Photo copyright: Lisa Gill Photography

Michelle Symonds is the founder and CEO of the digital marketing agency Ditto Digital, which specialises in technical search engine optimisation (SEO). She has a scientific and IT background which enables Ditto Digital to implement digital marketing campaigns based on in-depth data analysis backed up by solid IT and web experience. Her mission is to enable SMEs to successfully compete with major brands in the online landscape.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I gained a Bachelor of Science in Geophysics at the University of Southampton in the UK and subsequently worked as a geophysicist in the oil industry for several years. It was there that I became involved with computing because the oil industry at that time was at the forefront of advanced 3-d modelling software. That IT experience led to me being offered a role in a Fortune 500 investment bank in London where I was involved in creating one of the first internet banking apps and project managing a global IT team.

What inspired you to start your business?

I wanted to spend more time with my young children, which I couldn’t do working in the corporate world. When I was considering my options, I started expanding my web development knowledge and skills into the search engine optimisation field. That’s when I realised there was an opportunity to use my existing technical skills in something new and exciting – that’s how Ditto Digital was born.

Where is your business based?

We are based in the UK close to London but work with businesses all across the UK and Europe, many of whom have an international client-base.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

Because I had already assessed the need for technical SEO specialists before actually starting my business, I got straight into building my own website, which I coded from scratch just for the fun of it! Thank goodness small businesses can now use tools like WordPress to make that task much quicker and easier. Once the website was ready I started building up a network of contacts at other digital companies with whom I could work collaboratively. Being based between London and Oxford gave me access to a whole host of business networking opportunities and business support services. I particularly remember securing my first major client – the day before going on a 2-week summer holiday. Not ideal timing but that client is still a client of Ditto Digital 11 years later so I must have done something right.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Business networking has been effective but only within groups comprised predominantly of companies who target a national or international audience because these types of companies can benefit the most from the level of technical SEO expertise we have at Ditto Digital. There are plenty of networking events that simply weren’t relevant for us because their members were mainly companies with local customers so I would advise new businesses to be very selective about the networking events they attend. Many of my early clients came through collaborative relationships with web developers in my network, in fact, some still do.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges I faced was finding the right team: people I could trust to do a great job, who would show initiative and who would be totally reliable in delivering work on time. Thankfully, I now have a solid team around me that I rely on to deliver successful SEO campaigns to all of Ditto Digital’s clients. I overcame this challenge by developing an interview process that asked challenging technical questions to be sure the SEO professionals could “walk-the-walk” as well as “talk-the-talk”. But I equally value honesty when taking on team members with little experience and we are very willing to train our people if they show the right potential and an appreciation of what they don’t know – yet.

How do you stay focused?

I’ve always been very self-motivated and love what I do so that helps me stay focused, but I also use time blocking so I can dedicate myself to whatever task is at hand without distractions. I switch off visual and audible reminders from my screen to avoid being distracted by emails and social media and only check in with them at set times of the day. Particularly when doing in-depth data analysis – an essential part of the decision-making process on all of our SEO campaigns – it is essential to have time to fully analyse the data and explore options for new approaches. Constantly stopping to check emails or social media is counter-productive. My experience from previously managing global IT projects also helps with effectively prioritising tasks and scheduling time to develop new ideas. For a business to grow it is important to allow time to develop ways to adapt and to be agile to changing external factors.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

We have a distinct point of differentiation from other SEO consultancies – many of which have evolved out of traditional marketing companies - because we have a very technical focus due to my own scientific and IT background. We know how websites are built so can liaise effectively with web developers but also have data analysis skills and expertise so that every decision we make about digital marketing for a client is backed up by solid in-depth data. Websites don’t exist in a silo and search engine optimization in another silo and conversion rate optimization in yet another silo. They all contribute to each other’s success; the success of the business fundamentally. So by having knowledge and expertise in all component parts of digital marketing we can make sure a website is built that from the outset meets the speed requirements to succeed in organic search and drive traffic; and from the outset has the design features to convert those visitors to customers. We know how to avoid the messy and expensive business of retro-fitting optimisation and user-experience.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

As a technical SEO company I have, of course, to say SEO! It will never be a quick solution but when it is done right (the big proviso) it helps new, growing companies compete with much larger well-established businesses in a way that would be difficult, if not impossible, without internet marketing. It has also enabled me to expand my business across the whole of the UK in a very cost-effective way without the need to have offices in multiple locations.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Just get started - because businesses have to change and evolve to remain successful so don’t waste time and energy trying to make the first incarnation of your business perfect. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put a plan in place but the greatest hurdle for many would-be entrepreneurs is that first launch. But by accepting that the business won’t be perfect straight away (if ever) it gives all entrepreneurs the freedom to change their mind, change the way the business works, change focus, change the people – these things will probably all be necessary so view them as a normal part of running a business. It’s the mistakes we make that help us do better next time.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

So many to choose from! But my favorite app has to be Trello – it serves as a repository for ideas, musings and random thoughts before they are developed into fully-fledged ideas to deliver better service to our clients and grow the business. It also helps organise, plan and manage day-to-day tasks and longer-term tasks. I can sleep more soundly at night knowing I have every idea and task captured in one place.

My favorite blog right now is Zen Habits by Leo Babauta just for it’s sheer calming effect on busy lives. If ever I feel overwhelmed by everything I “have” to do, I think of Leo’s one simple phrase “there’s always a fresh supply of time”.

There are plenty of good inspirational books for entrepreneurs and it’s still worth reading the classic The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey and anything by Simon Sinek. However, my favorite book at the moment is a political read: “The Establishment” by British author Owen Jones that casts light on how a small wealthy minority preserve their privileged status at the expense of the majority (think lobbying and the revolving door between politics and business). On a similar theme is “Free Lunch” by American author David Cay Johnston about how government policies benefit a tiny wealthy minority – at the expense of regular tax-payers.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

A very specific suite of software tools for SEO professionals called “SEO PowerSuite” is my favorite business tool. Quite simply we couldn’t run Ditto Digital without it. It enables us to track, monitor and analyse all the Key Performance Indicators that show how successful each campaign is. It produces reports on the current status and daily updates in real time of all the vital KPIs.

Who is your business role model? Why?

Simon Segars the CEO of ARM Holdings. Not only is Simon one of the most influential people in IT in the UK but his company have also been voted as one of the top companies for work-life balance in the UK. I also love the fact that he started working at ARM as it’s 16th employee and is now the CEO.

How do you balance work and life?

I make sure that I prioritise downtime with my family and my friends throughout the week and I very rarely work at week-ends. It comes down to a mindset – I don’t believe anyone can be truly productive and innovative if they are constantly working or constantly connected to their tech.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Watching a good film – I’ve just watched Munich: The Edge of War with Jeremy Irons playing Neville Chamberlain which puts a completely different perspective on the traditional narrative of Chamberlain’s role in the lead up to the start of World War II. I’m also fortunate to live close to woods and open countryside and a walk in nature is also a good way to decompress.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

Continue to go the extra mile for all of our clients and deliver exceptional customer service and at the same time grow my business. Now there’s a challenge and one which will require me to rely on my excellent team.

How can our readers connect with you?

Through the website https://dittodigital.co.uk/get-in-touch/   

Directly with me in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellesymonds/