The Kid Next Door - who's designing your website?

The kid next door….

It’s a phrase we use a lot round here.

“Have you seen this website?”

“Ah yes, the kid next door”

Amazingly, even today, there are many prestigious companies who have websites which were created, if not exactly by the kid next door, by a well-meaning beginner.

Anyone reading this and recognizing themselves will argue that the kid next door did a great job.

“After all, he’s studied ‘computers’ in school. Look at that cute little email icon whirling around on the page. And the way the music plays. He must be smart to be able to do that. And what about that background image? Sure, it makes the text a little hard to read but that red marble effect is neat. OK, the site takes a while to load but so what? Navigation? No, you don’t need that. The kid explained to me what back buttons are for. So the forms don't work - so what? No-one goes to the site anyway, really. Ah, I’m glad you mentioned domain names. I know all about those. They cost money and you have to pay for hosting. Now, this is where the kid saved me money – what a deal! I know you say that www.mybusiness.com would be better, but my http://www.tripodmembers.com/allan#123/freewebsite/ getonetoo/wrtedf65#farmingstore/freesite#000834.html cost me nothing - a smart business move, I’d say. Meta tags? Design? HTML? Promotion? Engineering? Functionality? Hey come on, you can’t expect a kid to know about that gibberish!”

We use ‘the kid next door’ to describe your well-meaning friend, your company’s computer programmer, your smart cousin or indeed (sorry) yourself.

Would you let ‘the kid next door’ fix the brakes on your Porsche? Pilot the next passenger flight you take? Remove your appendix? Prepare your tax returns? Neuter your dog? You would? OK, stop reading now. But no, of course not, you’d want professionals.

Saving money is second nature to most businesspeople and it’s an admirable trait. It’s knowing where to save the money that counts.

Your website says as much about your company, if not more, than your business premises, your receptionist, your brochures, your print ads – even the clothes you wear and the car you drive.

Right now there might be someone looking at your website and deciding whether or not to do business with your company. Let’s hope it reflects your business to its best advantage. You know about the business you gain but it’s unlikely that you know about the business you lose. You’ve worked long and hard to build up your business – don’t let the ‘kid next door’ blow it.

You think the Internet isn’t important for your business? You think it’s new-fangled stuff you can do without? There was a time when people thought that way about telephones, fax machines, TV advertising, computers…

Your company can survive without a great website? Let’s hope your competitors, your clients and your prospects agree…

Just ask the kid next door, he'll know.

Also see: managed web site hosting solution

About The Author:

Jackie Jackson is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.tangledspider.com. Tangled Spider Productions.

	Designing Your Website
The Kid Next Door - who's designing your website?