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July 21, 2010

Guidelines to Choose the Best Web Designer

Filed under: Web Design — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 9:09 pm

It takes immense talent and skills to design a web page which is creatively designed, neatly coded, easily downloadable, displays properly on different browsers and above all, can be indexed easily by search engines as well. This is why it becomes more important to choose a company which has a team of talented web and graphic designers, equipped to give you a high quality web solution.

Here are some useful tips to help you choose an efficient web designer.

Check out the previous works

Ask the company to show you the portfolio of their web designs. Most good web and graphic design companies will have a neatly done portfolio in their website itself.

The prior works of the designers highlight not only their talent but also what you can expect from them. Analyze whether all the pages are easy to navigate, whether the designs are impressive and professional, is the layout effective etc. Only after you are satisfied with the previous works, you should move further.

Give importance to HTML knowledge

Make sure that the web designer uses HTML to build a site along with cascading style sheets i.e. CSS. The knowledge of CSS is important for a designer as CSS allows the designer to easily and quickly make system-wide changes to the site.

This helps in saving time and energy and of course, cost. A good designer must be in the know of these things. If your designer is not familiar with CSS, then you’d better leave the task for some other designer.

Know about the features

Enquire what kind of features your web designer can provide you in your website. There are plenty of features available in web solutions today but you must know what exactly you would need. Your web designer must be able to suggest you the features that would make your site attractive and user-friendly.

For example, if you are building a product-selling site, you can have some flash components to enhance the appeal of your home page, a good admin panel to manage visitors and sales, security features to ensure secure payment gateways and so on.

Updating criteria

It is essential to know beforehand, how the web and graphic designer plan to have the site updated. It is better to have the ability to update the website on your own with the help of Content Management System (CMS), or user-friendly admin panel type interface which allow one to make changes to static content. Paying the designer every time you need to update your site is an expensive proposition and quite unnecessary in today’s hi-tech web world.

Performance of your website

To make sure your website performs well, ask your designer beforehand about the time required for loading a page and search engine indexing. If your site takes more time to load than the average website does, take it as a warning signal. It might be due to bad HTML coding. A good web designer will code the page in a way in which it loads within seconds and is easily indexed by search engines.

Get in touch with previous clients

Apart from just going through the testimonials online, it is worthwhile to get in touch with the previous clients and ask them about their experience with the web design company and the web designers. You can contact them either through phone or e-mail them seeking their opinion whether they were happy and satisfied with the kind of quality and service they have got.

These are just few guidelines that can be taken into consideration while looking for a good professional web designer. These are by no means the only criteria but it will surely help to find the good ones who can be trusted with your dream project.

James Elliott is a website designer who offers Affordable Web Design in UK. His Graphics design agency in UK is quite popular and his articles have been appreciated over various parts of UK on both online and offline platforms.

June 30, 2010

Make Sure You Choose the Right Web Designer Only

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 10:35 pm

With increasing dependency on websites across the world, website designers are much in demand. Today, more than ever before choosing a good Albuquerque web design company not only ensures that your website is in the right hands, but also that you will be able to get almost what you had wanted. But not every designer is the same, so you must always do your homework before seeking the services of any one web design company.

As someone who wants to get a website developed, choosing the right New Mexico web design expert or Albuquerque web design company cannot just be difficult but rather confusing. There are just too many people with having a vast range of design skills as well as levels of experience. Finding out about their level of professionalism and expertise can definitely be a complicated process. Unfortunately, there is no specific manner by which you can determine these things, but you can employ many different ways to research the potential New Mexico web design or Albuquerque web design company you want to hire. Let’s take a look at some of the steps that are involved here:

