Hi everyone, I just recently accepted a job as the Internet Marketing Manager for a mid-sized business. I begin tomorrow and I already have a ton of work to do. However, there is one aspect of the site that really bugs me and that I would love to change completely...tables. You see, the site has been around since 2001, so it has already been designed. I'm not going to be working from scratch. But, I really think I need to do something about the excessive code (i.e. nested tables). I'm a huge advocate of using CSS for layout and positioning. I know that it's going to have to be changed in the long run, and I would hate to start any type of optimization on a site that I think could be better semantically. The only problem is that I would have to sell the idea to the owner, which probably means more money out of his pocket. Has anyone out there had a similar situation? Any suggestions? Thanks so much, any help is appreciated.
Did they hire you to change stuff? It is never advisable to walk into a new job and just start changing things. Does your new job duties entail internet design and process re-engineering? I would lay low until you gain their trust instead of charging in like a bull trying to change things. I like your idea, but depending on how stubborn the business is, it might not ever get implemented and you will find yourself facing a losing battle.
i definitely understand what you're saying. that's what i've been thinking about this whole time. i wasn't hired to do any design or re-engineering, but i'm also the only "web" guy that they have. it's gonna be a tough call.
Here are a few key questions to ask about the site Does the website (in its current state) hurt business? If you fail at the redesign, what will that cost the business? How much trust do you have to leverage in this situation? Do you really need the headache? It is always your gut instinct to go somewhere new and start changing things, but it might be best for your long term job health if you just waited. Like you said, you are already busy as it is, why unnecessarily add more stress.
Right now the common thing is "accessability". Do you have any idea how many people actually view your website outside of the standard web browsers and computer? Most websites don't recieve much hand-held pocketPC traffic. As others said, is it worth it for your boss to really make that type of change? Do you think his money would be better invested in other areas? It sounds like you are being hired to give results, and i'm not so sure that right at this very moment that changing from tables to css is going to give results although it may in a couple of years.