#so yeah i might be posting for my portfolio and samples for the page | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

unwri-ten · 11 months ago

Note

i just looked at your site for comms and i'm like this 'cause it got me scared of you [/POS /POS] ↓

[i'm being so serious, how do you do the whole making a site thing-]

HI HIII OUBSDFJNFSD- Don't be intimidated!!! I don't bite <333 But yeah, omg sites and stuff- !! Really intimidating when you start out I totally get it, BUTT It's not that difficult once you get the hang of it, 'cause from my experience, that slump mostly comes from just not knowing what to put and the overloady junk ykyk? But anyways, Yeah! I can talk about some things I learned while developing a portfolio website/landing page

First would be what you want to use it for! For this whole thing I'm just gonna use Weebly and Carrd as samples because they're both free. ANYWAYS, I use two websites for two things, first is a directory that includes almost all the links to my stuff, and the second is my actual main website as a portfolio and professional place to showcase my work to clients and potential employers. The directory is pretty simple since it's just a compilations to links, Carrd is pretty easy to use so I'd recommend this one if you just need one place to put your socials, commission info, and etc.

I put everything in sections and since I mostly use all of this for work in general, I showcase my work status and my website first and foremost!

Andd all of this is just links to stuff that might be important, I'd also recommend having navigation buttons on each page that helps with loading back to other part of your website, (beloww)

and as for my main site, it's a lot more complicated and I'm already babbling way too much in one post so I'll try to condense it pretty quick. Visuals can come later! Focus on what content you want to put in the site first. Usually it's sanctioned into three things: Your Portfolio/shop, a showcase for the services that you offer, and an about-me (I got inspiration from other sites like local brands and their shop websites and art portfolios) (oh and TOS is important too if you're an artist!)

You can of course add and not-add anything you please but that's the generalized gist of it and what worked for me personally. Once you know what to put then you can build up the website bit by bit, I'd recommend weebly for heavier sites like that because not only is it free but unlike carrd, it has no 'element limit'. the only drawback is a footer that advertises weebly on your website, and to me that's not that bad of a con really LOLOL some tips: *I'd recommend putting your best work forward than -all- of your work in a portfolio/gallery. Find what best showcases your talent, quality over quantity! *Find other portfolios/websites that align to what you're looking for, most artists you know prolly have their websites too so it's a good starting point to find inspiration on what to put! *and for actually learning how to use carrd and weebly's interfaces, its a WHOLLEEE other conversation I can't really divulge in without going on a ramble-bam sooo if you have any questions, i dont mind dms! I'd love to help :)) I think advertising and marketing yourself is really important (sometimes even moreso because yk how it is with art as a business), and I already went through the nittygritty of learning this all by myself so I'd love to help anyone that needs it, o7!!!! Hope this helps!!

#teniseeasks #REALLY LONG POST #HKBAFNLJNJFA

34 notes · View notes

gvabusinesssolutions · 5 years ago

Link

Freelancing is something that creates work-life blend to many successful online geeks and marketers today. Exciting! But how do successful freelances do it? Here are some tips and Guide to become a freelancer and start earning today.

1. Find your niche and level up.

First make a list of your skills, talents and interests, you might want to stick with it and be ready to get any paid works you can get your hand to work on. If you are not confident of any skills or you want to level up your skills, you might want to learn further about something of interest to you. Based on my experience, my learning venue are mixed online video tutorial from youtube, searching contents from google and enrolled myself on reliable freelancing academy courses. Trust me, it helped me lot during my early stage in freelancing.

As you go deeper into your Freelancing Services, you need to be more strategic about the types of work you do and the clients you want to work on. If you choose the right niche, deciding what to specialize and putting some effort into branding yourself as an expert within your niche can really pay off for years to come. Don’t be scared in specializing yourself. You’d be surprised at a) how much more you can earn, and b) how much you’ll learn.

2. Get clear on your service offerings

One you have chosen your niche, one major decision you need to make early on in your freelance career is what you do and what you don’t do. It will allow you to control how potential clients perceive you and give you the opportunity to continue building your portfolio in the direction you want to move in. You can start by signing up in Upwork or creating social media accounts where you can display your service offerings that are distinct, specific, results-focused packages that solve the problems your clients most need help solving.

3. Create a high quality Portfolio

When I ask people about their biggest challenges to succeeding at freelancing, one of the most common responses I get is “Building a portfolio”. And yeah, I share the same experience when I starting up my career in freelancing. The purpose of your portfolio is to educate, spark interest, and convince potential clients that they’ll want to choose you for their technical needs.

So here are the simple tips:

a. If you are enrolled to online freelancing virtual assistance courses, they will surely provide you tips and samples on building your portfolio.

b. If you don't have any sample, just critique someone else's work. Anyone can do this! Just use an app like Camtasia (you can even use their free trial) to record your screen while you talk. Keep it short and simple.

c. Portfolio samples don't always need to be finished projects. When I started my online freelancing virtual assistance course, I was able to make a Freelancing Branding Template for myself. It was not complete, but yeah, I uploaded it already to my Upwork account. As we went on to the course, more portfolios were prepared like keyword research and social media content planning etc. Another example, instead of a full manuscript, proofreaders can put a single page (or paragraph) of rough text in a Google doc with edits made under suggestion mode. Instead of putting together a 10 page report, research assistants can show just half a page of detailed notes on a random subject.

d. You can use screenshots for more than just "creative" project. It doesn’t matter what type of work you do. Screenshots of spreadsheets, research documents, social media posts, apps and anything else you can imagine can all make great portfolio pieces that make you look smart and credible.

4. Find your Client

In Freelancing services, the essential first step in finding a client is to Define Your Target Market. If you don’t do this, you’re going to be at a loss at what exactly you’re selling and to whom you’re selling it. In order for you to do that, here some questions that you're going to ask yourself.

Ask yourself:

Who is my client?

Where do they go when they want to look for a solution to their problems?

Where are they ALREADY looking for solutions to their problems?

How can you connect them to your service?

Who EXACTLY is the type of person who might want to buy your product? Ask yourself even more SPECIFIC questions now about your potential client.

How old are they?

Where do they live?

What are their interests?

How much do they make?

What books do they read?

5. Beginners, be flexible with your rates

As most beginners do, you can start your pricing charged at a flexible hourly rate for the time that your work. But as you're getting client rating for each job done, you can make up the pricing for each client. Yes, make it up! Remember, price yourself based on the value you deliver, not based on what your competitors are charging. Also, it is important that you don't charge your clients too far above your value, but don’t ever undervalue what you’re doing for your clients.

6. Get Referrals

When you get referrals, you can get better clients and you can raise your prices!

Ask for referrals and reference for clients and don't forget to ABM (Always Be Marketing). Consistency is key to long-term success, so keep marketing even at your busiest times.

You can use some proven script below to help you ask for referrals:

CLIENT’S NAME,

I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed my work. If you know of anyone else who’s looking for my Freelancing Services as well, I’d be grateful if you passed my contact information along to them.

Thank you,

YOUR NAME

It’s simple, direct, and gets results.

7. Build your online presence.

Create your presence online to become discoverable. Because you are a service-based solopreneur it may be beneficial to have a yourname.com or businessname.com domain and build your website. Your website has to be consistent and most importantly, has to be centered, similarly to your elevator pitch, around your customer. You can also build your presence on social media. Find out where your potential clients hang out and make use of that channel. Be active, engage and provide a lot of value. Value, value and value once again. Start a blog and create social media posts that respond to your potential clients' needs and wants. If you don't know what they struggle with, simply ask and provide help.

8. Blog Frequently

At the beginning, aim for creating one or two in-depth blog posts per month, ultimately your blog becomes part of your brand and geared toward providing truly helpful solutions that your potential clients may be searching for.

Note: That means you’ll be writing for an audience of your clients, not other people in your field.

