Terms

     The Code Company founder Ben May talks at an industrial function (c) thecode.co    

The Code Company, a professional agency focused on publishing digitally and is among's most preferred partner. They are WordPress experts, and they are currently conducting massive overhauls, including migrations and integrations. They are creating hundreds of technology stacks to support hundreds of publishers.

The business just announced the relaunched Substack the giant The Dispatch, a publication that provides news and analysis about politics, policy and culture. It is valued at $1.9 million and boasts thousands of subscribers. I talked with Stacey Clark, in the team of communication and partnerships, on the company and the products they provide:

"Our founder Ben May has been using technology to solve problems at the tender age of 10," says Stacey. "He developed his first site for a local firm in year 12, and made the sum of $400." Ben realized that there was an opportunity for business in addition to a possibility for a future career in this field, and thus launched his very first company at the age of 22.

Code Company Code Company didn't intentionally get involved in publishing, however it did acquire some publishers initially. Stacey states: "We've carved out a area of expertise in the creation of technology that aids publishers on digital platforms, but also moving from different platforms to WordPress in addition to constructing features for membership and advertising. We were initially platform agnostic, but then realized that many platforms were failing! Today, we exclusively use WordPress and there have been several "rescue alternatives' to other platforms."

"The crucial engineering work, that goes into the publishing of websites is exactly what we offer," Stacey continues. We help publishers solve complex problems using WordPress and find ways to leverage technology to "increase the revenue of their business, generate more efficient processes in their business and reduce the risk associated with technology for business".

Stacey and I agree that 'tech is becoming less and less sophisticated', and that is crucial to the publishing industry. "Sometimes there are editors, content creators and marketers using tech and require the ability to utilize it without having to call an engineer each five minutes.These are 'words people' and not tech people."

Code Company helps people create or move to platforms that allow them to become self-sufficient. Code Company helps these people build or move to technological platforms that allow them to become self-sufficient "They require a system that is able to do the same things it was able to do prior to it however in a more streamlined way. Code Company frequently works with publishing firms that have sites that are in debt to technology. It is possible that a plugin will not offer the features they need and we believe it's better to design a custom integration, so you get all the features they need but without having to sacrifice any features they do not."

Customers

The Code Company works with content organizations of all types including the independent publishing industry to huge entertainment groups. They just completed the high-profile launch of Wondermind an online hub for content dedicated to mental health assisted by the well-known Selena Gomez and Newsette CEO Daniella Pierson. It was well-received by Bhavik Trivedi, the Chief Operating Officer at Wondermind stated: "I've never had a seamless launch. Until now. The site went live, and was later scaled to support large volumes of traffic. Additionally, all of our integrations worked flawlessly."

     The all-new Wondermind web-based hub for content (c) thecode.co    

They also work in conjunction with Nine The biggest entertainment company in Australia. "We created their corporate website as well as publications drive.com.au one of the top auto site and Future Women, a membership group for women who are professional." The Code Company also launched eBay's local advertising site. "That was significant as they'd never received regional leads before and they were able to get Australian leads due to that website," Stacey confirms. "We just launched an entirely new site called Science Alert, which is one of the leading science publications within the US. It's run by Australia and the rest of the readers are mostly from the US. We worked on that project for approximately a year and a half!" she remembers.

It seems that the firm's most appropriate clients are less established publishers that are trying to scale up. "We need to know how you can show that you're able to publish? What are we able to do to help you get your technology stack to be in the best shape to allow you to grow your company?'" Stacey says. The likelihood is that this is the location where most of the clients of The Code Company lie; it could include non-traditional media organizations including news websites Crikey and Her Campus, the female student-run media group in America. US (that The Code Company changed from Drupal and moved to WordPress).

