Category: Web Design
Posted by: Matt
Due to the nature of web development new technologies and techniques are constantly evolving and previous ones are becoming nothing more than a weight holding you down from potential growth. Just because your website was built with the most up to date and advanced standards a few years ago doesn’t mean that it’s not out-dated now.
If you website was built using frames or tables as a primary form of managing the layout of your website then it is long over due for a complete make-over of the backend. Four years ago frames and tables were the only way to ensure that you website displayed properly in all browsers. If you were to ask a web developer to layout your website using frames they would look at you like you were crazy. Nested tables are not as bad as frames, but they are also a thing of the past that needs to be weeded out of the backend. Of course tables being used for displaying data are still the way to go.
What it boils down to is that there really isn’t an exact time for redesigning your website. A big part of it is how the backend was coded originally. It also depends on how far web techniques and technologies have advanced since your website was originally developed. I personally created a website about a year ago using all of the latest standards (at that time) and now it is out of date and needs to be re-developed.
To discuss your website and get a professional opinion on if it is time for a makeover contact us and we’ll be more than happy to give you a FREE consultation.
If you website was built using frames or tables as a primary form of managing the layout of your website then it is long over due for a complete make-over of the backend. Four years ago frames and tables were the only way to ensure that you website displayed properly in all browsers. If you were to ask a web developer to layout your website using frames they would look at you like you were crazy. Nested tables are not as bad as frames, but they are also a thing of the past that needs to be weeded out of the backend. Of course tables being used for displaying data are still the way to go.
What it boils down to is that there really isn’t an exact time for redesigning your website. A big part of it is how the backend was coded originally. It also depends on how far web techniques and technologies have advanced since your website was originally developed. I personally created a website about a year ago using all of the latest standards (at that time) and now it is out of date and needs to be re-developed.
To discuss your website and get a professional opinion on if it is time for a makeover contact us and we’ll be more than happy to give you a FREE consultation.
Category: Web Design
Posted by: Matt
Working as a Web developer is something like playing a sport with a continuously changing set of rules. One minute you’re charging down the field at full throttle, and then suddenly the rules change and you need to readjust your strategy – fast – or find yourself benched.
Successful Web developers-at least, those who enjoy their work – thrive in this topsy-turvy environment, reveling in the ever-evolving nature of Web development. Web 2.0, Ajax, XML Feeds, audio and video all provide ample fodder for active brains – even if it means difficult technical skills mastered over the years may be in-demand one moment, close-to-worthless the next.
Web Developer Basics
A Web developer is responsible for the behind-the-scenes code and programming of Web sites and Web-based services. While the edges are often blurred in Web positions, Web developers typically have a more technical orientation than Web designers, who focus on a site’s look and feel, and information architects, who focus on sites’ organization. Web developers’ projects vary widely, ranging from bare-bones active Web pages to complex, multilayered Web applications that might power an ecommerce site.
Web developers need to have broad-based knowledge, encompassing areas such as:
Successful Web developers-at least, those who enjoy their work – thrive in this topsy-turvy environment, reveling in the ever-evolving nature of Web development. Web 2.0, Ajax, XML Feeds, audio and video all provide ample fodder for active brains – even if it means difficult technical skills mastered over the years may be in-demand one moment, close-to-worthless the next.
Web Developer Basics
A Web developer is responsible for the behind-the-scenes code and programming of Web sites and Web-based services. While the edges are often blurred in Web positions, Web developers typically have a more technical orientation than Web designers, who focus on a site’s look and feel, and information architects, who focus on sites’ organization. Web developers’ projects vary widely, ranging from bare-bones active Web pages to complex, multilayered Web applications that might power an ecommerce site.
Web developers need to have broad-based knowledge, encompassing areas such as:
- Usability and interface design.
- Basic Web skills, such as XHTML, CSS and JavaScript.
- Web 2.0 skills, including Ajax, blogs, and XML Feeds.
