“I’m fed up with website hype!”

by | Sep 5, 2018

My friend (I’ll call her Sally) told me she was fed up with website hype.

Hype cost her dearly.

Sally had just paid a bunch o’ money for a site update she couldn’t use.

I’ll share my friend’s costly story, but first: here’s an idea that may help you before you’re derailed by website hype.

Project liaison

“They just don’t get it!” is often the cry from clients and developers,
and this is what happened in Sally’s case.

I suggest including a project liaison in any website development effort.

Look for a CSQE (Certified Software Quality Engineer) or comparable certification.

It’s best to use someone local to attend meetings with you, translate for everyone, and work as the mediator.

If you’re in my area of the country, I can help you.

From the beginning …

Pull the project liaison in early and have them attend all developmental meetings.

They should listen carefully to (and communicate with) both ‘sides.’

Throughout the project, your liaison discovers the “Because…” in every situation and updates the other party.

“But Sally is after-the-fact.”

If I’d been brought in at the beginning, my first question to Sally would have been:

“Why do you want to hire someone
to update your website?”

That ship had sailed, so I asked why she stayed with a developer who wasn’t listening to her and built something she couldn’t use.

“Because I bought into [developer]’s pitch
that I needed something better.

Now we’ve spent all this money for nothing.”

Ah. See? The “Because …” came out, first thing!

“Your website is fine.”

Sally doesn’t need a better online offering.

The site she created sends plenty of business to the bistro.

With her catering customers scheduling online, a few tables in the shop for eat-in, and the phone orders for carryout, she’s doing great.

Imagine her surprise when I said,

“Your original website was fine. It was doing what you needed.
Ask [developer] to restore it. We’ll update some text,
tweak a few formats, and call it a day.”

 

"I'm SICK of website hype!"

“I’m SICK of website hype!”

Don’t get caught up in the hype

It’s easy to get caught up in “Everyone needs a fancy-schmancy website that does everything for everyone in the whole wide world.”

Um. No.

“No” may be especially true if you’re a brick-and-mortar business where people drop by for a chat and buy whatever’s on special.

“Oh … and that one. And two of those.” 😎

I told Sally I like the European-esque appearance of her site.

It’s perfect for her product, and the landing page photo makes you feel special from the moment you arrive.

It works.

Be the tortoise

Customers expect a web presence, but you usually won’t need fancy bells and whistles during your first phase.

Take your time, craft a quality product, and don’t overbuild.

Remember The Tortoise and the Hare.
The tortoise won because he was f-o-c-u-s-e-d. Deliberate.

Be the focused, deliberate tortoise.


Your TakeawayCarefully build your online presence. A good project liaison helps you prioritize, explains the process, and steers you clear of website hype.

Note: Contact me to discuss an affordable assessment of your site. Give me an idea of a good time for us to have a quick phone chat.  

As always, feel free to EMAIL ME about a free 15-minute consult, which we can use to tackle a tech or text issue. 

Kathie 
Kathie@KathieYork.com


Join the Conversation:

  • What is your advice for newbies venturing into the website arena?
  • If you regret listening to website hype, share your story!
  • If you could start over, what is one thing you’d do differently with your website?

Join the conversation in the comments section below.
We can all learn from you!

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4 Comments

  1. pauly hart

    being the tortoise is the option always. unless it’s branding an idea… then get out there and do something for a placeholder. builds expectation.

    Reply
    • Kathie York

      Pauly,
      Excellent point.
      An “Under Construction” landing page never hurts.
      I still caution against unneeded extras, though, once the programming begins.

      Reply
  2. Ron

    This is the exact same experience I had with a website developer. Refused to listen. I finally fired her, but not before I was stuck with $1200.00 dollars to pay!!

    Reply
    • Kathie York

      Ron,
      I know that had to be frustrating.
      This happens to so many people, I decided it was time to write about it.
      Same thing happened to me, so I feel your pain.
      Thanks for the input, K.

      Reply

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Kathie York, CSQE
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