I find that many web design companies in Australia simply kidnapped their clients in this mist of fear and confusing language . More and more I see cases of small businesses that have been trapped by the famous “web guy”. The webguy is usually a web design, programmer, webmaster (god I hate that word) graphic designer, web host, marketing expert, SEO professional and Google adword guru that knows all the answers to any potential question.
Usually the web guy is always at the look out of any other company “stealing” their clients and to prevent this, it has created an illusion that his/her job is extremely complicate, difficult and impossible to be replaced by any other company that doesn’t understand how the clients website really works.
The funny thin is that usually this web people are not experts in one topic, they know a bit about almost every single topic, but when it comes to the reality of their knowledge, their information is usually tricks and tips from the past, or info they learned from a book or a quick “how to develop websites” 2 day seminar.
So am I attacking people with knowledge about Internet and Design that are trying to make a living? No… well, yes… let me explain this.
The problem with Internet experts these days is that in fact they are not experts, it seems we live in a culture of fake it until you make it, in the culture where experts just need to publish a certificate of “I’m an expert in Google” and voila! they become an expert in Google technology. The reality is, that I’m an expert in many things. I’m an expert in Nuclear Science, specially when I talk to my 3 year old son about it. I’m also an expert in turbo compressors design in the new Airbus design, specially when I talk to my 4 month old baby.
Do you get my point? In the kingdom of the Blind the man with one eye is the king…
So what is the problem with “web guys” and “web ladies” that love to kidnap small business websites? The problem is their ignorance and their need to be experts in everything. The problem is their lack of understanding that Internet Technology, SEO and Algorithms are in constant flow. God! How many times I have heard web ladies and web guys telling me that a site without Meta-tags can’t rank in Google…. how many time I heard the same questions like:
Should I submit my website to search engines?
What small companies need to realize is that they need to hire experts in one topic, not mediocre wanna-be-super-Internet-heroes , because usually that wanna-be experts even if they try as hard as possible, they will failed.
If you look for a Web Designer, you need to find one that has a portfolio of Amazing websites.
If you need a logo design, you need to find a Logo Design that kicks ass…
Can I design logos? Sure…
can I design websites? Sure.
Can I design fantastic logos? No.
Can I design amazing website templates and design? No.
That’s why I outsource these type of services to people that just do that for living. Real experts. People that live and breath every day their job, people that love their job and people that want to be the best.
So that’s why I think the “web guy” is in extinction, sooner or later the “super-webmaster” will die in loneliness, specially because when you try to do to many different things without the right skills, you will fail.
A web designer + logo designer + hosting guru + google adword + programmer + SEO expert will never deliver as many SEO results than the full time SEO consultant.
Why? Because while the web guy is doing logos… the SEO consultant is improving, it’s getting better, it’s building a better structure, a stronger service and product.
That’s why Internet Ninja believes in the art of working towards one objective: In being the best in what you do. Choose one path, work hard, become the best, provide results and be amazing at what you do.
hey thank u for ur tips and secrets about internet experts.
i need a few of them so i got gud guidelines about it on ur site.
waiting for more quality content frm ur site.
Hi Jean-Gabriel,
I’ve been reading through a lot of your content and I like your honest seo approach (I write in a similar style) to try and expose the con artists and snake oil salesmen in the industry… most commonly found in the design agencies offering it as a bolt on.
Keep up the good work!
Andrew
The thing is that finding specialists is expensive. The way it should work is your generalist web guy consultant has several specialists on hand they use.
You are right though that anyone who thinks they can do it all on their own is dreaming.
Just like with the doctor, you go to your GP first, who refers you to specialists. You never go straight to specialists because, how do you know which ones you need? plus the specialist is too busy to care to qualify their leads.
It’s no different with web stuff.
Hi Gab,
As one of admitted “web guys” I have to agree with John above. I’m not a web guy by your definition that I hold customers to ransom, but I am a strong generalist who has the ability to bring things together.
I agree that SEO needs a specialist and to be honest that what i’m better at than programming or SEO, however I think the need for what you call “web guys” is more from the customer and industry than from people pushing this.
For example, I recon 50% of the smaller businesses I develop websites for want me to design them a logo – or presume it’s included as standard in website design. They also presume I will write their content, do their SEO (if they know what that is), take photographs or “photoshop” their existing poorly taken ones to make them look beautiful, do all their programming, set up their email, and in some cases fix their computer or set up their accounting software. Some of these things I can do, others I wisely refrain much to their confusion. (YES I know you will say i’m dealing with the wrong customers!!!!)
Remember the world of computers and the internet etc to us is so broad that even within SEO there is in some cases micro-specialization – social bookmarkers vs social networks vs linkbaiters vs linkwheelers vs article marketing guys, press release guys, bloggers the list goes on. But this is our “world”. To the average Job Bloggs who wants a website that looks good and their customers will find, they don’t want to know about all this. To them it’s just one thing, their whole world might for example be cars or printing or clothing retail or bottled water delivery or anything at all – things that have their own complexities that we don’t understand. And thats what makes the world go around!
Matt
PS: My comment was long enough for a blog post in itself!
Hey Matt… thanks for the post mate. I agree… may be my post was a bit “hash” … (like all my posts) lol
The point is… I believe that the web guys that are problematic here are the ones that hold customers 100% too ransom and they inflict fear in their brains…
“your site will break”
“you will be banned by google”
etc.
etc.
But again.. as the industry get’s more complex.. I believe everyone will specialize in one thing.
I tried as formula 1 Pilot and I failed… so I tried something that doesn’t require any skill at all: SEO
So true there’s only so many hours in the day I’ve tried it… badly, now outsource the seo and logo designs