1)    Check their website: locating a New Mexico web design company or companies is easy. Check the Internet for their presence. Visit their website to see their portfolio, list of clients, read any testimonials if available, and any other information that may be available. Do you like any designs? Do they reflect the client’s purpose? Are they professional looking? Is the navigation of the websites designed by them good?
2)    Where are they located: Is the Albuquerque web design company located locally? Would you like to sit down with the designer and discuss various design aspects face to face or are you comfortable doing it over email/telephone? If you are comfortable working remotely, you’ll have plenty of choice. But this is a subjective decision, so think carefully.
3)    Can they answer your questions: Are the New Mexico web design and Albuquerque web design companies will to answer your questions right in the beginning even before you sign the contract with them? Do their answers satisfy your doubts? Are you able to get clarity about their services? Remember communication is very important irrespective of where the company may be located. If the Albuquerque web design companies can’t answer your questions from the start, you should look at other New Mexico web design companies.
4)    Analyze the site: You will find plenty of tools to check website codes over the Internet. Using these tools you can validate the codes of websites designed by Albuquerque web design or/and New Mexico web design companies. Some of the things you should check for are: web site accessibility, the time it takes for the site to load, is the code valid, etc.

Have you considered getting an Albuquerque web design expert to design your website yet? There is a good choice of experienced New Mexico web design professionals who are willing to cater to your needs and help you create your web identity!


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    June 18, 2010

    How to Select/shortlist a Web Designer?

    Filed under: Tips and Trick — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 5:35 pm

    “First impression is the last impression”, and if your website fails to make the coveted first impression than it is doomed. You are entrusting the job of creating your first impression to a web designer, so you need the best qualified web designer. Select a web designer based on the following guidelines;

    Portfolio

    Refer the portfolio of the websites developed by the web designer in the past. A satisfied customer count of 15 – 20 should be OK and preferably talk personally with a few of them to get a clear idea on the designing capabilities of the web designer.

    Expertise

    Expertise in any field is a must, if the web designer is not an expert at web designing than you had it. In the web designing, knowing just web designing is not enough, the web designer should have creativity and an aesthetic approach towards your products/services. Also the web designer should be fully aware of your target audience and should use the technology according in the development of the website.

    Communication

    Pay attention, to the time taken by the web designer to respond to your queries, because if the designer takes a lot of time to respond to you now than what will the guy do after 4 months ? Also make note of the communication channels through which the web designer can be reached. Basically, the web designer should be reachable by telephone, email & cell phone.

    Cost

    Never go for the cheapest web designer, since this is a question of creating your First Impression, wouldn’t you like to go for better quality ? Consider the cost of web designing as an investment. Instead, go for the webd esigners who offers the most features with the package and on the website. Also take a note of the hidden costs [if any].

    Professional outlook

    You should always hire a professional web designer, who has worked on corporate projects prior to your project. A professional web designer will have a professional approach, attention for details and creative solutions for your web designing requirement.

    After considering all the above points provided by the web designer you will be able to make the right choice about the web designers who will design your website.

    Web Design Temple is a web design company which understands your requirement & purpose of having a website. We have the passion & expertise to create a website that you will match your corporate identity.

    Akash Mehra is a famous web

    designer, designing websites since the last 12 years. He has been working for
    Web Design Temple

    June 15, 2010

    Web Design Articles – Communicating Your Needs to Your Web Designer

    Filed under: Articles — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 9:07 am

    Ok, so you’ve decided to hire a professional web designer to build your website.  Eventually you found the right web designer that you believe will design the most “attractive”, “extraordinary” website for the internet community. So now what? Explaining to the web designer the layout design you have in your mind can be a very frustrating process. You will find that putting the “picture” in your mind into words can be a difficult task. Actually in most cases this is the biggest hurdle between you and the final outcome. No matter how talented the web designer is, if you can not communicate with him properly, in his own professional language, he will not be able to use his talent to yield results as per your expectations. There are two possible situations you may face:

    You know what content you want on the website but have no clue how to present it to the user.
    You know what content you want on the website, and you have the layout in your mind, but you don’t know how to implement it.

    In both cases you will need to explain your thoughts to the web designer. Although most people who read those lines are probably thinking that being in the second situation is better then being in the first situation. However, real life experience shows the opposite to be true. Giving a web designer the complete freedom of action regarding the web design based solely on the website content is usually a smart thing to do. You will find that explaining to the web designer what the nature of your website is, whether it’s a product that you want to sell or a hobby item, is much easier then trying to explain to him the temperate of the color scheme or an undefined shape that you would like to have in the website header.

