How do you tell someone their site is bad?

[seaflex]

I have spent much time trying to work out the best way to tell potential clients that their website is awful and they need to have it redesigned.

One of the key factors in marketing is to always focus on the positive, but when a website needs to be re worked because it is bad, I am finding it hard to find the positive.

I dont want to be rude about whoever designed the original sites, as I dont think that is the best way to introduce myself to a potential client, however, there are so many bad sites for local companies, if I could work out a way to highlight what they might be missing, I could find myself with a lot of new clients.

Also, how do you think it is best to approach a potential client?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

<EDIT: Moved to Site Design by Brittany>

[flood6]

This hasn't been too big of a problem for me in the past because 1. I don't do that many sites and 2. most of the ones I have done were new. So my experience here is limited, but I'll share what I have done.

If a client who has an existing site has made the effort to contact you, it is obvious that they want something changed about their site (or added to it). Find out what it is they want and go from there.

If they want something changed because it looks unprofessional in their opinion, you can make a list of other things that you find unprofessional about their site, and propose solutions. Just present them with the facts, from my experience in non-internet industries, the clients will think of you as “a straight-shooter” and appreciate your candor. You can reference examples of ways other sites have handled the situation. If they handle utility installation for office buildings, for example, and they have a bunch of ugly animated animal .gif's on their site, you can look for a sharp-looking website for one of their competitors and show them how good and clean their site looks without such gimmicks.

It has been my (admittedly limited) experience that when you present yourself as an authority and force the client to look at their site next to a good looking competing site, they will often see your point.

Sometimes they will have other aversions to making the changes you suggest; lack of money for such sweeping changes, they simply disagree, etc. In cases like this, I think we need to just remind ourselves that we are working for them and do what they want us to do. It may make your skin crawl to have to work around their scrolling text or make updates in comic sans, but the fact is, that is what they are paying you for. I wouldn't add their site to my portfolio, but I will cash their check.

[cyanide]

Seaflex,

What exactly are you planning to do?
It almost sounds like you are going to do some kind of cold-calling or just emailing the owners of bad sites and telling them about how you can do it better.

If that's the case, I would suggest against it.
One of my very fist sites, the owner was contacted by another web design company, asking if they thought about a re-design, bla, bla, bla
I kinda laughed at first, 'cause it was bad! What can I say, I was just starting out. However the laughter very soon turned to bitterness. How dare they try to lure away my client!

If it's a client contacting you, then you tell them why the design doesn't work. Instead of focussing on the "buttons are terrible", tell them the navigation structure isn't working and visitors will have a difficult time browsing the site.

In my opinion there's always a way to turn things around so as not to sound to harsh.

[carbonize]

Actually the question is how to tell someone their site is crap without making it sound like a sales pitch.

[SyrenSong]

I've got to go along with cyanide on this one. If you're thinking about cold-calling people and criticising their site as a way to increase your business, you could be looking for big trouble!

There's no way to politely criticise a site designed by the owner or the owner's offspring without hurting their feelings, even if they've contacted you requesting a site redesign.

That being said, and assuming they've asked for your opinion first (as flood6 suggests), tread very gently and start out by asking who designed their site to begin with. That might help you know exactly how gently you need to tread.

From there, I think a good starting point would be to tell them the good points to their site. It may only be that they've got a good description of their product, or that the product is a very unique concept. But there's always something positive you can say about even the worst websites. Sometimes you just have to look really, really hard to find it. ;)

From there, rather than actually telling them all the bad things about the site, try to tell them ways to improve it.

For example, if the color scheme is atrocious, suggest another color scheme and give them reasons why it might work better for their product of service. If they've got lots of flashing gifs and oversized graphics, suggest that they would probably have move visitors sticking around longer if their site loaded faster and had fewer visual distractions.

You've got to find a way to turn the negatives into positives, and show them how to improve their site. Not tear them down from the inside by telling them how truly awful it really is.

Remember - even if your potential client didn't design the site themselves, they probably paid someone else to design it, and the design was used with your potential client's approval. If you criticise too harshly, you're criticising the the very person you want to impress and pull over to your way of thinking.

Pointing out nothing but the negatives is no way to gain a client.

HTH!

[seaflex]

Firstly, thanks for your comments.

I think carbonize has hit the nail on the head.

Also, to cyanide - I really appreciate your opinion but have a question (not because I want to argue but because I genuinely am unsure in this area)

Is cold calling really that bad a thing to do? If I were for example a builder, and I saw that a building near me required some work, I would definitely highlight my services to the owner - what is different about web design? Design is a fiercely competitive industry, if I put out a site that I knew wasn't that great I would not be very surprised if somebody else tried to poach my account. I might just have a very cynical view, having worked in design for a few years now, and being freelance for most of them. If some design firms are putting out rubbish then I think they are open to competition. What do you think?

[esiegel]

trying pointing out WHY something is bad...not just that it is. For example..."some of your visitors might have a problem with the sound if they are in an office setting. It might disturb people around them"...is probably a better statement than..."kill the sound, it's annoying".

When I used to design scenery and lighting for the theatre, one trick I used was to get the director to think that my ideas were their ideas...people will be eager to make changes if they think they thought of it.

[esiegel]

Is cold calling really that bad a thing to do? If I were for example a builder, and I saw that a building near me required some work, I would definitely highlight my services to the owner - what is different about web design?

The difference is that they might not think their site is bad...in fact, they may have built it themselves and be very proud of it.

[cyberious]

If you are cold-calling/emailing site owners, make sure you're not sending to the "webmaster" email, for one. Another thing to think about would be first putting the thought in their mind about a possible re-design. I would just send a short email saying something like "Thinking about a website update?" or "Does your site appeal to your visitors" or "Does your site need a new look?" or something on those lines, making it seem like you can give them that extra edge in re-design, rather than stating "Does your site look crappy?".

You could then make a generic list with bullet points that might make them see their site from a visitor's perspective, such as - Functionality, - Easy to Navigate, - Professional look, etc. Then they will look at their site again, and think maybe they DO need a re-design, and hopefully, contact you.

Then you could follow up with your professional ideas and recommendations to their site, pointing out some of the things that are missing, need work, and things that will make their site more easy to navigate, possibly adding links, color scheme that's more pleasing, etc.

Try to keep things on the light side at first contact, then only when they inquire about your expert opinion, is when you jump into the details.

[gwhite]

I think this is very easy, especially if your opinion was asked for. I usually start with the question, "Who are you trying to appeal to?" then the phrase, "Let's think about this from their point of view".... Then start hammering on stuff, such as "If I was a Gen-Xer isn't it a good chance I already have my MP-3 player going or are listening to a CD? Does that background music start messing up their music? will that irritate them?", or "If I am using a dial-up account how long does it take to load all those little jumpy graphics?". The biggest mistake new designers make is not thinking like the user. You just have to help them jump into the skin of the audience.

[TheWebDoctor(tm)]

Here's the real problem.

The designer looking for more work and surfs the *net looking for what they call bad sites is the real problem here. Instead of looking for people that _you_ say have bad sites you should be about business in your own town meeting with business people. You get a face-to-face meeting and approach the issues of what whether they use other mediums for advertising.

If those businesses are using other mediums of advertising and they don't have a web site they have only two ways for the potential customer to reach them. First and foremost the potential customer will use the phone and then lastly they will come into the business.

That means the business has to stop helping their in-store clients to answer the phone. That's simply rude to the in-store client and then rude to the caller if the phone isn't answered. It's all about consideration.

If the business is using other means of advertising, they should have a web site. The web site could be a single page or a multi-page site with all the bells and whistles. It depends upon the budget.

Don't contact web site owners. If they want your service they will look for you. You should be looking for businesses that don't have web sites and need one. Explain the value of the web site and sell on the value.

Cold calling on the phone will fail. Cold calling on the business can get you thrown out, but that's not a problem unless you make it a problem.

I've seen many sites that _so-called_ professionals have done and simply laughed. I've seen many sites my clients wanted and simply laughed (to myself), but the customer is always right. If they think it looks great then it looks great. Don't insult their intelligentce or egoes. Doing so only hurts your credibility - if you have any at all.

Writing a business owner about their web site could get you into serious legal troubles because that would be considered spam. They haven't generated a business/client situation with your business.

I'm available for marketing counselling free during my radio show. Don't ask about programming or graphics because I'll simply thank you for your call and close the call.

[bin79]

Rule of Thumb on any Criticism (not just website) –

* Commend on hard work and time spent on the work
* Tell them about good aspect of their work (at least something is always good. for website it can be writing, idea, vision or something if not design)
* Show them how they can improve few major things
* do not suggest every minor fault at once, you will get another chance

[matauri]

I 'cold call', but there is a right way & wrong way to do it. I check out archaic sites that have not had a revamp since the net started, and approach them about upmarketing their site to suit todays market & trends.

Or...of you see a site that is done really bad, and see there is no designer credits, have a look at the source code & see if it was done with one of those online editors, or even a WYSIWYG editors like publisher or word. Quite often a business owner will play around for a while getting their business online, then forget about it.