- Server-side technologies, such as ASP, PHP and Ruby on Rails.
- Databases such as MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle or IBM’s DB2.
- Online marketing and search engine optimization.
The title Web developer implies a level of knowledge and ability that spans multiple layers of Web development—sort of a jack-of-all-trades skill set. Given the collaborative aspects of Web work, strong soft skills are crucial. 80% of web design and development is about communication, another 15% is about expectation management and 5% is actually doing the work.
Morphing Skills
Web developers need top-notch technical skills and a willingness to switch to new technologies as they evolve. Hard skills come and goyou must have the ability to learn new programming languages quickly. And those skills should extend beyond hardcore technical skills. You can’t be a good developer without having some knowledge of terms such as accessibility, usability and search engine optimization.
As a Web developer, it is very important not only to be skilled in today’s technologies, but also to keep an open eye for future developments and emerging technologies.
17/12: The Importance of Blogging
When the web was first created, it was for the purpose of sharing information to others all over the world. It wasn't until later that it evolved into a place for advertisements, businesses, fan clubs, shopping, and art. Now that we have this great resource how are we using it? Sure, that's an easy question to ask and there are really no wrong answers.
Everybody uses the web for something different. I use it for my business, my business depends on the internet because if there was no such thing then there would be no need for web designers. Some people use it to stay in touch with friends and family. Some people use it to balance their checking accounts. Some people use it to further their education. Just about anything that needs to be done, can be done on the internet.
What does this have to do with blogging? Blogs are part of the Web 2.0 movement, they allow people to talk about whatever they want and share their views on whatever interests them. Blogs were first introduced in 1997 but didn't really take off until 1999 when user friendly tools were created so that the average person could create a blog without having to know anything about HTML. Since then the tools have become more advanced and now a company called Technorati, which keeps an eye on the blogosphere, estimates that there are now 120,000 new blogs being created every day. Posts are being added to blogs at a rate of 17 per second - a total of 1.5 million per day.
Many businesses have begun to user blogs to communicate with their customers and stock holders to tell them what their thinking about and how the business is doing. I'm sure you've all met at least one person that likes to do "research" on a company before buying their product; more and more of this "research" is being done online and how better to get information about the company than from the company itself?
You want a way to capture your audience's attention, well it doesn't get much easier than this. So as a strong recommendation, I urge you to jump on board and start your own blog.
From now until January 31, 2008 I'm offering a special for my clients that have hosting through FrozenWebHost.com, I will setup and customize a blog for you and your company for $40.00, after January 31, 2008 my price will be $75.00. This includes: custom header, custom colors, multiple user logins (so that more than one person can publish to the blog). The blog will look like mine as far as layout is concerned.
Everybody uses the web for something different. I use it for my business, my business depends on the internet because if there was no such thing then there would be no need for web designers. Some people use it to stay in touch with friends and family. Some people use it to balance their checking accounts. Some people use it to further their education. Just about anything that needs to be done, can be done on the internet.
What does this have to do with blogging? Blogs are part of the Web 2.0 movement, they allow people to talk about whatever they want and share their views on whatever interests them. Blogs were first introduced in 1997 but didn't really take off until 1999 when user friendly tools were created so that the average person could create a blog without having to know anything about HTML. Since then the tools have become more advanced and now a company called Technorati, which keeps an eye on the blogosphere, estimates that there are now 120,000 new blogs being created every day. Posts are being added to blogs at a rate of 17 per second - a total of 1.5 million per day.
Many businesses have begun to user blogs to communicate with their customers and stock holders to tell them what their thinking about and how the business is doing. I'm sure you've all met at least one person that likes to do "research" on a company before buying their product; more and more of this "research" is being done online and how better to get information about the company than from the company itself?
You want a way to capture your audience's attention, well it doesn't get much easier than this. So as a strong recommendation, I urge you to jump on board and start your own blog.
