I need to have a rant about this. Time after time, I am building websites which are not satisfactory. Why?
Admittedly, no-one else will be aware that they aren't as good as they should be; they look great, everything works perfectly, all the required information is there ... so what's the problem?
If you've read my Christmas Day rant, you'll know why.
Yes, I understand that you want your website to be ready for that tradeshow in two weeks or for that important presentation in ten days time and yes, of course I can build a website in that time - I can build a website in a day, if I have to. But it's not going to be a 'proper' website. No-one will notice but think for a moment, what is your website for?
Is your website accessible to everyone?
Is it optimized for search engines?
Can people navigate the site without using a mouse?
What about people who are using an iPhone or other hand-held device?
Your site might look fine on your PC, but does it look the same on a Mac?
Or in an old version of Netscape?
Are abbreviations properly coded?
Are all images alt tagged?
Is the keyword density working as it should?
Is the head section properly coded?
I've probably lost you by now. Ninety nine people out of a hundred would say "the what section?", "alt tagged?", "the what density?" - and that's fine, we don't expect people to understand every aspect of building a successful website. But the point is, we know.
Just like any other building project, there is a process to go through. You wouldn't build a house by putting the roof on first. But we're often asked to do the website equivalent.
In fact, I often compare building a website to building a house. You wouldn't dream of building a house without a blueprint, for example. There needs to be a 100% correct, signed-off blueprint of your house that all the various contractor will be working from. It's just the same with a website.
But believe it or not, building a website is just as complex, if not more so, than building a house. Houses don't have to be tested on 63 browser/platform combinations. Houses are still function for people who are colourblind. A house doesn't need to be found in search engines. Public buildings have to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act but private homes do not.
To go through all the stages required to build an effective website, you should allow a minimum of six weeks and you should also bear in mind what we need BEFORE we can start the process.
Within a few days of starting your web project, we need your content. Remember that we need a definitive blueprint that everyone involved in working on your site will use - that includes all the content.
If we're going to continue the house analogy, the content of the site, your copy, are the building bricks.
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Footnote: I created my first website in 1996. And since that time, I have been working on and creating websites on a daily basis; they now number in the high hundreds. You who are micromanaging your websites, how many websites have YOU created? And if the answer is more than zero, how many were successful? Tell me that it's more than me and I'll listen to you. Until that time, please believe that I am doing what I do in your best interests!
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