When I cold call I do a bit of work prior to the hit. I make them up a mock up of what I can do for them & take screen shots of it. I do up an analysis of where his site might be lacking, and markets they are missing out on. I also include examples of competitors sites. I make this into an executable CD & send it to them. I'm also in process of tinkering with making screensavers with their company name on it with my business details as well.


Cindy

[fastedge]

When I was interviewing for my current position I was put in a situation very much like this. The site was BAAAAD. I did find it hard not to just yell out "this site sucks", but I'm sure I would have not been hired. Instead of focusing on the details of why it was bad I simply stated that we should do a complete site redesign to comply with current standards. Apparently it worked. Funny, after I started the job I was told about another applicant how was also asked the same question. He blasted the site and apparently, weeks after, they still had not forgiven him for it.

You got to be careful indeed.

Ed Mercado
www.MercConsulting.com

[jfardello]

bin79 is right on. If it were my friend i tell them to ask another friend. :D

[flood6]

Is cold calling really that bad a thing to do?

Again, drawing from my offline sales experience in this case, I would say no. Just like in offline cold calling if you happen to hit the right person at the right time, you may have just made a sale.

However, to increase your chances of hitting someone at the right time, you have to do a lot of it. Then, to minimize the instances of getting hung up on, door slammed in your face, or email sent to the trash because they think it is spam, you have to personalize it like was mentioned earlier in this thread.

Do some homework on the site in question. Write a thorough review of the site, being sure to mention the good and be diplomatic, like SyrenSong said, but don't sugarcoat the truth too much. Assuming you are sending them an email, make sure that you mention specifics about their site so that they know they weren't just #43,205 on your mass-email list.

It seems to me that if you can find active businesses who are in need of a website make over, and send an email to one such new business each day, you will see some success with this method. I imagine that even if you don't hit the person at the right time, it will be worth getting your URL in front of them for when they are ready.

[kevgeez]

I never tell someone there site is awful. They may have made decision about the site during the design process and by criticizing the site you may be criticizing there decision making!!!!
Instead I start by asking how their site is performing and ask what they like about their site and what they don’t like and why.
From this we can then start a dialogue and form decisions about how best to address their communication or retail needs. By asking the questions about performance etc you can learn something about their needs and likes before you open your mouth and put your foot in it. The client hopefully gets the feeling they are contributing and together you will arrive at a design concept they will be happy with.
Seems to work.

[pmrussell893]

I would tellthem straight that it is a bad design and before they can get all upset about you telling them that would go into offering suggestions to make it better and explain the boo,boos thatr make sites annoying and drive people away.

I would just have a conversation about what works these days and what does not. If they cannot take constructive criticism then they will never survive in the internet world.

[elearning]

H,

I've got to disagree with this statement.


I've got to go along with cyanide on this one. If you're thinking about cold-calling people and criticising their site as a way to increase your business, you could be looking for big trouble!

I think you CAN do this without sounding unprofessional or critical of the site.

Here is a sample e-mail pitch:

== Start ==

Is your site attracting the number of visitors it could? Does it portray a professional image of your product and/or services? Are you ranked high in the major search engines? Has pay-per-clicked not worked for you?

We are contacting selected websites and offering a site makeover. Our makeover will help your site:

- list items here

In a preliminary analysis of your <product/service> we could not find you in the top-x positions on x search engine.

We feel that we can help you achieve top-x positions within x months.

== End ==

My $0.02 worth

Mohammed

[Orion]

Thank you, Matauri (Cindy)!

I've been doing this for 6 years now and have worked on over 400 websites in that time. At this point 50% of our clients are referrals and the rest contact us.

Up until a year ago I taught web design in colleges here in Canada for 2.5years. I was alway having new students or graduates whining that the industry was all dried up and there was no work out there.

I started my business and strongly promote a very similar approach to what you mentioned there, Matauri.

That is: Find a site (that sucks usually), make contact and simply (be honest) say something along the lines of "I came across your site, and it inspired me and got me to thinking. Would you be interested at looking at an idea or two, no obligation?" 90% say ya. Then call them back in 24hours with a comp or mock-up of the site live in the back of your site. Show it to them! They always like it, always ask how much, 96% close!

I've never really felt a need to espouse the negative or positive of their existing site. Just skirt the issue say "hi, had a thought, wanna see it?" LOL

All the rest is a bit of trial and error, the greatest advice is that there's millions of sites out there. Go get a couple hundred sites built in the next couple years and you can sit back and keep upgrading and maintaining your existing clientelle and living off their referrals.

All the best!

[elearning]

I agree 100% with your statement - you hit the nail on the head with your second paragraph. Tell them what you can do for them, tell them why they should do it, tell them the benefits of doing it (tell them, tell them, tell them). Eventually they will say "Yes, we need to do this" and rather than you having proposed the idea to them - they will feel that they've proposed the idea to you.

