How to Choose a Web Site Designer

Written by Herman Drost


It seems that everyone fromrepparttar 15-year-old kid to their Grandmother is able to design a web site these days. You could also buildrepparttar 134575 site yourself using a word processor or other web site program; however if you choose this route, plan on spending quite a bit of time learning, to get your site to look professional. Creating a web site is not as simple as typing a letter.

If you want your site to look professional, it is imperative to find a designer that will be with you fromrepparttar 134576 start torepparttar 134577 finish of your web site and will also be there inrepparttar 134578 future should you need changes or updates to your site. So how do you distinguish who is a good designer or a bad one?

Here are some important steps to take before making that important decision:

1.Credentials – doesrepparttar 134579 person or business have professional qualifications in Web Design andrepparttar 134580 Internet? Are they certified in any particular area of web design? You can often check this out by going torepparttar 134581 "about" page on their web site. If they have takenrepparttar 134582 time to gainrepparttar 134583 qualifications, then you know they are serious about their business.

2. Experience – how long hasrepparttar 134584 person or business been designing web sites and working withrepparttar 134585 Internet? If it is only a short time then they may not be familiar with allrepparttar 134586 technologies available in designing a web site and may not be around to take care of your future needs.

Look atrepparttar 134587 design of their web site and other sites that they have designed by going to their portfolio page. Dorepparttar 134588 colors and text look balanced? Do allrepparttar 134589 links work, doesrepparttar 134590 site load fast and is it easy to navigaterepparttar 134591 site? Do allrepparttar 134592 pages have a consistent look?

3. Testimonials – this will give you a good idea ofrepparttar 134593 service and design you can expect. Look throughrepparttar 134594 testimonials of satisfied customers. The testimonies should haverepparttar 134595 email address andrepparttar 134596 web site address listed (so you can contact them if need be). Beware of fake testimonials in which justrepparttar 134597 name is listed but no email or site address.

4. Vision – create a basic plan ofrepparttar 134598 type of web site you want. Do a search of other sites onrepparttar 134599 Web, to get a rough idea of what type of site you are looking for, that is unique to your business, (not just a copy of someone else's). Sketch your ideas out on paper, so that when you contact your designer, you already have a good idea of what you have in mind.

Decide what kind of web site it should be – will it be an informational web site, a web site that will continue to expand as you develop your business, or an e-commerce web site with a number of products for which you accept online payments?

5. Technology – if you want to use advanced technologies on your site, such as flash, shock wave, database integration, make sure your designer is familiar with them and how this may affect your site. They are often expensive to implement and may not be needed for you to set up your business onrepparttar 134600 Web.

HOW TO PROFIT WITH FREE DISCUSSION FORUMS

Written by Lisa Lake


If there's one thing I've learned in my years of doing business online, it's that credibility should be your number one objective. If people know you and respect you, they'll feel like they can trust you with their money. Onrepparttar other hand, if you're just starting out and no one knows who you are, you're going to have a hard time drumming up sales. The best way to gainrepparttar 134574 kind of credibility I'm talking about is to establish yourself as an expert in your field. This can be very hard to do if you're new torepparttar 134575 business, so I'm going to give you a tip: spend a lot of time on those free discussion boards! Discussion boards are a great way to get your name out there. Just conduct a search for discussion boards in your area of business (there are a lot on MSN and Yahoo) and jump on in. Begin by asking a question, or making helpful suggestions when people ask for them. Make sure to leave your name and URL on every post so people get familiar with you. Whatever you do, don't post ads on discussion boards. Most board moderators will only delete them, and placing ads there will only serve to underminerepparttar 134576 very credibility you're trying to create.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use