[Wolves] Crap web company website (was: SQL problem)

[Peter Cannon]

Hi Sparkes

Cant resist chucking my two penneth in.
 
On Fri, 2004-03-19 at 11:17, Matthew Revell wrote:
> sparkes wrote:
> 
> >>Really not good enough :) If an individual or company wants to set 
> >>themselves up a web expert, of some kind, the only way to prove that 
> >>expertise is through a practical demonstration.
> > 
> > Am I the only one who heard Fred Dibnah say 'Practical Demostration'
> > then?
> 
> Never watched his programmes, sorry.
> 
> > Gotta keep up with the Langridges ;-)
> 
> Now, that would take some doing. You'd need a hat, for a start.
> 
> > But how to you promote something like accessability when the client just
> > wants a simple website at a price they can afford.
> 
> It's a difficult question to answer. It depends on your market. I love
> Wolverhampton but, let's face it, outside the Chubb Building, the place
> doesn't exactly have much in the way of savvy business. So, your likely
> audience will be those who don't understand information arch,
> accessibility, etc. They'll be the guys who are really pleased with
> their personalised number plate and, as such, may expect flaming logos
> on their website.
I can define that even better "Champagne tastes Lemonade pockets" 

Just to give a quick example of the types of businesses I speak to on a
daily basis, A while ago I worked for a manufacturing company who had a
Rutting machine (It made grooves in metal) this machine broke down so
the Director looked at the name plate an rang the manufacturer in
Cincinnati USA
 
"Have you got a 6573 cog for a uiuugg Rutter?" the director ask
 
"Hmm I'll look into it and ring you back" said the USA

Later that day the USA rang back 

"Hey look we don't want to sell you the cog we want to buy the machine?"

Director "Buy the machine? why?" 

USA "We want to put it in our museum!"

Director "Oh no it works OK I'll get a cog made!!"

The moral is, that is the mentality you have to deal with and why we
find it hard to compete.
> 
> I think there are two possible approaches:
> 
> 1. Accessibility, IA and so on, should just be part of what you do. You
> can't market your services based on them, so don't. When someone 
> requests something that goes against that, use usability study evidence 
> to back up your arguments and translate the usability study evedience 
> to, "people won't use your site, you'll lose money".
> 
> 2. Seek to educate the marketplace. Use your website to publish
> relatively simple articles, you've written, on the subject.
> 
> Every day, I have to make compromises in what I do, because other
> people I work with have a different (read: wrong) idea of how to do 
> things. I fight my corner but have learnt that, eventually, I have to 
> give up, on some things.

Regards

Peter Cannon

peter at cannon-linux.freeserve.co.uk