From now until January 31, 2008 I'm offering a special for my clients that have hosting through FrozenWebHost.com, I will setup and customize a blog for you and your company for $40.00, after January 31, 2008 my price will be $75.00. This includes: custom header, custom colors, multiple user logins (so that more than one person can publish to the blog). The blog will look like mine as far as layout is concerned.
24/10: Google Checkout vs. Paypal
As of about 3 months ago I started working with one website that is an e-commerce site. Although I haven't had much experience in the past with e-commerce, I knew the logic behind it. Since then I have created three websites, each of them having some form of e-commerce integrated into them. I used both Google checkout and PayPal for different sites to accomplish the same thing, sell stuff online. Many of my clients ask for my professional opinion on these two similar methods and after researching and using each of them I wanted to write a little bit about the pros and cons of each service.
Google Checkout simply serves as a holding place for the shoppers credit or debit card information. It allows them to log in to a single Google username to shop, while hiding their valuable data and e-mail address from merchants. If you're selling stuff on a Web site, you can cut and paste some code that lets visitors shop via Google Checkout, which takes a small cut of your sales. Copying and pasting the code isn't hard but it can be very tedious if you have a large quantity of items.
PayPal's fine print is more complicated than Google Checkout's, but PayPal offers a wider variety of services for shoppers and businesses--particularly small ones--to exchange funds. Only PayPal lets shoppers transfer money to or from bank accounts in addition to credit and debit cards, and you can use it to wire money to other people without requiring them to get a paid account. And PayPal is the only way to go for international shoppers. Shopper's financial details remain hidden from stores, but sellers will see their e-mail address. PayPal's user base is 100 million strong, while Google Checkout is just getting off its feet. Only PayPal can be used to bid on or list auctions at eBay, which is good to know for those of you who plan on selling products on eBay. And thousands of merchants are already PayPal-enabled, while Google is still building partnerships with sellers.
How to make payments
PayPal: Your credit card, debit card, or bank account
Google: Your credit or debit card
International shopping
PayPal: 55 countries, 6 currencies (EU, CA, pound, US, yen, Australian)
Google: U.S. Only
Security
PayPal: SSL, same used by banks
Google: SSL, same used by banks
Fraud protection
PayPal: 100 percent refund for fraudulent transactions of $50 or more
Google: 100 percent refund (must report within 60 days) for fraudulent transactions
Fee for accepting payments on your own Web site
PayPal: 1.9 to 2.9 percent of sales plus 30 cents per transaction
Google: 2 percent of sales plus 20 cents per transaction
Calculates shipping and tax
PayPal: Yes
Google: No
All this being said, as a seller and buyer I prefer PayPal, it's been around longer, they have more experience, and they are much more accommodating for small businesses. I'm sure that as time goes on and Google continues to tweak their service that the differences will diminish, but until then I'm sticking with PayPal.
As a side note: I have started my own monthly newsletter, hopefully everybody that reads this got it, if you didn't then just send an e-mail to info@matthaff.com informing me that you would like to be added to my list.
Google Checkout simply serves as a holding place for the shoppers credit or debit card information. It allows them to log in to a single Google username to shop, while hiding their valuable data and e-mail address from merchants. If you're selling stuff on a Web site, you can cut and paste some code that lets visitors shop via Google Checkout, which takes a small cut of your sales. Copying and pasting the code isn't hard but it can be very tedious if you have a large quantity of items.
PayPal's fine print is more complicated than Google Checkout's, but PayPal offers a wider variety of services for shoppers and businesses--particularly small ones--to exchange funds. Only PayPal lets shoppers transfer money to or from bank accounts in addition to credit and debit cards, and you can use it to wire money to other people without requiring them to get a paid account. And PayPal is the only way to go for international shoppers. Shopper's financial details remain hidden from stores, but sellers will see their e-mail address. PayPal's user base is 100 million strong, while Google Checkout is just getting off its feet. Only PayPal can be used to bid on or list auctions at eBay, which is good to know for those of you who plan on selling products on eBay. And thousands of merchants are already PayPal-enabled, while Google is still building partnerships with sellers.
