Got Web?
Web Site or Web Fright?
My goodness. You've got Joomla, Word Press, Google, GoDaddy, Dreamweaver, Webstarts, Wix, Weebly, Intuit, Quackit, and probably more than (from a quick look) many dozens of other "web site" makers. So where to begin?
But "I want a website" you say. Well, there are so many solutions out there now and with the web growing like crazy you are bound to run into a mass of confusion, and dead-end streets that waste your time and money (even if they're "free" - I'll explain that...).
On the other hand, you will also find GREAT resources also.
For example, if you want some great, simple, get up and get started websites Word Press, and GoDaddy both offer some really neat programs that allow you to create a site in a few (sort of) easy steps. I say sort of because no matter where you go, there will besome level of learning, patience, and technical savvy that gets you where you want to go.
In other words, don't ever expect that you'll jump in and get a great site right on the spot. It just can't happen yet. It's always going to be a level of subjective design (how you want it to look) which requires some customization, if even just bolding typefaces!
This isn't to say that it should be intimidating, it shouldn't. Just be aware that you will need to reserve some of that ever evasive "patience" when dealing with this kind of stuff.
Now, I mentioned free. Yes, FREE, the old marketers trick. We all seem to be drawn to that word like candy. ESPECIALLY now adays! I will warn you that it's somewhat true that you get what you pay for - particularly in the web arena.
The reason is this; Web design is a highly skilled, crafted trade. There are infinite "know-hows" that go into any good design period. That goes for painting a house, designing a building or home, creating a great logo design, or - creating a good website.
As a designer, I never throw words and pictures up randomly - rather, strategically place things according to what will look good and balanced, and puts certain parts on the page in a position that makes it useful and highly visible to your audience. There's a skill in that that is really, really important. Trust me, it's one of those things that will make or break your success.
So... as I said earlier, free might work on occasion - absolutely! But you will eventually be limited in some way. Otherwise it wouldn't be free! And everyone, and I mean everyone has to make money to survive. To eat, live, etc... It costs money to host accounts - so it costs something to be able to put something up there. What commonly happens is you will have ads of some kind showing on your site (normally not by your choosing). That's one common money maker. Not a big deal - but worth mentioning.
Now when it comes to custom web design, you too are faced with who to go to? Well over 1 million designers globally. There are Advertising agencies, design firms, freelancers galore!! Oh my!
Your typical best bet is to find a designer to handle your site. Period. They'll create one that does what it should, and guarantee that it works right in the first place. A good designer or design firm will guide you, make recommednations that are geared for YOU to succeeed. They will handle most all aspects of it for you but more WITH you so you understand it but will get you through the ugly stuff.
The best resource is your network. Talk to people, email, signup for user groups, etc... SOMEONE knows a designers somewhere. That's the best place to start. Bad reputations end and are seldom "passed along.
Expect a good designer/firm to be flexible in their approach. In cost, time, and in the design process. They should be able to work with you in most any capacity and will back up their work.
I would be happy to tell you more if you have any other questions. It's what I do 24/7 so I have slews of tips and tricks for you. I can probably help you with your site if you need that too!
I'll be following up with more posts on this topic for sure. LOTS to discuss... Stay tuned!
Contact me: todd@mitchellcreativegroup.com, or visit our web sitehttp://www.mitchellcreativegroup.com
My goodness. You've got Joomla, Word Press, Google, GoDaddy, Dreamweaver, Webstarts, Wix, Weebly, Intuit, Quackit, and probably more than (from a quick look) many dozens of other "web site" makers. So where to begin?
But "I want a website" you say. Well, there are so many solutions out there now and with the web growing like crazy you are bound to run into a mass of confusion, and dead-end streets that waste your time and money (even if they're "free" - I'll explain that...).
On the other hand, you will also find GREAT resources also.
For example, if you want some great, simple, get up and get started websites Word Press, and GoDaddy both offer some really neat programs that allow you to create a site in a few (sort of) easy steps. I say sort of because no matter where you go, there will besome level of learning, patience, and technical savvy that gets you where you want to go.
In other words, don't ever expect that you'll jump in and get a great site right on the spot. It just can't happen yet. It's always going to be a level of subjective design (how you want it to look) which requires some customization, if even just bolding typefaces!
This isn't to say that it should be intimidating, it shouldn't. Just be aware that you will need to reserve some of that ever evasive "patience" when dealing with this kind of stuff.
Now, I mentioned free. Yes, FREE, the old marketers trick. We all seem to be drawn to that word like candy. ESPECIALLY now adays! I will warn you that it's somewhat true that you get what you pay for - particularly in the web arena.
The reason is this; Web design is a highly skilled, crafted trade. There are infinite "know-hows" that go into any good design period. That goes for painting a house, designing a building or home, creating a great logo design, or - creating a good website.
As a designer, I never throw words and pictures up randomly - rather, strategically place things according to what will look good and balanced, and puts certain parts on the page in a position that makes it useful and highly visible to your audience. There's a skill in that that is really, really important. Trust me, it's one of those things that will make or break your success.
So... as I said earlier, free might work on occasion - absolutely! But you will eventually be limited in some way. Otherwise it wouldn't be free! And everyone, and I mean everyone has to make money to survive. To eat, live, etc... It costs money to host accounts - so it costs something to be able to put something up there. What commonly happens is you will have ads of some kind showing on your site (normally not by your choosing). That's one common money maker. Not a big deal - but worth mentioning.
Now when it comes to custom web design, you too are faced with who to go to? Well over 1 million designers globally. There are Advertising agencies, design firms, freelancers galore!! Oh my!
Your typical best bet is to find a designer to handle your site. Period. They'll create one that does what it should, and guarantee that it works right in the first place. A good designer or design firm will guide you, make recommednations that are geared for YOU to succeeed. They will handle most all aspects of it for you but more WITH you so you understand it but will get you through the ugly stuff.
The best resource is your network. Talk to people, email, signup for user groups, etc... SOMEONE knows a designers somewhere. That's the best place to start. Bad reputations end and are seldom "passed along.
Expect a good designer/firm to be flexible in their approach. In cost, time, and in the design process. They should be able to work with you in most any capacity and will back up their work.
I would be happy to tell you more if you have any other questions. It's what I do 24/7 so I have slews of tips and tricks for you. I can probably help you with your site if you need that too!
I'll be following up with more posts on this topic for sure. LOTS to discuss... Stay tuned!
Contact me: todd@mitchellcreativegroup.com, or visit our web sitehttp://www.mitchellcreativegroup.com