    Actually for both of the situations, it is advisable that you use the same approach, but with a minor modification to each situation. If you know of a website that has all the features you want or need and/or a site that looks the way you want your site to look, be sure to give the site’s URL to the web designer. Doing so will give him some idea of want you want. You will both be looking at the same thing but will actually look at it from a different angle. Therefore, it may be better to give him more than one website as an example. The more websites you find that can express your feelings and/or needs, the easier it will be for web designers to understand your intention without you having to use a single “technical” term. Chances are that you won’t find a single website that has the entire feature you want. After all, if such a website already exists there would be no place for your new web site to be born. Use several websites to express the different features you want. Spend as much time as necessary until you find just the right websites to provide examples of your needs. Doing research at this stage will definitely save you a lot of time later trying to point the web designer in the right direction.

    Although you are the one who needs to express your self to the web designer, you must learn to listen to him as well. When he uses technical terms, ask for their meaning. Do not finish any part of the conversation unless you are absolutely sure that both sides are on the same page. Remember, you hired a professional web designer because you want a professional looking website and you couldn’t do it yourself. So, trust the web designer’s judgment when they tell you something you want won’t work or isn’t the best way to accomplish your goals. After all, you are paying them for their expertise. Don’t try to tell them how to do their job.
    Cost:
    It is OK to require that a web designer gets your approval each step of the way so you can tell them if one of your goals isn’t being met. You have agreed on what needs to be done and the web designer has given you a price quote. Simple modifications and bug fixes are usually included in the price. However, other major changes or outright revisions may or may not be included. Make sure the agreement states what is included, what constitutes a revision rather than a fix, and how many changes you can make after delivery without incurring additional costs.

    Head SEO, Marketing at AIT India

    May 16, 2010

    Ten Tips For Hiring the Right Web Designer

    Filed under: Web Design — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 7:40 am

    Hiring the right web designer is a must if you plan on creating a professional website. The question is how do you choose that web designer. This is the first part of a two part series that will help you make the right choice.

    1. Ask around for referrals

    You need to first find some options. You could look for web designers in your local phone book or search for web sites on the Internet, but the truth is that the best way to find a web designer who is going to do a good job is to talk to people who’ve used web designers. Talk to others in your field. Talk to other people you’ve worked with, such as copywriters. Ask around, and you’ll be likely to hear some good things about a couple of web designers, at least.

    2. Get 3 quotes

    Since price is going to be a factor in which web designer you choose and since prices vary a great deal, you should always get a minimum of three quotes from three different web designers. But comparison isn’t the only reason to get these quotes. You’ll also learn something about the web designers’ customer service: if they don’t respond quickly before you’re a client, imagine how they’ll respond after they’ve already got your business.

    3. Look for experience

    You don’t want to work with a web designer who’s just starting out if you want a professional quality site. So you should ask about their experience. That doesn’t just mean how many years have they been working in this field but also how many sites have they created during that time and how many different clients they’ve worked with. The more experience your web designer has the better but also greater experience means greater cost.

    4. Meet your needs

    You also need to make sure your web designer can meet your needs. If you want interactive elements in your site or if you want some Flash demos, then you’ve got to make sure your web designer can provide these features. Don’t rely on a web designer who has no experience in these areas.

    5. View portfolio

    Web designers usually include links to samples of their work on their web sites. If not, you should inquire about viewing their portfolio. You need to see for yourself what these web designers are capable of doing before you sign on the dotted line.

    6. Communicate clearly

    An often overlooked issue when choosing a web designer is how easy it will be for the two of you to communicate. For example, will you be able to talk over the phone or only email? Are you in similar time zones so communication can be fast? Additionally, you should choose a web designer you can understand – that doesn’t mean just someone who speaks your same language but also someone who doesn’t rely on techno-jargon to explain things.

    7. Read testimonials

    While looking at a web designer’s work is important, you should also make it a point to check out the testimonials their clients have left them. Sometimes these are also listed on the web designer’s site. If not, you might want to ask if you can contact their past clients so you can get a feel for their abilities.

    8. Ask about support

    With some web designers, the moment your site is finished, your relationship is finished. That’s probably not what you want. Hopefully, you choose a web designer who provides ongoing support, meaning they’ll be happy to answer questions you have about your site even after it’s been up for months.

