0Blog Action Day 2008 Donation Contest for Web Designers
Blog Action Day 2008 Donation Contest for Web Designers
8New Blog Design
The urge for good design is the same as the urge to go on living. - Harry Bertoia
I’ve been working on an upgrade to the web design company directory and this design was intended to launch with the upgrade, but it’s been taking too long to complete the development and the blog was really hurting in the previous design. So for now, this design will only be on the blog and I’ll get the directory upgraded as soon as I can.
The design was created by the extremely talented Evan Agee of Agee Design. Evan was an employee of mine at Auction Floor, Inc. (which we both left last summer) and I’m extremely happy to have collaborated with him on this design. I really look forward to having it up on the directory as well.
It’s not a 100% complete yet, but I’ve got some client work I’ve got to get done this weekend. The sidebar in particular needs a little focus. That said, what do you think so far? What’s good? What needs work?
1Doug Karr Expectations
Honest Expectations Bring Customer Satisfaction
810 Tips for Choosing the Right Design Company – Part 1
Last week, I wrote a post titled Top 7 Reasons Why It’s Better to Hire a Large Design Company Than a Freelance Designer or Small Design Firm in response to a great post from Calvin Cox of StyleApple on Top 7 Reasons Why It’s Better to Hire a Freelance Designer or Small Design Firm Than a Large Design Company. Both posts generated some fiery debate.
The point of our posts was not that a large company or a freelancer is better or worse because of their size, but that there are some advantages and disadvantages that generally come with size. I think we both wrote our posts focusing on the average large design company or small design company. We were not trying to stay that this is what ALL large or small design firms are like.
The real key is the quality of the company and people who work there, not the size. With that in mind, Calvin and I have co-written this post with 10 little tips, 5 from each of us, on ways to select a great design company. Continue Reading 10 Tips for Choosing the Right Design Company – Part 1 »
3TechCrunch Redesign Review
TechCrunch launched a new design today. As one the of the few blogs I actually read every day, I’m extremely glad to see this new design. The old design was too cluttered, slow-to-load and too bright.
The new design is a pleasant change to a much more minimalist look with a clean interface.  The navigation is more logical and well-placed. The site’s HTML isn’t valid, but I don’t really care. Continue Reading TechCrunch Redesign Review »
34Top 7 Reasons to Hire a Large Design Company
This post is in response to Calvin Cox’s Top 7 Reasons Why It’s Better to Hire a Freelance Designer or Small Design Firm Than a Large Design Company. Let me state up front that I agree with everything Calvin said. This post is not a rebuttal, just an attempt to keep things balanced. Continue Reading Top 7 Reasons to Hire a Large Design Company »
10Republican & Democratic Convention Website Review
Update: Read the comments below. I totally blew it and reviewed the wrong Democratic Convention website!
Personally, I’m sick and tired of the convention coverage already so I thought I’d put my own twist on it and take a detailed look at the convention’s websites. Continue Reading Republican & Democratic Convention Website Review »
16The Secret to Painless Google Website Optimizer
For me, Google Website Optimizer (GWO) has been the best new tool or service launched in the last three years. It has literally created tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional revenue for my company and my freelance clients. That said, I initially found GWO very difficult to implement. Essentially, GWO works through code such as this: Continue Reading The Secret to Painless Google Website Optimizer »
6This Post is Guaranteed to Boost your Conversion Rates
I’ll be honest. A year ago, I was an unbeliever. The idea that something on your site could influence me to buy or not buy was hogwash. No stupid seal or testimonial was going to change my mind. Let me tell you, if you’re not doing everything you can to boost the conversion rate of your website - you’re either losing your money or losing your client’s money (and your client should probably fire you). Over the last year, my eyes have been opened and I’ve begun to realize how much power I have over website visitors to squash their fears and nudge them toward making larger purchases. Here’s an overview of three of the tools at your disposal: Continue Reading This Post is Guaranteed to Boost your Conversion Rates »
7How to Improve the Client Experience and Charge More
At my last job, we worked right above a hair salon. Growing up, my mother always cut my hair, then my wife when she had time and lately, a local barbershop. But since the salon was a client and it saved an extra trip, I got my hair cut after work. The difference between the salon and the barbershop was unbelievable. At the salon, I was treated by an attractive stylist who remembered my name and how I liked my hair. She talked with me about subjects I was interested in and even remembered our discussions from the my previous appointment! The stylist make recommendations for my hair based on current trends and my hair’s personality (red and very thick). My hair was shampooed, conditioned and I received a very relaxing neck massage. She only used the trimmer for the edges. The salon was impeccably clean and had a very modern decor. It was a little upscale and I liked it. It made me FEEL important, stylish and trendy. Continue Reading How to Improve the Client Experience and Charge More »
8Web 2.0 in Six Easy Steps
It’s really quite simple…
5. Get a subscribe-to-beta-launch-e-mail-list button
That’s all there is to it folks!
1Does your web design business have goals?
Are you merely wandering around looking for clients or do you have goals and targets for your company? For your team? The importance of goals has been covered many times as well as methods of goal creation. Here are some specific areas to create both short-term and long-term goals for: Continue Reading Does your web design business have goals? »
