Please introduce your company and give a brief about your role within the organization.
Lantern is a web agency in Shanghai, China. We provide mostly websites and web apps, and all related services including design, development, and support.
As Lantern’s Director, I lead the creative and technical parts of our projects and present them to clients at key delivery points.
What is the story behind starting this company?
In 2005, I moved from the U.S. to China, and – with a partner – we worked as a studio out of a residential apartment. During that time, there were few Western agencies of any type, and we had an opportunity to work with some major brands such as McKinsey, Porsche, and L.E.K.
In 2008, I officially registered Lantern in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Sometime around 2012, we shifted our business focus to mostly web and digital.
What are your company’s business model–in house team or third party vendors/ outsourcing?
All of our design and coding is done in-house. We work with third-party vendors for some content (photos, videos, translation) and hosting services.
How does your company differentiate itself from the competition?
We’re one of only a few Western web agencies in China that can reliably and consistently deliver work at a certain standard. As such, our work usually involves working with international companies doing business in China, or with Chinese companies who want to market themselves internationally.
What industries do you generally cater to? Are your customers repetitive? If yes, what ratio of clients has been repetitive to you?
We don’t target a specific industry – though, over time, our portfolio has developed most in corporate, high-tech, healthcare, fashion, and other design industries such as furniture and architecture.
As for repeat business, our standard service agreement includes ongoing support and maintenance for at least three years – so in that sense, all of our clients are ongoing clients. We do sometimes have clients return for another project for themselves or some other department or affiliate in their group.
Please share some of the services that you offer for which clients approach you the most for?
Websites, web apps, platforms, minisites, campaigns. China website localization for Western companies. Sometimes branding and graphic design if it’s part of a larger web project.
What is your customer satisfaction rate according to you? What steps do you take to cater to your customer’s needs and requirements?
Upon receiving initial inquiries, our first question is to ask whether the client’s needs are truly a good fit for what we can offer. From there, we provide a clear working process, scope, design expectations, and technical specifications. Once work begins, we make sure to deliver on or exceed those expectations at every delivery. As for satisfaction, most of our clients stay with us for at least three years, and some have been with us for more than ten years.
What kind of support system do you offer to your clients for catering to their queries and issues?
We’re available Monday to Friday, 10 AM – 6 PM China time, for instant feedback and support on most issues. Our clients can reach us outside those hours for emergencies, but this is rare, as we have multiple backup systems in place.
What kind of payment structure do you follow to bill your clients? Is it Pay per Feature, Fixed Cost, Pay per Milestone (could be in phases, months, versions etc.)
For the initial scope of work, we provide an itemized proposal with a fixed cost, based on the estimated work days required. For work that goes beyond this scope, or is requested after launch, we quote at a daily rate. We also provide a yearly hosting + support service.
Do you take in projects which meet your basic budget requirement? If yes, what is the minimum requirement? If no, on what minimum budget you have worked for?
Starting at $10,000 USD for new projects.
What is the price range (min and max) of the projects that you catered to in 2022?
From $10,000 to $50,000 USD for the initial scope of work.
Where do you see your company in the next 10 years?
At some point I’ll be returning to the U.S., so I’ll be looking at how our agency will transition through that – or I may end up traveling back and forth.