Someone mentioned something about cold calling - I think that this is fine. If you're a new designer who knows what they are doing and can design attractive, functional sites - then by all means, make the cold call.

I do web design - though have never really advertised or tried cold calling, but if I were serious about making a living off of web design I'd certainly try cold calling and target specific industries.

Mohammed



trying pointing out WHY something is bad...not just that it is. For example..."some of your visitors might have a problem with the sound if they are in an office setting. It might disturb people around them"...is probably a better statement than..."kill the sound, it's annoying".

When I used to design scenery and lighting for the theatre, one trick I used was to get the director to think that my ideas were their ideas...people will be eager to make changes if they think they thought of it.

[acornwebworks]

The suggestions about being diplomatic are solid advice for all of us. But be prepared for someone to get defensive/irritated/angry no matter how diplomatic you are, because you have just criticized their 'baby'. And also keep in mind that, depending on the site subject, it might actually be a selling point of sorts (or they might think it is) so you may have to be clever/devious :-)

Example: I talked with one person about getting rid of those incredibly irritating dissolve in/out web pages which were on every single page of her site. In her case, she also had the effect set to occur at a very slow rate so it took FOREVER. Unfortunately hers was a site designed for newbies who were creating their own cutsie websites so they thought the effect was VERY cool the first time they saw it. Many wanted to know how she did it so they could do it, too! (Aack. Aargh.) So that was her argument. And she did have a point.

I suggested that she have a poll on her website, because repeat traffic might not find her effects so nifty and that might be costing her in the long run. The questions were something like "Do you like this effect? Yes/I used to but not any more/No" and "Have you been to my site before? No/several levels of yes". My logic was that, if I weren't the only person driven to distraction, there should be some kind of correlation between # of visits and level of irritation. She wasn't that interested in finding out, being firmly convinced that everyone except me loved it, so I used the "your visitors would find a poll fun to do, and you could tell them that you'd show them how to do their own, perhaps for a small fee. Not only that, but you could collect their email addresses with it." I think she finally decided to do it simply to prove me wrong :-)

Needless to say, there was a HIGH correlation. So she speeded up the transition some, and limited it to 1-2 pages (I forget which ones)...and the negatives dropped noticably. I don't even think she has it any more.

[sultan]

Do some homework on the site in question. Write a thorough review of the site, being sure to mention the good and be diplomatic, like SyrenSong said, but don't sugarcoat the truth too much.

Bingo!

I've been in business-to-business sales a lot longer than I've been associated with web design. And until you get a chance to meet with the site owner, you don't know who built the site, why they built it that way, or even why the site owner chose that designer and approved the design.

Review the site. Make lots of notes. Think about how you could make it better, and IF you could make it better. (Face it. We've all looked at sites & thought OMG! That is HIDEOUS!") And sometimes we can turn these into business opportunities for ourselves.

The approach I take (and I just used it again this morning) is this: "Congratulations on recognizing the value of having a web site. I was looking at your site, and thought it made sense for us to arrange a brief meeting. There may be ways for me to help you achieve even better results through your online presence. How about Thursday at 2 pm?"

If they're willing to sit down with me for a brief meeting (ask for 30 minutes or less), I use that meeting to ask questions about their site & the results it produces & the design elements & the thought process behind decisions they made. And then I start asking about where they want the site to take them in the future. Their responses give me the groundwork I need to start presenting options & opportunities at a future meeting. The first meeting is always on me; no costs, no obligations, no pushy selling, no criticisms of their site (although I may toss out a couple of ideas on how it could be 'enhanced').

[chuckdorris]

This is a topic that would test the wisdom of Solomon.

There appears to be no way for a web designer to tell a (potential) client that their website is dated, ugly, inaccurate, or speaks poorly of their firm, because even making such a statement is taken as you promoting your own business and is immediately distrusted. The first 4 or so instances this occurred to me, I responded truthfully and was immediately dismissed as a heinous huckster and a villainous meanie who had no scruples or ethics, a person who would say ANYTHING to get work.

Needless to say, I stopped telling anyone anything and reverted back to the phrase of choice of my 6th grade art teacher, who said everying she saw was "interesting" no matter how dreadful.

In the case of a client, the news seems to have to come from a peer or someone who THEY are pitching for work or are working for. You can gently put the bug in their ear that there are many new design and technology possibilities available each and every day, which can improve the functionality and "now-ness" of their site... but If one of their clients savages the site, they'll be on the phone to you in something less than a nanosecond.

To tell a friend is as difficult, if they arent professionals...because there are obvious issues of ego and self worth tied up in their site design, because as we all know, there is NOTHING as painstaking and personally demanding than trying to organize and stylize all the elements of a website.

