At Webtrends Optimize, we have always had the desire and belief that we should all be doing more for our people and planet, and that as businesses we are part of a wider purpose.
Charity involvement has always been at the heart of what we do, and a vital part of our priorities, goals and achievements.
Since taking over the business in 2018, Matt Smith and the board of directors have been deliberate about building a company that stands for something beyond its technology. From sponsoring Sussex Cricket’s disability teams, becoming B Corp Certified and partnering with charities close to our hearts, giving back has become as much part of the Webtrends Optimize identity as the product itself.
In addition, we have always offered a 25% discount to all our charity clients.
We are excited to announce this commitment is taking another step forward with the launch of the Webtrends Optimize Charity Grant Scheme; an initiative designed to give a registered charity free access to our industry-leading conversion rate optimisation (CRO) technology, with guided onboarding.
We sat down with Webtrends Optimize CEO, Matt Smith, to find out where the drive to do more for charities comes from, why the grant scheme is being launched now, and why he believes businesses have a responsibility to do more than just turn a profit.
For anyone who doesn't know Webtrends Optimize beyond the technology side of things, can you tell us a bit about the values that sit behind the business?
Our values across the business are aligned and we incorporate this in all we do. They are centred around generosity, growth, collaboration and innovation. This is something you can see in how we develop our product, how we interact with our clients and partners, and importantly, what we instil in our team.
This all ties into the belief that we have a purpose to do some good in the world, and this starts with our team, our clients and partners, and allows it to spill into the environment, charity involvement and more.
As a business that has grown from very small beginnings, we really value hard work and know that all of our team have a similar driven mindset to achieve the highest levels we can. This doesn’t mean always working at 110%; it’s a belief that we can always improve, do things better, learn and grow. We don’t believe in being stagnant and the journey we have been on since we took over in 2018, and particularly in the last 5 years, is a real reflection of this.
Charity and giving back isn't something every tech company shouts about or prioritises — where does that instinct come from for you personally?
From the very beginning, we have held the belief that we should be making a difference beyond what we offer as our product and service and have felt we have the means and capabilities to do so. Our goals have always centred around more than just making money, and we really do believe in trying to have a positive impact on communities and society in general. When we look at our strategy and goals for the year, this always comes into it and plays a big part in what we want to achieve.
For me personally, this is something that is almost instinctive and is a way I try to live my personal life too. Both my wife and I have made sure our children know the importance of giving your time and support to those who need it more than you, and I bring them along to as many local charity initiatives as possible.
As a business, we started off by selecting 3 charities to support which we were committed to raising funds and awareness for across the year, and our team has always been onboard with getting involved in charity initiatives and giving up their time to do this. We started off by committing to supporting Cancer Research UK, which was a charity very close to my heart, as it is for many people. We still commit to this and get involved in global fundraisers to support this, and we also support smaller charities that are local to where myself and some of the other directors live in Sussex, and near to where our office is based in Surrey.
We’ve recently achieved B Corp Certification, which is a fantastic achievement, so what does it mean to be B Corp certified?
We are incredibly proud to have achieved B Corp certification, and particularly with such a high overall B Impact Score. Even before certification, our values and beliefs were very closely aligned to that of a B Corp, and the certification formalises that belief that it is important for businesses to assess their impact, understand it, and fix it.
Subconsciously, we were already thinking about a lot of B Corp values and impacts as we made decisions across the business. Now, even more so, we are focused on thinking about our effect on everything else in society, and what our purpose is in the business world. We are actively measuring and tracking our impact and looking for ways to be better at every opportunity. We have already started formalising that belief through Accreditation as a Living Wage employer, being part of SME Climate Hub, donating 2% of our annual revenue to charitable causes, and more.
For us, B Corp is more than just a badge, it’s a belief system. It’s a recognition, commitment and accountability that businesses have a responsibility to be a force for good from the inside out.
What does your current charity involvement look like?
