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Can your customer see your Web site?Recently, I was looking over a proposal on an ecommerce site for a client. As I glanced through the technology that the consultant was planning on using, I remembered discussions that the client and I had about his customer base and their computers. Red flares went off. You see, the client's market, which is VERY narrow and industry- specific, tends to have OLD computers. We're talking cast off machines and computers that just had to make do, what with budget cuts and all. According to the client's research, at least a third of his customers have workstations that will barely run Windows 3.1, let alone Windows 95. What do you think the consultant was recommending? You guessed it - Javascript and ActiveX - technologies that just aren't acceptable for Web surfers on those old machines. My client is not anxious to freeze out one third of his potential ecommerce clients. That's not exactly good business. Unfortunately, the consultant evidently tuned out the part of the conversation where we talked about the technology level of the client's customers. But, luckily, the consultant mentioned the technology early enough in the process that I was able to stop him (and the other bidders) and specify that the solution needed to work on OLD computers. When you are planning a complicated Web site that uses levels of technology that may not be supported by your customers' older computers and browsers, you have to be very careful. Are you prepared to deny them the ability to buy from your site? Are you not going to let them get the information they need about your company just because they're using an old Macintosh? If you have a brick-and-mortar store, would you have one of your staff stand at the door and tell every third customer that they can't come in - even if they wave wads of cash around? While the latest technology may jazz up your Web site and make it work more efficiently, beware of letting the designers force you into leaving too many of your customers in the cold. Remember, you're the person who knows your customers. You're the person who must tame the wild Web designers who want to work with the cool technology - and have you pay for it. There's no question that occasionally, to get the maximum value from your Web investment, you have to get a little wacky with the technology. But you must consider the customers you're leaving behind when you do this. Remember, in cyberspace, they don't seem real. But would you lock them outside your shop at the mall just because they have an old, beat-up wallet? Back when I worked for a Web developer, I was on a sales call with our Web designer. The customer was very nice and I thought we had the deal in the bag. That was up until the customer said he needed to have the site support really old browsers. The designer, who had "principles," said, "Well, I simply won't design a system that caters to such old technology." Needless to say, we left the customer's office pretty quickly, and I strangled the designer in the parking lot. Hmmm. That reminds me. My meeting with the probation officer is tomorrow. You see, they ruled it justifiable homicide.
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