Welcome back to another episode of The Engaging Marketeer! I’m your host, Darren Jamieson, and today we’re diving into a topic that has been bothering me for years. It’s something that many businesses get wrong, and frankly, it’s costing them leads, revenue, and growth. So, let’s talk about where your website actually fits within your business structure. Spoiler alert: if you think it’s an IT function, you’re doing it wrong.
Now, the reason I’m bringing this up is because we spoke to a company this week—a big company, actually. This is a national business that operates across the UK. They’re well-established, successful, and big enough to have an entire marketing department. And yet, their website… well, let’s just say it’s abysmal. It’s terrible. It’s one of the worst examples of a self-built website I’ve seen in a long time. It’s not designed to bring them traffic. It’s not built to generate leads. It’s not optimized to win them any business at all. It’s just sitting there, doing nothing.
When we approached their marketing department to discuss the website, we got a shocking response. They told us, “Oh, the website isn’t our responsibility. That’s managed by the IT department.”
Let me say that again: their marketing team—the department responsible for generating leads, building visibility, and driving revenue—has nothing to do with the website. Instead, it’s handled by IT. This response was baffling and, frankly, infuriating. It’s a fundamental misunderstanding of what a website is for and how it fits into a business’s strategy.
This isn’t the first time I’ve encountered this issue. Over the years, as someone who’s worked in digital marketing and web design since the late ’90s, I’ve frequently been misidentified as “IT.” People introduce me as being “in IT.” I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard, “You’re in IT, right? Can you fix my printer?” Or, “This is Darren, he’s in IT; he does websites.” No, I don’t fix printers. No, I’m not in IT. Websites are not an IT function.
Let’s get one thing straight: IT and websites are not the same thing
IT is about ensuring that your computers are connected, secure, and functioning properly. It’s about networking your machines, maintaining operating systems, and keeping your emails up and running. IT might involve setting up servers, managing your internet connection, and ensuring your cyber security is solid. That’s all important, but it has nothing to do with what a website is supposed to achieve.
Your website is a marketing tool. It’s a platform to increase your visibility, engage with your audience, and drive business. It should attract your target market, encourage them to stay on the site, and guide them toward taking action. Whether that’s filling out a contact form, joining your mailing list, booking a consultation, or making a purchase, your website should be working for you. It should generate leads, inquiries, and sales. That’s marketing, not IT.
So, when a business tells me their website sits within IT, I immediately know they don’t understand what a website is supposed to do. And here’s the kicker: this national business we spoke to—the one with the awful website—clearly isn’t getting any business through their site. Why would they? Their website isn’t designed to perform. It has “IT department” written all over it, and it’s one of the worst examples of a self-built site I’ve ever seen.
This company is big enough to have a dedicated marketing team. From what I gather, their marketing department is involved in print advertising, magazine campaigns, and direct outreach to potential clients. They’re a B2B business working on high-value, long-term contracts. Yet their website, which should be a critical part of their lead generation strategy, is completely detached from marketing. It’s no wonder they’re missing out on opportunities.
Let me make this as clear as I can: a website is not an IT tool. It is not something to be managed by your IT department. If your website is handled by IT, it’s not going to work for your business. That’s just a fact.
Let me explain why this happens. IT departments often have the technical skills to build a website. They understand how to register a domain name, set up hosting, and use platforms like WordPress, Shopify, or Wix to create a functional website. And that’s the problem: IT sees a website as just a functional thing, like a printer or a network connection. They’re not thinking about strategy, user experience, or conversions. They’re not considering how to attract the right audience or how to turn visitors into customers.
This is why IT companies often advertise themselves as web designers or even digital marketers. They have the technical ability to create a website, so they think that’s enough. But building a website isn’t the same as making one that generates business. It’s like saying, “I know how to build a coffee table, so I’m a furniture designer.” Or, “I can cut someone’s hair, so I’m a professional barber.” Technical ability does not equal expertise in design, strategy, or marketing.
Here’s another analogy: I know how to perform CPR, but I’m not a paramedic. I wouldn’t advertise myself as one because I lack the broader knowledge and skills required. The same logic applies to websites. Just because someone in IT can build a basic site doesn’t mean they understand how to make it a powerful marketing tool.
If you’re a business owner listening to this, I want you to ask yourself:
Who built and manages your website?
Was it your IT team? An IT company? If so, I urge you to reconsider. Your website should be handled by your marketing department or a professional web designer with marketing expertise. That’s the only way it’s going to bring you the results you’re looking for.
If you’re large enough to have both an IT department and a marketing department, and your website currently sits within IT, it’s time for a conversation. Sit down with both teams and make a plan to transition the website to marketing. That’s where it belongs.
Here’s why this matters: your website is often the first impression people have of your business. If it’s not designed to engage, inform, and convert visitors, you’re losing potential customers. Every time someone visits your site and leaves without taking action, that’s a missed opportunity. And when your website is built and managed by IT, it’s almost guaranteed to be ineffective.
I’ve seen this mistake too many times, and it’s frustrating because it’s so preventable. Businesses are killing their online potential because they don’t understand the role of a website. Don’t be one of them.
If you found this podcast useful—and I hope you did—please give it a like or follow. More importantly, share it with someone who needs to hear it. If you know a company whose website was built by IT, send them this episode. They might not thank you for it, but their business will benefit if they take the advice.
Thanks for listening to The Engaging Marketeer! I’m Darren Jamieson, and I’ll catch you on the next episode.
About your host:
Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/
Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com
Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk
