Why techies haven't mastered the Web

It's official - the Internet is the place to be for businesses. It would be a surprise to find any household name without some sort of Internet presence. Most sites are functional and well-designed.

So it's a shock when you come across one that looks like it's been put together by the managing director's nine-year-old grandchild. There are too many of these out there.

Many organisations are seeing genuine results flowing from their sites, whether it's basic brand-building or actual sales. In this context, it's hard to believe that others, with adequate budgets, can still make a hash of it.

The cause of this may be that the programmers have taken total control of the whole online venture. Technical elegance comes higher up their agenda than anything else.

Web sites mean different things to different people. Sales teams want them to generate revenue. Marketing departments are often satisfied with flashy gadgets (that IBM 'flaming logo' ad rings bells in far too many companies). IT managers hope they won't cause too many extra support headaches. If Web site discussions are dominated by the IT department because no one else in the company understands the issues, then too much emphasis will be placed on technology.

There's nothing wrong with IT managers being in control of the Web site. They are often best placed to do so, and can educate the rest of the company about what's possible. But they must know what the site's primary functions are - and talk to all interested parties to make sure it's achieving them. For organisations with board-level IT representation and a strong-minded MD, this process is likely to be smooth. It won't be technology driven.

In companies where IT chiefs don't sit on the board, this is a problem. But at the same time, it can be an opportunity. By seizing control of the online assets and demonstrating an understanding of business goals, ambitious IT managers can show that they ought to be up there.

And if they achieve that, they might also keep the MD's nine-year-old grandchild at bay.