The Care and Feeding of Websites

Rummaging through e-mails with a particular client I came across this thought:

Before you invest any time, energy or money in your web presence, determine what your potential clients are actually looking for in the marketplace. Since the vast majority of clients will come in via face-to-face contact, the website needs simple answers to the questions they have but do not wish to call directly to ask. The more targeted the response to the ideal client, the better the web serves to aid in conversion. I have built a few hundred web pages over the past few years and some of the plainest sites have the best conversion rates. . . . It is not about creating a name brand; it is about creating a consistent image that your potential clients are looking to find. Too many websites attempt to please too many non-clients, a waste of resources.

What I was attempting to side-step was this particular client's insistence that his image was more important than fundamentals - like getting and keeping customers. He was losing staff through poor management which in turn was damaging relationships with his customers. No good people and processes - your brilliance can not shine. We parted ways . . . I hope he proves me wrong. It's a treat of a business.