We really like smart clients. Smart clients just fit us better. For me, the old adage that knowledge is power is never more true than in the web development process with a client. We make a point of using part of our development time to help new clients adapt their decision making process to reflect the inherent advantages to communicating with clients and customers via the dot com space. We try to arm them with the knowledge and strategies that help them leverage their current firm's strengths onto the Internet by crafting e-strategies that fit not only who they are now, but where they're going in the future.
All clients know now that the Internet is going to be a part of how they do business.
Yes, but it's great for our market to have more good shops in town, though some are really new at the Internet. The problem continues to be that people slowly gravitate from graphic design or hard programming skills and think they can master the complexities that come along with developing a viable e-strategy or a sophisticated web site. Until we get a few larger shops, some of the bigger Internet projects just don't get shopped here, instead going to Atlanta or NY to bigger firms like IXL, RazorFish, etc. We've learned that clients value our pure focus on web development, and if you look at some of the failures and miscues of other local firms here, it's clear that it was also a good business decision for us. We do more 'Net projects and have more web development clients than anyone in the region.