If they're pros, then its easy to just say what you think because its peer input.IF they hate you, they'll hate you, but its better to be truthful if their business is at stake and they might actually profit from your valuable professional input.

But hey, what do I know? Solomon I'm not.

[SyrenSong]

I think the most important point being made here is that you really do have to be careful when you do any kind of cold calling. It can have seriously negative repercussions if it's not handled properly and carefully.

I especially the suggestions from Matauri, Sultan and Orion. Those are really good ideas!

Orion, I think yours is an excellent way to break the ice with someone who may be especially sensitive about their website.

The last thing you want to do with anyone is insult their intelligence, their decision-making abilities, or their creative abilities. This is especially true when a person hasn't even asked for your opinion.

Giving your unasked-for opinion could be the easiest way to make enemies with a potential client. You've got to be very careful how you approach them and how you ask for their business.

[noratarr]

It was suggested to me that I try that method of looking at someone's site and "evaluating" it. I found that idea to be distasteful, like telling a good friend her color choice of a sofa was somehow "wrong". Now based on personal preferences, I was very much surprised how many people do shoot themselves in the foot with what is accepted as "bad" design.

When I do talk with a prospective customer who has a web site in place, I ask them the simple question instead: "Is your web site working for you as you had anticipated?"

Almost always the response I get is a resounding, no. With that response, I inquire if I could discuss a few things with them, and at that point I am generally on the receiving end of the questions rather than trying to hard sell someone. I have found that many customers are disappointed as their expectations were never questioned, so they just assumed their web site presence was enough.

Web sites for business are expected to perform as any other type of marketing media, and when it does not, if you have the answers to improve the performance, I have found that not many businesses will turn away your suggestions. In this way, I have built solid business relationships where my customers feel they can come to me time and time again... and as important, feel they can recommend me to their acquaintances.

[cyanide]

Also, to cyanide - I really appreciate your opinion but have a question (not because I want to argue but because I genuinely am unsure in this area)

Is cold calling really that bad a thing to do? If I were for example a builder, and I saw that a building near me required some work, I would definitely highlight my services to the owner - what is different about web design? Design is a fiercely competitive industry, if I put out a site that I knew wasn't that great I would not be very surprised if somebody else tried to poach my account. I might just have a very cynical view, having worked in design for a few years now, and being freelance for most of them. If some design firms are putting out rubbish then I think they are open to competition. What do you think?
Whooaa !
This turned into a nice, long thread !
You make a good point and actually everyone here has posted very useful and constructive information.
Personally, I would never do cold-calling simply because I know I would be terrible at it.
However, some people think that it would work. And I can agree, the key, as has been summed up is how?

Going straight to the sales pitch would be like shooting yourself in the foot. It's human behavious to say "no", when asked. So if you can sidestep the obvious questions, and really think out the approach as some have suggested taking the time to do a mock up. Just tread carefully.

[cyberious]

I agree with Syren Song and everyone else against cold-calling, and emailing businesses you have no interaction with. However, I am actually starting my own campaign with the local businesses in my area, offering a way to boost their businesses and offer website make-overs for a discount if they need it. Many have already signed up and are welcoming my advice as to the current sites they have built on "Free website builders" etc. and are asking for more help with how to present themselves. I am in contact already with some of the business owners at town meetings, etc. so this is not spamming strangers.

I wouldn't recommend contacting strangers though, unless you are for instance, a customer of theirs, or a friend of a friend type of situation. I have been contacted by enough spam emails to find it annoying, even if they have something good to sell or say, I delete the emails without even reading them, because I don't recognize the sender.

You can offer a "Tell A Friend" feature on your current site, and this would be opening the door, or producing a Newsletter that business owners might be interested in, providing information about how to market their business online, etc. and this may help draw customers, and referrals.

Good luck with your business, and let us know what you decided on!

[voodooboy]

I am taking notes here guys, this is good stuff.

I did my share of cold-calling (emailing) when I first started, but I didn’t necessarily go for the bad looking sites. I began by searching the internet for local directories. You know the ones I mean; the ones made by the designer who thought they could make money from starting their own yahoo and giving away free one or two page sites to local companies, build up their portfolio and then went nowhere.

Most all the sites from these directories will be sub-domained to the directory address. This makes it very hard to locate these companies online and you certainly aren’t going to put http://www.mytowndirectoryformystate.com/companys/bobswidgets.html on your business card, so you know they aren’t advertising the site.

