I look forward to reading the editorial each week, but “Find a Vaccine, Fast”(http://www.dmnews.com/articles/2000-07-03/9214.html) had me saying, “Amen!” The problem you addressed exists in the print world as well, where art directors often design for beauty and not for salesmanship.
The number of times I've had to remind, request or demand that an art director change type to serif and indent paragraphs on body copy over the years is more than I can count.
The problem is more rampant on the Web. And it's not just the fault of the Gen Xers designing the stuff. Many a 40-something marketer has been known to surrender his experience in the wake of someone who understands HTML and other Web techniques.
The current situation reminds me of the early '80s, when IBM PCs first appeared in the business world. For a year or so, every bit of data on any spreadsheet was taken as gospel because “it came from the computer.” Finally, experienced folks were willing to question when the numbers made no sense.
Anyone who treats the Web as anything more than a tool, or who does not recognize that the devil is in the details, is placing unnecessary hurdles on his ability to get and keep customers. Hurdles can be overcome, but why make prospects and customers work so hard?