    9. Share vision

    One important element of choosing a web designer is that they share your vision for your site. If they don’t, then you’ll find the entire process frustrating, time-consuming, and disappointing. At the end, you’ll end up with a web site you’re not happy with. Explain to potential web designers what you are looking for and be open to their ideas but remember that the site and final decisions about the site should be yours.

    10. Sign a contract

    With any web designer, you should sign a written contract that outlines your entire agreement. If a web designer doesn’t use written contracts, you should look elsewhere. If there’s a dispute over your agreement, both of you will benefit from having the terms in writing.

    Roger Cochran writes for NetDogz, a web designer that has been in business since 1999.

    April 1, 2010

    7 Vital Knacks of Professional Web Designer While Designing Creative Website

    Filed under: Web Design — Tags: , , , , , , , , — admin @ 7:39 pm

    Web design industry gets more professional day by day and the ultimate swing to start business on internet bring the competition between creative web designers. In a recent survey it is viewed that, in this web industry two types of web designers are there. The first part is spreading their designing abilities, their research work and vast working experiences into their designed templates which look something different from others.

    And the second part of web designers is keener to collect the revenue and copying the famous templates and modifying those templates into their work to deliver their work in a quick manner which are not looking unique through their design. But the fact is these kind of affordable web designers are able to deliver their designed templates in a faster manner because they don’t feel the necessity for any research work before designing.

    But the question is, as a layman how could you judge the proper professional web designer? Those who are charging low rate? avoid them or select them? No obviously not. Do not concentrate only at your expenditure but enquire these following abilities:

    Alluring logo design capability: Effective logo design is one of the main parts of creative web design. The creativity of the web designer can be easily judge through logo design only. This is a prime thing through which you can easily trap the visitor concentration thus the logo should be uniquely designed and eye catching by look.

    Color box labeling capability: Labeling all kind of business announcement (like gift packs, special offers etc.) with glowing colorful boxes to highlight those events especially from entire content is the genuine sign of a great professional web designer.

    CSS using capability: Nowadays creative web designers are playing with CSS to decorate the web pages. It helps to reduce the page weight as well as it increases the chance to get indexed quickly in all search engines. You can easily judge the professionalism of any affordable web designer through their CSS using capability.

    Gentle appeal generating capability: Innermost confidence with a gentle appeal can enable you to receive more business beyond your estimation. Designers need to know first the needs of the visitors of your business market and then their work is to design your website according to their need with a mild appeal which attracts visitor on you.

    Large font implementation capability: Highlighting important phrases from the content using large font with different colors to catch the visitor concentration is noted as the credibility of creative web designer.

    Meaningful icon creating capability: Icons plays an emotional role at the visitors mind. Creation of different meaningful icons and wisely apply those useful icons into design to draw visitor attention is also denoted as the smartness of professional web designer.

    Navigation handling capability: Navigation system of a site known as the backbone of that site. Through a proper navigation you can rotate your visitor at the different important pages of your web site as per your own wish. If the visitor feels free while they traveling through your website then they can spend more time to view all the products or services of your business.

    Cristina Gomes is associated with web design Sydney and handles all creative web designer campaigns for them. With her article based on web design, she aware her readers regarding modern trends of web design.

    March 23, 2010

    How to Choose a Creative Web Designer for Professional Website Design

    Filed under: Web Design — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 8:31 am

    In recent website design scenario it is undoubtedly prove that we all are seeking to prepare a creative website to launch our local business globally. We all know that nowadays all kind of shopping as well as marketing are done through the internet and people are searching their needs into the search engines. Thus firstly we need a platform (in form of a website) where people can communicate with us to enquiring their needs.

    Now the question arises that how to do our affordable website design? Whom to hire to design our professional website? Yes, it is very true that in this web industry there are thousands of profitable web designing firms and enormous numbers of freelance website designer. Then what are the best ways to choose the right one?

    It is found that we all are making hasty decision to select web design firm but normally we do not go for any kind of inspection regarding on that firm while thinking to build a creative web site design for our business. Always remember you website will be the nameless face of your business and people will showing their interest on your business through it and thus you need to be very careful while designing.