How to make payments
PayPal: Your credit card, debit card, or bank account
Google: Your credit or debit card
International shopping
PayPal: 55 countries, 6 currencies (EU, CA, pound, US, yen, Australian)
Google: U.S. Only
Security
PayPal: SSL, same used by banks
Google: SSL, same used by banks
Fraud protection
PayPal: 100 percent refund for fraudulent transactions of $50 or more
Google: 100 percent refund (must report within 60 days) for fraudulent transactions
Fee for accepting payments on your own Web site
PayPal: 1.9 to 2.9 percent of sales plus 30 cents per transaction
Google: 2 percent of sales plus 20 cents per transaction
Calculates shipping and tax
PayPal: Yes
Google: No
All this being said, as a seller and buyer I prefer PayPal, it's been around longer, they have more experience, and they are much more accommodating for small businesses. I'm sure that as time goes on and Google continues to tweak their service that the differences will diminish, but until then I'm sticking with PayPal.
As a side note: I have started my own monthly newsletter, hopefully everybody that reads this got it, if you didn't then just send an e-mail to info@matthaff.com informing me that you would like to be added to my list.
28/06: Prospect To Customer
I recently was forwarded this great report by silverPOP talking about conversion rates for e-mail marketing. After reading it, I thought that I should come on here and share just how much this applies to websites as well as emails.
"...up to 50% of visitors to landing pages will bail in the first 8 seconds."
The only difference between e-mail conversion rates and website conversion rates is that with an e-mail, it is targeted at a specific person, and you know that person will get it. Websites are not as direct, people who surf the net are likely to stumble upon websites that don't even have a market for them and within 8 seconds they will leave your site and move onto another one just like with e-mails.
You're probably thinking, "So what, the person left the website, we're not marketing to them anyways." That is your first mistake, and I'll tell you why. Even if your product isn't for that particular person, it doesn't rule them out as somebody that doesn't care about your website. If your website is related to a service or product that could be useful to someone that person knows, then what is to stop them from telling their friend about your product or service? You're goal when creating a website is not only to market to your target audience, but to catch everybody's attention. You never know when somebody that visits your site will become your best sales rep by telling all of his/her friends about your amazing product/service.
Suggestions for grabbing everybody:
* Make an attractive, well organized home page.
* Make it easy to figure out what your site/product is all about.
* Develop an 8 second sales pitch for the home page.
* Update the home page regularly
* Place your specials on your home page.
* Give something away, the word "FREE" is very eye-catching.
* Don't attempt to cram your home page full of ads.
These are just some basic suggestions that can really improve your chances of getting the attention of others, even if you're not marketing to them.
"...up to 50% of visitors to landing pages will bail in the first 8 seconds."
The only difference between e-mail conversion rates and website conversion rates is that with an e-mail, it is targeted at a specific person, and you know that person will get it. Websites are not as direct, people who surf the net are likely to stumble upon websites that don't even have a market for them and within 8 seconds they will leave your site and move onto another one just like with e-mails.
You're probably thinking, "So what, the person left the website, we're not marketing to them anyways." That is your first mistake, and I'll tell you why. Even if your product isn't for that particular person, it doesn't rule them out as somebody that doesn't care about your website. If your website is related to a service or product that could be useful to someone that person knows, then what is to stop them from telling their friend about your product or service? You're goal when creating a website is not only to market to your target audience, but to catch everybody's attention. You never know when somebody that visits your site will become your best sales rep by telling all of his/her friends about your amazing product/service.
Suggestions for grabbing everybody:
* Make an attractive, well organized home page.
* Make it easy to figure out what your site/product is all about.
* Develop an 8 second sales pitch for the home page.
* Update the home page regularly
* Place your specials on your home page.
* Give something away, the word "FREE" is very eye-catching.
* Don't attempt to cram your home page full of ads.
