[thelist] Site check: Staples.com

[Chris George]

> > 
> <snipped code>
> >
> > Note the empty anchor element, that could have linked to 
> the real home 
> > page, allowing search engines and users without JavaScript to enter 
> > the site with one extra action.
> 
> That's a fair enough comment.

Yes and no - I think that search engine indexing is very very low on the
priority list for companies like Staples... It's more of a hunch than
based in facts, but I'd be willing to bet a beer on it... I get the
impression that sites for brick-and-mortar companies rely on their
current vertical markets, and do not want to invest into another "ad
campaign" they don't completely understand, nor want to. Of course,
times are changing, and so is the general attitude, but it's still out
there...

I bet the conversation went something like this:

Contractor: "And in our proposal here and here we outline the SEO/SEM
campaign and best practices..."

[large brick-and-mortar company's MIS representative]: "I'm sorry, were
you speaking?"

Anyway. Had to add my opinion, everyone else was. :-P