    Apart from their web designing knowledge, there are some features of creative website designer which are differentiating them from their competitors. Enquire these following features before hiring professional web designer.

    The first and foremost thing is to recognize their experience level i.e. how many years they are working in this web industry? Yes, it is proven that years of working experience makes you confident and capable while designing any website. Reputed web designing firms vastly experienced on ups and downs of this web industry. Through years of web design experience they know the requirement of your business market and it may happen that sometimes they will advice you for few effective features to add which brings more appeal into your desired website.

    How many different types of unique website they have designed? Yes, producing unique website design is one of the elegant features of any web site designer but preparing unique web graphic design for different types of business industry is the best feature of them. If they worked on that then they can easily differentiate the needs while designing i.e. the requirements or looks of the hair cutting saloon web template will not be the same with the shopping web template.

    Are they believes to do separate research work before starting each website design or simply following a general procedure to design all websites? Nowadays it is observed that busy web designing firms do not have any time for a research work to understand the needs of your website before start designing. They design quite similar websites for their different client to generate more and more revenue for their business. Simply avoid these types of designers and go for them who have time for research works before start designing your web site because any kind of research can increase the creativity of your website which will helps you to receive more visitors through the internet.

    Are they using latest web 2 designing style or they dealing with old designing version? Enquire this point to increase the usability of your desired website. Professional website designers are keen to develop their knowledge to bring more creativity at their design. Nowadays creative website designers are using web 2 design styles to enlarge the looks of your website and put more accessibility which increases effortless traveling facility for your website viewers.

    Cristina Gomes is creative website designer and deals with freelance web design campaigns. Her articles educate her readers regarding latest professional website design and development trends.

    March 11, 2010

    Web Designer Vs. Web Developer the Classic Argument Between Form and Function

    Filed under: Web Design — Tags: , , , , , , , , — admin @ 7:39 pm

    Most people begin their website project with a search for a professional web designer or web developer and don’t even realize that there is a difference between the two. However, they are very different types of people and they both come to your project with their own points of view. Deciding what type of site you need will be the first step in determining what type of person you need for the project.

    The Type of Website You Need: Static or Dynamic

    The first place to begin when choosing who to build your site, is to decide whether you are going to need a static or a dynamic website. A static website is sometimes called a “brochure website”. On a static site, once all the information has been uploaded to the server, it stays the same. It only changes when a webmaster goes out to the site and makes updates. Therefore, all users see the same thing. It’s much like handing out a traditional business brochure. All of your customers see the same thing until you have your brochure redone.

    With a dynamic website, what the user sees will change, based on their input and thus is a more complicated and costly type of website. A dynamic website requires advanced programming to operate correctly. The programs must execute different results, based on what the user requests. A “search” feature is one dynamic element contained on most websites. Any ecommerce site is an example of a dynamic website.

    Form – The Web Designer

    The web designer’s job is to focus on the layout and look of a website. They choose the color scheme and make decisions on how the text and graphics are displayed. They are concerned with the impression the site gives the visitor and how the visitor will navigate around the site. They are usually skilled in Photoshop and other graphic software. Many web designers begin their careers as graphic artists and are skilled at getting the site to have the “look and feel” that you want. They create your image on the Internet. Web designers usually have the skills needed to create static websites on their own.

    Function – The Web Developer

    Web developers, on the other hand are programmers. They usually handle more complicated sites and know various scripting languages. Their focus is on the interactive features of a site such as the shopping cart for an ecommerce site or a survey form or an order form. You will need the services of a web developer for a dynamic website.

    Which to Choose

    Knowing what kind of site you need in the beginning is important because if you hire a web designer to build your website and you did not factor into the requirements that you were going to need, for example, an advanced multiage form, you will end up with a very nice looking website that does nothing for you. If you go the other way and have a web developer build your site, you could wind up with a very functional site that looks terrible. Design is always going to be secondary to a developer.

    If you need a dynamic website and the person you’re considering is more of a designer, the project can still be successful. Just be sure to have them show you some websites with some dynamic functionality that they have built to make sure that can handle your job.

    If the person you are considering is more of a developer, check their portfolio and make sure that they have the resources to partner with designers to produce a high quality website.

