| |
|
|
| Webmaster Resources: Web Design Information | |
|
|
|
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.
Add to these social bookmarking sites: 
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Affordable Web Design In Birmingham If you have a business, big or small you may be thinking of getting yourself a website.The world wide web is another way of spreading your message or selling your product. Keep Your Navigation Highly Visible Effective navigation stands out. It's clear, obvious, and highly visible. Build Web Pages from the Top Left Corner Down There are two important reasons to build your website from the top left hand corner down.The first one is that this is the way people (at least in the western world) read pages. Free Website Design Tips In this article I will give a few tips of where to find a low cost web design company and also about the best ways of producing a quality website.How many people or companies are advertising their services for website design?The answer is a great deal. What Drives Repeat Visitors To Your Site? There can be zillions of reasons why your visitors return to your web site. One might be very interested in seeing your animated photo on your main page, but kidding aside I've gathered 12 elements that invites your visitors to repeat their visits. Is Your Site Too Slow? Why Image Optimization Is Critical Graphics are fun, but if you put in too many bells and whistles when you create your web site, you may lose a potential audience whose Internet connection can't handle lots of graphics, and that means you'll be losing potential customers.According to UK website experts Boommm. Creating Your First Website Building your first website can be very frustrating. It looks fairly easy, but almost always turns out to be more complicated than you expected. 404 Error - The Page Cannot be Found A "404 Error" happens when the web server you are on cannot find the page that you requested. This type of error is quite common and is seen all over the place. Best Web Design And Free Web Promotion Tips This article gives free tips on how to find a cheap web designer and free tips on website promotion.Cheap web design services. Click Here See, works every time. Seriously now, for some reason people keep leaving your website and you can't figure out why. Text Is King! Are you building your website? If so, STOP! Take a look at what you have done so far. How many images do you have? How much text do you have?If your website has more images than text then you could be in trouble. Understanding How HTML Color Codes Work Ever wonder how HTML color codes are put together? For the beginner, it can look like lots of numbers and letters that make no sense. In reality, HTML color codes are written that way for a specific reason that we'll look at in this article. Can Your Visitors Contact You From Your Website Argh, where's the contact button?! Believe it or not, some websites just DON'T WANT any visitors (even customers) to CONTACT them. There's no email address, no contact form, no NOTHING!What if a potential customer wants to BUY something from your website but have a few questions or doubts that he/she needs to ask you first? If you have a FAQ page, that's the first place he/she will definitely seek answers. Business Opportunity for Graphic Designers As a graphic designer, you are sitting on a gold mine. You have a skill other people do not have, and you can use that skill to earn a good living. Building Your First Web Site? Before doing anything on the technical side, you need some kind of basic idea to work with. I suggest first getting some paper and a pencil. Website Design - Choosing Your Colors Wisely Colors convey emotions and emotions heavily influence the decision-making process. Your choice of colors for your website should mirror the message and feeling you to hope to communicate to the viewer. Web Site Templates and Their Benefits Unarguably, the most important part of your website is content. To draw in clients or customers, you need captivating content and search engines are blind to web design. The Most Important Question To Ask About Your Web Site! When you design a website how do you start ?Do you start with the banner graphics at the top, or the order page or maybe the sales letter ?All of those are areas that have to be created but they're really not the place to start.The place to start is by answering one simple question about your site. Website Design Firm Website design firms come in all shapes and sizes.When choosing which firm you would like to build your website, there are many factors which you need to take into consideration. Why a Website Design Speaks Volumes About Your Company? Whether a business has just got off the ground or has been established for years, start-up and long running companies are looking to the internet to expand their sales as well as service to customers. Many new websites are going up and with so many people opting to go with the cheapest route or the quickest design process, sometimes the quality of a website gets left behind.
|
| Home | Site Map |
|
| © 2006 | |