Archive for January 2011
Who is the best person to develop a website?
I recently read a tweet that stated websites were more “creative” than “technical”, the tweet even went as far as to ask “if websites were a marketing decision why do computer guys feel they can build them”? Think about that for a minute. Is a website solely a creative piece, or solely a marketing decision? Who should be responsible for it?
Since SYDCON is a web development company, you can imagine we took slight offense to the above mentioned tweet. You see, we have a vastly different outlook on the topic. Here at SYDCON, we believe the best websites are created by a collaborative effort, between designers, marketers & developers. Just like when one is building homes, there are architects and there are builders, both equally as important, don’t you think?
A designer can design the most beautiful website, most creative website we have ever seen, but if it is poorly constructed big deal! A marketing department can work with the designers to get the message across, to tell the story, to call to action, but again if the code is bad, guess what…FAIL! If your links don’t function, or you site can not be viewed properly across all platforms or worse still it isn’t a secure site, it wont matter one bit how “creative” your site is. If your beautiful, creative website has a coding problem, it can even affect your search engine rankings. Just like with people, there is a lot more to a website than a pretty face!
If you are in the market to either redesign your site or create a new one, it’s wise to talk to potential firms about all aspects of a site. Your potential firm should understand your message, be able to have a designer bring it to life and also understand what it takes to make it work. Sure, a website is a “marketing decision” but if those marketers do not understand how things work, will your site work? If Ford is launching a new car model, you can bet the marketers are putting great faith in the mechanics who are building the products they are trying to sell. Websites are a team effort, if you belittle or take for granted any component, your website will never succeed.
Here at SYDCON, we work day in and day out with marketing firms, design firms, etc to deliver the best product a client can ask for. We understand that a successful launch comes from a team that works together and values what the other has to offer. So tell me, if it was a new or updated website for your business or your client, should you value the pretty face over whats on the inside, what makes it tick?
You want to follow me, huh? Wait I need to “Validate” you first! New trend?
I have noticed a disturbing new trend when I follow people, maybe you have seen it? It goes like this…I find a new and interesting person and/or business to follow, not long after I click the “follow” button I receive a Direct Message of all things from this new person with a link to True Twit Validation . Sometimes the Direct Message contains a personal note with the request, sometimes not. Basically I consider it a spam Direct Message from someone who allows a bot to validate me, to ensure no bots are following them? ARGH!!!
Now, I don’t proclaim to be a social media expert or guru, but doesn’t this just scream anti-social?? I mean none of the folks I have received this request from have had locked tweets (which is another thing altogether), they are just what at the time, I considered interesting people I would like to learn from or interact with. They don’t want bot followers, but they allow a bot to validate potential new followers? Can I just say…Pot meet Kettle!
What gets me is that they are allowed to Direct Message me this “validation” request! The few that I have received this request from do not follow me (which is fine, I never expect follow backs, if I get them I am honored) and technically if I don’t play the validation game does that make me a bot whom they will block from following them? So, what gives, why do they earn the right to Direct Message me?
I understand not all of your potential followers are going to be real people, some might be but we have all seen the questionable followers of shall we say “off color” nature? But if someone wants to follow us, don’t we allow them the courtesy of viewing the profile ourselves, making the decision ourselves, not having a bot do it? Personally unless you are pornographic or otherwise offensive or a obvious bot, I don’t block followers (unless the rare occasion of stalking comes up I guess!)
So tell me, what do you think? Am I wrong to be offended by these validation request? Do you think it’s right they get to Direct Message these requests to you but you can’t Direct Message them? Why would you want to close yourself off from potential clients or business or social relationships? You don’t trust bots to validate your business meetings or business inquires, why would you do it on a social network of all places? You tell me?
