Spotlight on Web.com Canada, Inc.

WEB.com, a leading provider of Internet services and online marketing solutions for small businesses with a longstanding history in Nova Scotia, has announced it will open a new operations centre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.

We caught up with Web.com’s Senior Vice President for Canada, Sandy Ross, to learn more about the new operations centre and Web.com’s growth plans for New Glasgow.

Q. Tell us about WEB.com Web.com is one the most dynamic, fastest growing companies serving small business on the internet.
The company, founded in 1997, provides a full range of Internet services to over 3 million small businesses to help them compete and succeed online. The company is a global domain registrar and further meets the needs of small businesses anywhere along their lifecycle with affordable, subscription-based solutions including website design and management, search engine optimization, online marketing campaigns, local sales leads, social media, mobile products, eCommerce solutions and call centre services. Web.com separates itself from the competition through its comprehensive product offerings and personalized customer service. It is a fun organization where the entrepreneurial spirit and human resourcefulness is valued and encouraged. Web.com is opening this new centre in New Glasgow to further expand its ability to help small businesses succeed online. From working behind the scenes building websites to educating clients on their marketing campaigns over the phone, to finding creative ways to retain customers, we’re hiring for 12+ different roles as well as management positions. The fast growth in many areas will allow people with varying desires and skill sets to impact the client experience in meaningful ways, have lots of fun, and provide career advancement opportunities. Web.com is excited for the incredible talent within the New Glasgow community to come join us!

In terms of how it is different, our Halifax office is primarily a Sales Centre dealing with all of Web.com’s brands, whereas Yarmouth is really focused on the Service delivery of the existing Register.com brand.

Q. What kinds of clients will be serviced from New Glasgow?
New Glasgow will primarily serve small business customers from the US and Canada who want to have an improved presence on the internet. This can be everything from general contractors and moving companies to doctors and lawyers.

Q. Why New Glasgow – can you tell us about how that decision came about?
First, let me say that Web.com continues to have great results doing business in Nova Scotia. We have terrific people in Yarmouth and Halifax, their talent, work ethic and passion are hard to match. So for Web.com, expanding in Nova Scotia made perfect sense.

We also enjoy a great working relationship with NSBI. They have been with us every step of the way over the last 15 years. It is safe to say we would not be targeting over 300 new jobs in New Glasgow and over 700 overall in Nova Scotia without them.

The support from the Department of Advanced Labour and Education (LAE) is critical for Web.com in hiring, training, and onboarding a large new staff.

We had a lot of options for where we might open this new operation, but the enthusiasm we felt from Mayor Barrie MacMillan for his town and people really sealed the deal for us. Mayor Macmillan was there to meet every Web.com employee who came to Town. We were able to meet great folks at the Community College and at Crombie REIT. Everyone put a shoulder to the wheel and we were able to come up with a great plan for Web.com in New Glasgow.

We also had some terrific support from great local companies. Partners Global helped us get all the property leases in place with Crombie and Bulletproof Solutions has given us great service helping to get the Centre ready for business.

Q. So although Web.com Canada is moving into a former contact centre location – this is not a call centre. What kinds of services will be offered from New Glasgow?
The operation is not what most people think of as a “call centre” but we do a lot of our business on the phone and online. We are going to be hiring for 12 different roles in New Glasgow. A fair number of the first positions hired for will be phone-based, that is true, but these jobs will be working with customers to design and develop their marketing plans under Web.com’s premier products. Many of the other positions we’re hiring for are based on the knowledge employees will gain in this role so we expect to promote quite a few people out of this entry role into more advanced positions.

Our New Glasgow facility will provide service at every stage of our customer life cycle. Some teams will be doing website building and maintenance behind the scenes. Others will be working as intermediaries between our customers and the search engines, like Google. We’ll have other teams who will be responsible for educating customers on how to use our tools to maximize impact as well as simply answering questions on an ongoing basis via phone, email or live chat.

Q. What kinds of skill sets will Web.com be looking to recruit?
With over 12 different roles we’re hiring for, we’ll be looking for a lot of different skills sets. Previous experience with any form of marketing or website design is definitely an asset. Good time management, organization and multi-tasking skills are critical in our fast-paced environment. Strong problem solving, written and spoken communication skills are important across the board. As our business changes along with the internet landscape we also value flexibility and the ability to learn quickly and on the fly. We also look for self-motivated people with the desire to go above and beyond to serve both out our internal and external customers.

