Do Business Leaders Need to Know HTML?

I was doing some research on the web tonight ('cuz that is what I do). I found a website whose internet marketing indicates that she teaches people how to use HTML. Her goal is to teach people how to use HTML because HTML is so important for the average person to know.

Her site says,

I get so frustrated when I read about some software package that claims you don't have to learn HTML.  HTML is the foundation of website building.  The more you understand the basics, the more productive and effective you are going to be in your Internet business.

I won't share who the site is because I don't want to call her out and make her feel bad. However, it is commentary like this and other comments from the site that make it so people aren't found properly on the web.

This person's website violated the most basic rules of building a website appropriately to be found. Here are just a few items.

1. Navigation was a pain. The logo didn't link to the home page. In fact, I couldn't even find the link to the home page. I had to remove the sub pages in the url to get back to the home page
2. The HTML was formatted incorrectly... and the site tries to teach HTML.
3. There were no descriptions on any of the pages.
4. There were no tags on any of the pages.
5. There was no permanent redirect for the domain.
6. There was no blog
7. There was no RSS feed
8. There was no contact form... in fact, I had to hunt for any contact information at all.
9. When I tried to purchase the products (to see how it worked), it was hard to find a way to do that. When I finally found it, it took me to a site that was different and themed differently.

So, I'd like to make a few points here.

1. Just because you understand HTML doesn't mean that you understand how to build a website.
2. Just because you understand HTML doesn't mean that you are qualified to teach it.
3. Understanding HTML is only a very, very small part of building a website.
4. Most all websites use some measure of HTML, but HTML is only a small part of a site that gets noticed and gets traffic on the web.
5. If you use tools like Windows Live Writer and a backend system like Drupal, then you don't have to understand HTML to add pages. There are a lot of systems out there that are even easier than Drupal for the average person to learn. But if you want it done right, you need something with some power behind it as well as simplicity after the set up.

Bottom Line...

Here's the deal. If you want a simple website that really doesn't do much but look like something you built, learn some HTML and build something simple. If you want something that will enhance your brand and make you more productive and enhance your internet or brick and mortar business, hire a professional.

Even if you don't hire me, at least hire a professional.