    If you’re still not sure which way to go, web designer or web developer, you would be better off leaning towards the web designer because the designer deals with that all-important first impression. Most Internet users decide within the first 3 seconds, whether or not they are going to stay on a site. Your project will be successful with a web designer as long as they have good web development resources as their disposal.

    Usability – Where Form and Function Meet

    Usability refers to how quickly and easily users can accomplish what they want to do, on your site. If your site is difficult or frustrating, they will quickly leave.

    You need your website to achieve your business objectives and if it’s not, then it is not a design problem, it is not a development problem, it is a usability problem. Usability is the common thread that binds form and function together.

    When considering who to hire to build your website, a web designer or a web developer, be aware that they both have their strengths and limitations. A web designer will give you the right colors and the right look for your site and they understand what people respond to. The developer will give you the interactive elements for your site such as a shopping cart, a sign-up form or other dynamic functionality. However, design and development must work together to get your customer to buy your product or to contact you about your services.

    Kevin Kielty lives in Raleigh, NC. Web Development and Search Engine Marketing are his areas of expertise. He utilizes his 20 years of experience in sales, marketing and web development in Raleigh NC

    February 18, 2010

    Difference Between a Web Designer and Web Developer

    Filed under: Web Design — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 5:26 pm

    Believe me, I come across a lot of clients who have come to me after having been through many web designers and developers and are totally disillusioned with my industry. It’s not an easy place to be after having been let down, cheated, ripped off, or manipulated. Often they sit in my office and look at me through skeptical eyes and understandably so! Most have spent thousands of dollars already in web development with not much to show for it or with a website that is not what they wanted.
    It is unfortunate that this happens but as in any industry, there are people who promote honest and dishonest practices. more visit to :-www.instant-website-security.com Based on the information that I have gathered from clients and talking to other professionals within my field, there could be three major causes to having a bad or negative experience with your web designer or developer.
    1. Personalities just do not blend.
    It’s very important to find a web designer whom your personality best blends with. You will be working with this person for most likely a long time and if you don’t feel you can work with this designer or developer from the initial start, it won’t get better. There will be many decisions and suggestions you’ll need to make on the road ahead so its crucial this relationship is one your comfortable with from the onset.
    2. Not understanding the difference between a web designer and web developer.
    There are essentially two breeds in the web world and both are very different from each other. The two titles are not interchangeable, really. Speaking in general, the web designer is the creative being that if skilled, can create beautiful designs and concepts for you. Clearly, this is a left brained thinker and would also be the more personable one of the two. Often however, a really good web designer can lack the technical skills to take their design concepts to the coding or development of a website. The web developer on the other hand, can be a highly skilled, more visite to :-www.instant-squeeze-page-mastery.com technical person and can take a design from start to final phase. However, the right brain developer lacks the creative skills to manifest beautiful designs and concepts. Because each have a weak area, they often contract the other to compensate for other. This is fine but what happens with the overall cost is passed down to the client. It’s important to find a web designer/developer who is well rounded and able to do both equally well. You’ll save time and money in the long run.
    3. Lack of understanding about the Web Design process.
    Unless you are a designer or developer, your not going to have a good knowledge of the flow and process it takes to design or develop a website. But at the same time, your web professional should assist you in helping you understand the process by educating you along the way. This is where trusting your web professional is important. You need to be able to trust him or her knowing that they have the best interest for your website. Too often, a lack of understanding causes misunderstandings and opens the door to future problems.
    Doing your homework and interviewing several web designers or developers is a must before you employ anyone with your website. You will be investing a good amount of money for a website and its critical to find someone whom you can trust and will be able to work with for the long haul. Having a web professional who is local in proximity is good but if you are able to find someone who meets the three factors listed above, then its perfectly fine to have a web designer or developer from a remote location. Just make sure that he or she is always accessible either by phone or email.
    Because the web jargon can be confusing, it is easy for you as the customer to be manipulated. Be cautious and always ask for an explanation that you can understand. I believe the need to find good, honest, ethical web professionals will continue to rise. Christian web design and hosting companies are often sought after because those seeking them already have a preconceived notion in the type of ethics and character of a Christian website designer. Its good to work with others who share in the same belief system as you and that work and service is done at a higher standard.
    Most Christian web design companies offer hosting as well as design & development services. It is always a good idea to host your website with your design firm if that is available. This way, the designer can work more efficiently since they are already familiar with their hosting servers. Finding Christian web design & Hosting will be worth the effort!

