The industry I work in is chock-full of good web designers, don’t get me wrong. But there are a lot of those who could star in a reality TV show called “Good Web Designers Gone Bad”.ÂÂ

There are two types of web designer who have “Gone Bad”, that you will hear me mention in my articles. But the kind of web designer that I abhorr most is–affectionally referred to by me–as the one that works for the Flashy Firm. This kind of web designer is one that tends to build sites that are:ÂÂ

- Frequently Flashy
- Occasionally Operable
- Rarely Understood by Real People
- Glossy As All Get-Out
- Pretty & PriceyÂÂ

They make these sites for their client, and then dump it in the client’s lap, or what I call the build it then forget it” approach. Something I do not follow.ÂÂ

Flashy Firms are easy to spot. They have tons of money to spend, and their staff boast degrees galore. Their office is decked out to the nines with expensive furniture and they offer lattes to their prospects and clients. The staff take you out to discuss your project over lunch on their expenses-account gold credit card and use buzz words you cannot even begin to fathom.ÂÂ

And their client list is like a who’s who of the local business world.ÂÂ

And they do marketing.ÂÂ

And print design. And stationary. And PR.ÂÂ

And a dozen other things. But what do they specialize in?ÂÂ

And what is THEIR bottom line? The bottom of your wallet? I like to quote a favorite author of mine who writes articles in my industry, who says about these types, “You walk into their offices and think, ‘I’ll be paying for all of this in my bill.’ ” and often times that could be right. Unless they have a way to back it up.ÂÂ

{{FlashKit}} Where are their client’s web sites now? I often see this with fly-by-night web designer outfits. The sites sometimes are still up, but looking like another web designer had his hands all over it because the flashy firm failed to keep the connection. Or looking amateurish, like Mom & Pop quit working with the web designer and had to break down and spenda few bucks on some web site maker CD ROM to get it back up & running themselves. Or worse, gone altogether? “404 - Page Not Found”!ÂÂ

Why do you suppose this is so? Not just because the site wasn’t working for the customer. But because the web designer wasn’t doing their job. Then you go looking for the design firm three years down the road…where did they go? They had an office on 10th & Main and it is a Starbucks now. The company got bought out. Or they folded. Or staff disbanded and some work for a large company now and some have solo careers.ÂÂ

Or whatever the reason.
If you look at my portfolio , the sites I have done are all still online, and managed by me. That is because I take time to get to know my customers and their businesses.ÂÂ

Your web designer shouldn’t be a flash in the pan. Yes, you are paying them to do a great service and help them succeed as well, but the two of you should have a relationship that lasts, if for nothing else, than at least for all the good money you paid! Naturally we don’t go around paying people so they can talk to us and be nice to us, but seriously…many other service professionals you do business with have relationships with you…so why not with your web designer?

Does your web designer provide benefits down the road? What kind of benefits, you ask? Well for example, you shoudn’t be afraid to call your web designer in a week, a month, a year–for that matter–and say “Yeah. I need you to fix or change something on my web site, and I know you can do it.” And they should be happy to oblige, even if they didn’t set up a web maintenance contract with you. It’s worth the money and peace of mind to have your site doing its job, right? And they should have an interest in your business succeeding as well. Like it has been said before, your web site should do more! It should make you more money, or at least be capable of something other than standing there on the internet being a just a great-looking brochure.ÂÂ

If your web designer doesn’t embody all these things, it’s cool. You can always spend another four grand in 12 months for a web re-design when your site goes down, work to find another web designer and go through all the motions again, right? And then rinse and repeat, a year after that.ÂÂ

Perhaps I’ve got some rather high expectations, so if I was a small business I’d avoid such pitfalls. Perhaps you may decide such things are unimportant. I guess I’m just the kind of person who thinks maybe such things in life should be easier, especially when it comes to your business.ÂÂ

B. Woods Design Leaves flashy firms in the dustÂÂ

I work locally. Personally. Meaning–you deal with me–not a flashy firm. My goal is to develop a business relationship with you so we can help each other succeed. Then together, we’ll see your site through to the future of your company, instead of using the “build it then forget it” method so many others follow.

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