| Free Adobe Photoshop website templates by Colorifer.com. Web design articles | |
|
|
|
|
Choosing A Web Designer : A Plan to Guide You Through The Minefield
Choosing a web designer can seem like a daunting task. They come in all shapes and sizes - from freelancers working at home to glossy new media agencies, and there is as much variation in prices and service as there is in size. So how do you choose the right one for your business? Select Your Marketplace Firstly, decide what market your would like to select from: local , national or overseas. If you would feel more comfortable meeting your designer, and running through your project face to face (maybe it's the kind of project that needs to "evolve") ,and your ethos is "quality of service" rather than "Pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap" then a local web designer is for you. They can usually provide better back up, and be able to meet face to face to discuss your project and iron out any problems should they occur. If you are a bit more budget conscious, then it makes sense to select from a "wider pool". Getting quotes from designers across your country will usually obtain a more competitive quote. What you lose in face-to-face service is made up for in cost savings, and all but the largest web projects can usually be sorted out via telephone and email these days. For the extremely cost conscious and value for money orientated (some would even say "brave"!) there is the overseas market. If you know exactly what you are looking for and can explain your project thoroughly and clearly in writing, then there are huge savings to be made. But what you save in price is invariably countered by having to do a little more work on your side - particularly when it comes to communication! Finding Web Designers To find a list of local web designers consult your Yellow Pages (or equivalent) or do a web search for "web designer " + "your area". Looking further a field, you can do a web search or check out directories such as www.recommended-web-designers.co.uk . For overseas designers, go to web sites such as www.elance.com or www.rentacoder.com, the latter offering the benefit of escrow and arbitration services. Draw up a shortlist Draw up a shortlist of 3 or 4 designers to speak to. You can do this by visiting their websites, getting a feel for the type and size of business they are and looking at their online portfolio. Then call them - ask them questions about the type of clients they work for, timeframes and any other technical questions you have. Get a feel for how they communicate - whether they are on the same wavelength as you. If you opted to go overseas, the websites already mentioned have ratings systems which can help you decide, and you can also send and receive private messages to ask questions. Get Quotes Once you have your shortlist, you can get quotes. For a straightforward website this can be a simple fixed price - for a more complicated project that is likely to evolve, you may just want to get a budget price at this stage, and then pin down details and a fixed price with your preferred bidder later. Always specify your expected timeframe for completion when obtaining quotes as this can affect prices. Get References Once you have your preferred bidder, get references. Any established web designer will be able to provide details of satisfied clients. Email them and ask if they were happy with the service received, if the job was completed on time, how unforeseen problems were dealt with etc. Remember to trust your instincts: If you are not entirely happy with the references you obtain, walk away and select another designer. Appoint your web designer You now have a fixed price, references, and confirmed timescale for your project. Now appoint your designer! Most have standard agreements -read them carefully, and if in doubt get your legal adviser to look them over. Make sure timescales and project milestones are specified, as well as payment terms. Find out how alterations to your project are dealt with - in terms of cost and delays - and how disputes if they arise would be settled. Finally, when you are completely happy, sign on the dotted line and look forward to a productive working relationship with your web designer! 2005 Robin Porter. Robin Porter has been CEO of of London based web designer Arpey Internet for over six years.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Create a Favicon for Your Web Site One of the simplest things you can do to give your site 'identity' and to make it stand out from other sites is to use a favicon (favourite icon). They are the little logos that go next to the website listing in your favourites folder, and pop up in other places, (depending on your browser and operating system). The Golden Rule Of Website Building Copyright 2005 Robert EvansSetting yourself up to earn a steady monthly income has to be a pre-requisite to your success online. There is no doubt that large sums of money can be made (and indeed are being made) from selling products or services online. File Types For Icons Explained An application is not ready for use unless you have the proper icons for using into the application. Having the right icons for your application is not difficult if you have the help of a specialist or a specialized company to design the icons. Flash - To Use Or Not To Use? Out there in the WWW there are thousands sites using flash for their needs. But the majority sites are not in this list. Are Web Templates Worth It? First off, I am a designer. Now you're thinking, here's this guy trying to convince me to hire a designer costing a few hundred to a few thousand dollars instead of buying a pre-made web template for about $60. Why Do Images Disappear from a Webpage? In learning webpage design, I encountered many problems that took lots of practice to resolve. Although, I was building web pages using Microsoft Frontpage on my home computer, I used to face lots of issues after uploading the webpage to my website. Web Usability: The Basics What is web usability & why is it important?Web usability is about making your website in such a way that your site users can find what they're looking for quickly and efficiently. A usable website can reap huge benefits on to your website and your business. 6 Reasons Why Using Flash is a BIG Mistake Most web designers and web design companies will try to convince you that if you want your business to have the best site possible that you MUST have a flash site. Flash, for those of you who are newbies, is a software program that can create really cool special effects and animations. Web Design for Ecommerce Your website is your tool for showing the online community an image of your Drop Ship retail business. Whether or not your business succeeds depends heavily on your website. Essential Strategies To Make Your Web Copy Attractive To Your Target Audience Reading on the web is different than reading in all other formats. People approach it differently and you need to have strategies that capitalize on those differences so you can connect with your prospects. Keep Your Navigation Highly Visible Effective navigation stands out. It's clear, obvious, and highly visible. Does Your Website Induce Seizures? QUESTION: We promote our web site in all our ad campaigns, but according to my website statistics program, we are getting very few visitors who click past the first page. The site has a cool Flash introduction page that the designer said would impress visitors, but it doesn't seem to be working. Tried and Tested Tips to Improve Your Website - Part 1 1. DO NOT use excessive graphics or banner images on a single web page. Online Businesses Still Ignoring Dial-up Market In this article you will find the parallel between two Internet connections that makes serious actions trough financial market, leading this to great profits or huge losses.The first type of connection that it will be detailed is Dial-up connection. Website Checklist 10 Basic Things Your Website Should Have .. Choosing Form Over Function Kills Your Site Never put form over function. Why? Because it's crucial that visitors actually be able to USE your site. Color and Web Design Color is one of the most important but least understood elements of web design today. Whether they know it or not, visitors to a site respond to colors and other visual elements on the site on a psychological level. Copy Editing: 10 Powerful, Mind Blowing Secrets For Writing A High-Impact Ad No matter what product or service you're promoting, unless you are able to write and use a highly persuasive Ad, you may not generate a lot of traffics and sales.Writing a high impact Ad that will deliver truckloads of sales requires some skill and practice. Dos and Donts in Web Design - part 1 (design) Do use a consistent look and feel Your site should stand out as a whole. Use the same look and feel for all the pages at your site. Mini Site or Content-based Web Site? Are you in a dilemma whether to create a mini site or a content-based web site for your new product or service? The purpose of creating a web site should be to attract visitors and convert them to paying customers. Is a mini site with a few pages enough to do this or should you spend more time and create a content-based web site which contains many pages?Let's look at some of the Pros and Cons:Mini SitesPros1.
|
|
2007-2008 © Copyright colorifer.com. All Rights Reserved. Free Adobe Photoshop templates. Web Design Articles | Site Map | Terms of Use 
|
