1. Free website design : Part I
How to choose a web design company
On the Internet today, there are many people who call themselves web designers and web design
companies. Some people do it for fun, as a hobby or part-time. Web designers that design full-time are
the way to go.. Someone who does web design in their part-time tends not to take it as seriously as
someone who does it for a living. There are also people who do web design, who have no formal
training. Make sure your web designer has some formal training from a recognized school. People who
are self taught, although I applaud them for doing it, have relied on the Internet for all their information,
and as you know information on the Internet can be inaccurate.
<b>Relevant Experience</b>
The web design company you choose for your project should have relevant experience. If you would like
them to design a e-commerce website, it is best to choose a web designer who has e-commerce
websites in their portfolio. Your web design company should be ready to submit a proposal for your
website project along with a contract. Beware of companies who don't give you a formal contract. The
contract should outline exactly what the web designer will do and how long it will take, the price, and
what you have agreed to supply. A formal contract is the best way to avoid disagreements between the
web designer and you. Make sure your contract outlines every possible problem that can happen.
<b>Different types of websites</b>
There are different types of websites such as: static HTML (brochure type), e-commerce (with a
shopping cart), database, Flash and a website with your own content management system. All of these
must come into perspective when you are looking for a web design company. For example if you are
looking for a fully interactive Flash website you better make sure that the web design company you
choose has done many Flash websites. There is a difference between companies who can do Flash
headers for a standard HTML site and web designers who can create a full flash website. Your best bet
when choosing a web design company is to have a face to face meeting when discussing what it is you
would like to have your website look like , also some sketches and some addresses of websites that you
like. This gives the web design company the chance to fully understand what you are looking for and a
better chance to give you an accurate proposal.
2. <b>Things to take into consideration</b>
Does the web design company have an update package? You must know that after your website has
been created, from time to time you will require updates. Maybe they will be small maybe not. If the
web design company you are choosing does not have an update package, you should inquire about the
price of updates after the initial design. You should take the price of updates into consideration before
you begin the design process. Make sure the web design company or web designer you choose sets
realistic goals for the timeline. Usually if it sounds too good to be true then it is.
Many web designers have their own personal style. For example my personal style is clean and bright
colors. Some web design companies love Flash and always build Flash websites. This would not be ideal
if you are looking for an extremely search engine friendly website.
You would also have to consider guarantees. Does your potential web design company offer a
guarantee? Most web design companies do not. So when you find one who does, you can know that
they feel very confident in their capabilities. Another thing to consider is: Does the web design company
display a phone number that they can be contacted at. Sometimes as a client you would like to speak
with someone, not just get a reply to an e-mail the next day.
<b>How to a find a web design company</b>
There are a few ways to find web design companies in your area. One way is to search the web for:
"Vancouver web design" or "Sarasota Web design", obviously depending on the city closest to you. You
could also search the Yellow pages for web design companies. Most web design companies who can
afford to advertise there have already built a pretty go reputation and have been in business for a while.
Another option is search the web and when you see a website you really like, check for a link on the
bottom of the page or on a contact page.
Hiring a web designer to come up with the custom solution that you need can set you back a few
thousand bucks. But you can do the whole thing yourself and make it drag and drop simple for mere
pennies with a tool like Breezy Websites. See http://breezywebsites.com for details!
Free website design : End of Part I
3. How to Choose a Web Designer?
To give you a clearcut idea on how you are going to choose your web designer, here are some of the
things that you must consider:
1. Be aware to beware. First, you have to have the basic knowledge of web design techniques. It is a
well-settled fact that before you enter a business, you yourself must have a good grasp of its totality.
When you are knowledgeable, you know when a design is excellent or when mediocre. Another, you
also know when to criticize or appreciate the work of your web designer.
If you are not aware of the surrounding circumstances of your business, chances are you will easily be
deceived or your business will sooner or later go down the drain. You do not like that to happen, do
you?
So, keep those thinking caps and explore your business world. Spend some time reading about web
design and everything about websites. Go to your local bookstore and invest on books and other
facilities.
2. Talk with basis. Get in contact with the experts in web designing. From them you can learn the ins and
outs of web design services.
Another, talk to some of the designer’s former clients and ask them about the services of other
designers. Learn from their mistakes as well as their achievements.
Don't just peruse a number of great sites, be sure to know the reason why they are best. From it you can
glean the gist of what you should be focusing.