Blogging frequently provides fresh content for search engines and for your social media sites. It’s well-known that the search engines tend to favor sites that frequently publish new content. What better way to add new content that with a well-written blog post? If you don’t blog, you will have to share other people’s content on social media. Now, there’s nothing wrong with doing that. You should do that. But it’s also a good idea to have something of your own to share. Blogging sometimes can become a source of additional income, as it becomes popular. It doesn't always happen, but it's nice when it does.

9. Start Freelancing Before You Quit Your Day Job

You'll absolutely need the money, so before you quit your day job, you need to check for potential risks and to help you with that:

a. Set up a basic Budget.

I used simple spreadsheet to do this or you may use some Budget App. Make a list of everything you’re on the hook for each month, and realize you need to bring in that and more each month to succeed.

b. Start Saving.

You need to set aside money in your business. It took me way too long to realize this. You can set up doing the 50-30-20 rule. Fifty percent goes to your needs and household expenses, thirty percent to your Savings, Twenty percent is still a lot for your wants, so may want to divide it to Ten percent for your wants and Ten percent for your tithe.

c. While you still haven't axed your sole source of income, day job, I recommend growing your side income to at least 60–85% of your total current income before leaving your full-time job, depending on your risk tolerance.

Now that you've read our freelancing tips, you are ready to go! Keep in mind however that freelancing is only for people who are willing to work hard and put in the time, NOT for those who just want to find a “magic bullet” to make money instead. Now that you've got the tip on how to earn in freelancing, go ahead and start your Freelancing journey.

Have I missed some insights and freelancing tips for beginners? Send us a message at [email protected]. We'll be happy to guide you.

Happy Freelancing!

#freelancing workathome wahm

0 notes

reganadler · 8 years ago

Text

Casting your audio drama: beyond casting calls

While trying to cast for @mirrorpod, I was a complete noob. I recruited some awesome friends, but none of us really had acting experience, and I was worried about asking too much from them in terms of time.

Then the wonderful @typhloticauthority posted on Twitter that she wanted to act in a horror podcast. I DMed her, and not only was she perfect for the lead role, but she also brought other amazing actors and crew members with her! The podcast was taking off at the speed of light! So I then posted a casting call on tumblr to cast the rest of my characters. We had lots of amazing responses, but (I think due to the site’s demographics) I couldn’t find the right voice for one specific character.

After floundering a few days, it occurred to me that voice actors were probably posting their portfolios somewhere, and some of them might even work for free. And that’s totally the case! Here’s what I did to find that one elusive voice:

I went to https://www.castingcall.club/#/

I sorted the casting calls by popularity

I clicked on a universe similar-ish to my own (modernish rather than fantasy) and likely to produce the kind of voice I wanted (so, not robots)

I scrolled down on that casting call’s page and selected “all” and “male” (since I needed a man’s voice) for the roles

I noted any roles that sounded remotely in the right area as what I needed—a man, ageless/adult/middle-aged, etc.

(Note that you can see how much the role is paying! Most are $0, which gives you an idea if the actor might be willing to work for free—a godsend if you’re disabled, unemployed, and funding the podcast yourself!)

I clicked “show auditions” and listened to all the audition clips for that character

I clicked on the profiles of the ones I liked best (good acting ability, good range, good voice, good mic) and went to their “auditions” tab

I listened to a bunch of their samples, checked out their social media pages, and if it seemed like they would work, I sent a message!

Alternatively, if you need someone who can speak a specific language or you just want to scroll through thousands of actors, you can go to the actors page (top right-ish) and filter by gender, language, etc.

FWIW, I got a message back within minutes, and things are really looking good! (Knock on wood) But anyway, yeah! That’s how to recruit voice actors without a casting call.

Disclaimer: I have no idea if this is the proper or ethical way to recruit people, and would love feedback if it’s a terrible idea! But so far it seems to be working out!

#on podcasting #podcasting #podcast creation #audio drama #casting #directiing

2 notes · View notes

dbl07consulting2 · 5 years ago

Text

UX Website Design

UX Website Design?

