Tag Archives: development

TLA Book Club: Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins

Welcome to The Lead Agency’s Book Club, a newly-introduced office library, that is part of our ongoing commitment to support and encourage self-improvement throughout the business.

Our growing collection of titles on business, leadership, tech, marketing and more has been introduced to help people learn and grow both in and outside of their roles.

So, what’s currently sitting on the bookshelf? Find out with our regular 5-minute summaries from the team – starting with our head of studio Neil Cosgrove…

1. Hi Neil. What have you been reading? 

Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins.

2. What was the book about?

Goggins should have been a statistic, the odds stacked against him to amount to anything in his life. Come from a rough childhood, to growing to 300 pounds in the Air Force, then loosing 110 pounds in 3 months to become a decorated Navy Seal, ultra-distance endurance athlete and world 24h pull up bar record holder (4,030).

3. What were the key takeaways for you?

  • Master your mind.
  • Most people only use 40% of their capability!
  • Take control of your life – you are the only one who can affect your future.

4. Who do you think would enjoy reading it?

Anybody who enjoys inspiring, motivational stories.

What have you read lately? Let us know what has inspired you and we’ll add it to the TLA library.

.NET Liverpool host first Meet-up

.NET Liverpool, a new gathering of tech professionals based in and around Merseyside, held its first Meet-up last Thursday.

The session, which was sponsored by The Lead Agency and held at our office on 20 Chapel Street, focused on Internationalisation and Progressive Web App Development. Talks were given by Microsoft MVPs Pete Vickers and Rick Garner in front of a room full of developers and digital professionals from the city’s biggest agencies and brands as well as members of the city’s freelance community.

The .NET meet-up was initiated by TLA developer Josh Duxbury, who was keen to bring the city’s developers together for the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the business.

Feedback

“It was a great first meet-up, with two fantastic talks from Pete and Rick,” said Josh. “Feedback from those who attended has been brilliant so far and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for the next one in February.”

The next .Net Liverpool session, which takes place on Thursday 28 February, will include a talk from Microsoft Windows and Xbox MVP Simon Jackson on Building apps and games for Xbox One using UWP.

“No matter whether you’re just starting out, a seasoned professional or someone who wants to know more about .Net development, we’d love for you to join us,” Josh added. “As well as great talks from Microsoft MVPs, there is plenty of time included for meeting fellow professionals and enjoying free pizza, kindly provided by our sponsor.”

For more information about .Net Liverpool, visit the official Meet-up page or connect with Josh and others on Twitter.

Life at The Lead Agency: Meet Software Developer Shannon Miller

Shannon Miller joined The Lead Agency four years ago, whilst completing her studies at Liverpool John Moores University, before joining us full-time as a Software Developer.

Here, she gives us an insight into her time at The Lead Agency so far…

What lead you to your role here at The Lead Agency?

I first started working here during my placement year whilst I was studying Software Development. Having spent a whole year in a corporate environment, it meant that I had a great advantage going into my final year at University as I had lots of new skills and a real understanding of software development.

What sort of responsibilities are involved in your role?

I work in the platform team, so our responsibilities are mainly to do with improving and maintaining the back-end systems, such as dealing with the call centre systems, and CRM amongst many other responsibilities.

How would you describe working within the platform team?

Everyone is super helpful – if you’ve got any questions people are more than willing to help you out.

We dedicate lots of our time to making sure that things are done properly and on-time. Everything we work on is vital to the smooth-running of our business, so the pressure is on to minimise risks. There’s some late nights and early mornings to do that but there’s always someone on-hand to help you out, even from out of office!

What project(s) are you currently working on?

At this moment, I’m working on the CRM which will be used across the entire company, from field sales down in London, to campaigns, processing and the call centre. Working on the CRM system has been one of our key focal points recently as it’s the main central system that the company is looking to use.

How would you describe the culture at TLA?

Even though we are busy, there’s always a nice and relaxed atmosphere. There’s also a great social side within the company, especially when we finish on a Friday.

I get involved in the free personal training sessions every Tuesday and there’s always other fun activities going on, such as Cake Friday at the end of the month and various charity events!

Which aspects of your role, or working at TLA, in general do you love the most?

Within our team, the day-to-day work is always different – one minute we might be working on a project and then fixing bugs the next. We have so many systems that we’re constantly switching between, so it makes my role extremely varied and fun.

There’s always new technology coming out that we’re open to trying and so we’re always learning new skills. If there’s something that you specifically want to work on, our managers are always willing to help us learn and incorporate the new technology to improve our current systems.

How would you sum up your experience at TLA so far?

Really positive! I’ve learnt mostly everything I know about software development from working at The Lead Agency and made some great friends along the way too.

Would you have any advice for someone who is starting their career as a developer?

