Website designing – The India Istyle

Last few weeks I have been busy doing 2 things:
Talking to various ‘online’ ad agencies on various projects
Trying to sell to a client the importance of having a kick-ass website

Most of the ad agencies have a long list of ‘great’ work done in terms of website creation. Some were really good, but most of them were template stuff. All of them gave a list of clientele (usually an US or European Client). It kind of got me interesting. I kept asking them various questions on the website creation and design.. The thought, the strategy, etc…
Most cases the owners were not giving any proper response to some basic questions… This one takes the cake:
Question: how do you know that the website you created is a successful one?
Answer: It has to be successful. The client has paid me the monies.
The unfortunate part is that most of the agencies who build websites do not put any thought into it. A part of the blame would also go to the clients, most of them just want an online presence, where people can come looking for basic information.
Almost all the agencies who developed the website were not aware who exactly were the client’s Target Audience, what their online persona is, and in what way they need to interact with the website..
As Internet penetration in India increases, and also as the clients from overseas demand more out of their websites, the ‘digital’ agencies here would find it hard to get business, until they come up in the value chain.
There should be an extensive thought behind what they are creating, and why they are creating it. They should also keep in mind, where they want to be in the future, and then design and build the website accordingly.
I have been talking to clients in terms of website redesign. The team has been gung-ho about the whole project. The most important thing in website (re)design is the pre design process, where-in you take into cognizance the content construct, IA/Wire frames, and unfortunately the client’s are not too bothered about the same. It surprises me that the start and end of a website is the UI that they can see…
From the client speak it seems that in India, when it comes to website creation - creative still rules

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