Q. Will there be any specialized training for new Web.com Canada employees?
Yes! It is important to us that all our employees are set up for success right out of the gate. Everyone will go through a specialized training program, lasting from 2-4 weeks depending on their specific role as well as lots of ongoing sessions in the weeks and months thereafter. Our training covers everything from broader search/internet marketing practices and website design, to soft skills like conflict resolution and negotiation. We also use multiple internal systems for communication and management which will be learned. We create an environment that promotes developing additional skills which in turn helps people grow throughout our organization.

Q. What can the community expect from Web.com Canada’s growth?
I think most importantly you can expect steady growth, opportunity and security. Web.com has been operating in Yarmouth now for 15 years. In that time, it has grown from being a call centre into a full business operation centre handling many different facets of our business. We also believe in promoting from within. Almost every Supervisor, Manager, and Director is from the area. We have never had a layoff, and have grown overall wages and total employment almost every year. We anticipate much the same opportunity here for New Glasgow.

It is also important to note that all of the people working in New Glasgow will be Web.com employees handling Web.com customers. We don’t outsource work and believe our customers from across the United States and Canada enjoy talking to people from communities like their own.

We are looking forward to partnering with the Pictou Campus of the Nova Scotia Community College. We have a longstanding and very good working relationship with their campus in Yarmouth. Dave Freckelton and his staff have been very helpful and supportive. We make every effort to secure as much of our services locally. Bulletproof Solutions is a major supplier of technology and start-up services.

In Yarmouth, we have a long tradition of supporting the local community. We are part of an on-going effort to get every business in Yarmouth online for free. We have supported the local hospital and local charities as well as being a major sponsor for the World Junior Hockey Championship and the RCMP Musical ride. We also try to help out many local kids sports teams.

Q. WEB.com is marking its 15th year here in Nova Scotia – why does Nova Scotia work for a global company like WEB.com?
It honestly starts with the people. We have great employees. Being able to count on people to work hard, care about the business and our customers is essential. But Web.com does not think of Nova Scotia as a low-cost market. In 2015, we had an average wage of $47,300 for 386 staff. The incentives we have received over the years from NSBI along with the support for training by LAE have been critical. They have allowed us to remain competitive while still supporting good jobs here in Nova Scotia.

The Payroll rebate has been a particularly effective tool for us. Our first rebate supported the growth of our base of 212 jobs. The second rebate saw an incremental 174 positions. This newest Payroll rebate will see us grow as many as 330 new jobs with no risk to the existing base. None of these new jobs come at the expense of Halifax or Yarmouth. While the support from NSBI over the last 15 years has been significant, it is important to recognize that Web.com, over that same period, has paid almost $375,000,000 in direct economic activity since we opened in 2001.

Again, it all comes back to the people. All the incentives in the world don’t help if you don’t get the best folks. Our employees in Nova Scotia are the best!

Q. What’s your favorite thing about doing business from Nova Scotia?
It is the combination of how all this comes together. We see how our staff, the Towns, the City, the Province, NSBI, LAE, the Community College and our private sector partners such as Eastlink, Crombie, Bulletproof Solutions and Partners Global all pull together to make things happen. That is unique, special and what really makes the difference.

Q. Anything you’d like to add that we haven’t covered?
We’d like the people of New Glasgow and Nova Scotia to know how pleased we are to be able to make this announcement. We have had a great relationship and have deeply valued our partnerships. We are looking forward to New Glasgow joining the Web.com family.

Q. And finally, where can people interested in a career at Web.com find out more about the company, or apply for an opportunity?
Recruiting has begun for these new positions and Web.com is looking for bright, articulate, customer-focused individuals with some computer or Internet skills. Interested parties can drop by our three day job fair at NSCC Pictou Campus, apply online at web.com/careers or call toll free at 888-792-2105 or 902-749-2792.

WEB.com is eligible to receive payroll rebates through Nova Scotia Business Inc., over a five-year period based on achieving specific hiring targets.

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