Just be open to trying new things. When I first arrived at TLA I was expecting to become a web developer, but I ended up working on different projects and embraced the challenges and opportunities that I was given, and I’ve really enjoyed it.

We’re hiring! To find out more about our career opportunities, visit our careers page.

Leveraging the latest tech for digital customer acquisition

The digital marketing world evolves at a fantastic rate with new concepts and ideas appearing every month from established players and start-ups.

The proliferation of software as a service (SAAS) tooling has enabled non-technical staff to quickly establish live digital campaigns and acquire customers for your business – but this only touches the surface of what is possible.

The evolution of SAAS

For, behind the scenes, the world of technical development is also changing just as rapidly. There has been a gradual split in recent years with large tech-focused corporates like IBM, Microsoft, Google et al. accelerating away from the rest of the field in terms of newer technologies like machine learning, artificial intelligence etc. Smaller companies could never hope to keep up with the levels of focused resource these businesses are able to throw at such major challenges.

But do they need to? The mighty tech giants provide access to all this technology via APIs, with microservices providing specific elements ready for the developer to build with.

This is the evolution of SAAS in that rather than taking a fixed system as a service, developers can take every micro-function as a service and simply pay as they go for what they consume.

Combining the building blocks

This approach spans across a range of fields so includes future giants like Twilio who provide use of multichannel contact functionality via API.

As a developer, you can now quickly create a system that takes in a message from phone, SMS, Facebook messenger and so on, understands the semantics of that message using AI natural language processing engines and then elicits a response based upon your own business logic. Just for good measure, you could throw in calls to a machine learning service to have the system learn how to do a better job next time around!

So, developers are being provided with ever more complex building blocks and their job is to combine these in unique ways with their own business specific code to create something new. This evolution has been ongoing for many years, starting with development of reusable components then through a proliferation of more complete development frameworks, which saved ‘rebuilding the wheel’ and allowed more focus on bespoke elements.

These more recent and highly-advanced service-based components are a game changer though, providing access to highly complex functionality your average developer or dev team could never build.

Advancing targeting intelligence

These advances break down barriers and create massive opportunity for those that have development resource that can make use of them. At the Lead Agency, we are focused on just this and have a long list of R&D projects continuously running alongside the ‘business as usual’ to look at how we can adapt such advances into our world.

It is such projects that give us the edge in digital customer acquisition. They allow us to target consumers in ever more intelligent ways, ensuring we present them with the right message at the right time in their buying journey. They help us find consumers in places others might not select for targeting and then change the ways we engage with them.

It is the use and shaping of such technology that provides us with the ability to create campaigns you can’t run through ‘off-the-shelf’ marketing tools.

Evolution of customer acquisition

There are numerous examples of TLA projects run over the past 12 months that have utilised these technological advances to change the way we work.

We’ve always run our own independent websites which allow us to target and attract in-market consumers using a variety of approaches. This year saw a significant addition to our capability with the launch of our publisher performance marketing system – a tool that enables us to run our performance-based marketing campaigns on third-party publisher websites, bringing a new revenue stream to them and allowing us to increase our consumer reach.

Our technology captures page context and, using our specific vertical knowledge, converts this into product data, thereby gaining product-based page context rather than simply keyword level data. With this level of understanding we can then utilise both our own and additional datasets to understand the type of consumer we are dealing with, the competitor model set, product options and current sales trends.

We then anonymously attempt to track the consumer across website pages, building a picture of their product interest which we use to determine buying cycle stage.

For instance, in the automotive space, if a consumer is reading reviews on a range of vehicles within the same sector, we will most likely consider them to be early in the buying cycle and therefore most likely to engage with a car brochure call to action. As they progress on their journey, the range of vehicles would be expected to decrease and this information can determine when best to target them with test drives or price-based adverts.

The ultimate aim is to ensure we present a consumer with the right message at the right time, adapting the wording and approach based on the consumer, website they are visiting and product of interest.

Working across a network of mainstream publishers, we are able to reach more consumers and, combined with intelligent targeting, generate incremental consumer enquiries.  Our internal validation and qualification processes then convert the most relevant consumer enquiries into sales leads for our clients.

This system currently uses a range of API-based software products to enhance its function and we are currently setting up a project with a technology-focused University to advance the machine learning aspect within it.

Bots and further automation

Another technology we’ve invested in is automated bots; our hypothesis being that if we can engage consumers in online conversation, we believe we can do a better job of converting them into an enquiry.

It is still early days for bot technology and we’re not quite at the point of allowing free-flow conversation, but the bot approach does open up opportunities and leads us towards speech-based interaction in future. Our existing bots are powered with vehicle, pricing and dealership datasets and able to offer a range of services to our consumers using a more engaging approach. Again, these rely on AI natural language processing (NLP) services provided by the likes of Microsoft and IBM.

