Importance of Quality Websites

[KristineS]

Something that was said in another thread made me think of this. I'm sure a lot of designers have encountered clients who say "My nephew is building my site for me" or "the kid next door knows computers, he'll build my site". It always amazes me that people don't realize the value of a professional site and seem to think that anyone who can play Doom on their computer can build a web site.

When a potential client says something like that, what do you tell them? How do you persuade them that a professionally done site will be more valuable?

[Leatherneck]

Kristine, I hear you, there is a saying (every man too his trade) Unfortunatly Some don't feel that way and don't know the diference between good and bad in anything.

I have been a capenter for going on 40 years and there is a saying every one is a carpenter, or think they are untill it falls apart. No one seems to ever learn either. The dollar is aways the bottom line with most people.

If we all could convince people that they should pay me now or pay me latter, they would be so much better off. You can educate the people but do they learn? Some times i guess.

I know someone that tries too do every thing himself. Sometimes it works out for him, and some times it doesn't. I told him one time that if every one was like you no one would have too have a job and he just laughed. May be he is on to somethiing?

[Business Attorney]

I think that without being negative you need to point out the advantages of a professionally designed site, not just the design itself but things like ease of navigation; loading time; and use of anchor text, keywords, and other SEO efforts that a kid with a computer is likely to have no idea about.

The key is making the potential client understand that in many cases the web site is the first impression that someone is going to get of their business. Many people who used to simply go with a recommendation of a doctor, lawyer, florist, restaurant, etc... now check it out on the web first. A poorly done website can send people away.

In the interest of full disclosure however, I have to admit that I did the website for my law firm (Staub Anderson Green LLC (http://www.staubanderson.com)) myself. It wasn't to save money, since the amount of time I spent, at my hourly rate, was much more than I would have spent to have someone else do it. I wanted to get a basic site up quickly because we were launching our new firm on very short notice and I wanted to make sure we had something when people went to our domain. Now that the web site is up, though, I am fairly satisfied with the result. I have had more people comment favorably to me about the web site in 6 months than I got from the prior firm's web site in three years. I'll probably have it redone at some point, but I am not in any hurry.

[KristineS]

I'm not saying that it is always a rule that site development be left to a professional. There are always gifted people out there who know enough to construct a great site. I think, however, that cases like yours are the exception rather than the rule, David.

In general, particularly if you're hoping to sell product on your site, a professional will most likely design a site that converts better, simply because they know the things that can have an impact on conversions. That sort of knowledge can make a big difference.

[Business Attorney]

In general, particularly if you're hoping to sell product on your site, a professional will most likely design a site that converts better, simply because they know the things that can have an impact on conversions. That sort of knowledge can make a big difference.

That's a great point. (And it should always be true, though I have seen designers who are so focused on creating an "artistic" design that they seem to forget about the purpose of the web site.) The kid next door, or the client's nephew, is unlikely to have any concept of converting lookers to buyers.

I firmly believe in getting the right people for the job, people who have the experience and knowledge to do the job well. Despite what I did, I would always suggest to a client that they hire a professional to do their web site.

[cbscreative]

Something that was said in another thread made me think of this. I'm sure a lot of designers have encountered clients who say "My nephew is building my site for me" or "the kid next door knows computers, he'll build my site". It always amazes me that people don't realize the value of a professional site and seem to think that anyone who can play Doom on their computer can build a web site.

When a potential client says something like that, what do you tell them? How do you persuade them that a professionally done site will be more valuable?
I usually don't "tell" them anything.

It's been years since I've given this a whole lot of thought, or let it bother me. I just figure that anyone who says something like this is probably not my client. They might be later, but they probably aren't ready to hear the truth if they're looking to get a site this way.

Basically, I look for clients who have a success mentality. Since 80% fail within 5 years, and most of those failures take place in the first year, I figure anyone who chooses such a strategy is in that 80% and I gave up trying to reason with them a long time ago. That may sound cold, but if they're not asking for my advice, they most likely aren't interested in it either.

[billbenson]

Worth mentioning is that is the designer the one for you? There are people that know SEO, CMS's, code, particular markets, etc. If you are selling pharmaceutical equipment, you will probably be hard pressed to find a SEO designer or copywriter for that because its so specialized.

There may be web designers doing sites on the side that work for large corporations. They rarely know the macro side of web design. They probably spend their time at their day job doing specific tasks such as CSS or PHP programming. It is rare to find one that is good at marketing. I see a lot of bad marketing advice from corporate designers on forums.

There are people that primarily do sites for themselves and occasionally write one for someone else. If they know your market or can figure it out, they are a good option as they know marketing if they are successful.

The point being, its not a one size fits all situation.

[KristineS]

The point being, its not a one size fits all situation.

You're right Bill. Before you hire anyone to write or design for you, make sure you interview them thoroughly. Personality also matters. If you're someone who doesn't like a lot of discussion, don't hire a designer who wants to debate every point. Your styles won't mesh.

[SteveC]

Designers come in all shapes and sizes, as do clients... if a client tells me that they know someone that can do this for such and such... then they are not the right client for me.... and I can't remember the last time I heard such a statement... we tend only to attract clients that know exactly what we do and that have been referred to us.

[vangogh]

I really don't get the question since if someone isn't looking for a professional design they probably aren't getting in touch.

I have seen the question in general though, especially on the old forum when I first joined. I used to try to convince people by pointing out the benefits of a professional design. My comments were usually not meant for the person who originally suggested you ddn't need a quality design, but rather anyone who might later read the thread.

One thing I have done over the years after seeing that question all too often is realize that many people just weren't going to pay a certain amount for a site and I've looked for alternatives solutions to be able to offer sites at less cost. It's not the same solution as a fully custom design, but I've found ways to at least be able to offer more than nephew or cousin, while not giving away my services.

[theGypsy]

I have seen more than a few studies that show consumers actually look at the design quality of a site in the decision making process. This is, in the end, the factor which is most important.... the bottom line.

As Steven eluded to, we don't get peeps that come to us that are doing it themselves, thus I am never in the position of 'selling' them on web design/development - as you might imagine, programming aspects simply have to be left to professionals.

I believe in using professionals that are trained at what they do... be they programmers, lawyers, accountants and so forth...

[vangogh]

An article I came across a couple of years ago talks about first impressions in web design (http://www.websiteoptimization.com/speed/tweak/blink/) and the info comes from a university study.


Web users form first impressions of web pages in as little as 50 milliseconds (1/20th of a second), according to Canadian researchers. In the blink of an eye, web surfers make nearly instantaneous judgments of a web site's "visual appeal." Through the "halo effect" first impressions can color subsequent judgments of perceived credibility, usability, and ultimately influence our purchasing decisions.

I can't say how much those first few milliseconds affect me, but I can say I'm making judgments about a business in the first few moments of seeing a site. When I see an amateur site that little Timmy down the block designed it immediately starts raising questions about how much I can trust the site. Is their inventory in the basement closet? If they aren't willing to spend a few hundred on a design should I believe I'll my credit card transaction will be secure?

[cbscreative]

It's not likely that little Timmy is aware of any of this. And for sure, hiring little Timmy shows that Billy Bob business owner isn't aware of it either.