These are just some basic suggestions that can really improve your chances of getting the attention of others, even if you're not marketing to them.
15/05: Duplicate Content
Category: Search Engine Friendly Web Design
Posted by: Matt
Duplicate content is when any two web pages have the same content, no matter if they are on the same website or not. Duplicate content is a very sensitive subject and if you're not careful it can absolutely ruin all chances of your site ranking well in Google. I've seen it many times, clients find information on another site that they like and they want to have that content on their site as well.
Duplicate content is something that many companies have to deal with when managing a website and should not be taken lightly. If Google finds that your site and somebody else's website has the exact same content then one of you is going to be put into the supplemental results which is usually the newer of the two web pages. More information about supplemental results in a post to follow.
How to protect yourself from having duplicate content on your website.
* Don't copy more than a few sentences of the other website's content, if the content is that valuable then put a short paragraph and then link to the website that you are getting the content from.
* If you have content that you want to use as a page on your website then take bits and pieces of it and write your own content for that page using the other page as a reference for how to organize the content.
* Copy a section of your content and paste it into Google, see if any other sites are found using this content as the search criteria. If so, then you should probably change some of it.
* Use original content for links, instead of saying "Home" say "Mind's Eye Home".
Duplicate content is something that many companies have to deal with when managing a website and should not be taken lightly. If Google finds that your site and somebody else's website has the exact same content then one of you is going to be put into the supplemental results which is usually the newer of the two web pages. More information about supplemental results in a post to follow.
How to protect yourself from having duplicate content on your website.
* Don't copy more than a few sentences of the other website's content, if the content is that valuable then put a short paragraph and then link to the website that you are getting the content from.
* If you have content that you want to use as a page on your website then take bits and pieces of it and write your own content for that page using the other page as a reference for how to organize the content.
* Copy a section of your content and paste it into Google, see if any other sites are found using this content as the search criteria. If so, then you should probably change some of it.
* Use original content for links, instead of saying "Home" say "Mind's Eye Home".
16/04: Image Links vs. Text Links
Category: Search Engine Friendly Web Design
Posted by: Matt
Image links are one of many controversy topics in search engine optimization. Most Search Engine Marketers around will tell you that text links are the only way to go, and while they have a valid reason for saying this, it is not entirely true. Text and image links both serve a purpose and you can build a site using one or the other, and it can still rank well for a group of keywords.
Why are text links so great? Link text is supposed to have something do with the page that it is linking to. This is how web pages get ranked for certain keywords with hyper links. Search engine spiders can only read, they cannot see pictures. That is why they are able to read the text links and not image links.
So what happens to the image links? It just so happens that since the spiders can't see the images, they read the alt attribute. As long as the alt attribute has a few words about what the page is that the image link is linking to then you should be alright.
Why don't search engine marketing professionals want you to use image links? Even though the spiders can read the alt attribute to see what the image link is linking to, it is still not as good as a text link. Users browsing on the website can't see the alt attribute on an image link, and search engine spiders tend to give more "weight" to items that the user can see. Using image links makes their job a little harder because you wouldn't be taking the full advantage of the weight that you can get with your navigation links.
When to use image links?
* It would be appropriate to use image links if you want to keep your navigation simple.
* It would also be appropriate to take some images that are on your website and link them to an interior page, making sure to use the alt attribute.
* If you are creating a promotional banner for your website.
When deciding which to use...
When using image links - Remember not to go overboard when adding your alt text- only use the phrase that best describes the page. Anybody with accessibility issues will be using that alt text as there way of figuring out what that page is about, so don't stuff it with a lot of text.
When using text links - Try not to overuse a specific keyword in your main navigation, Google is very sensitive and if it think that you are abusing the keyword then it could have a negative effect on your websites ranking.
Navigation links are a very important detail for a web designer to take note of when designing a website. For instance, if a web designer made a website with image links for the navigation, and later on the client wants to have text links instead, it could take many hours, even days depending on how large of a website, to make the necessary changes for text links to work. Save time and money by making sure to decide if you will be using image links or text links for your navigation before starting on that portion of the design.
