BeeDeeDubbleU - 8:56 am on Dec 23, 2008 (gmt 0)

If you're a designer first and foremost, a new design looks like the thing to do. But what the business owner wants is more business, not a new design.

You are right to some extent. The chairman of Black and Decker was once reported to have said, "Our customers don't want drills. They want holes".

But, and it's a big BUT, if a solicitor's, consultant's or real estate business website looks amateurish this WILL reflect on the business. I don't think I need testing or research to confirm this. I shy away from businesses whose websites look like they were done by the boss's twelve year old son as a school project and I don;t think I am any different from any other people. This indicates to prospective client's that this particular business cannot afford to have a proper website or does not have the nous to realise how important it is.

I have a business where I sell a particular type of software application. I don't write the software, I am a reseller and I am currently seeking a suitable vendor as a new partner. I am going through a list of more than 300 links to the websites of companies who supply this software. Many of these are small companies like myself and that's the type of partner that I'm looking for, but if I see a poorly constructed, amateurish website I immediately hit the back button assuming that the business owners are amateurs.