Monday, December 3, 2007

How do you Choose a Web Designer?

In recent years, the web design industry has experienced a growth rate of huge proportions, due entirely to the numerous companies that have appeared as a result of continued Internet expansion. The business world’s appetite for websites and ecommerce solutions show no signs of abating in the near future, and organisations and individuals who want to commission the services of a web design company are faced with a dizzying choice of options.

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Companies will rightly advertise their creative skills, technical expertise and design know-how. They will use lots of technical terms and buzzwords in their marketing literature, but because of the sheer number of companies all offering more or less the same services, the point is reached where all the advertising can begin to look almost identical.

How then does one go about choosing a competent design company from the many available? If you are new to the workings of the Internet, then the most obvious and perhaps safest method is via personal recommendation, which by its very nature is a vote of confidence from a satisfied customer and presents a golden opportunity for an organisation to excel itself; after all, there is nothing like a referral to start the ego twitching and make a company go all out to impress.

An alternative method to a referral is of course to look on the Internet itself. You will find literally thousands of web designers advertising their services and at the same time providing visual proof of their abilities via their own websites. It is always a good idea to look at portfolio and testimonial pages; you can then contact one or two of their customers to get verbal references; these may help you in deciding which design company is best for you.

Another option is to choose a company at random and talk to them about what you expect from your intended website. Good designers will listen to what you have to say and work with you; they will gather as much information as possible from a customer before going anywhere near a computer. Moreover, they will always be willing to offer sound advice and will develop solutions to help bring your ideas to life.

In addition, and perhaps the smallest sector of the web design industry are the self-taught individuals who whilst having no formal training or qualifications, do possess a natural talent, aptitude and enthusiasm for web design, and who for the most part produce extremely high-quality work often at a fraction of the cost charged by the larger companies.

It is worth mentioning that there are so many capable and talented designers available, that the hardest part of getting your website built will probably be deciding which company or individual you want to do it. Taking the time to look into all the options should help to ensure that whomever you chose would produce the required result.


About the Author: John Sheridan is a professional proofreader of hard copy items and website copy. He also writes web copy and occasionally accepts small copy-editing assignments. He can be contacted at: john@textcorrect.co.uk website: www.textcorrect.co.uk

Quick Questions to Ask a Web Designer

Quick Questions to Ask a Web Designer

Finding the right web designer can be difficult so I have listed a few useful questions which you can ask while on your search.

1. What is your experience in website design?
Experience is based on actual ability rather than number of years. Some website designers may charge based on their abilities and experience however this does not mean a cheaper rate is less effective or of lesser quality than a more experienced web designer. A web site designer may specialise or may use external designers to design certain styles of websites. Regular communication with a website designer will help you to decide if that designer is suitable for you.

2. Are you able meet my deadline?
The website designer needs to be able to meet your deadline. Be sure to include a fixed date that you want your website to be up and running in your contract. Your website should be ready within a month, ask the designer to keep you up to date with the progress during this time

3. Can I see some samples of your work?
It is in your interest to view samples from the designer. Ask to see websites they have designed for companies that are similar to companies in your industry and other industries. Does the designer offer variation and not repeating just one standard design? Look for different design solutions that work for the site they're on. You should have confidence in your website designer as he needs to be able to show your business to its best advantage.

4. How much of my own time will having a website take up?
It is important to understand that having a website for your business will take a lot of time and effort to keep it current and interesting. You may wish to appoint or hire a Webmaster to take over this project to help with this.


About the Author: For more useful information and help about finding and choosing a website designer, visit us at www.unlimited.school.nz/customsites

Simple Steps to Finding a Web Designer

Simple Steps to Finding a Web Designer

Step 1. Planning

While searching for the right web designer it is important to have a clear idea of what the role your new website will fill. Will it provide information to your customers? Will it serve the needs of your employees? Or will it include an online shopping ability for selling purposes? As a web designer myself, the key information I would want to know from you would be:

- The role of your new website.
- The intended market or audience of your Website.
- Your budget.

With this information I would have a clear understanding of your requirements. Take time to consider what you expect from your website and the type of information you want to get across to your potential clients before you approach your website designer. This will save you and the designer a considerable amount of time and effort.

Step 2. Compile a list of web designers

Creating a list of web designers will allow you to view a range of different designs and find the styles you like. Here are some techniques to help you in your search:

1. Search for website designers on the Internet – browse through websites specifically devoted to website design. Choose and compare at least three website designers to get an overall picture of what is available.

2. Check out a range of industry related websites – spend some time looking at other websites that may be related or are similar to your industry, choose a few different websites that you admire and look for the web design firm in the list of credits or contact the organization and ask for information about the designer. You could also find out if that organization is happy with the level of service they received.

3. Referrals – Ask friends, family and co-workers who they used to design their website. Ask them if they were satisfied with the service they received and if the completed designs were what they expected. Ask if they feel they received value for money.

Step 3. Create a shortlist

From your initial list determine which web design service is best suited to your requirements and your project. The following guide will help you to choose 3-6 website designers:

a. Examine their websites

- Survey the projects in the portfolio and check for consistent quality.
- Ask if the web design service has created solutions for businesses similar to yours.
- Find out which country the design service operates from.

b. Find out their design process

- Find out if the web design service offers a standard process for developing web sites.
- Do they take the time to understand your web site goals and offer a solid planning proposal.

c. Determine what other products/services the firm can offer

- Look for added value products or extra services the design service can offer.
- Make contact with the web design services that are on your shortlist.