As a business, we have always been aligned with giving our time and money wherever we can to support charities and have been incredibly lucky to build a team of people who share the same values. Our focus over the last few years has leant heavily towards local charities, as we have supported TogetherCo, a Loneliness charity in Brighton, Sussex Cricket Foundation, who are committed to making a difference in communities through cricket, and The Starr Trust, who support young people to reach their full potential.
Becoming an ambassador for The Starr Trust was a real honour for me personally, as it was a charity I had admired from afar, and it means a lot to be part of such an important organisation. Their purpose is to support young people to fulfil their potential, and I know that everyone who fundraises for them (me included) always gives 100% as those donations make such a difference.
Our relationship with Sussex Cricket began to evolve when we realised just how underfunded areas of their disability squad were, and some of the crucial support they were missing. This led to us becoming their shirt sponsors, and it meant that Sussex Cricket’s disability teams were the first to have their own kit and own sponsorship. This relationship has snowballed into covering the cost of St. Johns ambulance at their games, to sponsoring their annual Discoverability Day which is an opportunity for SEND schools, colleges and wider networks to take part in a fun day of cricket for all ages and abilities. We have recently committed to supporting them for at least another 4 years, which is fantastic for all of us.
We already offer a 25% discount to charities, why go further with a grant scheme?
The 25% discount for charities is our way of doing more to support charities and non-profit organisations wherever we can. In an ideal world, we would give it away for free for all charities, but unfortunately, we are not at that point yet, but we are committed to providing as much support as we can to get businesses into testing and CRO, which ultimately helps their eCommerce site perform better. Which for many charities inevitably leads to more donations.
We already have lots of experience helping charities to improve their conversion rates, such as RSPB, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Trussell, Mind, Dogs Trust, etc. And we are excited that this grant scheme will take this support to the next step by offering someone a licence completely free for 12 months.
Where did the idea of the charity grant scheme come from?
It has repeatedly come up that we want to do more to support charities and keep pushing ourselves to give even more back. And this is the next step in looking to achieve that.
A free licence enhances the support we can offer to charities, especially to one that might not be able to afford this sort of technology without it. We want to help as many people as we can and save them money on things like this, so they can use that money elsewhere. We would love to do more charity initiatives like this so we can keep supporting organisations who need it most.
We know things are hard financially for lots of businesses, and charities are at risk of suffering the most. We want to do something to help alleviate some of this pressure, and this grant scheme feels like the right way to do it. And hopefully is the first of many initiatives like this one!
What does the application process look like?
The application is open to all registered charities and is quite straightforward to apply. It involves filling out a short form which asks for some details about the applicant, the charity and your experience with CRO/ AB Testing/ Personalisation. There is then the opportunity to provide some information about the impact this grant scheme would have on your charity and the benefits it could bring you.
The impact of this grant could be a gamechanger for someone as you can gain detailed insights, test different ideas and concepts, and more, which starts to add even more value to your eCommerce site and digital output.
The chosen charity will be able to use all of our CRO tools completely free for 12 months. We will also support them through a detailed onboarding process to ensure they are ready to use the platform and start utilising CRO as part of their digital strategy.
We want to put emphasis on the fact that you don’t need to have any prior experience with any sort of testing or experimentation to benefit from this, we are used to working with businesses of all different shapes and sizes and can provide direction on an array of support and expertise.
What would you say to a charity that is on the fence about applying?
The main thing we are trying to achieve is to help as many people and as many charities as we can. If you don’t apply and we aren’t aware of you, we can’t even begin to help. But if you do apply and even if you are not the selected charity for the scheme, we can still have a conversation and see if we can support you in some way to help enhance your website.
Incorporating CRO into your strategy can make the world of difference to what you can achieve on your eCommerce site, and we are committed to supporting charities on this journey.
And you might just be chosen as the lucky winner!
Note: The deadline for applications is midnight on 5th June 2026. The chosen charity will be notified by someone from Webtrends Optimize directly in June 2026. You can apply here.