I’m confused by the term “UX Website Design” I’ve been doing web design since the internet was invented and there has been a huge evolution from the 8-bit days of websites with music playing as soon as it loaded and cheesy animated gifs. (and yet somehow .gifs are making a comeback) The evolution of communication is fun to think about

Websites began as an online version of a trifold pamphlet you would pass out to prospective clients – flat, no style information only. And now they have evolved to be interactive with live feeds from social media, videos, and who know what is on the horizon for website design. I think the next step for website consumption will be grafted into the VR experience. Soon we will all watch movies, play video games and surf the web using VR like the minority report.

Waffle House

How much do you pay your employees to represent your company well? Let’s say on the conservative side $15hr X 40hr work week = 2080 hrs a year you can get from average employee. So the cost to pay them for 4ohrs for 1 year would be $31,200. Now think of what it would cost to have a 24/7 waffle house type presence in front of your target audience representing your brand. 24X365 = 8760 X $15hr. Take a guess at what that would cost you…$131,400! So it blows my mind when a company doesn’t see the value of a website that cost $5k to be built properly with great SEO and a great user experience!

So what does any of that have to do with UX? Well by the simplest definition of UX Design

“The main goal of design research is to inform the design process from the perspective of the end user.”

ike the ease of use, interaction, the layout…yeah basically so the user has a good experience all around

That’s what I’ve been doing forever, look at our website design portfolio just never called it UX, #stupidhipsters

Parks Howell from The Business of Story said it best “Spoiler alert: I hate to break it to you that your brand is NOT the hero of your story. Your customer is. Place them at the center of your brand story and magical things will happen.”

We learn everything we can about the target audience, and then iteratively test our work throughout the design process.

ROI

Like I mentioned before, website have evolved past the brochure to being a powerful selling tool for your brand that should result on a quick ROI.

Mary Ashleigh Rings

November 1, 2016

Web Design Scholarship

Generation Z, my generation, is engrossed in technology. We are “born with power cords not umbilical cords.” This generation couldn’t be more perfectly named! We have become Zombies to our technology. We have reached the point that Albert Einstein feared. “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots!”

With more and more technology continuing to develop, Generation Z will become more and more lazy because of everything that technology can do for them.

So the question is How do you get inside that little box they keep staring at to influence their buying power. What amazing user experience, UX, can you provide to reach this generation that FFW through every commercial on TV and streams music with no commercials?

Website design has experienced a huge evolution from the 8-bit days of websites with music playing as soon as it loaded and cheesy animated gifs. (and yet somehow .gifs are making a comeback) Our evolution of communication is fun to think about

We began communicating with hieroglyphics and evolved, then devolved our way back to modern hieroglyphics in emoji based communication on apps. Websites began as an online version of an information pamphlet that was flat and had no style. And now they have evolved to be interactive with live feeds from social media, videos, and who know what is on the horizon for website design. I think the next step for website consumption will be grafted into the VR experience. Soon we will all watch movies, play video games and surf the web using VR with our friends without ever leaving our homes.

If you want your business website to be found by Gen Z you will need to research into what websites their generation already spends their time on. Then see if there is a trend, a commonality to those sites that attracts them. This generation is highly social, as long as it doesn’t involve actually being social in person. So placing advertisements of your business on social media that they use will allow them to “bump into” your website and they might want to try it out. It is also helpful to have your website displayed on the first google page for searches related to businesses because they will not put in the effort to look further into google when looking for something. If they do not find what they are looking for on that first page they will try searching something else to find the answers they are looking for.

Another good way to get their generation interested in your product or service is to offer a sample or free trial of it because they want to know what they are buying before they buy it. So after they land on your website, design it in a way that draws the user’s eyes to a free trial offer. This is a brilliant marketing target for every generation; however, you want your sample to be small so they if they like your product they will have to buy it to continue to enjoy using it.

All of this changes the way of how we market today because my generation consumes information in a non traditional/nonlinear way. For example if someone is thinking about buying a bike, the progression looked like this:

Step one is they would go to google type in “what are the best shoes for …”

Step two then read reviews

Step three search for prices online

Step four buy a pair shoes .