Step 4. Secure quotes from each design service

Obtain quotes from the remaining design services so you can compare the quality of design and service to make an informed decision.

- Select the web designers you feel offer the best web design options and services.
- Supply the same information to each web design service and ask for a quote to create your website.
- Ask for a breakdown of costs so you can compare costs against other web design services.

Step 5. Evaluate the proposals

Time spent reviewing and comparing each proposal will help you decide which website design service is best suited to your business requirements.

- Examine each proposal individually.
- Check out how well the web design service presented their web design proposal.
- Keep a checklist for each proposal; look for strengths and weaknesses.
- Compare each proposal.
- Compare the presentation, the content and check if they satisfy your business needs and goals.

Once you have made your decision, advise the design services that did not succeed and let them know why you decided not to choose their proposal. Finally contact the successful design service and tell them the good news.


About the Author: For more useful information and help about finding and choosing a website designer, visit us at www.unlimited.school.nz/customsites

How Much Does A Website Cost

Pricing a website is similar to pricing a house. Imagine going to a home builder and telling him "I need you to build me a house." He would then proceed to ask you a series of detailed questions regarding your needs for a new home and your budget.

The most important question may be regarding your choice of floor plans which can vary dramatically, and the price depends on many variables. Do you want a modest 2-3 bedroom home in a decent subdivision? Or how about a luxury mansion by the golf course and the lake? Are you looking for a home in a good school district, or do you need a retirement home, vacation home or a combination of both?

Then there are always various options which can be added such as a swimming pool or spa, additional rooms such as a library, music room, designer touches, etc. All of these add to the price of the home.

This analogy can help you understand how web development works.

Just like the investment of time and money you would make when designing your home, the investment you make in your web site development project depends upon its complexity. In web design, the elements range from the level of visual sophistication to the type of programs you require on the site. There are hundreds of variables that will affect the cost of your project, but ultimately what it comes down to is time and materials. The more time and/or materials it takes, the more your project will cost. As with homebuilding, it is helpful to begin with the end in mind. When thinking about the completed web site you will require, here are ten things to consider:

What are your needs and goals? What do you expect the website to accomplish for you?
Do you already have an established business with its own unique brand and identity, or will the website content be conveying this to prospective clients for the first time?
Do you need the site to serve as a "brochure" or informational website only, or will you need a more interactive design?
What are the needs and expectations of your site visitors, customers and clients?
What do you require in terms of functionality in the website (i.e., ecommerce shopping carts and real time credit card processing, databases, advanced programming, etc.)?
What is your budget for the website? Have you established a budget?
Do you want all the bells and whistles of the larger more well-funded websites?
Will your website be database-driven?
Do you need a CMS (content management system) so you can add your own information and update the site and pages yourself?
Do you need dedicated hosting (for larger sites with numerous custom programs and dynamic content delivery and interaction) or will shared hosting suffice?
Let's look at a few examples:

A small business owner wants a website in order to have a presence on the internet, but the company's needs are quite simple - about 4-5 pages with information about the business, the services they provide and a feedback form to gather information from clients and prospects. Their budget isn't that of a Fortune 500 company and they already have a few pictures and a logo for use on the website. A web design company specializing in designing websites for small to medium sized businesses would take on a project like this for around $400-$500. A web design firm catering to medium-sized and larger businesses would consider the website design for around $2,000-$4,000, depending on their answers to #1-#10 above. A larger web design firm would probably decline to service this project since it is too small.

A company recently contacted us about developing a website similar in scope to a very large and very popular online dieting website. We first asked: Do you want all the bells and whistles of this website? If so, they're probably looking at search engine technology (to search through recipes, for example), a CMS (content management system), a mechanism for designing custom meal plans and shopping lists, forums for a support network, chat software for communication with other members and experts and much, much more. Even with these features, this would be quite a large project. At a minimum, all of the above mentioned features would cost at least $20,000 to $30,000, and most likely even more. Also, the company would need a dedicated server, which would add to the expense because of the heavey programs necessary to generate that kind of dynamic content and the higher number of custom programs that will be needed to support this level of user interaction.

Consider that this cost estimate is merely "chicken feed" compared to what The Wall Street Journal spent to upgrade their website ($28 million). Hewlett-Packard has also recently spent tens of millions of dollars revamping its web site in an attempt to make its e-commerce effort more coherent after its acquisition of Compaq Computer.

In summary, the cost for a website is determined to a large degree by what you can afford to spend. The complexity, size, and needs play an important role as well as the level of expertise and experience of the design team.

Generally speaking, the more you spend on your website, the more website you will get for your money, an obvious statement but true none-the-less.

Additionally an important component, beyond the scope of this article, addresses the promotion and marketing of your site. The best project in the world isn’t likely to be successful if no one knows about it. Be sure to include the costs associated with your marketing program.

This leads into the second most asked question of web developers, "How long does it take to build a website?"

That depends on several variables...

You get the idea.


About the Author: www.7designavenue.com offers affordable website design for small businesses since 1999.