense for their needs and picking stellar teams to see their site to launch. In the coming year, we’re going to be focusing even more on how we support clients after launch, and even better prepare them during onboarding so that those feel like a continuation of their engagement experience, not a beginning and end. 

What personally drives you at Week of the Website, and can you share an example of something recently that has given you motivation or inspiration? 

KGK: Our team always motivates me. We work with THE most talented people, who have incredible wells of curiosity and ingenuity. It feels like more than ever, my job is to put great projects in front of them and vice versa- I’m thrilled to help our clients solve interesting problems and tell their individual stories. That’s been a constant over the last decade and as much as things change, that part will always remain.