We also utilise third-party software services within internal and client facing systems, whether for data validation, provision of our contact centre technology or even our client facing systems that provide real-time data insights and lead audit capability – all part of our customer acquisition platform.

So, what’s next? Well, for The Lead Agency and other tech-focused businesses: fantastic opportunities to combine the latest building blocks with business specific expertise and data to create more industry leading technology. Welcome to the world of XAAS (Everything as a service)!

Written by Ed Clark, chief technology officer at The Lead Agency

Contact us to discuss how your customer acquisition campaigns can benefit from new technology.

Life at The Lead Agency: meet developer Liam Moorcroft

Ever wondered what life is like inside one of Europe’s fastest-growing companies?

Developer Liam Moorcroft joined The Lead Agency in November last year and has made a great start within the business.   Here, Liam explains what drew him to TLA and what excites him about his role in the Engagement team.

What appealed to you about joining TLA?

They offer career progression, which is important to me. There was the potential for opportunities that I’ve never had before and, when I came into meet the team, it was clear that they were willing to help me progress. It was also about being able to gain a position in a bigger company.

And finally, there’s the office. When I came in for the interview, I was blown away by the vast views of Liverpool. I knew immediately I wanted to work here.

What can you tell us about your role?

The development team is split into two teams, the engagement team and the platform team. My team, the engagement team, create all the websites and front-facing sites that customers interact with.

My role varies day-to-day due to new features or add-ons that stakeholders may have asked for. Every few weeks we carry out work to maintain the websites to ensure they’re as user-friendly as possible.

What aspects of your role are you most passionate about?

I think discovering new technology is really important to me and it’s what I enjoy most within my role. As a developer, you can’t stand still- you have to keep up to date with new technology as it is always changing. The team I work with are great and make the projects that we work on even more enjoyable.

What can you tell us about your work that would be of interest to developers who are ready for a new challenge?

I think the technology is the big one – if you’re intrigued and enjoy experimenting with new software and technology and being able to do that on a daily basis, then this is the place for you! I guess that’s what continues to appeal to me about this role – the idea of constantly being involved with new technology, being able to research and explore whilst constantly being challenged to find improvements.

We are always asking ourselves, “how can we make this page faster?”, “how can we make this page more user-friendly?”. We are always trying to think of new and improved ways of making the user’s journey through the site better. If those sorts of challenges excite you, then this sort of role is definitely for you.

What else can you tell us about life at TLA?

I think the office and the aesthetics of it make it a great place to be. We’ve got 360⁰ views of Liverpool from our office floor and it just makes it a really pleasant environment to work in.

The bar is pretty cool too. On a Friday, we have a check-in where we grab a drink and discuss whatwe’ve been working on throughout the week. It’s good to hear about what everyone else is up to in the office as we are normally working within our own smaller teams day-to-day. That’s great because it creates a togetherness and a fun teamworking environment.

What’s it like working with the rest of the team?

What I have found working here is that everyone is super friendly and helpful. As a whole, and within my team, everyone is willing to support each other. The general attitude is that there is no such thing as a dumb question and this really gets the best performance out of you as it encourages us to take on a challenge and not be afraid to make a mistake.

I think that’s what helped me to get off on the front foot when I first started at TLA. I had quite a few gaps in my knowledge and I had to learn a lot quite quickly, but everyone was supportive and patient with me, which has helped me to get to where I am today.

To view our latest developer jobs in Liverpool, visit our careers page.

Paul Dowman joins The Lead Agency as tech architect

We are delighted to welcome CRM and .NET architecture specialist Paul Dowman to The Lead Agency team.

Paul joins us as technical architect with a remit to take responsibility for technology selection, system architecture, quality of code and adoption of best practice across all of our development teams. His initial focus will be to progress our Dynamics CRM implementation – an area of expertise Paul has outstanding experience in.

Paul has earned an exceptional track record for integrating Dynamics CRM with legacy systems, facilitating rapid roll out of new capabilities in complicated IT environments. Two of his previous implementations were, at the time of launch, the largest Dynamics CRM implementations in the UK.

His career has included senior positions at Entrepreneurial Spark, Lookers, ISS Facility Services, London Borough of Newham, Manchester City Council, 2e2, Avanade, HBoS and Moneysupermarket.com.

‘Palpable sense of innovation’

More recently, Paul has been operating as a consultant working with a number of different businesses – including The Lead Agency. However, he is delighted to have made the move permanent.

“I’m really excited to join The Lead Agency at a time of rapid growth and expansion for the business. The Lead Agency is unashamedly ambitious, wanting to lead the market, not follow it. That ambition is driving a palpable sense of innovation and vitality throughout the organisation.

“The technical team are keen to understand the latest technologies and collaborate well to help each other find the best use of the technology to deliver business value. On the business side, the team have a proven track record of delivery and growth, never resting on their laurels always looking to improve performance and drive further value.

