Hi, I'm doing some market research about the angle I want to take with my website. Your help would be very appreciated. The more I get answers the better, so go for it!
Wh
Since we here at WA are learning how to build a web site doesn't mean that the site will look good. The help from a graphic designer is to design your logo and look of the site, so it is appealing to the people looking at it. Not just a blank white page with writing on it. It shows that you have spent some time and care about what your site is all about and/or your company is about.
Thanks for your comment. Yes there is so much you can do with a template… lots if you have a great one, but you usually have to pay for it. I think it's worth it.
Then you still need to add your own touch, images and style. A professional would be better at that.
I like your questions as I am thinking about offering my services as a website/brand designer because I have a background in both graphic design and website building.
I can't answer your questions YET because I have not placed myself in that position because of my background and especially the training here at WA which is encouraging us to build our own websites as we want them to be.
Marion
Thanks Marion. I guess we have the same background. You will have a head start on making it look great!
1. Artistic talent. 2. The one who could best grasp my purpose. 3. If they can't grasp your niche objective, they won't be able to project that in the design.
Thanks a lot. This is great help. I could ask you the same question as I've commented below. Which one would you choose? Replacing "represent me" with "represent my niche objective".
(1) I would hire a web designer if I knew nothing about how to build a site. I hired quite a few in the past. (2) If it were not price, the deciding factor for me would be their portfolio, how I liked their designs. (3) It's important because I want a certain look to my sites that represent ME and I would choose the person I felt could help me get that image as perfect as possible.
Thanks so much, very interesting answers… which brings me to another question (others can answer too): you have 2 designers to choose from:
1) You love the portfolio and feel he would best represent you but he is much more expensive, let's say double just to have a number.
2) The portfolio is ok, but not your style. From the talks you have with him, he doesn't understand you really, but he's still professional and can do a good design. His price is half number 1).
Which one would you choose?
That depends on what the site was for. If it were only a personal blog, I might go with #2. However, if it were a business site that I intended to retire on, I would spend the money to get what I considered the best. And then I would try to bargain writing services with him/her a bit to bring the price down a little. LOL
1) I would hire a web brand/designer to have a more professional looking brand/website and take advantage of their experience in the field, where I am lacking.
2) Given the choice between web designer and brand designer I would probably go with the web designer if I had unique things I wanted on my site, or the brand designer if it's not going to be a very complicated site and go with a wordpress theme instead.
3) The choice is important to me because I see it as a choice of more experience/flexibility at your hands for either your website, or your brand. It really comes down to what you think is more important given your specific situation.
Many thanks for your reply :)
Great answers. In the process, I realized that my question 2. wasn't clear enough, so I rephrased it. If you feel like adding to it, you are welcomed.
See more comments
Why would you hire a web and brand designer?
Hi, I'm doing some market research about the angle I want to take with my website. Your help would be very appreciated. The more I get answers the better, so go for it!
Wh
1. Lack of time and expertise
2. They have an awesome site themselves
3. It's kinda like the hairdresser story... I don't want to get my hair done by someone who cant take care of their own hair. lol
Since we here at WA are learning how to build a web site doesn't mean that the site will look good. The help from a graphic designer is to design your logo and look of the site, so it is appealing to the people looking at it. Not just a blank white page with writing on it. It shows that you have spent some time and care about what your site is all about and/or your company is about.
Thanks for your comment. Yes there is so much you can do with a template… lots if you have a great one, but you usually have to pay for it. I think it's worth it.
Then you still need to add your own touch, images and style. A professional would be better at that.
I like your questions as I am thinking about offering my services as a website/brand designer because I have a background in both graphic design and website building.
I can't answer your questions YET because I have not placed myself in that position because of my background and especially the training here at WA which is encouraging us to build our own websites as we want them to be.
Marion
Thanks Marion. I guess we have the same background. You will have a head start on making it look great!
1. Artistic talent. 2. The one who could best grasp my purpose. 3. If they can't grasp your niche objective, they won't be able to project that in the design.
Thanks a lot. This is great help. I could ask you the same question as I've commented below. Which one would you choose? Replacing "represent me" with "represent my niche objective".