4. 3. Bear in mind that graphic design is not the be-all and end-all. Graphic design is not the only basis in
choosing a web designer. Though it is an important factor to consider, still that only forms part of what
makes a feasible and lucrative website.
Other factor to consider is the designer's quest for equilibrium between form and function. If form is
what matters the most for him, then that could be pretty dangerous. Next, is his organizational skill. Is
he good in organizing the page layouts? Better be sure about it. Good navigation is also another factor.
This is because viewers get bored easily. They can change their minds to your drawback with just a flick
of a finger. Therefore, you must have a good navigation to keep them from getting bored. Good
navigation must also be coupled with user-friendliness so as to be used easily and hassle-free by the
visitors. The most important factor to consider is the 'call for action'.
The designer must be adept in the purpose of mounting a website. Is it to make the visitors buy a
product or subscribe a business?
The website is there to serve a goal. Be sure the web designer caters to that goal!
4. The lowest bidder may not be that good. It is not just about getting the website done. It is about
getting it done right! Quality may sometimes have a crucial link with price because of the maxim - You
get what you pay. Moreover, web designers who have the lowest rate are usually inexperienced and
hard to work with. Do not sacrifice the quality over a meager sum. It will surely spoil your business!
Hiring a web designer to come up with the custom solution that you need can set you back a few
thousand bucks. But you can do the whole thing yourself and make it drag and drop simple for mere
pennies with a tool like Breezy Websites. See http://breezywebsites.com for details!
Free website design : End of Part II
How to choose colours for a website
When designing a web site, most of the web designers give attention to two major factors; the design,
i.e. the graphics and logos of the site, and the content. However, colour too plays a very important part
5. in the design of a website as it defines the mood and emotions of the visitor and reflects your identity
and image branding.
Colour can be classified as a form of symbolism. This is why we often say a person is green with envy or
perhaps red with anger. Colours play a great deal in affecting us psychologically and can thus stimulate
our appetite and also suppress it. There are strong colours like red and orange, and peaceful colours like
green and blue. So depending on the mood and scheme of the website, colours have to be chosen
wisely.
Modern computers are capable of displaying millions of colours on the screen. However, web design is
limited to only 216 colours as Mac computers and PC’s both use different colour palettes that
are common to both. These 216 colours are considered to be ‘web safe’ meaning that
the web site colours look fairly consistent on different computers, be it Mac or PC, different operating
systems and even different browsers like Internet Explorer and Mozilla.
Choosing the correct colour scheme for your site can be selected from the various types of colour
combinations there are. The monochromatic colour schemes use a single colour where different values
of the chosen colour are used to create the feel of the different colours. These schemes are basically
harmonious and peaceful as using a single colour creates unity and thus helps to create and tie things
together. Visually appealing schemes created by using colours that are related, but not the same, are
called analogous colour combinations. Examples of analogous colour schemes are a selection of blues
and purples or of reds and oranges. While two colours can be used in an analogous colour scheme, one
colour is usually used as the dominant colour in the website while the others are considered to be
accents. Colours that are opposite are used for contrasting colour schemes that are complimentary and
pleasing to the eye. For example, yellow and green and purple and pink can be considered as contrasting
colours. Contrasting colour combinations needn’t be ones using startling and obvious colours as
new combinations too are pleasing to the eye. However, there is a word of caution to be kept in mind
while using contrasting colours in the website. Usually the eye has difficulty focusing on contrasting
colours at the same time. So it is always better to use contrasting colours for your accents and to avoid
using strong contrasts as background and type colours. Then there is the triadic colour combinations
which are colour combinations with three opposing colours. Red, yellow and blue make a great triadic
colour scheme. As in contrasting colour combinations, it is not advisable to use full strength and startling
colour combinations in triadic colour combinations. Instead, using a more subdued value of one or more
colours very much help in creating better readability for the site.
6. Colour is all around us, in nature, furnishings, cars, and in the hundreds of designs we see in the web and
in print. When you happen to see a colour combination that thrills you, just jot it down and save it for
the future as you may never know when you may need it for the colour scheme of your website!
Hiring a web designer to come up with the custom solution that you need can set you back a few
thousand bucks. But you can do the whole thing yourself and make it drag and drop simple for mere
pennies with a tool like Breezy Websites. See http://breezywebsites.com for details!
Free website design : End of Part III
