Even Web Design Feels the Effects of Supply Chain Issues

The post-pandemic recovery is in full swing, and the global economy is struggling to keep up. No matter the industry, the secret to surviving the COVID-19 pandemic is the same—staying resilient and embracing technology. In other words, web design companies that are still breathing have their work cut out for them.

Web Design Survival Tools

The key to staying alive for many web design companies was the software and platforms they relied on. Web design companies that had already expanded their online support pre-COVID had a major advantage over those that were left scrambling. Processes once handled in offices like meetings or team check-ins, were quickly picked up with digital tools, such as Zoom and Slack. 

Tech — A Hero During Stormy Times

We hear about changes in industries such as groceries costing more and shipping supply chain issues, but you don’t hear a lot about the small tech industries. Not only are tech companies struggling to get hardware, they are also facing staffing problems like other industries.

The internet has changed the way we live, and now it’s changing how people shop. Rapid panic-shopping gave way to unprecedented spikes in online retail with everything ranging from groceries all the way down to household necessities. Now, you can get just about anything delivered right at home.

Technology has protected our lives and livelihoods during COVID-19. New online technology will protect us during future disruptions too! 

Future of Business

What does that mean for businesses everywhere? Staying competitive means building a digital presence and leaving a digital footprint that consumers will notice. Businesses that once thought it was an afterthought to invest in a website now realize its importance. Technology is transforming our world, and people are embracing it more than ever. This has led to a bandwidth problem for digital agencies.

The COVID-19 virus outbreak has made the digital divide seem like a thing of the past – seniors can now order groceries online. At the same time, businesses everywhere struggle for an internet presence in this increasingly wireless age.

Future of Web Design

On the agency side, we are seeing rising costs for internet and bandwidth thanks to all the Zoom meetings. We saw a global laptop shortage and soaring demand for consumer electronics that led to persistent chip shortages. Coming in January is a giant web hosting bubble that is about to burst.

cPanel, the world’s most popular web hosting control panel, announced a major change in its pricing structure. As a cPanel partner, if you pay $11 per cPanel license for running one thousand websites, the new pricing structure will force you to pay $122. We are looking at a 1k percent increase with some hosting companies.

Moving Forward

The pandemic continues to raise interesting questions about the way we live and work. Will remote employment be the new norm? How will consumers react to shopping malls, restaurants, and other public spaces opening up?

What impact does this new reality have not only on those who must deal with these things every day but also on society at large? Will demand drop significantly now that everything seems available online as well? 

These are all questions that we can’t answer right now. What is clear, though — even before this recent strain of H1N1 spread across North America — Americans have been spending less time outside.

How Northwest Media Collective Has Adapted

We are always on the lookout for new ways to improve our services and make sure that your online presence is up-to-date. During the pandemic, we needed to revamp our website maintenance and support solutions. This included finding better hosting for our clients that needed to support their own growing bandwidth needs. We are actively developing new tools to serve better our client’s needs.

Northwest Media Collective is your go-to web design company in Portland and Vancouver. We are experiencing a pandemic, just like our other small business friends, so don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need help with website development or marketing during this time!