Looking Good On The Ski Hill
Back in high school I used to go skiing with a guy whose motto was “If you look good, you are good”. The ironic part was this: he was one of the best skiers on the mountain and he wore these ski pants that were held together with a couple of rolls of duck tape. His comment was really directed at guys who were dressed to the nines, looked great in the lift line, but completely fell apart as soon as they got off the chair lift.
I was laughing about this with a friend today and it got me thinking about perception and reality on the internet.
Looking Good On The Internet
The internet is a very unforgiving place. People come to your website and often know absolutely nothing about your business, competency level, history, customer base or reputation. However, they quickly jump to conclusions based on one thing: graphic design.
You Know You Do It!
They say that you only get one chance to make a first impression. Even though our parents taught us (in vain) not to judge a book by its cover, we all do it every day. You know you do it. We are highly influenced by the graphic design of the websites we visit. A quick glance at the page is all it takes to make some quick assumptions about the company that the page represents.
What Does Your Website Say About Your Company?
Try to take an unbiased look at your website.
- What does it really say about your company?
- How does it stack up against your competitor’s websites?
- Does it reflect well on your company?
- If a potential customer visited your site, would they leave with the impression that you are a leader in your field?
Is Your Website Doing More Harm Than Good?
Perhaps I’m way out in left field, but I sometimes wonder if a badly designed website doesn’t do more harm than good. Why put up a website that makes your company look “bush league”? Seriously. If your website is a marketing tool that represents your company, does it make sense to do it badly?
