I got into the web industry because I love creating innovative, streamlined web solutions. My ultimate goal is to create intricate web applications that enrich people’s lives, providing them with accurate, in-depth knowledge and resources. However, until I get to the point where I can work for myself, creating my own web applications while making enough money to live off of, I work for companies (all interactive agencies so far) who have paying clients with minds of their own - and not always the best ideas of what’s good for their sites (or for the web in general).
Most of the time it’s fine. Clients are open to our ideas, as we are the professionals, and we can convince them of best practices and standards. We can tell them how frames are nightmares, popups are annoying (and mostly blocked, rendering them inefficient for anything), and how Comic Sans should never. ever. be used.
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The last issue of Wired had an interesting set of articles about how being completely transparent in your business is the trend of the future. It’s a grassroots movement in a way - small companies would blog about both their successes and their failures, making public note of the lessons learned in their businesses. This is extremely common in web-based companies. In a world where everyone’s blogging on a daily basis, there won’t always be good news to talk about.
But as a business, do you allow your employees to be transparent, knowing your clients may read what they have to say?
Companies are starting to spill the beans, and people are listening with open ears. One of my favorite examples (of course) is PayPerPost.com - between the blog and the reality show, they’ve proven to be pretty transparent. It seems to be working - and rightly so. The web industry changes so fast, there’s no way we can always develop flawless cutting-edge web applications - we make mistakes, but we learn from them.
It’s why transparency works. Blogging about your mistakes as well as your successes builds authenticity. If your reader is relating to you as a person, they’ll be more forgiving when you slip up.
But if you get in this game you have to be honest. Completely honest, because in this world of Google you’re only as good as your ‘net rep’. Being caught in a lie is worse than not being transparent at all.
So is transparency the way to go? I suppose only you can decide for yourself and your company, but personally, I think it’s a great idea, both as a professional and a consumer. There’s a level of trust on the Internet, and it should be respected.
This blog belongs to Jade Rauenzahn, a 23-year-old web developer living in Hell's Kitchen, NYC.