I would contact them and ask if they were getting any business from this site. For the most part I got two basic responses, “they forgot it was out there”, to “they got their own domain and have a new site.” (To this one you always say, “Great! I would love to get more current information on your product/service.”) For those that did nothing after getting this free one page site, I start with my research (already done before calling), like what URL’s are available that would work best for their company and I am prepared to talk with them about generating traffic through the Internet. I cover the statistics for people using the Internet versus the phone book to look up local companies, and I offer to sit down with them and provide a free consultation on developing a marketable presence for them on the Internet. Now remember these are LOCAL (to me) directories. I want to be able to shake their hand, let them know I am real and accessible. This sells them. If I can get in the door, I have made the sale. Because when I walk in, I already talk as if it were a done deal. I already have the domain names chosen, the site samples printed out (and online) and a timeline for development and search engine placement. I went so far as to provide a list of quality printers (with quotes) for reprinting their stationary, business cards and mailing labels with their new domain name.

I made it almost impossible for them to say no.

But I never criticized their site. The biggest rule you can ever learn, is that you make yourself a lesser person by talking trash about your competitor. One company I work for is in the satellite industry. The ads that get the greatest returns are the ones with the greatest offer. The ones that fail are the ones that bad mouth the cable industry. (The competition)

Well, those were my 4 cents. Do what you will with them.

[janeth]

I will put my two cents in. Done right, I do not see a problem with it.

If it was my site and looked bad I would want to know.

Again done right.

It does not matter to me if the design just finished it even if the designer was my brother, husband, best friend or me. If it looks bad and it is going to hurt me making money let me know.

[vwebworld]

Like most threads on Webproworld re: design and
approaches to it... there are many opinions.

There may be two possibilities:
1) If the current website owner approaches you
for an opinion of his/her site.
2) The owner doesn't approach you, but you see that her/his site needs some attention.

1) This makes is easier (if the owner asks for
your opinion), because the owner already is in the
mindset that something is not quite right.

They may be more receptive to different ideas and
design concepts for the site.

2) Absent the owner tapping you on the
shoulder, asking for your help... means you need
to approach it differently. Understand that the
owner may or may not like their website as is.

So, what do you do? For "business" websites -
you need to find out if it's working for the owner.
Is it doing what they want? Does the owner even know
what he/she wants? Like "selling" any other product
to a business - you need to demonstrate a benefit (of
using your services) the owner.

By redoing the site in this way, you can improve -
customer response, customer retention, reach a wider
market...etc. "Show them and they will come".

~Roland

[dealercrm]

Two Words:

Constructive Criticism


ONLY be critical of the work that you can serve to improve or advance.

Let them know what your TRUE analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of THEIR work TRULY is. If they are a friend or a colleague in need of this criticism, provide it!

However be constructive in your criticism! Only complain, fuss, judge, comment and demote the WORK you can help them to improve. If you can't help them by suggestions or actual hands on then you shouldn't be putting your 2 cents in.

Fluff is always good to add to the end and beginning of a constructive criticism speech. Provide them with the things that THEY did right, and back it up with your experience, then divert their attention to the problem areas where YOU can help.


When doing site reviews here on WebProWorld, I often only put negative critiques in. I feel that we are all trying to reach a professional image and positive building of that goal is only done through hard work, trial and error, and a few rough critques (from competitors, our community, or god help us our customers).

Happy Holidays...

[Tubby]

I have about a dozen clients, and every one of them has forwarded messages to me, telling them that their site is poorly designed (cold calls out of the blue) . . I get around 5 a month on average. If these cold callers were so Fantastic, why arn't they sitting back reaping the benefits of there previous designs with customers clammering for similar sites.

If web designers (some) took a long hard look at some of the 'poorer designed ' websites and understood the 'complete package' then they would be far less brazen.

Lets face it there is an awfull lot of "Intellectual mind games <mod note: much nicer expression>" going around in the web design world.

[Y2M]

The problem is that the ROI (Return on Investment) for most websites is drastically low. Every day businesses are spending anywhere from thousands to millions of dollars for "web solutions," but these so called 'solutions' fail to provide the desired bottom line results.
So what's the problem? Well, there are 3 main elements that need to be present in order for a website to increase sales for the customers enterprise.
1. Professional Visual Design
2. Relevant Robust Functionality
3. Marketing Strategy

The first element, "Professional Visual Design," is critical because in the first couple of seconds of a prospect hitting their site, it will say "We are a rinky-dink fly-by-night operation" or "We are a professional organization that you can trust." If this element is missing, and even if the other two elements are on target, you will be hard pressed trying to get over that initial first "bad" impression - that is if the prospect has not clicked away before that happens.

