Some Common Misconceptions About Websites and Web Designers

I’ve probably covered this before, but since I think there’s always room to correct some of the common misconceptions about websites and the folks who design them, I think it’s worth touching on again.  There’s a lot of info out there – some good, some bad, and some very ugly – with regard to websites and getting them designed professionally.  Because, let’s face it – everyone is looking to save a buck or two.  No one wants to pay more than they have to and if it means getting everything done themselves, online, without ever talking to a human being, most folks will take it.

I’m here to say that it may not be in your best interests to go entirely with an online service that really doesn’t know your business and what’s more, could care less, as long as you pay them a monthly fee.  But, first of all, let’s get some facts straight.

1. Printed media and websites – can they match?
The quick answer is yes – and no.  It depends really one where and how you’ve created either your printed media (say business cards) or your website.  If you’ve gone and created business cards, on say Vista Print or some other online printer using their templates and designs, and then want to match to a website that you’re having a designer create, the answer is no – no they cannot match – UNLESS you pay an exorbitant fee to get the printer to release the artwork to you.  The same is true vice versa.  You can, however, if you have either a professional designer or the online printer, have one or the other create both your printed media and your website.  However, a word of caution regarding using an online service such as Vista Print:  you cannot switch printers or website hosts if you find a better deal elsewhere or decide to switch.  Meaning, quite simply, you do not own the website or the design.

2. Professional Website Design is Too Expensive.
Another common misconception about using a professional designer to develop your website is that professional website development is expensive.  And, to that I say, yes, it can be.  However, that is not the norm.  Many designers out there, DPi Graphics included, offer website design at reasonable rates and prices.  Depending upon what you want and how big you want your site to be, you could get decent sized website designed and developed for $500 or less.  $500?  Reasonable?  Yes, it is.  I will tell you why.  A website is an investment – it’s your first chance to make a good impression to any would be clients and customers.  Much the same way you wouldn’t choose a car because it was the cheapest on the lot, you shouldn’t necessarily let price dictate your business needs.  If it costs a little more to create the online presence you want, so be it.  But, certainly, $500 for a business owner shouldn’t be too out of range in the general scheme of things.

3. Using a Developer is Difficult and Takes Too Long.
Some say that web developers are difficult to deal with, that they have the personality of a wet sock and a host of other non-endearing traits.  And to that, I say, some may be like that.  I think you’ll find however that most developers and designers have a good sense of humor and are very personable.  Sure, they may not always speak on a level that everyone can understand, but they’re not ogres.  Finding the one that works for you, however, may be a challenge.  Much the same way you wouldn’t choose a car (I like the car analogy) arbitrarily without comparing it with others, you need to do some homework.  Though a developer may be really good at what they do, they may not “get” your vision or they may not be the opportunity for the relationship you need with your designer.

The other thing is, people say that professional design takes too long.  Yes, it’s not immediate.  I could go on any one of a bunch of template based sites and launch a site in minutes, but that’s really not what this is about.  Anything worth doing is worth doing well – launching a site just to have “something up there” isn’t doing you or your business any favors.  It’s not.  In fact, having something just “up there” is bound to negatively affect your business rather than being necessary asset it needs to be.  So, yes, take the time – it shouldn’t take longer than a few weeks for a small site or it could take longer for a website with more extensive programming.  But take the time.  Be a part of the process.  It’ll show in the final product when it’s done and that will show your clients and customers that you’re the real deal.

4.  I Have a Facebook Page, That’s Good Enough…Right?
Wrong.  A Facebook page is a feather in your cap, ’tis true but what about those without Facebook accounts?  There’s a limited amount of customization you can do with any social media – be it Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, etc – these media sources are meant to be supplements to your already established online presence.  Long story short, social media should not replace having an actual website.

5.  My Secretary/Admin/Significant Other/Friend is Designing/Developing My Website.
Great.  I hope they’re well versed in web design.  The point here is, yes, someone can learn how to edit a page.  You can even learn how to style a paragraph or some text.  However, does your “development” person know all the little nuances of web design?  Are they testing your website in multiple browsers on multiple platforms?  If not, you could be in for some unpleasant surprises.  Some clients may not be able to accurately view your website.  Others may be able to view it  but it may not look right or how you intended.  Having a working knowledge of web development is great – I applaud anyone who wants to learn.  And, everyday maintenance is easy to learn.  Learning how to develop pages from scratch so that it represents a well thought out vision is entirely different.  If you’re in this situation, you probably ought to, at the very least, consult a professional developer.

