SmallTime - 10:49 am on Jun 11, 2002 (gmt 0)

Blue in the face is about right - I tell them repeatedly that the web is a poor at advertising, but great at information.

I like to get a good overview and feeling for their business, - gather my own impressions of their strengths, how they see themselves, and who their customers are.

A common issue is logo and photos - many small business have little graphic identity, or stuff more suitable for print than web. Photos are another issue, done well they can really help that important first impression, and break up pages of text throughout the site. When pressed, I will point out that on the web they will be competing for attention with sites costing 10-50 times their budget, and a good photo can make the difference. For local or regional sites, local photos are a plus - if a business is not photogenic, find some local scenery.

Good overview, Nick