How I Explain Web Development To Football Fans (And They Usually Get It)

When I lived in Seattle, football wasn’t a big deal. Sure, a few folks were loyal followers, but you could ignore the whole scene. Occasionally we’d see a headline about a big win. Matt Hasselback was known for his generosity to the community; he’d come to Seattle Storm games and throw t-shirts.

Fast forward to Philadelphia. Here the city buses flash encouragement: “Go Eagles!” People hang signs in their windows. Even people who don’t know the difference between a down and a disaster will be able to tell you how the Eagles are doing.

So I keep coming back to my favorite metaphor of Internet marketing. If you’re pressed for time and want to create a compelling online presence, you need to bring a team together — or you can hire someone who will create the team for you.

But who should be on the team? And what positions should they play?

Often business owners expect the web designer to win the whole online marketing game single-handedly with color, design, traffic and navigation. The truth is, if your website were a football game, the content would be the quarterback and the design would be your offensive line.

On the football field the quarterback calls plays and makes sure the ball gets down the field to score points. The…