Posts Tagged ‘budgets’

Cookie Cutters are for Baking, NOT for Web Sites

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

cookie-cutters

Recently I was asked to review the existing web site of a potential client. It was built using a free site template from a major business software provider, and it had all the tell-tale signs…generic graphics and an unsophisticated layout, a restrictive and bland content area…in other words, it could have been any site for any company and was completely unmemorable.

Worst of all, the site had no search engine visibility! Because of the numerous search engine optimization faux pas I discovered in the coding, I was not at all surprised by the business owner’s complaint that no one could find them on the web. Web site templates can be based on outdated code and standards and not built for web accessibility, W3C compliance or cross-browser compatibility.

Further investigation into the “free” website service revealed that users are locked into hosting on the software company’s servers only, e-mail is extra, and should a site grow to more than 5 pages, then additional costs begin to add up dramatically. The bottom line is, the benefits of the free website were skewed toward the software company and not the small business.

In contrast, a custom-designed web site is designed and built around a business’ particular brand and it’s personality, taking into account the purpose and audience of the site. It provides a company with the unique visual appeal that their customers want to see and will respond to. A custom site offers flexibility to incorporate the functionality that the business will need to keep their site growing, useful and productive for years to come. When site issues arise, a client can call their web designer for support. How responsive do you think support for a free site will be, and what are the chances you will speak to the same person every time you call?

Recently, this software company has been running TV ads touting the benefits of using their free site design tools over hiring a professional, alluding that web site designers are unreliable, over-priced and slow. I imagine there are such designers out there,  the same as in every industry, but I know there are many more who will do a wonderful job for you at a fair price and in a timely manner. My blog entry on “How To Hire the Right Designer for You” will give you tips on how to hire wisely.

Even for small sites, custom web site design is really the best option. A cookie-cutter site will never make a business  stand out from its competitors. If a site looks generic and cheap, then so does the business it represents.

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Posted in Corporate Identity, Creativity, design, SEO, Small Business, Web Design | 1 Comment »

Leave it to a Professional, or…Step Away from the Paint, Ma’am

Friday, March 13th, 2009

I’m waiting for a upholsterer to come for an estimate to re-do my couch and remembering the last time he came to do a chair. I had a fairly clear idea of what I thought I wanted and would only look at the fabric swatches that  seemed promising for what I was thinking of. And not having much luck finding what I wanted. Finally, the fellow picked up another book, flipped to a color range that was nowhere near what I had in mind, and said, “Why don’t you look at these instead?” At first I resisted, but to humor him I did and, to my amazement, found something that was just right! It wasn’t anything that I imagined would have worked.

A couple of years ago, my walls needed re-painting. Instead of going to Home Depot or the paint store to study tiny chips of paint, I called a professional decorator to help me, and she chose wonderful colors based on her expertise in decorating. You see, a few years before that, I decided a hallway in my house needed sprucing up and so I went to HD and, from the “oops” table of paint, chose a raspberry color that looked lovely in the store and on the chip, but NOT, unfortunately, on the walls. And the more I tried to fix the mistake, the worse it became until I had to wallpaper over the entire mess.What I had started to do to save money by buying  cheap paint and doing it myself turned into anything but…and I have still not lived this incident down in my own family. Ouch!

The moral of the story? It rarely ever pays to DIY when it comes to things outside of your area of expertise. My experience in design in no way makes me an expert in home decorating. And anything I do attempt will take me twice as long as it would a professional to do. The illusion of saving money is eaten up by the cost of my time to do what I’m not good at and the results could be disappointing.  And when you are so close to the situation, you can’t always see the forest for the trees. It can take someone looking in from the outside to point out the obvious and better choice.

What are you not an expert at? If it’s design, then let a professional designer come to your rescue! Marketing your business is best handled by someone who does it every day and can be an ally for growing your business. Don’t “paint your walls” with something that will  have to be papered over to make it workable again. Save your time for what you do best—running your business.

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How to Hire the Right Designer for You

Tuesday, December 16th, 2008

Have you reached a point where you’re ready to do great things with your business and need the specialized skills of a design professional? How exciting! But what or who exactly should you be looking for? Hiring the best designer for your needs won’t be so intimidating if you just follow the steps below…

Do Your Homework

1. Determine how your design piece will fit in with your overall marketing and sales efforts. Even the best design projects go awry when the purpose of the piece isn’t well-defined or exists simply because “everyone else has one.” A competent designer should be able to assist you if you’re not sure what the best vehicle for your marketing message is, or be able to refer you to a marketing consultant who can help you.

2. Have a budget in mind. Knowing what you are willing to spend on a project will also help you find the right fit. If you don’t have an idea of what something will cost, a reputable designer will help you set a budget for your project based on their experience with similar projects. At JS Graphics, our work is tailored to fit the needs of our clients, so knowing what your budget is helps us determine what can be done for the amount you have available. Contrary to what some may believe, designers don’t ask about budgets so they can spend all the money you have!

3. Get recommendations. Asking associates for a referral for a designer is a good way to begin your search. Most people will be happy to share the name of a designer with whom they had a good experience or about whom they’ve heard good things! You can also find portfolio sites on-line (coroflot.com, carbonmade.com, and designrelated.com are just three) where you can search for designers world-wide.

How To Choose The Right Designer For You

4. Be attentive to the designer’s response and communication. The very first assessment you can make about a designer comes from their responsiveness to your initial query. How long does it take for them to get back to you? Are they timely in returning your calls or emails? This will give you a glimpse into how they run their business and their working style. A designer who does not return you calls promptly may not be sensitive to time requirements you have or may be “out of touch” at critical points during your project.

5. Look at their portfolio. Hiring a designer on cost alone is a great way to be disappointed! Even if you have a limited budget, it’s still important to work with someone whose work you’ve seen and liked. Don’t be overly concerned if they haven’t done the exact type of piece like you’re looking for-if you like what the designer has done for other clients, chances are you’ll like what they do for you, too. It’s all about the problem-solving! Most designers should have a web site that you can view to get a flavor of the type of work he or she does, who they do it for, etc. Not having a web site or portfolio should be a red flag that an individual is not a professional designer.

6. Get a detailed proposal from the designer you’d like to work with. It should address what the deliverables will be, the number of design comps you will see, and how many rounds of revisions are included. It should also detail how billing will be handled, and what instances would trigger additional costs for the project. Other items that you might want to see spelled out in the proposal are usage rights, deposits required, and how additional outside services such as printing or photography will be handled.

7. Decide on a schedule. This is essential if you have a tight time frame, but every project should have milestones, agreed upon by all parties involved, to keep it moving forward. Starting and stopping a project causes lost momentum, and excitement and interest in the outcome wanes. The schedule or time line should also be clear on who will be responsible for reviews and getting revisions to the designer in a timely manner in order to keep the project on track, and when you can expect response from the designer. This is especially important for long-term projects or critical deadlines.

Last But Not Least…Have Fun!

Most designers get into this business because they love what they do…creating terrific work that helps their clients achieve their goals and grow their businesses. When everyone is excited about the project and the relationship, the final results are always satisfying. And if you’re having fun with your designer, then you know you’ve made the right choice!

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