Be 'Found on the Isle of Wight'

Digital world, island time.

Susan Gowland

I’ve been thinking about this since I moved to the Island in May.

I’d had enough of the Heathrow flight path and the manic London congestion, noise, pollution and general frenetic-ness of it all. It was time for a quieter, lovelier, calmer pace, surrounded by some pretty amazing scenery. And really, how many people are lucky enough to live on an island? It’s the stuff of dreams. So I thought, sod it, I’m doing it. And I did.

So now I’m here; I thought I would bring something with me. And it’s not the headache caused by airline fumes.

I’ve spent the best part of 25 years working in the digital world, mostly with websites, SEO, Google, e-commerce, and all the stuff that goes on behind the scenes. I’ve worked with some big names, looked after numerous websites, some with 5 pages, one with more than 25,000 pages and 9 million visitors a year, sat in high-rise offices having meetings with CEOs, lunches in the House of Lords and created partnerships with some pretty major companies.

And now I’ve ditched the suits for shorts and a T-shirt; it’s liberating. But I digress.

The thing is, I know this stuff and I’m good at it. And since moving here, I’m looking at Island businesses and their websites and my digital brain switches on. I keep spotting things- things that could be better, could be easier, that could be all it takes to help the right people find your brilliant local business.

So, I had an idea, and I'm calling it FOUND ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT because visibility matters, a lot. I’d like it to be a place where Island businesses can ask questions, talk to each other, bounce around ideas, get a bit of help and make sense of all the website and digital stuff that helps people find you.

But I need your input. I don't want to sit behind a desk deciding what this should be, even if it is a desk with a seaview. I'd rather hear from the people who might actually use it, find out what's useful, and see where we can take it.

What do you reckon? What would actually be useful? What do you need help with? What’s driving you mad about your website? Is there something you’ve been meaning to sort out but haven’t got a clue where to start?

Tell me.

And if you fancy giving me something to play with, I love this stuff; send me your website, and I'll give you a fresh-eyes opinion. And no, you won't get a bill or a 10-page report telling you to 'synergise your optimisation funnels to avoid friction points'. If nothing else, it’ll be a nice way to get to know the Island, meet the people behind the businesses, discover some of the brilliant things happening here, be useful where I can and hopefully make a few friends along the way.

I’ve escaped the Heathrow flight path, and I'm going to make the most of it.

Susan 😊