---
title: "Are you competing in the red ocean or the blue ocean? - Light Bulb Web Design Blog - Light Bulb Web Design in Carlisle, Cumbria, and the UK - The UK Creative Agency who delivers"
description: "Do you even know what these are? Spurred on by a post I saw on LinkedIn, I started to re-listen to The Blue Ocean Strategy by W Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne. It's a topic I first became aware of ..."
url: "https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/website-design-blog/entry/are-you-competing-in-the-red-ocean-or-the-blue-ocean"
date: "2026-06-05T23:09:36+00:00"
language: "en-GB"
---
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# Are you competing in the red ocean or the blue ocean?
[Website Design](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/website-design-blog/categories/website-design)
[Chris Wilcox](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/website-design-blog/blogger/chris)
Thursday, 16 May 2024
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Do you even know what these are?
Spurred on by a post I saw on LinkedIn, I started to re-listen to The Blue Ocean Strategy by W Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne.
It's a topic I first became aware of through Nintendo - they stepped out of the red ocean with the Wii - no longer trying to compete on performance and technical specification, leaving Sony and Microsoft to the red ocean, defining their own blue ocean where the previous competition became irrelevant.
Move forward a few decades and whilst the Wii U missed the mark, the Switch has become a massive seller, and often a second console to PlayStation and XBOX owners.
As a business owner, the concept of shifting into a blue ocean is utterly appealing.
In my early days from launch in 2014, I did try to compete with others in my field and was always trying to beat them on price. Then I started watching content from Chris Do and a few others in the creative space. I joined [Desislava Dobreva](https://www.facebook.com/desdobreva?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVbA0zdSA9tKE_fsLtMLX8NqmZ1ge7rjIQSbnaQOs3kHBkt1Q1enUS6dNILfLt4gUV5ZC0FjC-2szlKwWW7EW16C-XMuPIdoqrdpivEywi-sogsJ7gCQDM228pUDCJNuUHgSsh_lsxpfeXSpEk3w5zBrFmfXICgk5fr-CLyMvyFTBSTEW1M97iCskJ_29Il7l6hfqmW8nU7xCo_fvFoAZ5d&__tn__=-%5DK-R)'s [BBS](https://badbrandsquad.com/r/nrynryuk/) group almost 4 years ago, and combined, realised what I was missing, what was keeping me from moving forward, why the 'competition' and prices were irrelevant.
Have I created my own blue ocean? I'm not entirely sure as yet - it keeps me thinking to this day on quite what that means for the web design and digital marketing industry.
What I have done is create a unique business - a virtual agency built on collaboration with other experts in their own fields, ones who also don't try to compete on price - ones who understand their own value, believe in their own approach.
When I think about the work I love to help create, those businesses who are willing to step away from the norm are always the best to work with.
Those who understand that talking about themselves on their websites is not the way to go. That our skills in grasping and working on their individuality, their uniqueness, those elements which lift them above the norm, the 'competition' position them so much better than how many designers and agencies still opt for (even those who themselves like to say they are different....).My ideal client is one who isn't going to tell me what to do - who understands that whilst challenging what we deliver is expected, is not always going to involve us yielding to every request.
If you are happy to stay in the red ocean, to have a website which you may not even realise is as mundane and out of touch with your audience as it is, that's fine.
I am here to offer a different approach - but I'm not here to convince people who are not open to challenge in return.
Not everyone will understand the difference we deliver - and that's great, there are plenty of web designers and agencies out there who will provide what you want instead of what you need, even though you think otherwise.
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#### About the author
[  ](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/website-design-blog/blogger/chris)
### [Chris Wilcox](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/website-design-blog/blogger/chris)
[ ](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk) [ Subscribe to updates from author ](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/javascript:void(0);) [ Unsubscribe to updates from author ](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/javascript:void(0);) [ Chris Wilcox ](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/website-design-blog/blogger/chris)
Chris is the founder and lead strategist at Light Bulb Web Design, a UK‑based creative agency specialising in psychology‑driven, AI‑ready websites for professional service businesses. From law firms and financial practices to property and consultancy brands, he helps organisations turn underperforming websites into high‑trust, high‑converting digital assets.
With a background rooted in web design, technology, and human‑centred strategy, Chris writes about the real issues holding most websites back; unclear messaging, bloated builds, weak trust signals, and structures that search engines and AI simply can’t interpret. His work blends behavioural insight, technical precision, and a deep understanding of how people make decisions online.
Chris speaks at industry events, sharing practical, no‑nonsense guidance on AI‑aware optimisation, digital trust, and the future of web strategy. When he’s not building or refining websites, he’s exploring the intersection of technology, psychology, and business growth - and helping service‑based brands show up online with clarity, confidence, and credibility.
##### Author's recent posts
[More posts from author](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/website-design-blog/blogger/chris)
[ Thursday, 04 June 2026 Smart Generative Engine Optimisation: The Essential Guide ](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/website-design-blog/entry/smart-generative-engine-optimisation-the-essential-guide)
[ Wednesday, 27 May 2026 What are AI Markdown Pages, and why do they matter for your business? ](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/website-design-blog/entry/what-are-ai-markdown-pages-and-why-do-they-matter-for-your-business)
[ Friday, 22 May 2026 Strengthening School Website Support Across Northamptonshire ](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/website-design-blog/entry/strengthening-school-website-support-across-northamptonshire)
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