NigelTPacker

kirana, I have posted on a number of forum boards and the general response has been the same from those who have read the article. The communications between the developer/designers and the business owners is the main contributory factor to the failure of a project. We have published a book on the subject and supply a web design brief for those who want to make a difference. Of the web developers we have spoken to they often deride the business owner but many of them do not have the fundamental business knowledge to appreciate the effect the website has on the business. Increased sales have been an issue that many business owners are not prepared for even though that is what they want. They get the increase and then cannot deal with the demand. I had a client ask me to stop promoting their website because they had too much work. I explained that I could not turn it off like a switch so we focused on a different way around the, very nice, problem. We have developed a series of training courses for business owners and we get quite a few web developers coming on them to improve their skills for their clients. Thank you for your comments. Regards Nigel T Packer Internet Marketing Consultant

Your sentiments tally with the information we have gathered. Comments around the web have also supported this. The fact that both developers and business owners speak different languages compounds the problem. The role of the web developer is more than being able to use the software; it also includes many other disciplines and skills that are not taught at university. It is all down to the user experience. Unfortunately this is an area that is only just starting to become apparent for many. There is no point having a website if the customers cannot use it when they get there.

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Darren, This is why the web design industry has got a bad name and why business owners think that all designers are cowboys. The problem is that it takes a few months after the initial wow factor has worn off that the business owner finds out that the website they had paid for does not help their business. At this time there is no chance that the client will spend any more money and starts to mistrust all web designers. Good luck with the websites and rise above the window cleansers. Regards Nigel T Packer

Latest research indicates that web designers are cowboys. Is this true? What is the perception of business owners of the web design industry and why do they see it as filled with cowboys and rogues. Are all web developers cowboys? is the outcome of research into the industry from internet marketing consultancy Business for Business who have been researching the subject for the last three years. Their book Internet Marketing How to get a Website that Works for Your Business, was one of the outcomes of the research and has assisted thousands of marketing executives and web designers since it was published in the last half of 2008. What is your experience? Read the article and respond here. Let me know if it is true.

Good day! I have looked through a number of the postings of web designers who have introduced themselves here, many are new to the web design industry and are busy working heard to learn all they can about the various software they are using. This is an essential skill requirement as your clients are going to ask the impossible of you and you will need to produce a result. My background is getting a website that works for the business. How the user experiences the site and then how we get the site in front of the user. I leave the development and build to those skilled in programming and development. Whilst there are many solutions for the design and development of a website it is important to remember "who the website is for” I wish everyone in the industry success and look forward to reading and contributing to the discussions on this forum. I will be posting my first discussion later today and I am sure as web designers you will have a contribution to the commentary. Kind regards Nigel T Packer

Sash_007 Who is your website for? Your customers, if they are not using the websites that you are trying to get links from then there is no point in wasting your time and resources in chasing them. Remember who the site is for and make it work for them. I wish you success in your endeavours Nigel T Packer

Jurn8, The simple answer is how fast do you want to get your website into the search engines? It can take as long as you like. I have had websites being listed in 3 hours and some I have taken over after they have been published for 4 years. It depends on how much effort you want to put into the activity. A website that you have redeveloped and has been online for some years can be very quick getting resubmitted and the new pages registered with Google and showing on page one in 3 hours. We recently worked on a brand new website that took two weeks. One of the earlier posts suggested that SEO is a complex subject and I will agree with them. Before starting to process you have to understand the users and how they use websites. What are they looking for and what are they typing into the search field to find that information. You have to understand their language because as we have discovered from our research people call things different names in different parts of the country. Some do not know what the proper name for the item is so they describe it. If you do not have that description in your content then you will not be found. You can either invest time in learning the skills for this complex subject, that has taken me over 15 years, or you can buy the service in for your clients. There are a lot of books on the subject and many articles and free resources online. Be carful which you read as many are full of misguidance and developed rumour. Good luck with your quest. Regards Nigel T Packer Author