They still don’t get it

I visited a website from a related industry’s top brand (or so I’m told). Their website was barely useable, which means it only meets the minimum standard. Its ugly, poorly laid out, and unclear. They could pay someone just a couple grand to make it look really sharp (should I give them my number?).

Yet, on their home page they are promoting the release of their latest paper catalog. Don’t they realize that they have already made an impression on the website visitor and they aren’t going to want a catalog from a company with such a clunky website? My industry is riddled with so many smaller companies with ingrained marketing machines that just can’t seem to adapt to the web, even seven years later!

I am going to be posting my third generation site shortly. The cool thing is that I don’t have to change the content much–it is already streamlined. I am only fixing the navitation scheme. What will they think when they see my new site? Will they even consider trying to catch up? To really blow them away, I really should outsource the website design, but they make the bar so low, I am not ashamed to do it myself. But ultimately, my control of the website is what makes it useable, forgetting the design.