But my generation is more organic in how we spend our time online.

My purchasing process is more organic.

I start my day my looking through twitter and the ads that pop up are the first ones i see that day. I am more likely to look more into the product if it is boosted my someone famous that I like or has a funny commercial. Then as my day goes on i get a snapchat from my friend of her new Vans which makes me wonder what other cool shoes are out there so I hop on pinterest. I would ask her where she got them and look up what other options there are. I would also ask her if they had any deals on them and if she did not know of any then I would go to google and look up discounts for the pair of shoes that fit my style.

If I saw a link to a video of someone famous that I liked I would click on it before I would click on a link to a website. Producing a funny video with someone famous and releasing it onto various social media platforms is the best way to get the attention of my generation!

Advertise your product through a snapchat filter

My generation has been raised on the concept that everything we own from our cell phones to cars somehow have an expiration date and we need to upgrade…NOW! The simplest definition of UX Design “The main goal of design research is to inform the design process from the perspective of the end user.” So knowing that should influence the design to be fun interactive, sharable and use brand power to influence our need to buy now before it’s gone and our old stuff is so uncool.

The more you learn about Generation Z and their lifestyle and place them at the center, the better you can design a website to fit their unique needs. The more creative your marketing the more people will want to “Share your article on social media and tell people to share and vote”

The post UX Website Design appeared first on DBL07 Consulting & Website Design.

from DBL07 Consulting & Website Design https://www.dbl07.co/website-design/

0 notes

dbl07consulting1 · 5 years ago

Text

UX Website Design

UX Website Design?

Waffle House

So what does any of that have to do with UX? Well by the simplest definition of UX Design

“The main goal of design research is to inform the design process from the perspective of the end user.”

ike the ease of use, interaction, the layout…yeah basically so the user has a good experience all around

That’s what I’ve been doing forever, look at our website design portfolio just never called it UX, #stupidhipsters

We learn everything we can about the target audience, and then iteratively test our work throughout the design process.

ROI

Like I mentioned before, website have evolved past the brochure to being a powerful selling tool for your brand that should result on a quick ROI.

Mary Ashleigh Rings

November 1, 2016

Web Design Scholarship

With more and more technology continuing to develop, Generation Z will become more and more lazy because of everything that technology can do for them.

Step one is they would go to google type in “what are the best shoes for …”

Step two then read reviews

Step three search for prices online

Step four buy a pair shoes .

But my generation is more organic in how we spend our time online.

My purchasing process is more organic.

Advertise your product through a snapchat filter

The post UX Website Design appeared first on DBL07 Consulting & Website Design.

source https://www.dbl07.co/website-design/

0 notes

gvabusiness-blog · 5 years ago

Text

BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO BECOME A FREELANCER AND START EARNING

Ruth Andres|Freelancing Tips

1. Find your niche and level up.

2. Get clear on your service offerings

3. Create a high quality Portfolio

So here are the simple tips:

a. If you are enrolled to online freelancing virtual assistance courses, they will surely provide you tips and samples on building your portfolio.

4. Find your Client

Ask yourself:

Who is my client?

Where do they go when they want to look for a solution to their problems?

Where are they ALREADY looking for solutions to their problems?

How can you connect them to your service?

Who EXACTLY is the type of person who might want to buy your product? Ask yourself even more SPECIFIC questions now about your potential client.

How old are they?

Where do they live?

What are their interests?

How much do they make?

What books do they read?

5. Beginners, be flexible with your rates

6. Get Referrals

When you get referrals, you can get better clients and you can raise your prices!

Ask for referrals and reference for clients and don't forget to ABM (Always Be Marketing). Consistency is key to long-term success, so keep marketing even at your busiest times.

You can use some proven script below to help you ask for referrals:

CLIENT’S NAME,

I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed my work. If you know of anyone else who’s looking for my Freelancing Services as well, I’d be grateful if you passed my contact information along to them.

