I spent a week in Italy visiting the most beautiful artworks and buildings on the planet as well as eating the world’s best cuisine. As a web designer/developer, I relate everything to web stuff. I took away a few thoughts I want to share:
Build ’em to last
I live in Boston, an old city by US standards. By Italian standards we are a baby. Take the Coliseum, completed in 80 AD and still standing. WOW. I repeat, WOW.
My Takeaway:
You have to think about the future. Perhaps building a unique static website sounds wicked cool. But after a few years that look will be dated. You are stuck with a mess and have to start from scratch. How can you avoid this? First off, building a static site isn’t a great idea. Go with a content management system (such as WordPress) so you can separate out the presentation layer. By using a theme (either bought or custom designed and developed, you won’t need to start 100% from scratch to update. You can either buy a new theme or develop your own. Now of course it will require work, but not nearly as much. If you are using a premium theme you can re-do a small site in days!
Have a focal point:
Visiting The Pantheon, you are immediately drawn to the central opening (oculus) to the sky. I dare anyone to say they have been inside the Pantheon and not looked up immediately.
My Takeaway:
Seems like a no-brainer, but having something that grabs people’s attention when they come to your site is important. How do we do this? The web is a visual medium, so there needs to be something that immediately draws a person in, so they can get your message. How do we do this? A common approach is the image sliders we see everywhere. Overused? Perhaps, but most clients want them. So here’s my take: 4-5 slides maximum. And make them count. Use great images, not stock photos. Invest in some custom designed graphics which will hold people’s attention. Don’t want a slider? Fine, a great image will grabs people’s attention just as well.
Keep it Fresh!!!
Typically I am not a big pasta eater. BUT when I go to Italy, I eat it every day. It is so different than anything you will have in the US. I believe it is the freshness that is the difference. Sure, good ingredients, but oh so fresh.
My Takeaway:
What makes a good website? Good design, yes, good programming, sure. But that all goes away after your site is launched. What makes a good website for the long haul is freshness. If people come to your website and it is the same old thing, they ain’t staying. You should constantly be changing/adding content. New imagery is equally important. If you are an e-commerce site, adding new offerings, having sales, specials, are all things which keep a site fresh and keep your customers coming back.
Bottom Line:
There is beauty and examples of greatness all around us. Keep your eyes open and take inspiration from the wonders you see (and eat). Incorporate these things into whatever you do. For me of course it is building and managing websites.
The truth of the matter is I never thought so either until the last few days of watching draft coverage. In reality the way teams pick players is similar to the way you SHOULD hire a web professional to design, develop and manage your website.
Here are the reasons, hear me out, they will make sense to you. (I think)
Film: Countless hours of film are watched on every player projected to be in the draft. The similarity here is that you should thoroughly review a designer’s portfolio. Don’t take their word how good they are, review their sites and see for yourself. Click around, do you see errors? If there is evidence of sloppy work, they probably aren’t the company for you to enter into a relationship with.
Team Visits: Players are invited by teams, and are tested and interviewed. For you this is the meeting you have with the web pro, it can be in person or via a phone call. Prepare a list of questions, hit them with your requirements and see how they answer. If they talk down to you or can’t answer any questions then cut the interview short. Now some questions require research so if the web pro tells you they’d have to look into certain requirements, that is ok and actually a sign of honesty. More than anything ask yourself, is this someone I can work with? if you are uncomfortable at this point the relationship won’t get better.
Background Research: Teams thoroughly look into player backgrounds and seeming top picks drop like a stone as they have questionable morals or red flags. For you this is checking references. Ask for a few clients to speak to and see how this person is to work with. Also see how they respond to support requests. If they don’t respond quickly, move on.
Bottom Line: See, it is a very similar process, both take a bit of work, but in the long run you will be happier if you follow these steps. Some NFL teams to better than others year after year. The reason is simple, they follow tried and true practices and always seem to come away with the best players. While it is luck grabbing players like Tom Brady in late rounds, in business we make our own luck. So put the time in before you hire a web professional and you will be much happier long term.
