Some of the answer (not all) lies in education of the business owners that marketing through the internet is about more than this. The web has changed in the last 10 years, when an online brochure might have been relevant, into something where the buyer seller relationship has changed immensely, brought about by ubiquitous information available through Google (et al) and the two-way nature of the best these days, aka user-generated content and social media.

If businesses want to use it for marketing, they need to think differently, and then the role / objective of the website in a wider internet infrastructure of tools for brand building, comms and lead generation mean that the passive brochure is even more of a waste of money, time and effort. Business consultants have as much of a role to play in this in advising their clients to know better – there are many of those who seem to share the same belief.

The internet trade itself hasn’t done much to help itself either by making many of the tools free at the point of use, so it’s easy for the inexperienced to think that they can take a DiY approach, or why spend money on the consultant when I can do it myself?

You may interpret that I’m on a mission to rid the nation of brochure websites, and I am. But it does need the client to at least have the marbles to realise there is more to it than putting a brochure online to achieve an ROI for the business. I’m not interested in pushing water uphill.

When I first started many times I heard “you know photoshop, do us some cards for a tenner?” and it’s brilliant.. It made me realise how much I love designing and pushed me to start running my own business.

If that ever happens I try and persuade the client why I’m better than a kid with an illegal copy of photoshop – and if they still don’t see the benefit.. Don’t waste your time on someone who won’t appreciate your training and work.

Brilliant post.

And that is what surprises me in this present environment. Many business owners are looking for cheap, they then get the same as a the masses, competing on price in a competitive area (Woolworths springs to mind) = The Poorhouse.

Lets look at Adwords for example, we have recently been working with a few small firms that have had campaigns put in place, with no targeting, no end result in mind and no specific content for that highly targeted traffic and they wonder why ‘adwords’ doesn’t work for their business.

For the two firms I am working with currently we have increased turnover by 30% in less than three months, by following a process and by going against the herd, oh and by following a reasonable process without doing anything ‘on the cheap’.

Great article and very well written, we’ve been in business for almost twenty years and have seen this type of scenario being played out time and time again.

‘Graphic design vs Client’ youtube clips have been around for quite a while now but still makes me laugh every time I see them.

Also we know so many businesses that once a really successful corporate re brand, direct mail campaign, website etc..etc.. has been achieve with successful, positive and profitable results any future marketing materials etc. are taken in house or a cheaper route found.

i.e. the client or a member of staff suddenly become a graphic designer over night especially if they have access to ‘micro soft word’

Kind regards Tony