I was contacted by a company about revamping its overly religious website.

[MineralMan]

That's what I do, working with a web designer and SEO expert. As usual, I was asked to review the site's content to see what could be done to improve it.

Well, the company is one that sells industrial equipment in a regional market. The site needs serious help. It's very slow to load, poorly designed, and woefully short on effective marketing content. But there's one other issue - one that has to do with religion.

On every page of the site is a Bible verse, along with an explanation of how that verse applies to industry. There's also a blog, which alternates between posts about the business and its products and more Bible verses and proselytizing.

Frankly, it's a recipe for disaster for a company like that one. His potential industrial customers are not going to respond to his preaching, except to click the back button on their browser. Religion has nothing whatsoever to do with the industry he sells to.

So, I explained that to the potential client, along with what I could do to make his content sell more of his products, in conjunction with a complete redesign, a new host company to speed things up and a more modern layout and design. I also quoted him a price for the job that was given to me by the web designer I work with.

His response was to demand that the religious content stay, along with a request for a deep discount, since he was doing "the Lord's work." I explained that we didn't offer discounts on our rates, which are competitive, for any reason. I further explained that the religious content was partly responsible for the poor state of his sales, and that I wouldn't be interested in the project if that was the demand. I told him that if he was dissatisfied with the results of the revamp, he'd certain blame it on me, if we left that stuff in there.

We didn't get the contract, which I expected. I'm glad, personally, because i suspect he would have stiffed us on the final payment, anyhow. We haven't had much luck with getting paid by religious folks, really.

[unblock]

1. my experience is that religious people can be fine, upstanding people, but those people

tend very much to keep their religion to themselves.

the ones who make a big show of being religious tend to be irresponsible, liars, unreliable, if not outright con artists.


this is not an indictment against religion per se, it's an indictment against the trust that many people think that "being religion" merits. this makes making a big show of religiosity a great tool for con artists and irresponsible people.

[angstlessk]

2. god is your payment...just meet him in heaven...he has the cash!

as do most preachers.

[cyclonefence]

3. I had a similar experience when I was hired to edit a business textbook

The professor who had written the book (Business Ethics) had larded it with scripture. I did the best I could to weed all that out and explained to him that no non-religious publisher would touch his book unless he got rid of all the Jesus stuff. He didn't believe me; I got a friend of mine at a major NY publisher to write him a letter supporting what I'd told him, and he still refused to believe that, say, Harper Collins wouldn't want to publish him. He had a sort of tunnel vision, I think, believing that his beliefs were the norm and would not interfere at all with attracting readers, including universities he hoped would add his book to their curricula.

I gave up, but not before getting paid my usual hourly rate. He bought my contact lenses and a new roof for the garage.

[ret5hd]

4. No, GOD provided you with contact lenses...

And a roof for your garage!!!

[MineralMan]

5. Sounds just right to me.

Some very devout religious people think everyone wants to see religious messages. It's impossible to convince them otherwise.

[msongs]

6. because you offend my sincerely held religious beliefs I cannot work for you lol nt

[Major Nikon]

7. The most obvious sign of a charlatan is someone who uses their religion to sell goods and services

It certainly works with the most gullible, but others will recognize it as dishonest at best.

[edhopper]

8. Okay MM

you have to link their website for us.

It's a public site, so there should be any confidentiality problems.

[MineralMan]

9. Nope, sorry.

The owner is a relative of mine.

[edhopper]

10. Understood

and my condolences.

[Mariana]

11. All the more reason to decline the contract.

Religious relatives are the worst to work for or work with. Honestly, I'm surprised they considered hiring an atheist like you in the first place, regardless of the quality of your work.

[MineralMan]

12. Agreed!