Web design grows rapidly during Airlink's first year

by Christine Ballew-Gonzales

SBJ Contributing Writer

Airlink Communications has evolved considerably since opening in January, according to owner/president Randy Ruggeri. While the business started out offering wireless services, such as cellular and paging services, as well as Web design, customer demand for Web design services soon prompted Ruggeri to begin performing that service in-house with a full staff rather than subcontracting the work out.

"I started out offering Web design services in addition to the cellular services," he said. "We were subcontracting that work out, but I just felt doing it all in-house favored the customer more."

Ruggeri said while he knew there was a market for professional Web design, he didn't expect the demand to be as great as it is.

Customer feedback and demand for Web design services has led Ruggeri to employ one full-time and one part-time designer, and he said the company will soon bring another full-time designer on board.

"We've had so much business, we can hardly keep up," Ruggeri said. Airlink Communications also offers Web hosting services and Internet access services.

While wireless phones and pagers are still a substantial part of Airlink Communications, Ruggeri said Web design services make up about 60 percent of his business and that percentage is rising.

He attributes the company's Web design success to his 20 years in sales and marketing.

"I think the reason it has taken off so fast is because of my sales and marketing experience," Ruggeri said. "That seems to help in promoting a customer's product and services and that really comes into play with Web design."

The growing numbers of people jumping on the e-commerce bandwagon have made sales and marketing expertise on the Web very important, Ruggeri said.

"I really feel the reason we've had so much success so early with the Web design department is that I try to let customers know that it's show time," he said. "When it comes to a Web site, you've got to look your best. E-commerce is where the growth of the Internet will be, and Springfield is realizing that's where it's going."

Ruggeri cautions those who want to promote their products or services on the Web against using amateur Web site designer. "Just because someone can design a site for you doesn't mean you will get the most out of your site," he said. "It really is an art."

Ruggeri said Air-link Com-munications makes an effort to thoroughly under-stand a business or individual for whom they are designing a Web site. He believes this immersion and involvement are what sets the company apart in Web design services.

"We try to design a site that's the most professional and ethical, so our customers have one up on their competition," he said.

The rapid momentum building in the company's Web design department was an unexpected, but welcome, event in the first year of business, Ruggeri said.

"We really didn't expect such a strong response, and that's been a pleasant surprise," he said.