Thank you,

YOUR NAME

It’s simple, direct, and gets results.

7. Build your online presence.

8. Blog Frequently

Note: That means you’ll be writing for an audience of your clients, not other people in your field.

9. Start Freelancing Before You Quit Your Day Job

You'll absolutely need the money, so before you quit your day job, you need to check for potential risks and to help you with that:

a. Set up a basic Budget.

b. Start Saving.

Have I missed some insights and freelancing tips for beginners? Send us a message at [email protected]. We'll be happy to guide you.

Happy Freelancing!

#freelancingtip freelancer workathome

0 notes

boxvibe · 7 years ago

Link

Why Are Web Designers Such Flakes? A Reality Check. Circling the drain of unresponsive or missing in action web designers is a common dilemma. The Question is this: As a self-respecting author with a plan and a purpose, how do you choose a designer you can afford and rely on?As a small publisher, or self-published author, you are faced with the high-cost of publishing a book. Your ever-growing budget includes editors, book cover and interior design, maybe a book coach or advisor, printing costs, fulfillment needs, marketing ... my goodness, where does it end? When does the author start making money? Well, this is a question for another article all together. The point here is, how much should you allocate to the added expense of hiring a web designer? Can you hire someone who can do it all and is affordable to boot?Ah, herein lies the problem. The one-man show dilemma-freelance artists. A newly graduated artist (or even an established one-person show) can be a very enticing option for someone with a small budget, especially when they are often a third of the price you would pay with a full-service design house. They are typically hungry, excited, talented, reasonably priced, and they can do it all. Yeah!!! So what goes wrong? Burnout. A freelance artist often over promises and eventually under delivers. They over commit because of the opportunity to build their portfolio; they chock it up to needed experience, and maybe even their desire to help another artist. But at the end of the day this is the perfect recipe for disaster. Why? Because it's truly hard to do it all yourself and when you finally reach that wall, you shut down and walk away, close the door, stop returning calls-you move on.This does not mean that because someone is reasonably priced that they are a bad choice for your needs. The question we seek to answer is: How do you protect yourself?As you search for a reliable, talented designer consider the fallout. As you become overwhelmed with the production of your book, you tend to need a leaning post. That is, someone you can consider a partner, someone who cares as much as you do and will be there till the bitter end, or God willing the glorious payout. But let's talk reality folks. Few people care about your project as much as you do. At the end of the day, people will do what is best for "me." If you lay something precious in someone else's hands you have to know that they will cherish that precious thing and treat it with the same care that you would. In the business world, this means you pay them to care-you appreciate them, you praise them, you create an environment that is rewarding, you pay them hard-earned cash.What you are looking for is a long-lasting relationship, someone who delivers, who knows their stuff and someone who isn't going to close up shop and leave you holding the bag. A Sad Tale of Trust and Where it Went Wrong: The Spark: You have just written a book! You are ready to meet your public. You are told you need a web site. You look around, you ask a few people for references, you weight the costs, you're not quite sure how it will benefit you, you're just about out of money, or worse your sinking further into debt. And then you meet Bob at a community function. Bob is great! He is dynamic, he loves your book, he has great ideas, he is excited, talented, and he can help you build a site for a fraction of the cost-this you can afford. The Honeymoon: You get started on the project and Bob really seems to listen, he's working quickly, he answers your calls, he has something for you to see right away, and it's pretty good, you like it, OK maybe it's not great, but hey it was practically free and it's something, its better than nothing. The Fallout: You have a big signing at the local bookstore, you're excited, but your site needs to be updated and there's that issue of those few spelling errors you haven't gotten around to fixing. You know you need to talk to Bob. But Bob is out of town until next week. You call some friends to see if they know of anyone who can help, yes, but do you have access to the web files? Hmm, no Bob has that. Bob doesn't seem to be returning your calls, or emails-Bob is MIA. The Reality: So what if you do find someone who is so excited and hungry that they are willing to do it for very little, or even better, for free. What happens when your designer needs a leaning post and you are pushing for more-you've started with this person, you need them to finish the job, your marketing success depends on it...they stop returning calls, they are less and less responsive...you go crazy with frustration, the