A tongue-in-cheek look at the differences between tradesmen and web designers.
Is it finished yet?
There comes a point where the painter and decorator applies the last brush stroke, where the plumber flicks the switch and the central heating is functioning again, and where the landscape gardener drops the last slab into place. The next time you call them they probably won’t answer – the painter and decorator will be at another job up to his ears in paint and the other two will probably be sunning themselves on a beach in Turkey.
But your web developer has an email address, and the chances are he checks it every 5 minutes on his iPhone to help with all of the unfinished tasks such as:
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The phone number on our website is wrong, here’s the correct number.
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We’ve got a better photo for the homepage now, would you mind updating it.
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One of our visitors works for a bank and isn’t allowed to upgrade his system, he’s using Internet Explorer 5 and our site doesn’t work for him, could you help?
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Do you think this shade of blue might look better after-all?
You pay your web designer less
The fact that you pay the tradesman in bundles of cash whilst your web developer pays 40% tax means that ultimately the tradesman is earning more!
The web designer’s job is easier
The tradesman relies on tools. Some of them can be as simple as a paintbrush or as elaborate as a giant grinder. You can even stand and watch him toil away on the job.
The web developer on the other hand needs nothing other than a sketch book and a computer. You’re not likely to be there when he does the work. Since everything the web developer achieves is done on a computer it must mean that everything is quite simple and everything will only take a few minutes.
If I had £1 for every time someone said something was “quite simple” and will “only take a few minutes” I’d probably be able to turn off my iPhone now and go on holiday to Turkey.
No but really, the web designer’s job IS easier
Whether it’s laying bricks, applying plaster or flushing a heating system, most of the tradesman’s jobs, whilst requiring experience and skill, rely on tried and tested fundamental principles and techniques.
Web development techniques and technologies are often less mature and constantly evolving. Some of the simplest of things, such as making two columns equal in height, can be troublesome and take much longer to achieve than the client might expect.
In addition to this nobody expects a builder to construct a property that automatically adapts to the shape and size of the person entering it. Nobody expects the painter and decorator to choose a colour palette that will be pleasing to the eye of people who are colour blind. Nobody expects the carpenter to make provisions for blind people when hanging the doors or creating the stairs.
On the other hand websites should now adapt to the size of the screen that they’re being viewed on. They should be clear and legible to people who are colour blind. They should be accessible to the partially sighted who rely on screen readers.
A “bad” website is not much different to a house with wonky walls and a leaking roof. A “great” website on the other hand now has to go much further than before to earn that title.
I’m a tradesman myself, what am I supposed to think of this article?
We hope that you like it! To find out how you could generate more business via a great website why not get in touch with us?