Some friendly market research. :)

Did you design your own website? (If web design is not your primary or secondary business)

If you hired a Web Design Company (WDC), did you do so after trying to do it yourself?

How did you locate your WDC?

Did you find your WDC while looking for web design information?

Thanks

Jay Gilmore

I designed my own. It has gone through many incarnations as my design skills get better.

What is embarrassing is that the first draft has been indexed in the Way Back Machine. Instead of the standard "Lorem Ipsum" text filler, I spewed out some bizarre nonsense.

A redesign and content update is sorely needed, when I have the time. :confused:

Yellowing,

Where are you looking for website design information? Website designers or forums like this or Site Point or where? Since you have no time what is the reason you would not use a WDC? Cost, the time to focus on the project or what?

The whole reason I posted the questions was to find out on what basis business owners made decisions either to build a site themself or to hire someone to do it.

Any feedback would be great.

Jay
Developer/Consultant

Negative time and costs. Yes, I would like to project a more sophisticated web image.

Right now I am at the comfortable 5 year mark in business. Stable but still working 60 hours a week.

Actually the only 'shopping' I have done is through my web design company resellers of my SEO services.

Their pricing is about two months income for a really superb 2005 looking site. Plus I am still training them out of flash intro pages.

I realize I am falling into that business trap, "Don't have time to modernize!" :looney:

I had a friend do ours, someone whose style we both liked and who could offer us an excellent price for the labor involved.

Art schools and recent graduates are also sometimes likely resources.

I have always done my own. My first website was in 1994 so I got to learn and grow with the web and the search engines. If I were starting out today, I would probably have tried to find someone to do a site.

Hope this helps!

Michele

I have a mix of designed and diy sites. doesn't take much to work out which is which. Worth the $$$

However make sure the site doesn't look too designed because then it can be plastic and hard to feel the person behind it.

I've found that technically designers don't have a clue about SEO or site construction so don't let them try and do that. that's a whole other thread, later maybe...

Sarah

Sarahk,

You noted:
However make sure the site doesn't look too designed because then it can be plastic and hard to feel the person behind it.
When you say designed are you referring to the types of self indulgent graphic design oriented websites. I do agree that many sites have an impersonal, anonymous feel to them. Often that is because the "designer" is more excited about slick looking templates than the customer. Also there was the software encouraged trend to build these sites using MMDW and MMFWorks or lots of photoshop.

You also stated:

I've found that technically designers don't have a clue about SEO or site construction so don't let them try and do that. that's a whole other thread, later maybe...
I'll make a distinction. When I speak of web designer I don't refer to a graphic designer, I am referring to someone who designs websites. Maybe there is a better term to use but Web Developer sounds more like someone who works on the markup, scripting and architechture. Many web designers are able to do both. If a real graphic designer is needed then one gets hired and if a application programmer is required they get hired.

With regard to SEO though, I'll listen to the experts. I have limited knowledge about this area and hope to learn more.

Thanks for the feedback.

Reagards,

Jay
Developer/Consultant

I'll make a distinction. When I speak of web designer I don't refer to a graphic designer, I am referring to someone who designs websites.
Indeed but unfortunately I see sites by graphic designers who can't make that distinction. They have dreamweaver and they think they can do it all. Maybe I just need to spend more time around guys like you... :)