Why are text links so great? Link text is supposed to have something do with the page that it is linking to. This is how web pages get ranked for certain keywords with hyper links. Search engine spiders can only read, they cannot see pictures. That is why they are able to read the text links and not image links.
So what happens to the image links? It just so happens that since the spiders can't see the images, they read the alt attribute. As long as the alt attribute has a few words about what the page is that the image link is linking to then you should be alright.
Why don't search engine marketing professionals want you to use image links? Even though the spiders can read the alt attribute to see what the image link is linking to, it is still not as good as a text link. Users browsing on the website can't see the alt attribute on an image link, and search engine spiders tend to give more "weight" to items that the user can see. Using image links makes their job a little harder because you wouldn't be taking the full advantage of the weight that you can get with your navigation links.
When to use image links?
* It would be appropriate to use image links if you want to keep your navigation simple.
* It would also be appropriate to take some images that are on your website and link them to an interior page, making sure to use the alt attribute.
* If you are creating a promotional banner for your website.
When deciding which to use...
When using image links - Remember not to go overboard when adding your alt text- only use the phrase that best describes the page. Anybody with accessibility issues will be using that alt text as there way of figuring out what that page is about, so don't stuff it with a lot of text.
When using text links - Try not to overuse a specific keyword in your main navigation, Google is very sensitive and if it think that you are abusing the keyword then it could have a negative effect on your websites ranking.
Navigation links are a very important detail for a web designer to take note of when designing a website. For instance, if a web designer made a website with image links for the navigation, and later on the client wants to have text links instead, it could take many hours, even days depending on how large of a website, to make the necessary changes for text links to work. Save time and money by making sure to decide if you will be using image links or text links for your navigation before starting on that portion of the design.
Category: Search Engine Friendly Web Design
Posted by: Matt
Before I begin this post let me explain what search engine marketing is for those of you who do not know, the rest of you can skip ahead. Search engine marketing, also known as search engine optimization, is the practice of marketing a website in a way that is recognized by Internet search engines.
Businesses
Search Engine Marketing is what many companies have done to their websites in order to get ranked well in search engines such as Google, MSN and Yahoo. This is something that should be considered seriously when creating a website for your business. Search engine marketing is even more important for businesses that wish to sell their products or services online.
Generally, search engine marketing can take anywhere from three to nine months for a successful campaign. Some larger web design firms offer search engine marketing as part of a package with their web development. It is very important to be cautious about who you choose to do this, as there are many ways to optimize a website incorrectly and doing so could result in a negative impact on your web site's ranking.
For more information about the importance of search engine friendly web design check out this article: Are You Wasting Money by Paying Your Web Designer for SEO?
Web Designers
As a web designer I realize that we are generally more focused on how the website looks and flows instead of how the search engines read it. After all, if we do not create a elegant website that is well organized then our clients would not be pleased and we would lose business.
I believe that it is the responsibility of the web designer to consider the wants and needs of the client including making the design of the website search engine friendly. It is important to realize that there are many design factors that can have a serious effect on the ability of a website to rank well. Below is a list of some web design factors that could have a negative impact on the ranking of a client's website when used inappropriately.
* Image links
* JavaScript links
* Frames
* Duplicate content
* Title
* Meta description & keywords
* URL forwards
* More to come...
Previously, I had the chance to work with on of Atlanta's top search engine marketing firm. I was able to learn many things from this company about what it takes to create a search engine friendly website while keeping it stylish and attractive to the eye. Having that experience allows me to claim that I have knowledge about what it takes to get a client's website design to be recognized by the search engines.
Check back later for more information about how you can create a search engine friendly website.
Businesses
Search Engine Marketing is what many companies have done to their websites in order to get ranked well in search engines such as Google, MSN and Yahoo. This is something that should be considered seriously when creating a website for your business. Search engine marketing is even more important for businesses that wish to sell their products or services online.
