Why Do Website Professionals...

25 May 2011

This is something I have been thinking about for quite a while, as a degree student of business management (and enterprise) and a website developer - why do Web Professionals act in certain ways, and what effect does this have on their clients, other suppliers and the perception of the industry as a whole. Some of my thoughts, although controversial to some, follow.

 

 

Web Professionals Never Call Back / Answer Support Calls

This seems to happen a lot, particularly with people who pretend to be web professionals, once questioned for support, or by other suppliers for technical details they disappear and provide absolutely no aftersales service, even when time is billable.
 

Effects On Clients
Clients generally remember the long term experience, not what happened for a few weeks at the start of a relationship. Poor customer service tends to degrade chances of clients investing in further work. Avoiding calls really is a case of taking the money and running.

Effects On Suppliers
Suppliers can generally spot a cheat, especially those hunting for a poor support web professional. It can cause massive headaches, and we certainly have taken clients off people for the second or third time without even a courtesy email, as our previous conciliation attempts never worked.

Effects On Public Opinion Of The Industry
People think most web developers are backroom operators with little or no skill - because some people genuinely have no skills, one bad story from a family member, friend or work colleague can taint a persons view of the entire industry - having a legal standard or generally acknowledged recognition in the various web fields might help, but association membership really hasn't worked in this manner.

Prevalence In My Experience
20-30% of web "professionals"

Annoyance Level To Others In The Industry
Incredibly high, totally ruins all chances of referrals and even pleasant comments.

 

 

Web Professionals Never Meet Deadlines

Ok, a lot of web agencies and individual professionals don't have this problem, but many, particularly more creative minded web professionals do. It seems to be a common occurrence around those who were never trained in college to manage time effectively and have little understanding of business realities - this is ok when they are kept in check in large web firms or advertising agencies, but it can be disastrous in small agency / individual environments.

 

Effects On Clients
Clients don't get what they want, and in fairness, do refuse to pay until they get what they need - or just use a totally different supplier entirely. Clients presume that the person is incapable of being organised and therefore unprofessional in their business activities.

Effects On Suppliers
Lot's of banging your head off walls. Particularly in highly cost efficient agencies like Smith and Wise, we rely on fast, low cost delivery to make money, most suppliers have left us down, and after nearly eight years in this industry, I am only now firming up suppliers who I would always trust to make deadlines - a professional failing to make a deadline could (and sometimes does) make you lose serious money in an overall contract.

Effects On Public Opinion Of The Industry
Poor time keeping skills makes our industry look sloppy, and poorly structured. Although it does add to the creative aura of our industry, unsurprisingly clients care about the bottom line, although rarely negligent, poor time keeping by one supplier, or one part of a supply chain makes everyone look shoddy - something good firms will often financially penalise their suppliers for doing, as a web agency, we are no different.

Prevalence In My Experience
30-45% of most web professionals, lower in more technical roles like coding and also business roles.

Annoyance Level To Others In The Industry
Can result in major headaches, mistrust and endless phone based arguments at the lunchtime before a project is due.

 

 

Web Professionals Are Too Techy

This is, thankfully, the one thing I rarely get pulled on, which everyone webby does normally get caught out on.

Effects On Clients
Over using terminology can leave clients totally dazed and confused. There is no real need to do this, although many web professionals do seem to hide behind long words to cover up their lack of confidence in what they are saying. I find most clients appreciate a matter of fact approach, without long winded explanations. Clients like simplicity, that's what we all need to strive for as web professionals.

Effects On Suppliers
Generally not a major issue to suppliers as we all understand the same terminology, however when it gets into deep, meaningless words, everyone can become lost in words.

Effects On Public Opinion Of The Industry
We need to adopt a more "Plain English" approach to the public, I hate when people say they were taking to sales people because I know they have been fed absolute rubbish, to sell anything to them, however I do, thankfully love explaining things to people in plain English and this should be the approach we all take.

Prevalence In My Experience
99.999% - Everyone does it, but we need to stop it!

Annoyance Level To Others In The Industry
Can lead to false expectations and lots of cheques being signed for stuff people don't actually want - never a good thing.

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