Here are just five or many misconceptions about websites.  The point is, your website is important.  It shouldn’t be treated as an afterthought, a non-essential part of your business, or something that can afford to be “good enough.”  If you’re not sure that what you’re doing is right with your website, contact a professional designer – DPi Graphics is always willing to consult with anyone about their website and suggest the best solutions for you and your business.  Whether we created the site or not, we’ll give you a plan of action on how to make your site better or how to maintain it so that it attracts and keeps the customers and clients you want.

Why Custom Developed Websites Have an Edge on Theme Based Websites

The need for an online presence in today’s business world couldn’t be greater – and with it, the need to stand out – be unique – so that customers and clients choose you – over a competitor.  Yet, even though the need to be different and stand out is first and foremost, many small businesses and organizations turn to theme-based website design, either through and online service or web host.  And, while theme-based websites have their place on the web, they perform a disservice to their customers – a disservice that can be costly when it comes to having a unique presence on the web.

You may be saying, “Well, that’s all fine and good, but I can’t afford a custom built website.”  Hogwash.  It’s more affordable than you think.  A custom built website can be affordable and at least in the case of DPi Graphics, a custom built site can cost as little as $600.00.  You’re now probably saying, “But I don’t have $600 to spend on my website.”  You may not.  But, consider this – your website is your first line of attack – your first impression – to many of today’s consumers.  In much the same way you would present yourself to clients and customers to sell your products, you would want to look, act and speak your best.  You would want to stand out and be different.  Otherwise, what the sense of selling your product?  Why should someone choose you over someone else?  The same needs to be considered with your website.  It needs to represent you well – in your virtual absence – look good and most of all, stand out and be unique.

Many businesses employ their administrative assistants and other support staff to be in charge of their website and its content.  And, if your website has a content management system in place, that may be ok.  If not, these businesses are again, doing themselves a disservice.  By employing an admin, someone who is probably already too busy in their role, or other person, to manage the website and its content, ultimately, you’d be taking time away from your business – whether it be providing support, filling orders, responding to customers, what have you – to have that person make updates to a website that is not their primary responsibility, and in many cases, the website looks mismanaged, neglected and poor.

There are many online services and web hosts that offer theme based designs for websites – as long as you purchase their service.  Many of these are proprietary, meaning if you decide to go somewhere else to a different host, let’s say, you’ll need to abandon your design.  There’s no back up off the server.  Additionally, these theme layouts are just that – a theme.  If you want to add a feature to your site that isn’t part of the theme?  Too bad, so sorry.  Point being – theme based websites often offer a huge lack of customization options.  If it isn’t part of the theme, it’s not part of your website.  

You may say, “Right now, the theme based design works for me and my business.”  Great.  I’m glad it is.  However, what happens when your needs change?  When the business changes?  When you grow?  Well, now, you’re stuck with the same design you started with.  Oh, sure, you could change themes but would that really meet your changing needs?  Not really.  Complacency is the disease we all tend to suffer from, and, well, if it aint broke, don’t fix it.

So now that I’ve told you everything that is bad about theme based design and DIY web design, let me enlighten you on the right way, or at least, better alternatives to the cheapest alternative.

Custom web design, as I’ve said, is affordable – it really is.  And, the money you’ll invest in a custom built site will come back to you – in some cases three-fold.  When we redesigned the website for Chestnut Hill Counseling Associates, their site was in bad need of assistance – white background throughout the site, blue links and no page interlinking.  We went through the site, found a color scheme that worked for them, and a layout, and began to build the site based around their needs and requirements and what they wanted to see.  After some time, we had the site built and ready to go online.  Once approved and online, within a week, CHCA began receiving inquiries through the site – new patients and clients, and continues to get many of their clientele through the contact form on their website.  A custom design can make a huge difference – and if your site currently has a white background, blue links and no page linking, you may need an overhaul as well.

