Before we get started, this article is in no way meant to marginalize the many talented and knowledgeable IT professionals out there. It is simply meant to highlight the differences between them and a website designer. No doubt, I’m certain we’ll get a lot of heat from the IT community, but that’s the nature of the beast. That being said…

Many companies have an in-house IT department, and even some of the smallest companies at least have a local IT firm on speed dial. To most people, it may seem logical to ask an IT firm or in-house IT department to design their website, after all, it’s related to computers and they certainly know their way around those, right? More often than not, your average IT guru can rush in to save the day when you accidental delete an important file, get a computer virus or run into some other confounding  technology-related issue, but when it comes to website design, they usually don’t have the unique skill set it takes to produce results online.

They don’t speak the language

First and foremost, IT people are not marketers. They don’t know what motivates someone to make a buying decision. They tend to focus on features instead of benefits, and their writing is often dry and overly analytical with little emotion or excitement. When you look at most websites designed by IT people, it comes across more like a spec sheet than a friendly, yet convincing presentation. It’s that convincing presentation that converts your visitors into buyers, and that’s what your website is supposed to do.

Right-brain vs. left-brain thinking

Everyone has their strengths, and for most IT people, it’s logical, left-brain thinking rather than creativity. It may not seem like a big deal, but creativity is critical because there are billions of websites out there and people are busier than ever, so you have just a few seconds to make a memorable impact. As much as we try to deny it, looks do matter and if your website presents a poor image, visitors will quickly move on to one of your competitors.

The University Of Wisconsin summarizes the visual nature of our society by saying

Ours is a visual culture. Our workplaces are visually saturated environments and our dominant pastimes (films, television, video games, and the Internet) are visual media. Moreover, we communicate visually when we are trying to cross over cultural boundaries; think, for example, of the graphics devised for international signage. Knowledge is often communicated visually: scientists chart brain activity, economists graph fiscal trends, geographers map territory and detectives photograph evidence. The growth of the web as an information distribution system has made an understanding of visual design factors indispensable in every field of study. The visual also our access to the past. The earliest recorded communications are pictorial and artifacts are central to the reconstruction of history.

They work in the trenches

Few people truly appreciate the work that IT professionals do because much of it is behind the scenes, making sure workstations, servers and networks are running smoothly and efficiently. Without them, most companies would come to a grinding halt. While critical to the success of a company, this often thankless job means they are rarely involved in the big-picture vision and plans. It’s tough to design a website, the face of any modern company, without clearly understanding the goals and objectives of that company.

They know just enough to be dangerous

I’ve watched enough Grey’s Anatomy reruns to know that while I technically could remove a kidney, it wouldn’t be a good idea because there is a lot more to it than simply cutting someone open and plucking out an organ. IT professionals face the same dilemma when designing a website, though the results won’t be quite as dramatic as my playing doctor. Sure, they technically can design a website, but aside from the design and copywriting issues we’ve already covered, what about cross-browser compatibility, which often drives even experienced web designers insane? Or semantically correct and W3C valid HTML and CSS? Don’t forget SEO (Search Engine Optimization) which is an entirely separate and complex specialization on its own. Your website won’t do any good if it display incorrectly, loads too slowly or can’t be found by the search engines.

It’s not their job

Maybe they enjoy web design, but I’m willing to bet they would rather focus on doing their own job; it is more than enough to keep up with on its own. Besides, if you’re asking them to do something that they really aren’t proficient at, it will take them longer, which will frustrate both you and them. And you don’t want an unhappy IT guy or girl in your office, they know every website you visit and they probably know all of your passwords too!

Posted by Jeremy L. Knauff