process of getting a simple update to your site is maddening, you throw your hands up in exasperation, the love affair is over and you are left to pick up the pieces.You face the facts, you know you must find another web master, you search for people in your area, you are horrified by the high-prices, your benchmark, what you had come to rely on was so much less expensive. How can this be? OK fine, you find someone you think you can trust and they tell you your previous web designer didn't know what they were doing. Salt. Wound. Pain. They tell you have to start over and it's going to cost you. Yikes. The Idiot: Was your last designer really an idiot? Maybe, but probably not. First of all, it's important to know that designing and programming are two very different art forms and it makes sense to leave each task to the expert. I once saw a very talented illustrator design the interior layout of a book one page at a time, as opposed to flowing all of the text into one document (which certainly makes things easier when it comes time to make future changes). Was this guy an idiot? No, he just didn't know what he was doing, but he sure was confident that he could get the job done. And boy did he. Now the second edition needs changes....With web programmers, another thing to consider is that there are numerous ways to build a web site. Building a site is much like organizing your files, because in fact it is; web coders are a unique brand of person and each has his or her own naming conventions and ways of organizing files, which could be near impossible for someone else to decipher. Plus, there are numerous ways to code, programs to use, platforms, etc. Just like you might be baffled by my filing system, I would likely be baffled by yours. So for a programmer to look inside your site, it can take a lot of maddening hours and cursing-clearly the last person didn't know what he or she was doing. No, they just did it differently. But, why would I want to tackle that frustrating beast? Hmm, this is gonna be pricey. Synergy, Longevity and Web Designers; The Answer: Finding the right Web designer is sometimes like trying to find a needle in a haystack. So what's a savvy author to do? First, get referrals. Qualified referrals will save you a lot of time, especially if they are from fellow authors. For this reason, consider joining your local authors' guild and attending authors' conferences where you can connect with other people in your industry.Be sure to choose a designer who is familiar with your industry. A successful Web site goes way beyond the nuts and bolts of programming and coding. Your designer should have a firm understanding of what you are trying to accomplish and a definitive plan to reach that end. For instance, your navigation should lead your visitor in the direction of a sale-think of it like a funnel. You should implement an effective call-to-action that will guide your readers through the funnel and convert them into sales.A successful home page will appeal to varying personalities in different ways. Use both imagery and text to say the same thing. This will reach the analytical and the visual; no matter how you say it, both will lead to the same place-a sale. A marketing-savvy firm will understand the importance of this element and provide valuable insight.Ask for testimonials. Does he or she complete projects on deadline? A typical site should take from two to five weeks to design and build. Also, ask to see samples-including live sites. Test them for ease of use and loading time, as well as the general feeling you get from the sites you view. Chances are, if you dislike everything someone has done, you will be unhappy with what they produce for you as well.Does he or she listen to your needs? A good way to tell if a company designs for the client or for themselves is to view their samples. If all of their samples are similar, this could be a red flag-unless, of course, that is exactly the style you want in your design. A good designer should be able to listen to your needs and translate them into a workable site that exceeds your expectations. Ultimately, your site should reflect your personality-not theirs. Make sure your design team is easy to communicate with. Do they speak your language? Remember: this should be your vision, not theirs. Ego can often get in the way of your goals. When it comes down to it, they work for you. They should be able to set their artistry ego aside and follow your line of thinking, providing you with valuable insight and ideas that you hadn't considered. Ask Questions-Expect Answers Ensure that your designer and the person coding your site are two different people. They are very different jobs and require different skills, just as your architect and your contractor are two different people. That's not to say that you should hire two different firms-quite the opposite: a well-trained team works smoothly together and should be able to handle anything you throw their way.A good firm will provide you with at least three "comps" or design samples. This is the part of the project where you will have the most involvement. That's not to say that you should be able to stare over their shoulders as they create for you-but you should be given ample opportunity to verbalize your needs. You