Filter’s support of Silicon Brighton has been more than just a partnership; it’s a testament to our shared vision and values. In this conversation, we had the opportunity to delve into Filter’s journey, uncovering their remarkable achievements. They shed light on their distinctive culture, emphasising the significance it plays on fostering a supportive and inclusive environment. We explored their innovative approach to work, characterised by a flexible working style that prioritises employee well-being and productivity.

Tell us a bit about your company…

Filter is a digital agency specialising in mid-market to enterprise WordPress design and development. The agency currently has 31 team members who deliver 5 services: Digital Strategy & Planning, UX & UI Design, Web Development, Web Performance Optimisation and Hosting & Support. We are also the makers of PersonalizeWP a website personalisation tool.

What problem do you solve or what difference do you make for your clients?

Filter solves the problem of poor web performance, including slow hard to navigate websites suffering from low engagement and poor conversion rates. We build highly performant, accessible and sustainable CMS platforms that integrate with business tools to provide personalised experiences for users.

How would you describe the culture within the business, and how does this contribute to its success?

Culture is what culture does! At Filter the culture is honest, in that it doesn’t try too hard to be anything other than respectful, supporting and truthful. Family takes precedence, above work, above clients. Successes and failures are shared, and blame has no place in the team. As a result the staff retention rate is extremely high. The business partly owes it’s success to this composed approach. Driven by example, the founders provide a positive, calm and collected atmosphere that installs confidence in all team members and is subsequently picked up by the clients.

How do you invest in the development and well-being of your employees? What makes your company a great place to work?

The agency operates a remote model, and is best suited for people who like to either work at home or enjoy a hybrid model that utilises a co-working space. Filter has a extensive employee benefits to help nurture talent.

As a member of the Filter team, you’ll enjoy benefits such as: a friendly, supportive, and family-friendly working environment; flexible working hours and arrangements; UK-based remote-first working (with remote working allowances); a personal improvement budget; health and medical support, among other perks.

What are the top achievements and successes you’re most proud of?

In 2023 Filter successfully pitched for investment from Emilia Capital, an investment company owned by former CEO of Yoast, Marieke van de Rakt, and former founder of Yaost, Joost de Valk. The investment was to further develop our personalisation plugin https://personalizewp.com.

In Jan 2024 we launched the first Pro (Paid) version of the platform to help WordPress administrators around the world create a more engaging experience for their customers. Also in Jan 2024, Filter was awarded ‘EMEA Agency Partner of the Year’ by WP Engine, one of the world’s leading Managed WordPress Hosting companies, which is testament to our hard work and innovation on the world’s most popular CMS.

Is there any other work you’re doing in the community that you’d like to share?

Filter has recently launched it’s own podcast “UnFILTERed” on which we discuss all matters of website performance issues, from Accessibility, to Speed Optimisation and Digital Sustainability. The podcast is available on our Youtube channel.

Are there any upcoming projects, goals or ambitions that you are particularly excited about?

PersonalizeWP is particularly exciting for us. As we have launched our first Pro (Paid) version this year available at https://personalizewp.com, this represents our move into Saas and opens up a new chapter for the agency. We hope to reach a much wider audience and learn what it really takes to engage with customers on a more personal level.

When did you first come across Silicon Brighton? What’s the relationship and how do you benefit?

We have been members of Silicon Brighton for approx 1.5 years and were introduced to them via events in Brighton and Hove. We quickly saw the genuine enthusiasm of the leadership at Silicon Brighton, and aligned with their thinking. In the end it was an easy decision to get more involved and to officially become a member.

Our agency now benefits from a great network of digital organisations, we’ve made friends and contacts along the way, we’ve even been referred business.

Considering your involvement in Silicon Brighton and community-building, what does the concept of ‘community’ mean to you? How important is it for the tech industry?

Community for us is support and validation. Making it in the digital industry is tough because it’s so competitive. Having a network of such smart and experienced individuals helps us navigate through difficult decisions and validates the direction in which we are going. There is always someone with excellent advice within the community and everyone is willing to help wherever they can.

Anything else you would like to promote to our community? (Hiring, socials, website)

Our agency website is www.filter.agency or feel free to connect with Si Cooke  on LinkedIn. Also, check out our Youtube chanel.

https://filter.agency/news/filter-named-as-wp-engines-emea-agency-partner-of-the-year-2024/

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