What I mean is - It's All About Us.

Founded on July 1, 2010, the College of _____________________ brings together teaching, research and engagement programs dedicated to informing people's behavioral choices, improving their health, and enhancing their quality of life.

We are a young and vibrant college with a strategic advantage of being the academic home to scholars in both the human sciences and health sciences. Together, we aspire to a reputation for excellence in our research, in how we teach and prepare students for the future, and in the ways in which we serve our communities.

Wow.

The first thing you want to tell a prospective student (customer) is the date you were founded. Why?

You bring together teaching, research and engagement programs... and you want to inform people's behavioral choices... Do you teach students? Do you want me to enroll?

You want to improve "their" health - who are they? - and enhance "their" quality of life. Hmm. Why am I here? Do you have anything I can study?

This page isn't headed "Mission" or "About Us", but it's no more useful. And if your site's main page is labeled "Mission" or "About Us", then the first line of copy should read "we simply don't care about you, our customer, your needs or our long-term success".

Paragraph two.

You are a young and vibrant college. But I can already see that you don't care about me by the ambiguous, self-centric copy. Plus, your site doesn't work on my phone, so you can't be that young or vibrant.

And you have a strategic advantage of being the academic home to scholars in human and health sciences. Why do I care? Do I get to work with them? Study under them? Are they my prof's? What?

The last sentence is just a mouthful of empty calories that says nothing.

In an era when every university is only a click away it is simply inexcusable to present content that does not relate directly to the needs of the reader. Stop with the idea that more words and syllables make people think you are a better institution.

You know what makes a great institution that I want to be part of? A place that wants me to learn much and do great things with my life.

I came to your site. I have an opinion of you. I have my perception. I need you to validate my perception and direct me into your organization. I need you to lead me through the steps. I need you to show me that you can help me be successful.

Make that your opening paragraph.

And it's not a refrigerator.

So this is my first blog. And it's a complaint.

The web is not an experiment. It's not a fad or some whimsical vehicle for personal expressions. It's the most significant tool in the history of communication since writing. The web does everything, goes everywhere and is finding new ways to do new stuff that we hadn't imagined even a few months ago.

If you are a client - someone who needs and relies on a website, but doesn't build them as a profession - I beg you, hire a professional and let them work. Your website stinks because you think you're good at it. But you're not.

You wouldn't question your plumber's choice of PVC or brass. You don't know the first thing about plumbing.

You don't tell the chef to cook the salad medium-well and serve the steak first. With a lite vinaigrette. That would be crazy.

But you don't hesitate to tell your web team to cram too many links in your navigation. You gladly explain that your 17 year-old nephew, who is quite sharp at technology, thinks we should use more CSS3. Or that your "About Us" section should be first in the menu.

Stop. Please stop.

There are a few big ideas you must consider.

First, your website needs to do something to make you successful. If your site is an e-commerce arm of your business, your site needs to sell product. If you are a university, your site needs to get students to visit and enroll. If you are a hospital or physician practice, your site needs to bring patients to you.

The members of your _____ committee receiving a commendation from the local _____ society doesn't help. It doesn't make you more successful. It alienates your customer. It is one more thing that frustrates your customer.

Your website isn't your mom's refrigerator door. You don't get to hang every picture, announcement and accomplishment on it just because you can.

Every word and every image on your site needs to be justified by answering this question; "will it make me/us more successful by allowing our customers to interact with us?" If yes, post away. If no, throw away.

It really is that simple, but no one (that I've found, anyway) talks to you in these terms. I love the web. I love clients and I love the success you can achieve. And I love the fact that you've read this. Now tell me what you think.