I was contacted by a company about revamping its overly religious website. [View all]

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.