13 March 2010
Too many small businesses and start-ups cut corners by trying to do their own web design.

Our local Business gateway recently advertised a short day workshop to show businesses how to build their own website. It was full of the usual guff - 'just point and click' , 'if you can use a mouse you can create a website' , 'have a professional business website with a few clicks of the mouse' etcetera.

I wrote them a letter:

Dear Sirs,

I was frankly appalled to see your advertisement in the Oban Times promoting a free ‘Build Your Own Business Website’ course.

I don’t know what software package you are advertising as ‘make a professional website in minutes no knowledge needed’ or who is actually selling this package you are promoting, but whatever it is I can guarantee it will disappoint the majority of its end users and waste a lot of peoples’ valuable time that could be spent in more worthwhile business activities.

A business website is for many small and start-up businesses their most cost-effective marketing tool by a long way. Amateur sites that are never finished and do not work as their owners had hoped are an abomination and can actually harm a business.

There are several small web design businesses in Argyll with decades of experience between them. By suggesting that small business owners or new starts can save a few pounds by creating their own website you are in fact threatening these existing small businesses and devaluing public perception of their valuable work.

Why don’t you run vehicle mechanics courses so people can maintain all their own vehicles as well? This would save more money and be easier to learn for most businesses, but the idea seems immediately ludicrous. It is obviously more sensible to use a specialist, so what is the difference when it comes to a company’s main marketing vehicle, their website?

Encouraging businesses with limited IT skills and limited time to waste their energy learning a new skill that others have taken years or decades to acquire is irresponsible in my opinion, and is doing the small but vibrant Argyll web design industry no favours.

Needless to say, I have not heard back.