Contrary to some of the horror stories you may have heard, dealing with website designers and developers is not difficult, at least not with this designer.  It’s a very simple process really, when you come right down to it.  You tell us what you want, and we make it.  But, that’s the way business works.  And, doing business that way, well, it’s just good business.

If you’re lucky and do some research, you’ll find a web development company that offers package pricing for websites.  By package pricing, we mean a flat rate that encompasses the value of your website – pages, graphics and programming.  Depending on the amount of programming involved, you may incur more charges, but for the most part, most of the work done on your site is covered under the package price.  And, again if you’re lucky, you can find a website package that’ll fit your needs for $1000 or less.

So, there you have it.  Bottom line – theme based websites have a home on the web, just not your business website’s home.

6 Expected Web Design Trends for 2013

Web design is constantly changing – as technology develops and new devices and methods of rendering websites emerge, the need for website design to change is imperative.  Every year, web design experts make their predictions for what will be trendy for the coming year.  Some of these trends are based off of past history and emerging trends while others are solely based on the need for comprehensive design for the myriad of devices out on the market.  Below, I’ve outlined six trends that are expected to be big in 2013 – a reminder, these are only expected and should not be considered law.

Trend #1: Responsive Design

A website is said to be “responsive” if it looks good at any resolution, on any device.  This is an emerging trend that has become increasingly more and more important with the popularity of smart phones, tablets and other devices.  This is, in fact, the next big thing.  If your website is optimized with a  responsive design, chances are your customers will find your site easier, find it easy to navigate on any device, and will look great wherever and whenever it’s searched for on the internet.

Trend #2: Typography

Typography has been an emerging trend in website design for the past few years and this year is no exception.  More attention is being paid to typography to stand by itself rather than being prettied up by beautiful pictures or graphics.  Without a good grasp on typography, your site will look bland and amateurish.  After all, your visitors to your website will get the information about your business through your use (or lack thereof ) of typography.  Bottom line: use typography to your advantage.  Don’t treat it like a red-headed step-child.

Trend #3 & 4: Scrolling – Vertical and Parallax

Scrolling is an important part of navigating any website – whether on a computer, tablet or phone.  The ease of doing so, however, may be obscured on some devices because too much scrolling in different directions.  For example, some sites feature both vertical and horizontal scrolling.   Given the nature of mobile devices, it’s easiest to only scroll vertically.  Unless it adds something to your website, axe the horizontal scrolling.  Make your site user friendly and mobile friendly, your visitors will thank you for it.

That was Trend #3.  Trend #4 is pretty funky.  Parallax scrolling is scrolling where a sense of depth is created when the user scrolls by making some objects (and the background ) scroll at different rates, thus giving a layered and cool parallax effect.  Remarkably, there are already a lot of sites out there that use parallax scrolling.  It’s new, it’s cool and it’s trendy.  However, parallax scrolling requires some planning on the site owner’s part before its implementation.  Parallax scrolling for the sake of being trendy isn’t such a great idea, especially when no thought has been put into it.

Trend #5: Large Buttons

You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Jeff, what does big buttons have to do with being trendy?”  I’ll tell you.  Large buttons make it easy for a user to navigate a site especially on a mobile device.  Large buttons may seem a bit academic in terms of design, however, it’s predicted to be  a huge necessity with the emergence of phone and tablet internet surfing.  One drawback is that buttons require graphics – and graphics require extra time to load on the page.  While it’s not a huge problem, graphics could play a role in making this trend not last long.  However, its practical uses far outweigh its disadvantages.

Trend #6:  Social Integration

If you’re not on some social network already, you must be living under a rock.  In fact, if you’re reading this, you’re taking part in social networking, in some way.  The point is – your site needs to be networked and by networking, I’m not referring to a bunch of CAT5 running from the wall to your computer.  We’re talking Facebook.  And Twitter.  How about LinkedIn?  Youtube?  Flickr?  There  are so many social networks out there that you could spend days learning about each one.  Social integration has become necessary and is nearly a requirement for doing business in the 21st century.  So, get on, get connected.

That’s it.  Six predictions that I think (and the experts too ) that will be huge in 2013.  Look for them on the sites you visit.