should approve the design before it goes to the programmer. Also, find out what their policy is on additional changes once you have approved the final design; you do not want to get stuck with hidden costs halfway through the project.Always get a contract. Know exactly what to expect. A contract protects you as much as the design house. Read your contract thoroughly. Be sure that you own the rights to your site, the design, all the images, and your copy. When it's all said and done, your designer should provide you with a disc that contains all your design files and your Web files; keep this disc and all your passwords in a safe place-in fact, make backups. Should something happen to your design house, or they go out of business, you should be able to seamlessly transfer everything to a new firm. And remember: this is a relationship, if you are not happy with your team, or you are not getting the results you expected, then don't be afraid to find someone else.Don't rush it. Costly mistakes are made when people rush. Once your site is up and running, you can decide to change it, but it will likely mean starting all over and costing you twice what it should. Often, this can be the straw that breaks the marketing camel's back. It is easy to get discouraged when you have invested so much of your heart and soul into a project only to find out you are back at square one. From the perspective of a coder, it is less costly to start over than to give your site a facelift-changing colors, navigation, and the overall look and feel of your site isn't as easy as it may seem. Avoid costly mistakes in the beginning, even if it means stalling your project just a little longer. How Much Should a Web Site Cost? While industry standards are typically followed, prices vary widely. The Graphic Artist's Guild Handbook: Pricing and Ethical Guidelines is a sufficient reference guide for industry pricing standards when it comes to illustration and design; this will give you a firm place to start.It's possible to pay anywhere from $200 to $44,000 on a Web site; all of this depends on the size of your site and your programming needs (and who you hire). What you want to concentrate on is the relationship you have with your designer. Meet with this person, and see if you like him or her; after all, you will likely be working very closely with this person. You should be developing a relationship that will help make you and your book shine.Keep in mind, just because your site looks great doesn't mean it's effective. Discuss these elements and see what kind of ideas your potential designer may have that can bring your project to a higher level. Use someone who understands books and the publishing industry. While one firm may be able to design and build an incredible site for real estate agents, they may not know the first thing about selling books.All of these things are crucial elements that you must consider before signing that contract. Always ask for a contract; no matter how much you trust this person, business is business-be professional. It's okay and even necessary to build relationships and even friendships in this business, but never forget your end goal: You are an author with your own business, and only you will look out for you in the end. Make a List-Check it Twice Before you start shopping for a design house, jot down a list of your expectations; that way if it comes down to one or two firms / designers, you will make an educated decision based on all your needs.Lastly, follow your gut feeling; listen to your instincts. If something doesn't mesh, move on.Finding a design team can be an emotionally overwhelming process. The following checklist will help you find the right team for your needs. And remember: just because the price is right doesn't mean the fit is, and vice versa; an expensive team may be just that-expensive. You want to choose the best designer for you and your book. Believe me, you'll be glad you did.1. Do they listen? 2. Are they responsive? 3. Do they explain things in a way you can understand? 4. Do you like the other sites they have designed? 5. Are all of their design samples the same? Do they have the feel you are looking for? 6. Are their sites easy to navigate? 7. Do they have experience in your industry? 8. Do their sample sites load quickly? 9. Will they give you recent testimonials and references? Do they have happy clients? 10. What is their timeline? 11. Do they provide more than one design sample for you to choose from? 12. Are the designer and the programmer different people? Does the design firm have a specialized team? 13. Do they offer hosting services? 14. Do they offer E-commerce solutions? 15. Do they understand Internet marketing? 16. Do they have a company Web site? 17. Do they provide a contract that outlines your rights? 18. Do you get to keep the rights to every element of your site, including design and images? 19. How much do they charge for Web site maintenance? 20. Do they employ a solid back-up system? If so, do they keep back-ups offsite for added security? 21. Upon completion, will they provide you with all your files and passwords? by Jeniffer Thompson read more at http://bit.ly/2P4d2dj #Author #Book #boxvibecom #Creating #Designer #Find #Online #Sell #Site #Web #whyhireawebdesigner

0 notes