The second element, "Relevant Robust Functionality," is just as important. This may not even apply if your site is simply static text and graphics; "brochure-ware." More and more though, consumers expect some kind of interaction from a website and companies are finding that they can cut down on much of their overhead by integrating some of their business processes into a web application that couples with a back-end database system.
The third and most important, but most overlooked element, is that of having a sound marketing strategy for the clients website. Not only does this include search engine submission and optimization, but something that most web development shops will not normally give you - marketing centric copy. Many development companies will just simply insert all the basic information that the client gives them in regards to their company history, products and services, contact numbers, etc.(the daughter/ son or a "guy I know" web designers) without ever really taking the next step of engineering the copy to properly market the company. This all important step is the only difference between a $50,000 web solution and a $50,000 "investment" that will yield bottom line results for the company.

So yes it’s easy to say your website “sucks!” It's either making money for you or it’s not! If it’s not you offer a value proposition that will fix the problem!

[alheisley]

Good Evening Everyone;

I'm surprised that anyone would suggest that cold-calling doesn't work? Not only when talking about Web sites, but any industry.

When my partner and I started our business, 100% of the business we generated was a result of cold-calling. Some sales were small and others were sizable. Today, while we do land lots of work from referrals, much of our new work continues to be a result of cold-calling on prospects who have sites and others who don't have sites. Our business is both local and national. And sales are made in face-to-face meetings and from using the telephone, too.

While I've read some great suggestions and thoughts in this thread, I was taken back by comments made by some who say cold-calling doesn't work. Period!

Believe me when I tell you that great salespeople not only make cold-calling work for them, but their sales are fundamentaly higher-quality transactions. Sales that are not only sizable but much more profitable as well.

I've always found that when any of us sit around waiting for opportunity to come knocking on our door, few if any true 'opportunities' ever show up.

Hope this provokes some thought and banter...

Al Heisley

[jasidog]

Sorry to sound overly reactionary, but cold calling is nothing but unsolicited spam. Doesn't matter how bad my site looks. It's wrong and if i wasn't so lazy i'd report such mails.

[sultan]

While I've read some great suggestions and thoughts in this thread, I was taken back by comments made by some who say cold-calling doesn't work. Period!

Agreed. What if we look at it as we would look at someone who says "I tried the web. It was a waste of time." And later we find out that they didn't really have a well built & properly marketed web site of their own, they instead had a couple of Geocities pages or a listing buried in the back of the community newspaper's web site.

Some designers aren't going to succeed at cold calling. That's a given, just as it's a given that not everyone has the aptitude or motivation to tackle outside sales. And that's fine. That's part of being a functional adult ... identifying your core strengths & skills and then using them wisely.

Others could succeed, but will have to learn a new set of techniques and approaches (often learning through their failures) before they begin to see positive results.



Believe me when I tell you that great salespeople not only make cold-calling work for them, but their sales are fundamentaly higher-quality transactions. Sales that are not only sizable but much more profitable as well.

Higher quality? I'm not as sure about that. I love cold calling, but I've found that I have to get through a lot of "No." responses before I get a "Yes." It's never mattered what I was selling, or whose logo was on my business card at the time. And it's easy to believe that cold calling is a waste of time after a long string of successive rejections from potential customers.

IMHO, an unsolicited referral is ten times better than a cold call. I'll take every one I can get, because those are my high quality, profitable transactions. I didn't have to dodge a barrage of rejections to get in the door. I saved time, and time is money.

But at the end of the day, I know that cold calls have a definite value. Without cold calls, business growth is significantly slower. Therefore, I make time almost every day to conduct a set number of cold calls.

I track those calls. I count the attempted contacts, the successful contacts, and the number of appointments made. After those appointments, I track the progress of each prospect. When is my next meeting? When do I deliver a proposal? When do I expect the sale? When do I expect to bill & collect the funds?

Regardless of what I've sold, I see trends and averages in the number of sales (and dollars) resulting from my efforts. I know how many cold calls I have to make this month to generate an additional $1,000 in billing next month or an additional $10,000 the following month.

And so, tomorrow morning, I'll pick up the phone & start dialing. And I'll walk in a couple of doors. And the message will be a tactful means of saying "Your web site sucks. Give me your money and our company will make it better." (a.k.a., "I'd love to schedule a brief meeting to explore ways in which we can enhance the results you're already getting from your web site!")

[janeth]

Hi jasidog
Since it is a one on one email about your business it is not Spam maybe you should stop being so lazy and find out what Spam is.

[jasidog]

Hi jasidog
Since it is a one on one email about your business it is not Spam maybe you should stop being so lazy and find out what Spam is.

Yes Janeth :)

Technically you are right, no one could prosecute you certainly. It's not a bulk mailing. However to me, the receiver, the end product is little different to the offer of bigger body parts in my mail box. I never asked for information on those services.