Generally, search engine marketing can take anywhere from three to nine months for a successful campaign. Some larger web design firms offer search engine marketing as part of a package with their web development. It is very important to be cautious about who you choose to do this, as there are many ways to optimize a website incorrectly and doing so could result in a negative impact on your web site's ranking.
For more information about the importance of search engine friendly web design check out this article: Are You Wasting Money by Paying Your Web Designer for SEO?
Web Designers
As a web designer I realize that we are generally more focused on how the website looks and flows instead of how the search engines read it. After all, if we do not create a elegant website that is well organized then our clients would not be pleased and we would lose business.
I believe that it is the responsibility of the web designer to consider the wants and needs of the client including making the design of the website search engine friendly. It is important to realize that there are many design factors that can have a serious effect on the ability of a website to rank well. Below is a list of some web design factors that could have a negative impact on the ranking of a client's website when used inappropriately.
* Image links
* JavaScript links
* Frames
* Duplicate content
* Title
* Meta description & keywords
* URL forwards
* More to come...
Previously, I had the chance to work with on of Atlanta's top search engine marketing firm. I was able to learn many things from this company about what it takes to create a search engine friendly website while keeping it stylish and attractive to the eye. Having that experience allows me to claim that I have knowledge about what it takes to get a client's website design to be recognized by the search engines.
Check back later for more information about how you can create a search engine friendly website.
Ever since I decided that I wanted to be a web designer I started to look for clients. I have never turned a client down for lack of money. At this point web design is not all about the money for me, and to prove it I have done a few websites for non-paying customers. I have done work for many different genre of clients: non-profit organizations, self-employed people or small start-up businesses, and a few large prominent businesses. Even though the amount that I charge differs with each client, I ensure that the quality of my work remains professional.
We are taught and trained that the more you pay the better the quality of service. In most cases, companies that pay for the more expensive web hosting plan have access to better customer support. People that pay for an extended warranty on a computer get more customer support. People who buy a Mercedes Benz expect to receive better customer support than somebody who purchases a Toyota Tercel. Many companies say that the customers are always right, and that they come first. How are we supposed to believe this if corporate America believes that we have to pay more if we want better support. Quality should not be a matter of price, but unfortunately in most cases it is.
Remember however that there are some businesses out there with the ideal that quality is not a matter of price. When looking for any kind of service provider weather it be for web hosting, or a medical office, talk to them about their customer service, or support. When buying a product/service most companies show a table of the different quality of products/services such as good, better, and best. Pay careful attention to their customer support, it may be that if you purchase the "good" service that you are only entitled to call them during normal business hours, but if you were to get the "better" or the "best" you would be able to contact customer support 24/7.
When it comes to web design, I offer the same quality service no matter how much you pay for a website, even if you pay nothing at all. For more information about the services that I offer visit Mind's Eye - Custom Websites
We are taught and trained that the more you pay the better the quality of service. In most cases, companies that pay for the more expensive web hosting plan have access to better customer support. People that pay for an extended warranty on a computer get more customer support. People who buy a Mercedes Benz expect to receive better customer support than somebody who purchases a Toyota Tercel. Many companies say that the customers are always right, and that they come first. How are we supposed to believe this if corporate America believes that we have to pay more if we want better support. Quality should not be a matter of price, but unfortunately in most cases it is.
Remember however that there are some businesses out there with the ideal that quality is not a matter of price. When looking for any kind of service provider weather it be for web hosting, or a medical office, talk to them about their customer service, or support. When buying a product/service most companies show a table of the different quality of products/services such as good, better, and best. Pay careful attention to their customer support, it may be that if you purchase the "good" service that you are only entitled to call them during normal business hours, but if you were to get the "better" or the "best" you would be able to contact customer support 24/7.
When it comes to web design, I offer the same quality service no matter how much you pay for a website, even if you pay nothing at all. For more information about the services that I offer visit Mind's Eye - Custom Websites
06/04: Why Mind's Eye?
