Use of "Under Construction" pages

I know my opinion, want to hear from others

[LifeinAsia]

The client wants to get the site up without all the pages finished. For the sections not yet ready, he wants "Under Construction" pages made. At this point, they would represent about 50% of the sections listed on the navigation bar.

I voiced my concerns based on my opinions:
1) They make the site look VERY amateurish.
2) As time goes on and those pages don't get finished, it continues to promote a bad image.
3) Search engines don't like them any more than real people do.

Am I alone in thinking this? What other ideas for/against them are there?

[tbear]

I'm in complete agreement with you.
However, if the client insists, I will always say, "OK, pay me the final instalment of your bill and when you give me the missing content, I'll put it up!".
My contracts always state that I get half up front and the final half when the site goes live 'or within 30 days (or whatever time span is envisaged for my completing the project given the content needed)'.
If the client wants live before all is complete it's his money!

If you have explained the down side and the client insists, take the money and sit back and ..... forget it until the client wakes up. ;)

Perhaps an addition to the contract along the lines of, if the site has to go live unfinished, because of lack of client produced content, an extra fee will be incurred at a later date to include the late content.

I dunno.....
The client is always right, but you must know your client!

[larryhatch]

If I see "under construction" I move on.
If I see "check back soon / often" I never do.

[celgins]

LifeinAsia... I agree. "Under Construction" pages are an aesthetic turn-off. I believe that as a web professional, part of our duties is to make sure prospective clients know the ramifications of such "temporary" pages.

I think you did the right thing by mentioning those facts.

About 30 minutes ago, I received an email from an acquaintenance who started an investment business. Some other company is working on his website, and just sent a newsletter-type email promoting the site.

Apparently, he's desperate to get his business name out there, because when I went to the site, I got the page: "Thanks for visiting. Right now, we are under construction. Check back soon!"

Just plain wrong! :)

[LifeinAsia]

As an alternative, the client asked about having the section name in the navigation bar, but not putting a hyperlink on it.

Still strongly opposed to this. To me, doing that looks more like a coding mistake than intentional.

[Clinton Labombard]

Personally, I think 'under construction' pages are a neat bit of late 90s nostalgia. But they have no place in a non-nostalgia page. If it isn't ready, then don't have it linked.