I appreciate that a lot of work might have gone into it on your part and that it is targeted specifically at me and so may actually be of interest. But both that and the "Spam" both are trying to do the same thing. Make money from me in a very in my face method which i did not court. It feels the same and i don't apreciate it.

Sorry if i was testy, it's my own feeling on the matter, my oppinion and i felt strongly enough to voice it.

I'll leave it at that.

Apoligies :)

[simonm]

Lots about the design and structure and how to approach and when not to. But surely the whole point of a website is to communicate?

The design, navigation, layout - and speed of loading - assists in getting the message across, ultimately it is the content, whether it is words or images or software or product lists!

In my role I work directly for a series of companies within a group. Every so often we buy a new company (along with its web site) or I am asked to review a competitors web site. What do I look for?

Datedness of the content, does the content say what the company does and what the advantage is to me in using that company, how to contact and what the next stage of the contact will be - a simple comment "yes we do reply to emails" makes all the difference.

Then I will check the site stats - usually there aren't any, the means of providing feedback, access to the email inbox to see if anybody responds to the site.

Only then will I deal with the site design!

[matauri]

But both that and the "Spam" both are trying to do the same thing. Make money from me in a very in my face method which i did not court. It feels the same and i don't apreciate it.


Yes & No.

Yes there are so many of them in your face these days that it is hard to differentiate between emails that may actually benefit you, to those wanting to make money out of you. Which is why I am relectant about cold calling with emails.

Because I dont like to equate my clients with just being 'customers', I dont treat them as such. And that starts from the very first introduction. I much prefer to put the little extra effort into actually writing (via post) to them with changes I can make to enhance their business. They know by the package I send them that it isn't an 'off the shelf' promo campaign. I have selected them as an indivual entity, with whom I think I can benefit.

I know a lot of businesses have the mindset of 'reel em in', and they are probably the ones making a lot of money. Whereas I will develop client confidence and enjoy good working relationships with them.

Its how you sow the seed that produces a good sturdy tree with many branches.



Cindy

[nfrnoman]

Brittany,
I own & operate a small full service design shop and offer a free website assessment on my site.

In doing this, I've found out several valuable things. As some of the other folks replying here have mentioned, when someone comes to you in this fashion - in a business capacity - they're looking for your experience and advice. They recognize that change is needed. This gives you a slight upper hand from the beginning.

What I have done to maintain this upper hand with my prospects is focus on the positive first. I've divide my critique format into 7 parts, all having to do with different aspects of the site. When I tackle each, I deliver my review in a segmented fashion. First, I bluntly state the "short answer" to each issue; ie. "Does this work?" - "No." Second I state the "What's Good" part. I intentionally cover this first because that lets the client know that you're not there to simply attack their effort and get their money. Then I follow with the "What's Bad" and the "Solution" portions.

I've found that as long as you tell the client that they've done some things right - they'll listen more intently when you try to tell them what they could do better.

Now - as for reviewing a friends website - that all depends on how close you all are... eggshells come to mind.

Unfortunately, it sounds like your friend read the book on what not to do. That makes for a tough conversation.

Good luck.

[redcircle]

If you are cold-calling/emailing site owners, make sure you're not sending to the "webmaster" email, for one. Another thing to think about would be first putting the thought in their mind about a possible re-design. I would just send a short email saying something like "Thinking about a website update?" or "Does your site appeal to your visitors" or "Does your site need a new look?" or something on those lines, making it seem like you can give them that extra edge in re-design, rather than stating "Does your site look crappy?".

And it will get delete right away because to me that's spam. If it were a more personal email then I might consider actually replying.

[quickcat]

I keep a bookmark file of articles on design best practices. When contacting either a current or potential SEM client, I use the standard "Did you know..." question to introduce the topic and include a link to the article.

I wrap it with "If you would like to discuss [fill in topic] further, please contact me at..."

Short and sweet with objective 3rd party info works well for me.

[alheisley]

sultan, I appreciate and agree with your comments.

Al Heisley

[CLBridges]

I totally agree that one must tread lightly when it comes to telling someone their site really SUCKS!

It really comes down to 2 issues.. whether you're calling them, or they're calling you.

If they're calling you, you've obviously made an impression on them that you are a p-r-o-f-e-s-s-i-o-n-a-l. And as a professional in your field, you'd be doing your client a great disservice by not remaining firm in areas you KNOW need changing. Do whatever you need to do to help them "understand" and accept your professional expertise.

If you "go along" with something your client insists on doing, knowing full well how (ahem) "sucky" it is without putting up a fight, your pockets may be full today, but tomorrow?? Guess who ends up with the sucky reputation!

Just my 2 cents..

Carrie**

(Sucky Professionals Unite?) :D