About four years ago when I decided to become a freelance web designer while still in school I knew that I would eventually have to come up with a catchy name. It took me three years to finally sit down and give it one. This past June, when I started advertising myself as a freelance web designer I began by calling it "Custom Websites", however that's not something out of the ordinary for a web design company. Sure, it got the message across of what it is that I do but it didn't really stick with people. That's when I came up with Mind's Eye, an artistic phrase that would catch on when people read it.
I came up with this name while listening to a song with some lyrics that started me thinking about the main struggle with web design.
Can you catch the wind?
See a breeze?
Its presence is revealed by
The leaves on a tree
An image of my faith in the unseen
~DC Talk
Mind's Eye
These lyrics, exposed me to the thought that a person's image of something, such as what they want their business website to look like, is not tangible. When people come up with a design in their head, of what the perfect site for their business would look like, how do they get that idea onto a website? They transfer the image from their mind into thoughts and words. Then they have to say them in a way that a web designer or a graphic designer could understand without loosing any detail. I believe that the main struggle in web design is transfering an image from one mind to another without the idea getting diluted. Can you hold onto the wind? Can you see the breeze? No, you can't you can only see the effects of it on tangible objects such as leaves on a tree. Thoughts, imagery in our heads cannot be seen or even imagined the same way by another person. When I say apple, you get a picture of an apple in your head, and it is completely different from what I meant. Is it green or red? Is it small or big? Is it ripe or rotten? Does it have a stem? Is it real or animated? These are just simple questions but alone they show that you cannot say one thing to another person and expect them to have the same image as you.
Knowing this, I try to be open to anything and everything when I design websites. Any look or design is possible, especially with the way that technology is advancing. Websites can now be 3D, they can have embeded movies, music, games, flash animations. The list goes on and these are just things that have been added in the past couple of years. Many web design companies come up with a basic layout and design, charging extra for a custom layout. I believe that the customization of a website is what attracts people and keeps them coming back. That is why I choose not to follow the basic layout, but to break free from that and customize my client's websites completely to their specifications.
I challenge all other web designers to do the same, take that extra step for your client and give them that perfect website that they've dreamed of.
I came up with this name while listening to a song with some lyrics that started me thinking about the main struggle with web design.
Can you catch the wind?
See a breeze?
Its presence is revealed by
The leaves on a tree
An image of my faith in the unseen
~DC Talk
Mind's Eye
These lyrics, exposed me to the thought that a person's image of something, such as what they want their business website to look like, is not tangible. When people come up with a design in their head, of what the perfect site for their business would look like, how do they get that idea onto a website? They transfer the image from their mind into thoughts and words. Then they have to say them in a way that a web designer or a graphic designer could understand without loosing any detail. I believe that the main struggle in web design is transfering an image from one mind to another without the idea getting diluted. Can you hold onto the wind? Can you see the breeze? No, you can't you can only see the effects of it on tangible objects such as leaves on a tree. Thoughts, imagery in our heads cannot be seen or even imagined the same way by another person. When I say apple, you get a picture of an apple in your head, and it is completely different from what I meant. Is it green or red? Is it small or big? Is it ripe or rotten? Does it have a stem? Is it real or animated? These are just simple questions but alone they show that you cannot say one thing to another person and expect them to have the same image as you.
Knowing this, I try to be open to anything and everything when I design websites. Any look or design is possible, especially with the way that technology is advancing. Websites can now be 3D, they can have embeded movies, music, games, flash animations. The list goes on and these are just things that have been added in the past couple of years. Many web design companies come up with a basic layout and design, charging extra for a custom layout. I believe that the customization of a website is what attracts people and keeps them coming back. That is why I choose not to follow the basic layout, but to break free from that and customize my client's websites completely to their specifications.
I challenge all other web designers to do the same, take that extra step for your client and give them that perfect website that they've dreamed of.