     The HerCampus.com Content hub that is accessible across a variety of different platforms (c) thecode.co    

"We help creative and ingenuous creators who feel annoyed or unhappy with the platform they choose in addition to CMS (content management platforms)," Stacey adds. "They're seeking us out in search of alternatives, as they're finding that their platform is limiting regarding their capabilities. It's not flexible enough , and also they earn a huge part of their income." It's also becoming increasingly important to creators at any level to get first-party information. "They're only able to get this through platforms like Substack. We're building custom creator stacks that let them to manage their own markets," she explains.

Solutions and Services

The customers are customers of The Code Company may have created their own website they might have hired someone else to create the website. Either way, they're working with numerous plugins. "As they've developed, the system is breaking down and they're unable to solve the problem on their own. It's a result of problems with efficiency, complaints from the readers and the reality that they're not able to do what they want to do. There's no guarantee that they can add options to the menu." she says.

Mike McPhate at the California Sun confirms: "The biggest problem with my prior membership site was the fact that it was rife by glitches, and unclear instructions regarding how to use it. I received emails almost every day from unhappy users. The site was developed along with The Code Company and , I don't receive messages that users send me, so that's just wonderful!"

The California Sun (c)thecode.co

We all know that the performance of the website is essential for publishers "If they fail to perform it could cost them hundreds of millions" Stacey continues. "And they're always playing around with the same plugin, and then putting on an additional. They're losing speed until their company is no longer effective. They'll come with us being a part of this massive, creaking tech stack, fully aware of the possibility of their website being unable to function due to the its performance."

Publishers are trying to diversify their revenues This is the reason why more are exploring subscriptions and memberships. "We need to find a solution that is safe and reliable. Our primary focus is looking into solutions that will be life-changing for publishers," Stacey says. Code Company Code Company works specifically with subscription solutions to get around the what Stacey refers to as "leaky paywalls". She says: "We've worked with other subscription services previously and found it extremely simple to circumvent the paywall. If your business model as a publisher, is based on content that is paid to create a significant issue."

Events and new projects are on the horizon

"The creator economy has boomed," Stacey notes. "Creators have realized that SaaS platforms have limits, and they're looking to explore different options. Diversification doesn't go away for publishers. There is however a requirement to continue searching for ways to be more engaging and get closer to their audiences by providing more specific and relevant content. Subscriptions don't only generate income They also offer opportunities to be closer to audiences in addition to increasing the amount of engagement."

"There are still print newspapers out there that aren't yet available online, but we're seeing interest from those who are realizing that, for them to be viable it will be necessary to shift towards digital in some manner and subscription services could be one way to do that."

In terms of recent events "Ben is a familiar face at conferences," adds Stacey. Recently, Ben was a speaker at the Mumbrella Publisher Conference in Australia as well as WordCamp US in San Diego. The presentations covered the creation economy, focusing on the minimalist publisher' as well as the ways that publishers can make more by using their resources. This includes taking lessons from the creators of larger publishing houses and, often, using membership services.

     Ben May is the founder. Ben May is a familiar face on the circuit of conference. (c) thecode.co

The business's founder is an expert in the field. "Ben's been in this business for all of his life, and there's never a issue he's not able to answer," says Stacey. "The information I receive from clients I talk to is that if they encounter problems that they are unable to resolve, they may be required to pay another company for two weeks to visit for an investigation. The Code Company team's technology will be able to resolve the problem within 20 minutes over the phone, as he's been through all of these. This is an enormous advantages for any company to be able to do the same thing."

To conclude, Stacey says: "Publishing or managing a site isn't necessarily more complicated than people think it. Our focus is on simplicity." We both agree that it's easy to get attracted by the latest gadget or theme or plugins - "these flashing lights won't have a significant impact," she smiles.

The Code Company revels in "smart simple" It's a good thing. Stacey says: "We offer the chance to connect with a tech business that is able to assist you in achieving the outcomes that you're looking for using the most simple method that's efficient. It's and not just announcing a buzzword."

More details

To find out more regarding The Code Company, to look through case studies on the previous integrations and migrations, as well as to learn more about working with them, check out their website thecode.co.

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