I joined AITOM as Sales Director 3.5 years ago. Back then, I had a dream of an online agency that builds websites the way they really should be built – paying close attention to the planning stage, carrying out thorough testing, incorporating feedback from real customers, and focusing on the client’s objectives. And that’s exactly what we do now; we’ve mastered it and we’re brilliant at it.
In 2015, we began working on a unique method for preparing online projects, which we call the initial study. Back then, it was a visionary plan; we discussed at length what form such a service might take and whether there would be any demand for it at all.
Today, the initial study is a sought-after service, and both we and our clients have seen its enormous benefits for website development and subsequent marketing for years.
Once we’ve identified the objectives, we move forward and, as one of the few, we test with real users, conduct telephone surveys with end customers, analyse the online profile of the competition, and based on this, we then prepare wireframes, the website structure and a plan for subsequent marketing.
My second dream was to work in a company that really functions well. One where people know exactly what they’re supposed to do, have a great deal of responsibility and know how to use it. Their skills and services offer clear added value that clients want and receive. People have the space to make mistakes and, above all, the opportunity to fulfil their potential at work without getting tripped up by unclear company procedures.
I had never experienced such an organisation in the Czech Republic and only managed to find it in Switzerland, where my wife and I lived for just under six months. For the first time, I saw an organisation running like Swiss clockwork. Not perfectly, but brilliantly. Without excessive bureaucracy, with room for individuals and clearly defined responsibilities. I increasingly wish for this kind of operation for us too.
Honest craftsmanship remains the foundation; that will never change
At the moment, I see two key tasks at AITOM. Firstly, to continue developing the dream of honest web craftsmanship, and secondly, to keep fine-tuning and improving what we currently have in a superbly functioning organisation capable of healthy growth. If we can achieve this, we can simply give free rein to our imagination and creativity in terms of what to achieve and where to go.
If I let my mind wander for a moment and look 3, 5, 10 years or more into the future, we could be number one in usability and focus on the goal in the Czech Republic, the CEE region or across Europe. We can create our own business ventures with our people at the helm – because when you’re experts at setting goals and applying them online, you can succeed in a million different things, sectors and fields. We can be the obvious choice for companies entering Central Europe, or one day even have branches across three continents.
I can imagine many visions that will inspire us, and at the same time I know that it is essential to live in the present and constantly fine-tune the machine known as the company, never stopping and always striving to improve our services and internal organisation. No one else will do this work for us, and it is our path to growth and development.
I’m looking forward to it because we have an excellent foundation. The current CEO, Pavel Houser, together with the other owner, Tomáš Odl, have done a tremendous job and made AITOM one of the most highly regarded agencies in the Czech Republic.
They have put together a team of brilliant people, established work processes and guided clients through the online world, and built the AITOM brand. They are passionate about what they do, just like me, and just like everyone else in our agency, they want to do a great job in the industry and care deeply about it.
We are, of course, planning specific steps regarding processes, focus, new tools and improvements. Our aim is to excel in our day-to-day work, to help clients focus their online projects on a clear goal, find the best solution, build it, test it, fine-tune it and celebrate the results. And in the meantime, to ensure we maintain our culture, the joy of our work, good relationships and the recognition of a job well done. That, in fact, captures the DNA of AITOM’s owners, which I’m happy to endorse 🙂
One wish we certainly agree on is to see a tangible positive impact in the real world as a result of our online work. For example, when I speak to a satisfied client who has so many orders that they don’t want any more because they couldn’t handle them, and can therefore provide jobs and good wages for their staff and a great product for their customers. Or even when we contribute to actually saving children’s lives through the SOS Children’s Villages online project. Every penny and every bit of attention from supporters that we help to raise changes people’s lives. That is something that really matters, and it’s why it makes sense to want to be better and to keep moving forward.