“With innovative business ideas and cutting-edge technology there is a dynamic synergy that is very exciting to be a part of. Across the whole company there is a strong sense of quality, high standards, and most of all inclusion – everyone has an important part to play.”

‘Meeting of minds’

Our chief technology officer Edward Clark said: “Paul is widely regarded as one of the foremost authorities on Dynamics CRM solutions and has a proven track record of leading major projects for a wide range of ambitious organisations.

“During his capacity as consultant, it became clear that there was a meeting of minds regarding our vision for The Lead Agency and that Paul was the right man to help us deliver it. We believe he will be great addition to our growing development team.”.

If you’d like to be part of our ambitious and innovative business, visit our Careers page for the latest roles.

 

Five new arrivals for the TLA development team

We have welcomed five new additions to the TLA development team.

Stephen Donaghy (technical team lead), Lehasa Moloi and Geraint Taylor (both senior developers), Joshua Duxbury (developer) and James Van Den Houdt (junior developer) have arrived to strengthen our programming department.

Stephen has made the move from Amaze, Lehasa from GB Group and Geraint from Redrow Homes. Meanwhile, Joshua has joined us rom Scan Computers and James has made the switch from Carfinance247.

developer jobs Liverpool
New teammates (From left to right): James, Lehasa, Geraint, Stephen and Joshua.
Identifying the right people

“We’ve been working hard to identify and recruit the right people to help us take the business forward and believe we’ve made five exceptional additions to our development team,” said Ed Clark, our chief technology officer.

“The experience they have earned at respected digital agencies, specialist software companies and in-house development teams will help us to enhance our proprietary platforms and websites as well as explore new technologies to create opportunities for consumers and companies to connect.”

We’re hiring for a number of digital and tech positions across the business. Check out our latest vacancies.

TLA makes head of talent appointment

As you may have noticed from our recent posts and social media activity, this is an exciting period of growth for the agency.

We are recruiting heavily in Liverpool and London and expect to extend our team further over the coming months.

To fulfil our long-term aspirations, we’ve appointed our very own head of talent with the arrival of Michael Fitzsimmons from Manchester-based company Jambo. He is tasked with leading the agency’s in-house recruitment, covering roles across digital marketing, .net development, design and beyond.

He brings with him a wealth of experience in digital recruitment, hiring for roles in Manchester, Liverpool and London over the last few years. He’ll work with each of our department heads as well as the board of directors to identify the right people to enhance our offering.

Strengthening the team

Commenting on the opportunity, Michael said: “I was immediately struck by the ambition and plans of the company. The Lead Agency has earned a reputation for providing an exceptional level of service for its clients, which is a testament to the quality of the team in place. I’m excited by the challenge of strengthening that team with people who have something special to offer and who are a great fit for the culture of the agency.”

In addition to Michael, we are delighted to welcome Sabina Charles to the TLA team to take on the role of executive assistant to our board of directors. Sabina has held a number of similar roles and will play an important role in supporting the smooth running of the business as we continue to grow.

If you’d like to be part of our team, head over to the TLA careers page.

 

TLA unveils new site for Car Keys

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the new Car Keys website, which has been redeveloped and designed to offer a faster, mobile-friendly experience for its users.

Car Keys is our online automotive publication dedicated to people researching and buying a new car. It helps thousands of people to explore their options and easily identify the vehicles that best meet their needs.

With its user base growing quickly, we undertook a full review and in-depth research to plan a complete rebuild and redesign of the website. The end result is a faster, user-friendly experience optimised for all device types – particularly mobile, which is the source of more than half of all traffic to the platform.

Car Keys’ acting editor Ryan McElroy said: “Our new site is now multi-device friendly, with bespoke interfaces designed specifically for use on mobile and tablet, as well as on desktop. It is faster to load than ever before and features a much-improved user journey, so users will find easier to access all of our great features.

“It’s better looking too, with a complete redesign that more effectively incorporates integrated images and videos, so you can enjoy our content across all forms of media in one easy to navigate destination.”

Consumers with intent

Car Keys generates thousands of leads, which are subsequently nurtured by the TLA team. Our focus on finding real consumers – those with intent to buy – has helped us create growth opportunities for automotive manufacturers such as BMW, Mini, Volvo, Land Rover, Jaguar and Škoda.

Tom White, who joined TLA as automotive managing director earlier this year, commented: “Car Keys is an increasingly recognised consumer brand that’s rapidly growing its audience of car buyers and enthusiasts. It provides impartial information and advice so that people are able to make more informed and confident decisions. We’re all about making it easier for consumers to make the right decision on their next new car, and then connecting them with the best place to test drive and buy.”

For more information about our automotive offering, drop us a line.