I became a web designer many years ago because I thought the web designer my company was using was ripping us off. He/they never seemed to make any progress and always had excuses. And we kept getting billed for work we couldn't see...
One day I walked into the president's office and told him I wanted to learn to do web design so I could create and manage our site in house. He just stared at me...haha My plan was to take a couple months and learn html while my admin/graphics person learned more handling the graphics we would need. I'm happy to say - after the president gathered his composure - and a couple months trial and error - it was a great success!!
Since then - I occasionally run across one of those web designers who remind me of that time. I recently ran across one this week.
I friend was telling me she doesn't like her website - which is 3 years old with the exact same look and content - and she can't get the "guy who works on it" to make changes. She got my attention! I asked her to show me what she had and tell me what was happening.
The guy who built and maintains her site apparently doesn't consider her (or her business) worthy of his time. He tells her he can't make the changes she wants because they don't fit within the exisiting margins on the web pages. What?? Are you kidding me??
Wonder why she's having a hard time understanding why she can't get a web site that is what she wants and that she can use to actually promote her business. Amazing she would want to - isn't it!!
So of course, I offered to take over the site. I'm going to redesign it to what she wants and give her a content management system so she can make some photo and text changes when she wants. Then I'll just be backup for design updates and changes she can't make. (saving her money)
Now this is the truely amazing piece - His response to the news that someone is going to redesign her site for her... "Tell her, I'll give you the login info if she'll only use html files and only use Dreamweaver"... because... "when it doesn't work, it'll be eaiser for me to go back in and fix it"...
OMG!!!
Call to action! People - take control! If you own the site don't allow a web designer to make your decisions for you...A good designer will work with you and help you understand how what you want may or may not work on your site - but they should never just make your decisions for you - or dictate your web identity!
You dictate the look and content of your own site. And if your current designer can't work with you - find another one! Your web designer should be a partner with your company!
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