I’m always amused, and often perplexed when I look at some web developers’ websites and see the list of services they offer – everything from web design, SEO, online advertising, email marketing, CGI, pay-per-click, social internet, electronic pr… partical physics and brain surgery.
Okay, we must make a few assumptions: either they are a huge operation staffed by a range of highly qualified and experienced specialists, or they have working knowledge of a range of skills and buy additional expertise in when they need it, or they have working knowledge of a range of skills and hope they can blag it and the client will not notice.
Having run digital businesses I know two things, (1) there is a wide range of skill sets required across a number of disciplines and nobody can keep on top of more than a couple of them; (2) the economics mean you identify the core skills required to deliver your basic offer, and recruit for those skills. The honest thing to do then, if clients require extended services is to buy them in. However, many companies anxious to make a quick profit try to deliver on the basis of a little knowledge and do it themselves, not admitting to the client that this is a specialist service they require.
Sophisticated clients understand this, and use maybe one company for their design work, another to do the web-development and another to do their web-marketing and SEO. There is no reason why smaller companies should not follow a similar route. We all know of the cowboy, one-man band builder who will do a bit of building, decorating, plumbing, electrical… etc. But if I want a central heating system putting in, I will go to a plumber… and for a ring main an electrician.