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    November 17, 2009

    Finding a Local Web Designer – your Guide From a Sacramento Web Designer

    Filed under: Web Design — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 9:37 pm

    I am a Web Designer from Sacramento, CA, but this guide is for anyone who lives anywhere inside the United States or out. The idea behind this article is to tell you why finding a local web designer rather than a web designer hundreds or even thousands of miles away is still a great choice. Hopefully, by the end of this article I will have convinced you that finding a web designer locally has many advantages over the alternatives.

    In Sacramento, there are many web designers – both working in firms and freelancers. It is most likely the same in the area you live. Even still, with such a wide selection, many people still opt to find web designers overseas. The reason why is simple – cost! But these days, it doesn’t always have to be as expensive as you might imagine. When I first took the plunge as a freelance web designer, I set my prices remarkably low in order to get business rolling and put my name out there. My prices were a fraction of what most people were charging for comparable services. Even overseas web designers would have a tough time competing with my prices. To this day, I still feel like I have extremely competitive rates. What I am trying to illustrate here is that there certainly are deals to be found – you just have to look! Check the phonebook and call around. Check craigslist in the “services” section. Contact web designers and let them know what you want and what your budget looks like. Many of them would be more willing than you might think to work with you on the price. Try to mainly target freelancers. Freelance web designers are people who work for themselves rather than for a web design firm and, therefore, are usually capable of much lower prices due to the greatly reduced overhead that comes with running a traditional business with employees, an office, etc.

    Even if you could save money by hiring a web designer overseas, you really have to ask yourself if it’s worth it. First of all, what about the communication barrier? Are you going to spend more time than you would like in order to insure that the web designer knows exactly what you are looking for? Are you willing to settle with something that maybe isn’t exactly what you want? Granted, this isn’t always an issue, but many people do run into this dilemma.

    Being able to meet your web designer in person can make a huge difference. You can sit down with him/her and discuss face to face exactly what you are looking for. This can be the difference between getting exactly what you are looking for in a brief period of time, or getting something that you settled with after hours of back-and-forth dialog between you and an overseas web designer, frustrating email conversations, and unnecessary gray hairs.

    In another article, I will go more in-depth in regards to what you need to know when finding a web designer – local or remote. For now, here is a brief overview:

    - Negotiate prices. Regardless of what they advertise, most web designers (especially freelancers) are willing to negotiate to reasonable terms.

    - Get quotes from multiple web designers. I recommend at least 3-5. However, you should also take into account the quality you would most likely receive from each one – which brings us to my next item…

    - Check their references. Your prospective web designers should have a portfolio of work from previous clients. Use their past work to estimate the quality of the work you will receive while gaging the web designer’s skill level. Is their skill level as high as their prices in comparison to the other web designers you talked to? If not, maybe you should scratch that one from your list.

    - Decide on a cost for the completed web design project, not an hourly rate. Having a set price for the completed project means you know exactly how much you will pay at the end and removes the risk of paying someone to slack off.

    - Decide on a firm date in which your web designer should have your site completed. If you skip this step, you risk having your web designer put your project on low priority as newer and maybe more lucrative projects come his way.

    - Ask about “Web Standards” and SEO (search engine optimization). In a nutshell, having a web site that follows Web Standards means you will have a web site that is efficient and highly accessible while performing SEO means people will be able to find your site through search engines (see my web site for more information on this important topic).

    Now you’re reading to hire a web designer for your site. If you read everything up until this point, consider yourself educated and prepared. I wish you the best of luck in your web design adventure, and just remember to have fun with it!

    - Tony Thiara

    While a freelance Web Designer and SEO consultant, I also specialize in online marketing campaigns, graphic design, and more. My web site is Sacramento Web Design & SEO – which is also where my contact information can be found as well as additional resources related to web design.

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