(1) I would hire a web designer if I knew nothing about how to build a site. I hired quite a few in the past. (2) If it were not price, the deciding factor for me would be their portfolio, how I liked their designs. (3) It's important because I want a certain look to my sites that represent ME and I would choose the person I felt could help me get that image as perfect as possible.
Thanks so much, very interesting answers… which brings me to another question (others can answer too): you have 2 designers to choose from:
1) You love the portfolio and feel he would best represent you but he is much more expensive, let's say double just to have a number.
2) The portfolio is ok, but not your style. From the talks you have with him, he doesn't understand you really, but he's still professional and can do a good design. His price is half number 1).
Which one would you choose?
That depends on what the site was for. If it were only a personal blog, I might go with #2. However, if it were a business site that I intended to retire on, I would spend the money to get what I considered the best. And then I would try to bargain writing services with him/her a bit to bring the price down a little. LOL
1) I would hire a web brand/designer to have a more professional looking brand/website and take advantage of their experience in the field, where I am lacking.
2) Given the choice between web designer and brand designer I would probably go with the web designer if I had unique things I wanted on my site, or the brand designer if it's not going to be a very complicated site and go with a wordpress theme instead.
3) The choice is important to me because I see it as a choice of more experience/flexibility at your hands for either your website, or your brand. It really comes down to what you think is more important given your specific situation.
Many thanks for your reply :)
Great answers. In the process, I realized that my question 2. wasn't clear enough, so I rephrased it. If you feel like adding to it, you are welcomed.
See more comments
Hi, I have an existing domain name and website. It's the name of my business, but…
1) it's not really that relevant anymore to what I do.
2) it's not keyword related to
Hi, thanks for you reply. Actually one thing I didn't mention in my question is that my business name is not exactly like my website name, nor my brand name (which is my first name and the beginning of my business name). I made the mistake of choosing a really looooooooong business name when I started back in 2003. So I renamed it to my first name which is in my logo. Then the website has the other part of my long business name. So the logo is not even the website name. So it's all a bit messy.
Hi Zenn. I think that the buttom line is "MISS" make it simple stupid. I make a great effort to simplify things so that anybody can understand, because if somebody has to start guessing what I mean I failed. If it looks messy to you it would look messy to others.
Hi! I just realize today I didn't hit the sent button when I replied to your comment, silly me! Well let's do it again:
You couldn't have said it better as my website is about making things simple. Yes! I even had the idea of using KISS (keep it simple stupid – same idea) in the name. HAHA! I definitely have to fix that messiness.
Thanks for your inspiring feedback.
Hi Ken, haha, I wish I did. Well basically I'm just afraid to loose my ranking. Well in the meantime, I've googled this and it seems that Google has a tool that allows you to tell it that you changed the domain name. It keeps all the ranking and stuff. I will also do a market research and see what comes up with the new name. This time I choose a shorter one.
See more comments
Hi, I have an existing domain name and website. It's the name of my business, but…
1) it's not really that relevant anymore to what I do.
2) it's not keyword related to
Hi, thanks for you reply. Actually one thing I didn't mention in my question is that my business name is not exactly like my website name, nor my brand name (which is my first name and the beginning of my business name). I made the mistake of choosing a really looooooooong business name when I started back in 2003. So I renamed it to my first name which is in my logo. Then the website has the other part of my long business name. So the logo is not even the website name. So it's all a bit messy.
Hi Zenn. I think that the buttom line is "MISS" make it simple stupid. I make a great effort to simplify things so that anybody can understand, because if somebody has to start guessing what I mean I failed. If it looks messy to you it would look messy to others.
Hi! I just realize today I didn't hit the sent button when I replied to your comment, silly me! Well let's do it again:
You couldn't have said it better as my website is about making things simple. Yes! I even had the idea of using KISS (keep it simple stupid – same idea) in the name. HAHA! I definitely have to fix that messiness.
Thanks for your inspiring feedback.
Hi Ken, haha, I wish I did. Well basically I'm just afraid to loose my ranking. Well in the meantime, I've googled this and it seems that Google has a tool that allows you to tell it that you changed the domain name. It keeps all the ranking and stuff. I will also do a market research and see what comes up with the new name. This time I choose a shorter one.
See more comments
1. Lack of time and expertise
2. They have an awesome site themselves
3. It's kinda like the hairdresser story... I don't want to get my hair done by someone who cant take care of their own hair. lol