Re: [. . . ] Placement -where it is headed.

At 06:13 AM 12/14/2000 -0500, ErthWlkr(at)aol.com wrote:
>It's a good theory and might possibly be a lead into a new business niche.
>BUT - I believe that after a period of time, even a "freeweb" will be looking
>for cash resources...

I agree - from the beginning I have known that free would not last forever 
- who is going to pay for all the resources, pipelines, storage, 
programmers?  I also find it interesting how this issue seems to be 
discussed as the catalyst that will cause small business to not do the 
Web.  SEs are only part of this puzzle.

>I thought a bit more last night about the issue - and I tried to put things
>in respect to my experience in the world of ink-on-paper.
>
>Web designers seem to have evolved - up to this point - as agencies rather
>than as pure designers.  For instance, if I want to print a brochure, I might
>simply hire a designer, who will choose the graphics, layout, paper stock,
>etc in order to get the product produced.  OR - I will go to an agency who
>will come up with a marketing plan that will include the manufacture of the
>brochure as a *part* of an overall strategy.

So, very true!  The days of  just "making Web pages" are way over.  If you 
want to survive in this business you really do have to have a well rounded 
service and product offering.  Most of our clients have no idea what to do 
about /any/ of this when they contact us.  Being a one stop shop for them 
to fuse technology into their current business model is highly desired and 
valuable to your reputation as a company that understands the "big picture".

>I'm very new to the web world - but the dichotomy is interesting.  Web
>developers, whether by design or default, are really agencies.  You (we?)
>have put ourselves in the position of being agencies - we provide the entree
>to marketing by helping clients with search engine positioning.  This seems
>to hold true whether or not these developers are a staff of one or
>one-hundred.

Unfortunately though as mentioned in other posts, I do know that I have 
seen and will continue to experience client attrition due to these 
changes.  I can also say with a high confidence factor that not everyone 
can or should be on the Web. Not only from a budget point of view - but in 
their willingness to do just what you mention to take this for what it is 
and use it to your advantage.   All too often I have witnessed folks who 
try to make this what they want it to be or what they are comfortable 
with.  That simply doesn't work.  The Web is what it is today and count on 
it changing tomorrow.

Just because the Web is there doesn't mean that all business folks have the 
wear-with-all to deal with the very liquid nature of this gig.  The 
constant flux and change is very difficult for many clients to handle - 
even those with the money to throw at search engines.  Web site quality and 
search engines are NOT the only issues to success.  How about email skills, 
communication policies, customer service - all those other wacky issues 
involved in running a business that so many seem to neglect?  A great site 
on all the search engines will not produce if the site owner doesn't cover 
these other just as important issues.

>So the clients are really coming to the designers for *help* with marketing
>their product, not just the design of a web site.  So if the web, and web
>designers, continue to evolve in this fashion, then they are going to have to
>see search engine placement as a *part* of doing business as well as just one
>piece of the overall picture.

You know it!  You simply cannot "make a page" and throw it out there and 
expect that your customer will have a chance of any level of results.  This 
is all about marketing - always has been.  ;-)  Much of my pre-sell and 
ongoing relationship building includes constant batting down of all the 
hype out there in lieu of the reality of what you need to do reach any 
realistic goals.


>So what happens to the smaller community based web sites?  Do those smaller
>community based web sites really need to be listed on globally available
>search engines?  Great for the ego - but necessary?

Partnering with regionally targeted portals, local sites, webrings, etc. 
are great marketing tools and traffic generators for these type of 
sites.  There are so very many marketing strategies that one can implement 
in lieu of being highly dependent on SEs alone. Here again, though if folks 
don't "get" the marketing angle and do not seek out and take advantage of 
what some of the regional/local sites offer that is opportunity lost.  I 
run such a site, with a community linking program.  Very few of the local 
.org/community sites submit for their free link either because they do not 
have someone on staff, volunteer or otherwise, to do this or they may not 
know how important  this really is to building awareness for their site.

>If we harken back to the fundamental idea of the web - ie exchange of
>(academic) information, then Fuzzy's idea seems practical.  And it just might
>be academia that will pick up the staff of this flip side of the web and
>create information-only based search engines.

I do see opportunities for topic specific type of search portals.  But 
still there will be bills to be paid.  These sites, if they are going to 
list non-profits or sites that are not commercial rather their value is in 
the information they provide, will still have to determine how they will 
pay the bills for the costs of running such a site.

>The only thing you can depend upon is change - you can either accept it,
>evolve with it, or let it roll over you like a freight train.  And there are
>far too many creative, bright, and rsourceful people that I've come across on
>this list to allow that to happen... :-)

You go Jeff! ;-)  This gig is not for the weak of heart.  My type A 
personality and ability to look at each day that I come into the office as 
one where I am willing to try new things, look at new ideas and have a 
completely open mind is actually an environment I thrive in.  But I can 
also state emphatically that 97% of my clients base is not able to do this.

Hence, why my business is modeled to be more of a technology 
mentoring/coaching environment. Marketing is the focus from the beginning 
of my discussions to potential clients and continues throughout our 
relationship.   I believe it is my responsibility as a professional in this 
business to make clients aware of all this information so that they can 
literally determine how successful they want to be based on the reality of 
what is involved both from a cost and time perspective.   If they do not 
reach the goals we discuss, they /know/ why based on the decisions they 
make - or don't make for that matter.  But at least they have that information.

/j

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