Okay - it's a rant. Get over it.

Avoid these things in websites:

• Frames - this is soooo 1990's. It's bad for search engines, screen readers and a whole bunch of other stuff. They're not necessary, so avoid them.
  
  
• 100% graphic-only websites - You know what - you can use these if you don't give a rat's @ss about search engine optimization or ease of updating or people with visual difficulties. You can't increase the font size. You have to call your graphic designer / web developer to make the simplest change and search engines can only read TEXT - not pictures.
  
  
• Webpages with no titles - What's the title? According to what search engines look at, it's the information contained between the <title> and </title> tag in the code. Where YOU, the human being experiencing the site see the title is RIGHT AT THE TOP OF YOUR SCREEN - above the "window" that displays the website - above the menu options in your browser software - right at the tippy-top of the page. Search engines love them. People often don't notice them on your site, but considering the title of the page is what's displayed in search engine results (along with your description meta tag contents), you'd better have one for the people too. Oh yeah, they're also a teeny-tiny bit important for search engine optimization as well. (Did the sarcasm come across there? It should have...)

In the past two days, I have encountered websites committing all these sins. Granted, some of them were DIY websites. That's acceptable. The other sites were done by people who get paid to design websites. I'm speechless when trying to think what I can say about those folks.

I will admit it is possible that the web developer did what the client WANTED them to do.

However, I also know that knowledge of the issues surrounding website development and internet marketing is low in the non-internet business world.

Therefore, doing what the client WANTS is not always in their best interest unless they have been informed about the pros and cons of doing it "their way".

If you're going to get a website, get informed - either by doing your own research and knowing what questions to ask or by meeting with more than one or two web designers so you can get an idea how much they know about the MARKETING side of the internet.

Having a beautiful website that is invisible in the search engines is an option if there are compensatory strategies in place to drive traffic to it, but when you could have both, why would you settle for less?

The enemy of "great" is "good". Ask yourself what could be done to make your online presence GREAT! More importantly, ask your web developer the right questions to see if THEY have a clue.

What's Your REAL Excuse?

While at the Small Business Club Niagara trade show yesterday I struck up a conversation with a vendor. She asked if I had a business and I gave her my card telling them that among other things, I create and implement effective online marketing campaigns. Her response:

"I have a website already and I'm not ready for something more elaborate."

Thinking she probably had a good site already I didn't inquire further, but took a card and went on my way.

I had a look at her website this morning. It's a DIY site that is obviously a work in progress. I'll restrain myself from a rant about DIY sites, although they're fair game for a future post.

What bothers me isn't the state of the website. It was the realization that the rebuff was based on such flimsy logic. I've heard it before, but it never fails to baffle me.

• You exhibit at a trade show so you must want more business.
• A properly designed, well-marketed website will get you more business - likely even more than you'd get from the trade show
• But you're "not ready" to establish a better online presence.
• This means you're not really interested in getting more business
• But you're at a trade show so you must want more business.
• I'm confused...

Here's what I wish she had said:

"I did my website myself because I'm trying to save money, but I'm not really sure how I should design and market it effectively. Do you have any inexpensive or cost-effective suggestions that would help me make money online?"

Being honest with yourself and asking for help when you need it is a marvelous way to get ahead in the world. I work on this every day. Knowing the REAL reasons why you don't do something and having the courage to admit them to yourself and others is an important step, in my mind, to move forward in business and life.

Web Design, Copyright, and Your Business

A few years ago, I helped a client make some changes to their website. This was a client who had a website already, but she wasn't happy with her developer so she came to me for help. I made the changes to the text and images on the homepage she asked me to and thought nothing more of it.

To my client's surprise, she received a letter from her website developer's lawyer stating she had broken the developer's copyright on the design of her site. The letter insisted she return the website to its previous state and that any further changes to the site had to be done through the former website developer.

Needless to say, my client was appalled that this company had the audacity to make these demands as they had not been able to make the basic updates she had requested. She was also surprised that they hadn't discussed the issue with her in person to find a resolution to her dissatisfaction. As she did not want to work with the former developer any further, we had no option but to redesign her website, thus voiding the developer's claim to the copyright.

I recently came across another website designed by the same developer my client had fled from. At the bottom of the site was the following:

"Copyright 2007. All Rights Reserved
Duplication in whole or part is Expressly Prohibited without written consent."

What caught my attention was the fact that it was unclear WHOSE copyright this note referred to. Was it the organization represented by the website or was it the designer's?

I think copyright is important. I also think that it is important for website developers to tell their clients WHO owns the copyright on the COMPLETED work.

If you are in the business of delighting customers and helping them meet their online goals, you shouldn't have this kind of disconnect. If you are truly working FOR your clients, you explain everything in advance to them so they can make an informed decision to work with you. For a client to become so unhappy they decide to leave without telling you and the only way you can still work with them is by threatening to sue them for violating your copyright is not a winning strategy for anyone.

If you're a developer, I'd be interested in hearing your views. If you're a consumer of web development or internet marketing services, keep copyright issues in mind when you're having work done.