Trying to Be All Things to All Customers

I l @ ve RuBoard

Most Web firms evolved from a software or an advertising background, tacking on Web development as an additional service to customers. We have found that the industry is made of both strong technical shops that lack a solid understanding of branding and marketing issues, and strong design firms that are weak in technology and user interface. A 2000 Forrester Research report ^[1] on e-commerce integrators mirrors our findings, even in the largest Web development companies. It graded 150 Web developers and found that in the categories of marketing, strategy, design, technology, and business practices not one scored higher than 70 percent across the board and most scored much lower.

^[1] Averby, Christine Spivey, and Paul Sonderegger, with Harley Manning, Julie Meriger, Aaron Hardisty, and Sadaf Roshon, eCommerce Integrators Exposed . Forrester Research, June 2000.

Wearing too many hats, trying to be all things to all customers, leads to bad projects.

I l @ ve RuBoard