New Site Launch: Schroeder Associates Therapy

DPi Graphics has launched yet another website for one of our clients – this time for a therapist office in Rockville, CT.  Liz Norman, office manager at Schroeder Associates Therapy, contacted us earlier this year about redesigning and developing their website.  They were then using a service that allowed therapy offices, such as theirs, to seemingly easily publish and maintain a website online. This service offered “cookie cutter”, theme-based websites featuring minimal customization. While this may have been a good arrangement when their site was first launched, Schroeder Associates Therapy now required more from their site, something that just wasn’t feasible with their web service.

That’s when they contacted us.  We worked with them throughout this past year, developing a site that would meet their needs and be easy to maintain.  The consistent theme throughout the project is “balance”, a motif we strove to incorporate into the whole website.  Schroeder Associates decided on a blue colored website, something consistent with their ocean-related imagery that appears on several pages of the site.  The site features contact forms and even an appointment request form where visitors, and potential clients, can submit a request for an appointment with a therapist.  The clean and easy navigation makes it easy for virtually any visitor to find what they need on the site quickly, another requirement for our client.

The site can be found at http://www.schroederassociatestherapy.com

6 Months FREE Website Maintenance When You have DPi Graphics Develop Your Website!

That’s right – our deal for December – 6 months FREE website maintenance when you have us develop your website.  You may say, “That’s fine, Jeff, but what is that really saving me?”  Glad you asked.  This is a $150 savings.  150 smackers that YOU get to keep.  Why? Well, it’s Christmas for one.  For two, it’s our way of giving you more for less.

Alright, so here’s the nuts and bolts of it – and the caveat – you have to sign up to have us design your website THIS MONTH. January 1st, 2013 won’t cut it.  Secondly, this offer is good for all of our already low-cost website packages.  Yup.  So, you’re already getting a well-developed and designed site AND free maintenance for 6 months.  Now, here’s the big caveat – once the initial design is done and you’re online – that’s when the 6 months of free maintenance kicks in. The free maintenance ONLY includes regular, routine website maintenance.  What does that include?  Another excellent question.  Regular maintenance, as defined by DPi Graphics, is minor changes and adjustments such as: swapping in and out pictures and images, logos and other graphics; text changes, additional menu items and links, minor programming and updating RSS feeds that appear on your site.  What it DOES NOT include is major layout and design changes, ongoing SEO adjustments, extensive programming and graphics creation.  Sorry.  Those will be billed at our $45/hr. rate.

So that’s the skinny.  But, better act now, the clock is ticking…

We Will Be Closed December 24, 2012 -January 1, 2013

Planning ahead for the coming weeks, we are going to be closed from Monday, December 24, 2012 through Tuesday, January 1, 2013 to celebrate and enjoy the Christmas and New Year holidays.  If you have a project that needs completion prior to Christmas or New Years, please contact us now so that we can spend the time without rushing your job and complete it in your necessary timeframe.  We will be monitoring email over that week and will be available for EMERGENCIES only during that time.  All other inquiries and requests will be responded to when we return on January 2, 2013.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.  DPi Graphics wishes all of our clients and friends the merriest of Christmases and best wishes for success in the New Year.

New Site Launch: New Hampshire Animal Damage Control

Dave Kondrup runs a very unique and interesting business – one that many of us may not have a use for, unless, we have a problem with critters – the type that get into your house, shed, garage, vehicle, etc. and decide to make it their home.  Dave runs New Hampshire Animal Damage Control, or NHADC, and captures and removes all kinds of animals: bats, squirrels, flying and otherwise, opossums, skunks, woodchucks and raccoons.  Recently, I had the pleasure of redesigning Dave’s website, http://www.creatureremoval.com, and make it look more inviting and more professional.

Because Dave is full of many, many stories that would keep you interested for days about his exploits, he has decided to start-up a blog about his daily activities, where he’s going and where he’s been.  While his skills are, in my mind, beyond compare, his prices for animal removal are quite affordable.  How would I know, you ask?  Why, I have had him remove a couple critters from our own home – a raccoon and a skunk.

Take a gander at the new site located at http://www.creatureremoval.com – we’ve flooded the site with pictures, color and great content.  The blog is new, so Dave needs to start writing about his many, many adventures.  Recently, he went diving down in Virginia and retrieved a few megalodon teeth from the bottom of the Potomac riverbed.  Yeah.  Cool stuff.